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 ■ ■ BHUBANESWAR  TUESDAY  APRIL 22, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 12  LATE CITY EDITION LGBTQ+ part of his outreach Allowed women vote at Vatican 3-day state mourning Francis made it easier for married Catholics to get an annulment, allowed priests to absolve women who had had abortions and let priests bless samesex couples He let women vote alongside bishops in some Vatican meetings. It was a revolutionary change. However, he had a ‘closed door’ policy on women’s ordination The Indian govt declared a three-day State mourning till Wednesday. An additional day of mourning will be observed on the day of the Pope’s funeral ADIEU, PROGRESSIVE POPE P N I C O L E W I N F I E L D @ Vatican City Gold hits 1 lakh per 10gm in B’luru, 99K in Delhi Gold of 99.5 purity in Bengaluru cost `1,02,000 per 10 grams Gold of 99.9% purity in New Delhi: `99,800 per 10 grams So far this year, the yellow metal’s prices have risen `20,850, or 26.41% per 10 grams There has been increased buying among ETF investors, while upcoming festive demand is fueling additional support Globally, gold futures breached the Pranav Mer, V-P, psychological USD 3,400-mark for the first time JM Financial ever, rising USD 80 per ounce, or 2.4 per cent. Services WOMAN’S BODY FOUND STUFFED IN BOX BED The decomposed body of a 23-year-old woman was found stuffed inside a box bed in her locked house in Nabarangpur district on Monday | P4 D EC E M B E R 17, 1 93 6 -A P R I L 2 1 , 2 0 2 5 The pope will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage - NARENDRA MODI, PRIME MINISTER OPE Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, passed away on Monday He was 88. . “At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, who takes charge after a pontiff ’s death. Francis had a cerebral stroke that led to coma and irreversible heart failure, the Vatican said. In his condolence message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Deeply pained by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. In this hour of grief and rem e m b r a n c e, my h e a r t f e l t condolences to the global Catholic community .” Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease, was hospitalised on February 14 for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalisation of his 12-year papacy . He made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday — a day before his death — to bless thousands of people in St Peter’s Square, drawing wild cheers and applause. From his first greeting that night — a remarkably normal “Buonasera” (“Good evening”) — to his embrace of refugees and the downtrodden, Francis signaled a very different tone for the papacy stressing hu, mility over hubris for a Catholic Church beset by scandal and accusations of indifference. The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought a breath of fresh air into a 2,000-year-old institution that had seen its influence wane during the tenure of Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis’ election. But Francis soon invited troubles of his own, and conservatives grew increasingly upset with his progressive bent, outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and crackdown on traditionalists. His greatest test came in 2018 when he botched a notorious case of clergy sexual abuse in Chile, and the scandal that festered under his predecessors erupted anew. FOUR INDIANS WITH VOTING RIGHT TO ELECT SUCCESSOR KOCHI: Four Indian cardinals, including two Keralites, are part of the 120-strong College of Cardinals who will attend a secret conclave to choose the next pope. The Indian cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave are Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, 72, the Archbishop of Goa and Daman and Patriarch of the East Indies; Thiruvananthapuram-based Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, 64, the Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church; Cardinal Anthony Poola, 63, Archbishop of Hyderabad and the first Dalit cardinal in history; and Changanassery native Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, 51, who had been —ENS coordinating Pope Francis’ foreign trips since 2021 | P5 1 2 3 4 Cardinal Anthony Poola Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad Francis’ death sets off a weekslong process of allowing the faithful to pay their final respects, first for Vatican officials in the Santa Marta chapel and then in St. Peter’s for the general public, followed by a funeral and a conclave to elect a new pope. Francis was elected on a mandate to reform the Vatican bu- reaucracy and finances but went further in shaking up the church without changing its core doctrine. “Who am I to judge?” he replied when asked about a purportedly gay priest. The comment sent a message of welcome to the LGBTQ+ community and those who felt shunned by a church that had stressed sexual propriety over unconditional love. “Being homosexual is not a crime,” he said in 2023. Francis changed the church’s position on the death penalty, calling it inadmissible in all circumstances. He also declared the possession of nuclear weapons, not just their use, was immoral. In other firsts, he approved an agreement with China over bishop nominations that