mangaluru l thursday l may 22, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION Prima-facie money laundering CASE ESTABLISHED AGAINST sONIA, rAHUL: ED The Enforcement Directorate told a Delhi court that a prima-facie case of money laundering has been made out in the National Herald matter Court schedules Daily hearing from July 2 `142 cr rental income ‘proceeds of crime’ ED made the submission before Special Judge Vishal Gogne during the preliminary arguments on whether the court should take cognisance of the matter. The judge asked ED to provide a copy of the chargesheet to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, on whose private complaint the case was registered. The court also scheduled daily hearings from July 2 to 8 ■ ■ Additional Solicitor General S V Raju and advocate Zoheb Hossain, representing the ED, argued that the case involved proceeds of crime The ED told the court that key transactions involving Congress-linked company Young Indian were illicit and involved “proceeds of crime”​ including rental income of `142 crore received by the accused `2,000 cr Worth of properties sought to be usurped by senior cong leaders: ed 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 ‘Heart Lamp’ shines, wins Booker... and pride for Kannadigas & India G ayat h r i M K u r u p @ Bengaluru It was a “moment that feels like a thousand fireflies lighting up a single sky” for Banu Mushtaq, for Indians, and especially Kannadigas, as she became the first Kannada author to win the prestigious International Booker Prize 2025. Her short story collection ‘Edeya Hanate’, translated into English as ‘Heart Lamp’ by Deepa Bhasthi, won the title for Kannada language literature under the translated fiction cat- egory It made Bhasthi the first . Indian translator to win the prestigious award. Accepting the award at London’s Tate Modern Museum, the 77-year-old author said, “This story is a love letter to my idea that no story is local, that a tale born under the banyan tree in my village can cast a shadow as far as this stage tonight... You have made my Kannada language a shared home, a language that sings of resilience and nuance. To write in Kannada is to inherit a legacy of cosmic wonder,” Banu said. Banu started writing in 1990, the stories curated over 33 years, revolving around the lives of women in South Indian Muslim communities. Inspired by real life incidents, Banu had referred to her experiences as a ‘seed’ that grows with the imagination of the reader, in a previous interview with TNIE. Banu managed to finally implant the seed in the hearts of all readers -- a story every woman could relate to, and every man could empathize with. Writer Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi at the Booker Prize award ceremony in London | AFP Chair of judges Max Porter defined the work as “something genuinely new for English read- ers: a radical translation” of “beautiful, busy, life-affirming stories”. Deepa Bhasthi, who selected and translated the original works, said, “The story of the world is a history of erasures, characterised by the effacement of women’s triumphs and the furtive rubbing away of collective memory of how women and those on the many margins in this world live and love. This prize is a small win in a long ongoing battle against such violences.” “And what a win for 27 killed in encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur-Bijapur region Supreme commander of Maoists eliminated E J A Z K AIS E R @ Raipur Security forces on Wednesday notched up their biggest strike ever by eliminating the supreme commander of the Maoist movement, along with 26 others, in a fierce encounter in the border region of Narayanpur-Bijapur, about 430 km south of Raipur. Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, the supreme commander of the banned CPIMaoist since 2018, lived and died by the gun. General secretary of the CPI-Maoist, he carried a reward of `1 crore on his head in Chhattisgarh. He was also a Politburo member and headed the CPI’s Central Military Commission. B a s av a r a j u t o o k charge as supreme c o m m a n d e r s eve n years ago from Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathy, then aged 71, who stepped down due to agerelated issues. Hailing from Andhra Pradesh, he did his BTech from Regional Engineering College, Warangal. Basavaraju was facing several cases in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. His name is being linked with the killing of Telugu Desam Party MLA Kidari Sarvewara Rao of Araku c o n s t i t u e n cy i n A n d h r a Pradesh in September 2018. Union home minister Amit Shah applauded the operation as a major breakthrough in the battle to eliminate Naxalism. In a post on X, Shah said: “In an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces neutralised 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju, general secretary of CPI-Maoist, topmost leader, and the backbone of the Naxal movement. This is the first time in three decades of Bharat’s battle against Naxalism that a general secretary-ranked leader has been neutralised.” Based on intelligence inputs about the movement of Central Committee and Politburo members of the banned outfit as well as senior cadre of Maad division and People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army a team of , District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Kondagaon was out on an operation to Abujhmad area for past three days, Sundarraj P inspector gener, al of police (Bastar Range), said. In the encounter on Wednesday several senior Mao, ist cadre have been killed or seriously injured in this operation in difficult geographical conditions amid multiple challenges. “So far, 27 bodies of Maoists have been recovered during search operations,” he added. A DRG personnel also died in the encounter. A huge cache of arms and ammunition were also recovered from the encounter site. Search operations are on. The identification of the bodies will be done after the operation is over. