Alleged 9/11 mastermind reaches plea deal, avoids death penalty The alleged mastermind of the deadliest attacks ever on US soil Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other accused reached a plea deal with the US prosecutors, the Pentagon said on Thursday The three were tortured extensively by the CIA. Their case has been delayed over concerns that the evidence extracted through torture was admissible in court. A plea deal avoids this problem KOZHIKODE l friday l august 02, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION They have agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy in exchange for a life sentence Bridge rises but hope fades all survivors in Mundakkai have been rescued, says CM Army completes construction of Bailey Bridge landslide toll rises to 256 T o b y A n t o n y @Chooralmala Chances of finding more survivors at the landslide-hit areas in Wayanad faded even as the Army on Thursday completed the construction of a Bailey bridge at Chooralmala that could help speed up search operations at upstream Mundakkai and Punjirimattom villages. On day 3 of the rescue efforts following the massive landslides, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan visited the affected areas and said all survivors in Mundakkai have been rescued, indicating that there is little hope of finding more people alive. Despite heavy rain on Thursday search teams sifted through , the rubble, recovering seven more bodies, taking the toll of the devastating tragedy to 256 (official tally 189). Over 200 persons are still missing. As per the preliminary assessment 348 houses were damaged in the landslides. Of the seven bodies found on the day, four were recovered from Chooralmala and three from Mundakkai. The progress of search operations at Mundakkai and Punjirimattom, which were cut off following the collapse of the bridge at Chooralmala, had been slow for the past two days as excavators could not cross the river. The opening of the Bailey bridge will facilitate transportation of necessary equipment to disaster-stricken areas. Around 100 army personnel were deployed for the construction of the bridge. After visiting the landslideaffected areas and relief camps, Pinarayi said the ongoing rescue operation is a concerted effort involving various forces, elected representatives, officials, voluntary organisations, and local residents. The coordinated mission will continue until all possible efforts have been made, he said. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the landslide-affected areas in Chooralmala on Thursday. They assessed the search and rescue operations and also visited a hospital and community health centre in Meppadi. On Thursday four excavators , were deployed in Chooralmala, three at Mundakkai and three at Punjirimattom. “Different batches of Army, Navy, NDRF and Fire force officials from different states are deployed at the affected areas. Several volunteer groups are also active. Over 5,000 people are engaged in the search operations alone. A large number of people are helping arrange facilities for those engaged in search operations. More excavators have arrived at Mundakkai and Punjirimattom and would be used for search operations from Friday,” an official at the Control Room said. “The debris at Punjirimattom and Mundakkai have piled up like a mountain. Most of the houses in these areas have been completely destroyed in the landslide. The search and rescue efforts will be daunting and time-consuming, and would take more than a week,” the official said. The harsh weather is also hampering the rescue efforts. As heavy rain lashed Mundakkai, rescue personnel were directed to move to safer locations on Thursday evening. The IMD has issued a red alert for Wayanad district on Friday . IMD: northern half to get more rain From tourism hub to rubble in seconds T’Puram: Districts in Kerala’s northern half are likely to get above-normal rainfall in the rest of the southwest monsoon period of August and September, said the long-range forecast by IMD. Wayanad is predicted to experience a slower start in August | P4 Chooralmala and Mundakkai, nestled in picturesque Wayanad district, were celebrated for their scenic beauty and attracted tourists from across the globe. On Tuesday, these tranquil spots were devastated by a massive landslide, transforming them into desolate landscapes | P4 INSIDE 10 houses remain at Punjirimattom, epicentre of landslide | p2 A Swapnil Kusale When Khalid Sheikh was captured in Pak. He spent three years in secret CIA prisons before arriving in Guantanamo in 2006. A trusted lieutenant of Osama bin Laden, it was Sheikh’s idea to use planes as weapons in the 9/11 attacks | P9 CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ ■ Don’t talk landslides, govt tells scientists; retracts after backlash Express News Service @ T’Puram A damaged house stands amid the debris at the landslide-hit Mundakkai in Wayanad | A Sanesh The ongoing rescue operation is a concerted effort involving various forces. The search operations will continue in the affected regions to recover the bodies of those still missing Over 200 Over 500 ground report 107 people still missing bodies identified by relatives 96 people under treatment at various hospitals 348 persons in three relief camps operating at schools in Meppadi houses completely destroyed in landslides Persons engaged in Rescue operation Armed forces personnel 1,809 Police and Fire Force 1,000 Other Kerala government agencies 400 Government agencies of other states 300 2,000 Volunteers In these difficult times, Priyanka and I stand with the people of Wayanad. We are closely monitoring the relief, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts, ensuring that all necessary assistance is provided.The repeated incidents of landslides and natural calamities are extremely concerning Rahul Gandhi P r eet h a n a i r @ New Delhi Army personnel pulling heavy steel frames for installing a Bailey bridge connecting Chooralmala and Mundakkai on Thursday after an existing bridge across the river was washed away on Tuesday | A Sanesh 6 dogs help trace bodies buried deep inside debris | p4 he was positioned. “I did not pay attention to what the MC was saying. But I could hear the Indian fans shouting and I shifted my attention to that. And I said I don’t want to disappoint them. I will have to win for them,” he said after the bronze. Soon after Swapnil’s medal, though, heart-breaks followed. Three, in fact. Before the Games began, three of India’s biggest