had vexed the Vatican for decades, met the Russian patriarch and charted new relations with the Muslim world by visiting the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq. He reaffirmed the all-male, celibate priesthood and upheld the church’s opposition to abortion, equating it to “hiring a hit man to solve a problem”. But he added women to important decision-making roles and allowed them to serve as lectors and acolytes in parishes. He let women vote alongside bishops in periodic Vatican meetings, following long-standing complaints that women do much of the church’s work but are barred from power. Still, a note of criticism came from the Women’s Ordination Conference, which had been frustrated by Francis’ unwillingness to push for the ordination of women. AP Modi, Vance hail progress in trade talks CM shifts base to Sambalpur for first J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi and US Vice President J D Vance on Monday hailed the significant progress in the ongoing talks for a fair and forward-looking bilateral trade agreement. They also acknowledged the growing cooperation between the two nations in key sectors such as energy defence, , advanced technologies, and other strategic areas, during a meeting marked by personal warmth and a shared commitment to strengthening the India-US partnership. The meeting took place on the first day of Vice President Vance’s four-day visit to India, with Second Lady Usha Vance, their three children, senior members of the US administration, and top Indian officials in attendance. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also present. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with US Vice President J D Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance and their children, in New Delhi on Monday | PTI Reflecting on his January visit to Washington, Prime Minister Modi recalled his “fruitful discussions” with President Donald Trump, which laid the foundation for a close and growing partnership between the two nations. Modi emphasised that the shared visions of “Make America Great Again” and “Viksit Bharat 2047” would continue to drive bilateral cooperation forward. An official readout of the meeting said: “The leaders welcomed the significant progress 2 held from Jharsuguda over murder of Murshidabad father-son duo in Waqf stir M AYA N K B H U S A N PA N I / RAJ KUMAR SHARMA @ Sambalpur/Jharsuguda IN a major breakthrough, two key accused in the brutal killings of a father-son duo in Murshidabad during the recent violence over Waqf (Amendment) Act were arrested by a joint team of West Bengal STF and Jharsuguda police in the early hours of Monday in Bandhabahal outpost limits here. The two siblings, Bani Israel and Sefaul Haque, both residents of Sulitala village in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, were prime suspects in the murder of Chandan Das (40) and his father Haragobinda Das (72). The father-son duo was brutally hacked to death on April 13 by a mob during violent protests against the new Waqf Act in Jafrabad village under Samserganj police station in Murshidabad district. The murders had triggered wide- The two siblings Bani Israel and Sefaul Haque of Sulitala village in Murshidabad district were prime suspects in the murder of Chandan Das and his father Haragobinda Das Himansu Lal, IG Northern Range spread tension in the region. Additionally six others who , were allegedly involved in the violent protests were also detained in a subsequent raid in the area. IG of Nor ther n Range, Himansu Lal told The New Indian Express that after a request from West Bengal STF, Banharpali pol i c e c o n d u c t e d r a i d s at multiple locations early in the morning. The operation began around 5 am and led to the arrest of the siblings. “Their father was earlier arrested by WB police but the siblings had fled. The joint team carried out the raids and nabbed them,” he said. During arrest, Bani Israel was found in possession of a country-made pistol loaded with two rounds of 7.62 mm live ammunition. As he and his brother Sefaul attempted to flee, police fired four warning shots to prevent their escape and captured them. Four empty 9 mm cartridges were recovered from the scene, and a case was registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Arms Act. Jharsuguda SP Smit P , Parmar said, six others from Murshidabad, suspected to be involved in the larger violence incident, were also detained during the raids. “The detainees have been identified as Babul Sk, Abdul Khalek, Saba Karim, Roni Sk, Manarul Sk, and Azfarul Sk, all residents of localities under Samserganj police station in WB. They were taken into custody for further questioning and verification,” CONTINUED ON P5 he added. in the negotiations for a mutually beneficial India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement focused on the welfare of the people of the two countries. They also acknowledged the continued efforts to enhance cooperation in energy defence, strategic tech, nologies, and other areas.” Prime Minister Modi also conveyed his warm greetings to President Donald Trump and expressed his eagerness to host him in India sometime later this year. During their meeting, both leaders exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. They agreed