Shirsat in a videograb; and the bag full of cash hyderabad l saturday l july 12, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Sena minister caught on cam with cash, says it’s only clothes Shiv Sena (Shinde) minister Sanjay Shirsat is in the dock once again after a video of him with a bag full of cash lying near his bed surfaced i-t lens on mighty spike in declared assets bought a hotel at below-market rate The video surfaced a day after reports emerged of Shirsat facing scrutiny from the Income Tax Department regarding a significant increase in his declared assets, which surged from `3.3 crore in 2019 to `35 crore in 2024. The Opposition parties in Maharashtra have sought the resignation of Shirsat, who branded the video as a preplanned conspiracy to frame him ■ ■ Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, who first shared the video, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and CM Devendra Fadnavis should take action against Shirsat Shirsat is also facing a probe into purchase of luxury hotel VITS at `65 crore against the market rate of `120 crore in Sambhaji Nagar | P8 `30 cr approximate value of the residence where shirsat lives 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 Tennis academy Dad blames barbs for murdering Radhika Express News Service @ New Delhi The post-mortem report of a 25-year-old former state-level tennis player, who was allegedly shot dead by her father on Thursday, revealed that she was hit by four bullets from behind in Gurugram’s Sector 57. Deepak Yadav, the accused, was remanded in one-day police custody on Friday . The autopsy was conducted by a board of three doctors. They recovered four bullets from Radhika Yadav’s body Af. ter the examination, the body was handed over to the family members who cremated her at their village in Wazirabad. Radhika was living with her parents in Sushant Lok-II, GuRadhika Yadav rugram Sector57. She was shot dead by her father using his licensed firearm, police said. A case regarding the murder was registered at Sector-56 police station based on the complaint of the victim’s uncle (the brother of the accused) and Deepak was arrested. His revolver and five empty cartridges were recovered from the crime spot. Deepak confessed he shot Radhika because he was often mocked at for living off her income, police sources said. Police also issued a statement claiming the tennis academy Radhika ran was the bone of contention between the father and daughter. The accused, who police said was depressed for the last 15 days, also felt he was financially well off and had good rental income so there was no need for his daughter to run an academy . In his complaint, Radhika’s uncle Kuldeep Yadav said her mother Manju was present on the first floor when she was shot dead. Deepak, Manju, and Radhika lived on the first floor, while he lived on the ground floor along with his family . PPA, GRMB object to diversion of water for Banakacherla V V B a l a k r i s h n a @ Hyderabad Both the Polavaram Project Authority (PPA) and the Godavari River Management Board (GRMB) have raised objections to the Andhra Pradesh government’s proposal to divert water from the Polavaram project to Banakacherla. The GRMB, citing the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, stated that there was no formal apportionment of the Godavari river water be- tween the successor states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It noted that neither a tribunal award nor a mutual agreement exists to allocate the water between the two states. “The CWC may take note of this,” the GRMB said in its letter to the Ministry of Jal Shakti. The GRMB suggested that either a new tribunal be established for the Godavari river or a mutual agreement be reached between the successor states for sharing water. The GRMB further pointed out that, as per the 2014 Act, regulation of river water to the successor states should consider tribunal awards under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. It said that while the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) Award of 1980 incorporated inter-state agreements, it did not appor- One Nation One Election Bill not unconstitutional but needs rework Ex-CJIs red flag sweeping powers of EC under ONOE PAR V E Z SULTAN @ New Delhi FORMER Chief Justices of India D Y Chandrachud and J S Khehar have flagged the sweeping powers that the One Nation One Election (ONOE) Bill seeks to confer on the Election Commission of India. According to sources, both ex-CJIs clarified that the bill for simultaneous elections does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution—as alleged by some Opposition parties—but suggested some tweaks in the language and provisions of the bill to check the unbridled powers of the Election Commission. On Friday, Chandrachud concluded his presentation before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) headed by BJP MP P P Chaudhary which , was entrusted with the task to review the Bill. Justice Khehar had already given his views on the legal and constitutional aspects of the proposed legislation. “The former CJIs told the JPC that though the Bill does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution, some of the proposed provisions may not get past judicial scrutiny. They also suggested the ways to address these issues. Both jurists suggested that there should be an ‘oversight mechanism’ on the conduct of elections,” said sources. Former Chief Justices of India D Y Chandrachud and J S Khehar Experts seek clarity on bill’s grey areas Experts have flagged several grey areas in the bill. What will happen if the govt at the Centre falls? Wouldn’t the synchronised election cycle be disrupted in the event of a national emergency or premature dissolution of assemblies? Meanwhile, Opposition members