HYDERABAD MONDAY AUGUST 26, 2024 `9.00 PAGES 20 LATE CITY EDITION TELEGRAM CHIEF EXECUTIVE DUROV ARRESTED BY FRENCH AUTHORITIES The founder -CEO of the messaging service was detained at Paris-Le Bourget Airport late on Saturday upon his arrival from Azerbaijan ACCUSED OF FAILING TO CURB MISUSE OF APP LAWYER CALLS IT ATTACK ON FREE SPEECH Pavel Durov was arrested over allegations that Telegram has been used for money laundering, drug trafficking and sharing child sexual content, media reports said. He is accused of failing to take steps to curb criminal uses of his messaging service. The warrant was issued at the request of a special unit of the country’s interior ministry in charge of probing crimes against minors | P9 ■ ■ Durov’s lawyer has called his arrest an attack on freedom of speech. Russia, too, has condemned the arrest of the Franco-Russian billionaire Telegram, known for user privacy and strong encryption protocols, was founded by Durov and his brother in 2013. The messaging service has been criticised by the Western governments for its lack of content moderation 900 million MONTHLY ACTIVE USERS IN TELEGRAM, WHICH HAS 1 BILLION OVERALL DOWNLOADS 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 HYDRAA razed 166 structures in 58 days M A N DA RAV I N D E R R E D DY @ Hyderabad Israeli Air Force intercepts a Hezbollah UAV over north Israel on Sunday; close-up of the projectile being blown into pieces | AFP Israel hits Lebanon with 100 jets in ‘self defence’ Hezbollah fires over 300 rockets, says first phase of attack is over AGENCIES ISRAEL on Sunday launched its biggest air offensive in recent times as it sent over 100 fighter jets into Lebanon to destroy “rocket launchers aimed at Israel”, claiming Hezbollah was about to unleash a largescale attack against it. The Israeli military said its fighter jets had destroyed “thousands” of Hezbollah rocket launchers “aimed toward northern Israel and some were aimed toward central Israel”, far from the border. Meanwhile, Iran-backed Hezbollah rejected Israel’s claims of having thwarted its attack, saying it had fired 320 Katyusha rockets targeting “enemy positions” across the border. This, it said, was the first phase of its retaliation for Israel’s assassination of its commander Fuad Shukr last month. With this issue In a televised speech on Sunday, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said his group targeted a military intelligence base near Tel Aviv. However, Israeli sources said there were no hits on the base. Hezbollah’s claims The militant group said it targeted 11 bases, barracks and military positions in northern Israel and the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, and dismissed Israel’s claim to have thwarted its attack. It, however, did not provide evidence for its claims Following the Sunday airstrikes, three deaths were reported in Lebanon. While Hezbollah clarified that it was not planning any further strikes as of now, Israel’s foreign minister said his country did not CBI conducts raids over irregularities in RG Kar S U L A G N A S E N G U P TA @ Kolkata 8 PAGES Special Supplement EXPRESS READ Regulations for Ganesh Chaturthi announced Hyderabad: With Ganesh Chaturthi starting on September 7, Police Commissioner K Sreenivasa Reddy on Sunday announced regulatory measures to ensure public order. That organisers have to get a ‘no objection certificate’ from the owner of the land where the idol will be installed is one among the many regulations announced. | P3 Rly accidents fell in last 10 yrs, but losses at `300 cr New Delhi: While the frequency of consequential train accidents has significantly declined, the financial and material damages continue to mount. There has been a dramatic drop in accidents — from 1,711 in the years between 2004-05 and 2013-14 to just 678 between 2014-15 and 2023-24. | P7 Kamala’s campaign raises over half bn dollars Washington: Kamala Harris’s US presidential campaign raised $540 million in just over a month, “a record for any campaign in history”. The amount, raised since Harris launched her campaign after Joe Biden dropped out of the race on July 21, comes as she and rival Donald Trump embark on the final 10-week sprint to election day on Nov 5. | P9 seek a full-scale war. Both sides claimed they had struck only military targets. The US helped track the barrage of rockets and drones launched by Hezbollah against Israel, but was not involved in strikes in Lebanon or in shooting down incoming projectiles, AFP reported quoting a US defence official. The Hezbollah has traded near-daily cross-border fire with Israeli forces throughout the Gaza war, in a campaign it says in support of Hamas. According to experts, any major escalation in the fighting, which began in parallel with the war in Gaza, risks morphing into a regional conflagration drawing in Hezbollah’s backer Iran and Israel’s main ally the US. The situation remains tense though both sides hinted they have no immediate plans to continue strikes. P9 THE CBI’s anti-corruption unit on Sunday conducted searches on the premises of ex-principal of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital Sandip Ghosh, former medical superintendent cum vice-principal Sanjay Vashisth, and 13 others in and around Kolkata in connection with the probe into financial irregularities at the state-run institute. Officials said the CBI team reached Ghosh’s residence at 6 am but was made to wait for one-and-half hours before they were let in. The sleuths started questioning Ghosh at 8 am and it continued till late night. The CBI’s anti-corruption unit also searched the residences and offices of those engaged in supplying materials for the management and care of patients. Sources said the CBI team visited the premises of Dr Debasish Som, Sandip Ghosh’s close