that dialogue and diplomacy should remain central to resolving international challenges. “The two leaders also exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward,” the readout of the meeting said. EXPRESS READ 8 Maoists gunned down in Jharkhand Ranchi: As part of the ongoing anti-Maoist offensive, security forces on Monday gunned down at least eight cadres of the banned militant outfit, including Central Committee Member Vivek having a bounty of `1 crore on his head, in an encounter in Lugu Pahar area of Jharkhand’s Bokaro. The dead bodies of all eight Maoists have been recovered | P8 regional Jana Sunani, citizens elated M AYA N K B H U S A N PA N I @ Sambalpur IN a first-of-its-kind citizen outreach initiative by the state government, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi along with his council of ministers and senior officials temporarily shifted base to Sambalpur on Monday to conduct a regional public grievance hearing. Held at the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation office, the programme marked the 10th session of the Jana Sunani (public grievance hearing) and the first to take place outside Bhubaneswar, drawing thousands of people from across the Western Odisha region. The session, which began at 8 am and continued for over four hours, witnessed participation of more than 1,400 people who presented their complaints directly to the chief minister and his team. Among the complainants were 18 critically ill patients who received immediate financial assistance amounting to `19.50 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. Addressing the media after concluding the hearing, the chief minister said, “Today is a happy day for us. Within 10 months of coming to power, we have been able to give a direct platform to the poor and affected citizens of the state to CM Mohan Charan Majhi speaks to an elderly woman during the Jana Sunani present their grievances. Sambalpur is the first regional stop outside Bhubaneswar. We are committed to taking this initiative to other districts as well.” Criticising the previous BJD government, Majhi said, “For the last 16 years, the grievance redressal system was mostly led by bureaucrats without direct involvement of the chief minister. People had to wait for a long time to reach their representatives. We have changed that by being present before the people and resolving their problems.” Since the launch of Jana Sunani in July last year, the CM said, 9,377 grievances have been received in nine sessions with 88 per cent already resolved. “Such outreach encourages accountability among officers and ensures quicker redressal. I’ve instructed all departments to resolve issues raised today at the earliest,” he said. He also highlighted that the initiative has received praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who termed it a positive example of grassroots governance and direct engagement with citizens. The hearing also saw several heart-touching moments. Nalini Behera, a 70-year-old woman from Angul who alleged fraudulent encroachment of her land, broke down while narrating her case to the CM. “I’ve been running from pillar to post for years with no response. This is for the first time, I felt someone truly listened to my woes,” she said. Likewise, farmers from Bargarh and Bheden areas raised concerns over irrigation and procurement issues. Many expressed satisfaction over being able to directly communicate their long-pending demands to the CM. The chief minister’s interactions with elderly and disabled citizens drew appreciation from all sections, particularly as he stepped off the dais several times to meet individuals in wheelchairs or those unable CONTINUED ON P5 to walk. IAF officer alleges assault in Bengaluru; biker held EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru IN a shocking case of road rage, an Indian Air Force wing commander was allegedly attacked by a biker at Byappanahalli in the city on Monday morning. The incident took place around 6.30 am while Wing Commander Shiladitya Bose and his wife Squadron Leader Madhumitha Dutta were on their way to the bus stop near Gopalan Mall on Old Madras Road in their car. has been booked for Wg Cdr Bose was causing hurt by using supposed to fly to dangerous weapons Kolkata to admit his or means (118 BNS). father to a hospital. The incident came He assaulted the bikto light after Wg Cdr er in “self defence”. Bose shared two vidPolice have arrested eos on social media. the biker based on a “After seeing the Wg Cdr Bose complaint by Sqn Ldr DRDO stickers on the Dutta. car, the biker continThe couple lives in DRDO ued to abuse me and my wife. Colony in CV Raman Nagar. I could not bear it. When I The biker was identified as Vi- stepped out of my car, he took kas, 20, from Babusaab Palya. his bike keys and hit me on my He works in a call centre. He forehead. When I tried to stop, he hit my head with the stone,” Wg Cdr Bose said. However, CCTV footage shows him charging at Vikas, assaulting and kicking him, which he claimed that he did in “self defence”. Wg Cdr Bose admitted to having hit the biker and pushing him. “The biker also bit my finger,” he said and claimed that he lost his phone and keys. Police said the biker has not filed any complaint and they are questioning him.