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai commended the security personnel involved in the operation. “This fight is not just narayanpur Encounter site A resident of Jiyannapeta village in Srikakulam district, Basavaraju did BTech at REC, Warangal Joined the banned CPI (Maoist) in 1970s, became its head in 2018 Bastar Bijapur Sukma dantewada Had various aliases — Prakash, Krishna, Vijay, Umesh and Kamlu Expert in imparting military training and handling explosives, including landmines Proud of our forces for this remarkable success. Our govt is committed to eliminating the menace of Maoism and ensuring a life of peace and progress for our people — Narendra Modi, PM Reports of rift in banned outfit Ganapathi may get back the mantle There have been reports of rift within the banned CPI (Maoist) owing to which it could not nominate a new secretary of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee following the death of its DSZC head Ramanna in 2019 due to cardiac arrest Following Basavaraju’s death, speculation is rife that the ageing Ganapathi might get back the responsibility of secretary of the Central Committee. Given the rift, he could be an acceptable face within the CPI (Maoist) against Maoists but also in favour of peace and development,” he said. This year, 200 bodies of Maoists have been recovered so far in various encounters in Chhattisgarh, including 182 killed in the Bastar division. E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru ‘hawala’ transactions? ED raids Siddartha institutions linked to Parameshwara E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e engineer who engineered attacks CM, DCM go on B’luru rounds, flood-hit residents gherao them Citizens gheraoed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, KR Puram MLA Byrathi Basavaraj and others on Wednesday when they visited Sai Layout, which is flooded every time it rains heavily in Bengaluru. The angry residents demanded a permanent solution to flooding and adequate compensation for rain damage. Siddaramaiah listened to the residents calmly and assured them that projects will be taken to prevent flooding. On Wednesday afternoon, the CM, DCM along with a team of top brass from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore Water Supply and Sewera g e Board (BWSSB), Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and others went on city rounds to in- Chhattisgarh A 21-day long Operation Black Forest, a crackdown launched on April 21 at the Karreguttalu hilly expanse, was also commended as immensely successful when 31 Maoists were killed and their major base dismantled.  P7 express read Another gang-rape case against MLA Munirathna Bengaluru: BJP MLA Munirathna and three of his accomplices have been booked on gang rape charges based on a complaint filed by a 40-year-old woman. A senior police officer said the case would be transferred to the SIT, which is probing multiple cases against Munirathna | P4 my beautiful language,” she gasped. “Jenina holeyo, haalina maleyo, sudheyo, Kannada savi nudiyo (a river of honey a rain , of milk and like sweet ambrosia),” she exclaimed, letting her mother tongue speak for her. Wishes poured in from across the nation. “This is a moment of celebration for Kannada, Kannadigas, and Karnataka. Banu Mushtaq embodies the true values of harmony, secularism and brotherhood of this land through her writing,” CM Siddaramaiah posted on X. P2 @ Bengaluru The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Wednesday reportedly raided the premises of educational institutions belonging to Kar nataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, creating ripples in political circles. The opposition BJP linked it to actress Ranya Rao’s gold smuggling case, while senior Congress leaders strongly condemned the ED action, ter ming it a politically motivated move. “ED, which was investigating Ranya Rao’s case for the last 2-3 months, might have had some credible infor mation,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Shesharaghavachar told the media, linking it to the case of gold smuggling by Ranya Rao, who is in custody . ED officials simultaneously raided Siddhartha medical colleges and hospitals at Tumakuru and Nelamangala, on Bengaluru outskirts, and the engineering college at Tumakuru. The searches started around 9 am and continued till evening. The officials verified documents related to alleged ‘hawala’ transactions, it is said. ED, however, is yet to make an official statement on the raids and seizures. DCM DK Shivakumar defended Parameshwara, saying, “I am sure that the home minister is not involved in any such case as he is a decent, simple man. Like anyone who met him, the others (involved in Ranya Rao’s case) might have also met him. In no way Parameshwara is involved in it.” AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala came down heavily against Prime Minister Narendra Modi government, terming the raids vendetta politics aimed at Congress leaders. “The ED raids on the Educational Institutions of Karnataka’s Home Minister, Dr. G. Parameshwara, one of the tallest SC Leaders, is a frustrated reaction of BJP & Modi Govt to giving of ownership rights to 1 Lakh SC-ST families yesterday at Hospet. The constant assault on Constitution and leaders of SC-ST-OBC communities across India has become a habitual