aide. He is the head of the department of forensic science at RG Kar. CBI sleuths called the head clerk of the forensic medicine department to know the whereabouts of the alleged organ racket. According to CBI sources, the racket sells body parts sourced from various state-run medical colleges; officials said Dr Sandip Ghosh and his allies have been giving cover to the racket. A senior officer said: “We have got lots of information regarding the illegal racket in the state. We are in search of other doctors who are involved in the scam. Several doctors working in private hospitals are also involved in the scam.” Meanwhile, the lie detection test on Sanjay Roy the main ac, cused in the rape-murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar hospital, was conducted at Kolkata’s Presidency Jail where he is lodged. Four persons including former principal Sandip Ghosh underwent the polygraph test on Saturday the officials said. , THE Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA) is using its full force to remove encroachments on lakes and government lands. Within 58 days since its inception, the HYDRAA has removed 166 encroachments and reclaimed 43.94 acres from lakes, parks and nalas. On Sunday, the HYDRAA submitted its report to the gover nment detailing the encroachments removed and extent of land recovered so far. As per the report, the structures demolished by the HYDRAA belonged to senior Congress leader and former Union minister MM Pallam Raju’s brother, MLAs and MLCs from AIMIM and BRS. The agency started its first demolition on June 26 in Film Nagar Co-Operative Society and recovered 0.16 acres. A businessman, Gokul Narne, had encroached a part of the Lotus Pond park and built a compound wall, the report revealed. On August 18, as many as 24 encroachments were dismantled in Gandipet lake (Osman Sa g ar) at Khanapur and Chilkur villages and 15.25 acres of land were recovered. The agency demolished two buildings, a compound wall and 11 temporary sheds in the extent of 8.75 acres at Khanapur. Similarly, at Chilkur, six buildings and three compound walls in the extent of 6.5 acres were dismantled. One of the demolished structures built on the encroached Gandipet lake land was ORO Sports Village belonging to Pal- Crime against women unpardonable sin: Modi S U D H I R S U R YA W A N S H I @ Mumbai PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said crimes against women are unpardonable sins and the guilty should not be spared. He was speaking at the ‘Lakhpati Didi Sammelan’ in north Maharashtra’s Jalgaon, days after the rape-murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital and the sexual assault of two minor girls at a school in Maharashtra’s Badlapur, triggered a nationwide uproar. “‘The message should go from top to bottom. This sin is unpardonable. Governments will come and go, but protecting life and women’s dignity is a big responsibility of all of us, both as a society and as a government,” Modi said. Modi said the guilty should not be spared and those helping them should also be dealt with firmly . BIGWIGS’ BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED Tollywood actor Akkineni Nagarjuna Former Union minister Pallam Raju’s brother Pallam Anand Former TDP member GV Bhasker Rao BJP leader Sunil Reddy MIM MLA Mohamad Mubeen and MLC Mirza Rahmat Beig NOTICE SERVED ON 225 VILLAS The Manikonda Municipal Council has issued notices to the president of the Telugu Cine Workers Co-operative Society, Chitrapuri Colony, on the unauthorised construction of 225 row houses. It has issued some directions, stating that non-compliance will result in action by HYDRAA. lam Raju’s brother Pallam Anand, while three others were built by former TDP member GV Bhasker Rao of Kaveri Seeds, BJP leader Sunil Reddy and Anupama, wife of Pro Kabaddi team owner Srinivas Rao. Sunil Reddy unsuccessfully contested in the 2023 Assembly election from Manthani on a BJP ticket. The HYDRAA bulldozed N-Convention, owned by Tollyhood actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, in Tummidikunta lake in Madhapur on August 24 and recovered 4.9 acres. Eight sheds were dismantled in the funcCONTINUED ON P3 tion hall. Inspired by Krishna, Arjuna: CM on HYDRAA demolitions EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Hyderabad STATING categorically that he would not succumb to pressure and will continue to take strict action against the illegal structures constructed in the full tank level (FTL) of lakes, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said he took inspiration from the Bhagavad Gita to demolish illegal constructions. Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone for the Hare Krishna Heritage Tower in Kokapet on Sunday, the CM noted that the government was firm on its resolve to remove encroachments on lakes and government lands. He said that several rich individuals constructed structures within the FTL and diverted the drainage water to Gandipet and other lakes which supply drinking water to Hyderabad. “If I do not take any action, it will be construed that I have failed as a people’s representative. That is why I formed HYDRAA and took action despite several pressures,” he said. Speaking about the Gita, the chief minister said that during the Kurukshetra war, Arjuna dropped his weapons and refused to fight in the battle as he was unwilling to kill his brethren for the sake of ruling the kingdom. At that time, Krishna encouraged Arjuna to participate in the battle to protect Dharma, he added. “Krishna and Arjuna protected Dharma, which protected us later. Taking inspira- AT the age of five, most children would not have heard of Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro. But for five-year-old Teghbir Singh from Ropar in Punjab, it was a year-old dream that came