including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and DMK’s P Wilson raised queries about the constitutionality of dissolving assemblies midway to synchronise their polls with Lok Sabha elections. Making his point before the JPC, Wilson argued that the aim is to curtail election expenditures but the proposed system would lead to numerous polls in the event of the fall of the government at the Centre. In such a scenario, the purpose of the Bill would be defeated, he pointed out. Several other MPs also pointed out the issue of mid-term elections, sources said. Justice Khehar suggested that Parliament or the Union Council of Ministers should have a say in taking the call on holding the election of an assembly as envisaged under Sec, tion 82A(5) of the Bill. The Section in its current form says, “If the Election Commission is of the opinion that the elections to any Legislative Assembly cannot be conducted along with the general election to the House of the People, it may make a recommendation to the President, to declare by an order, that the election to that Legislative Assembly may be conducted at a later date.” Referring to another Section of the proposed law, Justice Khehar said it should also specify what will happen in case of an Emergency . After the meeting, Chaudhary said each aspect will be discussed and recommendations made. “We want a transparent discussion to take place… Parliament gave us the Bill so that it can be corrected. It was not given to us to return in the present form. We are making efforts on how simultaneous elections should be conducted in the national interest,” he said. Chaudhary said the panel welcomes divergent views as it will help the panel make good recommendations. tion water among the basin states. Consequently, there is no quantified share assigned to Andhra Pradesh or Telangana. On the proposed diversion of 2 tmcft of water per day from the Polavaram dam, the GRMB said that such a move could alter the existing operation schedule of the project. Any changes, it stated, must be made in consultation with the states of the erstwhile Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. On the transfer of Godavari waters to the Krishna basin, the GRMB cited Clause 7(f) of Annexure-I of Annexure-C of the GWDT Award. This clause requires that any diversion exceeding 80 tmcft at 75 per cent dependability must be shared among the states of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra in the same ratio as the initial 80 tmcft. The board also referred to Clause XIV(B) of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal Fi- ‘I believe that if anyone has any concerns about the special poll roll revision in Bihar, he/she should approach the ECI. Not with presumption but with examples... We have a firm policy on running India using Indian languages. The fight is in the minds of those who still believe India should run on foreign languages’ Oppn manufacturing anxiety, says Shah E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi U nion Home Minister Amit Shah says the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which is under way in poll-bound Bihar, would be implemented in other states as well. “I think roll revision will be done across the country he remarked. ,” Speaking to this newspaper, Shah said the Opposition is manufacturing anxiety over the process to mask its lack of electoral winnability “If anyone has any . concerns over the process, they should approach the Election Commission, not with presumptions, but with examples of the outcomes of the process,” he said. Predicting a win for the BJP-led alliance not only in Bihar later this year, but also Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, among other states scheduled to vote for new assemblies beginpress Interview ning next year, Shah said this reflected the massive and ongoing popular endorsement of the 11-year-old Narendra Modi government. “The world looks up to India again. Under Modi ji, we have restored faith in India’s future. Today 140 crore believe India can be, come a fully developed nation by 2047. Every sector is filled with confidence about making India self-reliant,” Shah said. “Is there any area that has not seen improvement? Be it foodgrain production, advances in space, internal security , our global stature, reduction in corruption, our integrated approach to health?” In reply to a question, Shah predicted, “The AIADMK– BJP alliance will win by a landslide in the coming election in Tamil Nadu. The people are fed up with corruption, nepotism and the family feuds of the DMK.” On the Opposition’s apprehensions about the effect delimitation may have for the South Indian states, Shah asserted, “There is no need for anyone to feel anxious. I have said this categorically: There will be no injustice to the South.”  Full interview: P5 nal Order, which addresses augmentation of the Krishna river using water from other rivers. The GRMB said the Central Water Commission (CWC) should consider the provisions of both the GWDT and KWDT awards while evaluating the proposal. It also sought clarification from the Andhra Pradesh government on whether the diversion would use surplus or flood waters of the Godavari.  