pattern. The revenge seeking against Dr G Parameshwara is part of this sinister design,” he posted on X. P4 Vengeful move by Centre, says CM Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah termed the raid as politics of vengeance by the Centre and sought to know why only Congress leaders are being targeted by the Enforcement Directorate. “The central BJP government has targeted the SC leader through the ED,” he said | P4 The trolley bag was found near the railway bridge at Chandapura in Anekal on Wednesday | Express 18-yr-old girl’s body stuffed in trolley bag found in B’luru E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Bengaluru THE body of an unidentified woman was found stuffed inside a trolley bag near the railway bridge at Chandapura in Anekal on Wednesday around 11.30 am. The victim, around 18 years of age, was clad in a pink kurti and a black colour pants. The murder must have happened elsewhere and the accused may have thrown it out of a moving train while the train was passing the railway bridge on the Hosur-Chandapura Road, said the police. The body was shifted to Oxford Hospital’s mortuary at Yadavanahalli in Attibele for postmortem. “The accused must have tried to kill the victim by smothering her. After she fell unconscious, her body must have been stuffed inside the trolley assuming that she had died. We suspect that the victim was alive when she was stuffed inside the trolley When we opened the trolley . , we saw a large amount of mucus from her nose and mouth. Mucus comes out only when the victim is still alive. If she had already died before her body was stuffed, then the mucus will not come out. The postmortem report will throw light on the exact cause of death,’’ said an investigation officer. Police said that since the body was thrown from the top of the bridge there were injuries on her nose. Passersby after seeing the abandoned blue colour trolley bag reported the matter to the police. Panic gripped in the area after the woman’s body was found in the trolley bag. “A case of murder under section 103 of the BNS has been registered. The details of the woman are yet to be known,” CK Baba, SP, Bengaluru Rural, said. The Surya City police have registered a case and are further investigating. Ashoka University prof gets interim bail S u c h i t r a K a lya n M o h a n t y @ New Delhi Incarcerated Ashoka University associate professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad on Wednesday got partial relief, as the Supreme Court granted him interim bail. It, however, refused to stay two first information reports filed against him for his social media posts on Operation Sindoor. Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh directed the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. “The SIT will not have officers from Haryana or Delhi,” Justice Kant said. Mahmudabad had moved the court challenging his arrest. While directing his release, the bench restrained him from making any further online posts or speeches on the issue. Taking exception to the language used by Mahmudabad, the court said some words could have dual meanings. While declining his plea to stay the probe, the bench said he had not made out any case for it. Waqf isn’t essential to Islam, govt tell apex court Residents of Sai Layout gherao Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during his inspection of rain-affected areas in Bengaluru on Wednesday | Shashidhar Byrappa spect areas that were worst hit by the rain. It was also to look at ongoing developmental works and to arrive at action needed to prevent future flooding. Manyata Tech Park The chief minister’s convoy, which left Vidhana Soudha, first stopped before Manyata Tech Park. BBMP officials told him that a stretch of stormwater drain (SWD) is encroached here, which is causing flooding in the area. Siddaramaiah lost his cool and berated the officials, saying what they were doing all this while allowing the encroachments. He directed them to demolish the encroachments under the Disaster Management Act to ensure a smooth flow of water. P7 SUCHITRA K A LYA N M O HA N TY @ New Delhi WAQF is not an essential Islamic religious practice though it is an Islamic concept, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday Waqf means chari. ty, which is part of every religion, and waqf bodies discharge secular functions. Therefore, it is necessary to include nonMuslims in waqf boards, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said in his arguments defending the Waqf (Amendment) Act. “Waqf is an Islamic concept. But it is not an essential part of Islam, unless that is shown. Other arguments fail. The judgments show that charity is part of every religion and can happen for Christianity also. Hindus have a system of daan. Sikhs also have it,” Mehta told a bench of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih in response to a question whether the law infringed upon Articles 25 and 26 (freedom of religion and management of religious affairs) of the Consti- tution. He said ‘waqf by user’ is not a fundamental right but was created by a statute. If a right is conferred by statute, the right can always be taken away by a statute, he added. The law officer also drew the bench’s attention to the “historic misuse” of waqf. Mehta sought to distinguish between waqf and Hindu trusts and endowment boards that don’t allow non-Hindus to be members. He said Hindu endowment boards deal with religious activity whereas waqf bodies deal with secular activities. “Hindu endowment commissioner can go inside a temple. Pujari (priest) is decided by the state government. Waqf boards do not touch upon religious activity at all,” he said.