medal hopes were Sift Kumar Samra (women’s 50 m rifle 3-position), Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty (men’s doubles badminton), P V Sindhu (singles badminton) and Nikhat Zareen (women’s 50 kg boxing). All four failed to progress on a largely disapP11 pointing day  . In a bizarre order that could hinder transparency and informed communication during a natural calamity, the state government on Thursday issued a gag order on the scientific community, restraining all science and technology institutions in the state from sharing opinions and study reports to the media. However, after it evoked widespread criticism, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan intervened and directed the chief secretary to withdraw the order, which “does not reflect the government’s policy”. The order had also asked the science and technology institutions not to undertake any field visits to the landslide-hit area, Meppadi panchayath. The order also said prior permission is needed from the State Disaster Management Authority to undertake studies. The “absurd” move, that could well be termed as a continuation of the government’s efforts to prevent effective communication flow to the public and the media, came from revenue principal secretary and state relief commissioner Tinku Biswal as a note to K P Sudheer, principal secretary, Department of Science and Technology on Thursday , . “The scientific community shall be directed to restrain themselves from shar- A grab of the government order ing their opinions and study reports to the media. If any study is to be undertaken in the disaster affected area, prior permission shall be obtained from Kerala State Disaster management Authority the note said. ,” The direction is said to be the copy paste action of the central government implemented one year ago in view of the sudden ground subsidence at Joshimath in Uttarakhand in July 2023. , Former civil servants expressed surprise over the note. “This is a very wrong decision,” a former chief secretary told TNIE on condition of anonymity. “The government could instruct that caution be taken while expressing opinions as that might scare the people. However, this is an exact replica of the Union government’s decision in 2023. Many had criticised that move. How could one prevent the scientific community from studying or undertaking field visits? This should be revoked,” he said. Bill to strengthen mgmt of disasters creates LS heat Pinarayi Vijayan Swapnil shoots for the stars T the shooting ranges, Swapnil Kusale recedes into a cocoon and blocks himself off from the noise. On Thursday, when the shooting final was on at the Chateauroux shooting centre, Swapnil shut himself from the outside world. The competition was intense and Swapnil was see-sawing; sixth, fourth, third, second and third in the 50 m rifle 3-position final. There is no place for emotion in shooting. The heart needs to keep still and that’s what Swapnil did while securing India one more bronze at the Olympics. He was hearing the PA system but did not pay heed to where 2003 Bailey’s decades-old history in Kerala | p2 EXPRESS READ Declaration of Saturdays as working days for schools quashed Kochi: The Kerala High Court quashed the order of the director of general education declaring 25 Saturdays as working days for the academic year 2024-25 for the schools governed under the Kerala Education Act and Rules. The court said that the decision to declare Saturdays as working days was taken without properly hearing the views of the stakeholders. P5 Israel says Hamas’ military wing head Mohammed Deif dead Jerusalem: The Israeli military said on Thursday that it has confirmed that the head of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July. Israel said following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Deif was eliminated in the strike. Days after deadly landslides hit Wayanad, the Centre on Thursday introduced Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Lok Sabha to strengthen the national and state disaster management authorities. The Opposition parties, including the Congress and Trinamool Congress, questioned the constitutionality of the proposed legislation and said it will undermine the federal structure of the country . The government said it has become necessary to amend certain provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 to bring more clarity and convergence regarding the roles of authorities and committees working in the field of disaster management. The 2005 Act has been reviewed in consultation with all stakeholders, including state governments, it said. The bill, which was introduced in Lok Sabha by the minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai, confers statutory status to certain organisations like the National Crisis Management Committee that existed before Act came into force. It will provide for the creation of a disaster database at the national and state levels, make provision for the constitution of an “Urban Disaster Management Authority” for state capital and large cities having municipal corporations. Sub-classification of SCs by states valid, rules Supreme Court bench S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi A seven-judge Supreme Court bench in a landmark ruling on Thursday empowered states to sub-classify g roups within the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ STs) to uplift the more socially and economically backward among them for reservation benefits. The majority 6:1 verdict set aside a 2004 judgment by a fivejudge bench in the E V Chin- naiah case, which had held that sub-classification was not permissible because SC/STs form homogenous classes. But the 6:1 ruling said the SCs are heterogeneous. However, sub-classification can be done only on the basis of quantifiable and demonstrable data of backwardness and representation in government jobs and not on whims or political expediency the bench said. , The verdict came on a batch of petitions against sub-classification laws in Punjab, Tamil Nadu and elsewhere, arguing they were not in sync with the Chinnaiah order. “Article 14 permits the subclassification,” the verdict authored by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud for himself and Justice Manoj Misra said. Justices B R Gavai, Vikram Nath, Pankaj Mithal and Satish Chandra Sharma wrote separate verdicts that concurred with the CJI. Justice Bela Trivedi was the lone dissenter. She said Parliament alone has the right to include or exclude castes in the SC list.