continued on p4 ED set to ask CID for HCA case details e n s @ Hyderabad The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to initiate a money laundering probe into the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) following the arrest of its president and other officebearers by the Telangana CID for alleged irregularities. According to sources, the ED is expected to register an Enforcement Case Information Report against HCA president Jagan Mohan Rao, treasurer JS Srinivas Rao, CEO Sunil Kante, Sri Chakra Cricket Club general secretary Rajendra Yadav and Sri Chakra Cricket Club president G Kavitha on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, misuse of funds and forgery . The Hyderabad unit of the ED is likely to write to the CID requesting documents, including the First Information Report (FIR), vigilance report, case diary remand reports and , statements. The agency plans to examine these materials to determine if any financial transactions linked to the alleged offences fall under the provisions of the PMLA. The CID arrested the six accused two days ago, following which they were remanded to 14 days in judicial custody . Custody, bail pleas deferred The CID filed a petition in the Medchal-Malkajgiri court on Friday seeking 10-day custody of the accused. Meanwhile, the accused filed petitions seeking bail. However, the court deferred hearing of both petitions. TG seeks fresh report from dedicated Oh Lord’s: Ladybird infestation & climate change panel to justify quota hike decision b o d y l ine Fly slip F i r o z M i r z a @ London It is not always that a game of cricket has been stopped due to a swarm of ladybirds invading the pitch. On Thursday, the first day of third Test in Lord’s between India and England, players including that of hosts e n c o u n t e re d a p e c u l i a r phenomenon. A swarm of ladybirds flew over the ground, some even landed on the helmet of Ben Stokes. These are unusual and rare sights but are invariably tied to the usual suspect, climate change. Rising temperature and dry spell in England has already have had an impact on the playing conditions. The beetles are only adding to the woes. The game as of now doesn’t have a rule to stop because of insect attack. According to the groundsmen, the rising temperature in England has led to swarms of these species of beetle to invade open areas including grounds. England batter Ollie Pope admitted this was the first time he had seen anything like this. “No, I haven’t (seen that before). It’s a first and the crowd (Top) Jasprit Bumrah tries to fend off ladybirds on the first day at Lord’s. He took five wickets on Friday. (Left) Joe Root celebrates ton against India | AFP got that. I didn’t even know why we stopped,” replied Pope when questioned about the interruption during media interaction at the end of day’s play . One of the ground staff said the menace will continue during the entire duration of the match as temperature is expected to only increase in the next few days. “It may touch 35 degrees (centigrade), which is unprecedented as the last time we witnessed this was during the first Covid wave in 2020. The insects are harmless but can cause disruption if they come in a large number. We use spray to counter them but that will not be that effective if they swarm the venue,” said the staffer, who did not wish to be named. The extreme hot weather accompanied by dry patch also led to hosepipe ban in Yorkshire. The warm climate is responsible for the increase in the population of the ladybirds, who anyways are evolving to adapt to different weather patterns. The warmer temperatures mean the presence of aphids (garden pest), ladybirds primary source of food, that h e l p s t h e m t o m u l t i p ly exponentially . The recent incident at the Home of Cricket highlighted yet another reason how the sport is being challenged for its existence by external factors like extreme weather.  P11 Commission has its task cut out B K a r t h e e k @ Hyderabad The state government has reportedly directed the Dedicated Commission on Backward Classes (BCs) to submit a fresh report under new terms of reference, this time focusing on the under-representation of backward class groups in local bodies. The Commission, led by retired IAS of ficer Busani Venkateshwara Rao, was initially constituted to examine the backwardness of BC communities in the context of reservations in local bodies. In its revised mandate, the panel is expected to highlight the absence of representation from certain backward class communities, including those who have not secured even ward member or sarpanch positions. Although the revised terms of reference were not officially released, government sources revealed that they were approved in Thursday’s Cabinet meeting. INSIDE The Commission may also examine whether the proposed increase would necessitate exceeding the 50% cap on reservations, a limit previously upheld by the Supreme Court. Given its recent survey work, the Commission is expected to submit its report within a week The BC Welfare department is understood to have issued the specific terms, aligning with the government’s proposal to raise BC reservations in local body elections to 42%. The Commission may also examine whether the proposed increase would necessitate exceeding the 50% cap on reservations, a limit previously upheld by the Supreme Court. Given its recent survey work, the Commission is expected to submit its report within a week, sources said. If the state proceeds with an Ordinance to amend provisions relating to reservations for SCs, STs and BCs in the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, the Commission’s recommendations could form the basis for legal justification, should the adulterated toddy toll climbs to six I P2 ordinance face judicial scrutiny . Officials hinted that the government was considering adding an exception clause to Section 285A of the Act, which would allow it to issue a Government Order (GO) increasing BC reservations to 42% based on the Commission’s report. If the Commission submits its findings by July 25, when the next Cabinet meeting is scheduled, the proposal may be placed for consideration. Passing the Ordinance is crucial for the Congress government to implement the increased quota before the upcoming local body elections. With the election schedule approaching, it remains uncertain whether it will be able to do so in time. BJP accepts Raja Singh’s resignation from party I P4