true when he reached Africa’s tallest peak on August 23. In doing so, he became the youngest person from Asia to scale the 5,895-metre tall mountain. After a year of preparation, Teghbir Singh during his trek to Mount Kilimanjaro | SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT A Revanth Reddy, Chief Minister tion from the Gita, I am demolishing the illegal structures to protect natural resources,” he said. He noted that Nizams developed Hyderabad as a city of lakes. “Some farmhouses have been built near those lakes and ponds which quenched the thirst of crores of people,” he added, pointing out that waste water from farmhouses is being discharged into Gandipet lake and Himayatsagar, which provide drinking water to HyCONTINUED ON P5 derabad. Kerala govt forms SIT to probe film industry E N S @ Hyderabad E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @T’Puram THE Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has uncovered a massive fraud of `175 crore after investigating 600 complaints against six SBI accounts in Shamsheergunj. The complaints were filed on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) after large sums of money were transacted through these accounts in March and April 2024, as noted by TGCSB Director Shika Goel. Police arrested two accused, Mohammed Shoeb Tauqeer and Mahmood Bin Ahmed Bawazir, while the kingpin in Dubai is on the run. The ring leader allegedly has five associates. The gang was luring poor people with the promise of commissions upon opening bank accounts, which would then be used for cybercrimes and hawala operations. Tauqeer played a pivotal role, handling account setups and documentations. After accounts were created, the fraudsters secured the sig- Police advise caution Don’t open a bank account for someone else or engage in suspicious transactions. If you have already opened a mule account, report it to 1930 or http://cybercrime. gov.in. Be cautious of offers to open bank accounts. Verify the identity and credentials of anyone asking you to open an account and monitor your account activity regularly. natures of account holders on cheques. These were then used to withdraw and distribute funds, including transfers to Dubai via cryptocurrency. By February 2024, the gang had successfully convinced people to open the six SBI current accounts, which saw high activity over the next two months. Shika Goel said, “A case was registered against the two accused under Sections 66D of the IT Act, 318(4), 319(2), and 338 of BNS at the Cyber Crimes Police Station, Hyderabad.” 5-yr-old Punjab boy youngest Asian to scale Mt Kilimanjaro Teghbir started the trek on August 18 and reached the Uhuru peak on August 23, battling fierce snowstorms on the way . He was accompanied by his father Sukhinderdeep Singh, two guides and supporting staff. “I was told to chant Waheguru when I felt tired and I did that. It helped me scale the summit,” Teghbir, a first-standard student of Shiwalik Public School at Ropar, told this newspaper over the phone. With this Krishna and Arjuna protected Dharma, which protected us later. Taking inspiration from the Gita, I am demolishing illegal structures to protect natural resources. TGCSB UNCOVERS `175 CR CYBERFRAUD PEAK OF VALOUR H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh CM A Revanth Reddy and IT Minister D Sridhar Babu offer prayers at Hare Krishna Heritage Tower at Kokapet feat, he equaled the world record of summiting Mt Kilimanjaro at age five by a Serbia boy Ognjen Živkovi on August 6 last year. “Teghbir started preparing almost a year ago. He was trained by Bikramjit Singh Ghuman who helped him with the exercises to increase cardiovascular health and lung capacity to deal with altitude sickness,” Singh said. Commenting on his son’s journey to the peak, Singh said, “Every day he trekked around 8-10 kilometers and temperatures dropped with every ascent he made. He walked and stayed in a low-oxygen altitude in a minus-grade temperature for almost a week”. The push to the summit was undertaken during fierce snowstorms. “It was a very challenging moment for the entire crew,” Singh said. Teghbir had trekked to the Everest Base Camp in April. UNDER fire for its inaction on the Justice Hema Committee’s findings, the Kerala government on Sunday formed a special investigation team to probe allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation in the Malayalam film industry . The seven-member team headed by South Zone IG G Sparjan Kumar has four women IPS officers on board. The other members of the team are Thiruvananthapuram Range DIG S Ajeetha Begum, Crime Branch S P Merin Joseph, Coastal Police AIG G Poonkuzhali, Kerala Police Academy Assistant Director Aishwarya Dongre, AIG Law and Order Ajith V and Crime Branch SP S Madhusoodanan. Crime Branch head ADGP H Venkatesh will monitor the proceedings. The decision to form the special team was taken during a meeting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held with senior police officers on Sunday The state govern. ment had so far maintained that it is open to probing the allegations if the survivors are ready to file complaints. Sources said the special team will not register FIRs suo motu, but would rather register cases based on complaints they receive from the aggrieved persons. The formation of the SIT, sources added, was to encourage the victims to come forward and file their complaints. “You need a defacto complainant to take the case forward. So, one of the purposes behind the constitution of the probe team is to motivate the victims to officially lodge complaints,” said a source. The source said the SIT will probe instances of sexual harassment mentioned in the Hema Committee report if the survivors file complaints.
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