kozhikode l thursday l november 13, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION Inflation hits record low of 0.25% in Oct on back of GST cuts Tax cuts on nearly 400 mass-consumption items, coupled with subdued prices for vegetables, fruits and eggs helped push retail inflation to record low Food inflation stays in negative zone Fuels hope of further rate cut in December Food inflation remained negative at -5.02%, as prices of vegetables, cereals and pulses eased amid improved supplies and favourable weather. Vegetable prices fell 28% year-on-year, while pulses and spices declined by 16% and just over 3%, respectively. Clothing and footwear recorded only a 1.7% annual rise, thanks to GST rate cuts | P12 ■ Inflation stood at 1.44% in September and 6.21% in October 2024. The figure for this October was the lowest in the current series (base year 2012), which tracked data since January 2014 ■ The record low inflation raises hopes for another round of rate cut, when the RBI monetary policy committee meets in December 8.56% the october inflation in kerala— the highest among all states 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 TERROR ATTACK Red fort attack Day’s developments M UKESH R A N J A N , A n u p V e r ma an d N i t i n Ra w at @ New Delhi Red EcoSport (pic) registered in the name of Dr Umar Un Nabi, who died when his Hyundai i20 blew up near Red Fort, found in Faridabad Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets an injured victim undergoing treatment at LNJP hospital in Delhi on Wednesday following a blast near the Red Fort | PTI suring justice. “Those behind the conspiracy will be brought to justice,” he asserted. “Went to LNJP Hospital and met those injured during the blast in Delhi. Praying for everyone’s quick recovery Those behind the con. spiracy will be brought to justice!” Modi said in a post on X. In Faridabad, the police seized a red Ford EcoSport car in Khandawali village for which a lookout notice was issued earlier in the day as it said , to be registered in the name of Dr Umar Un Nabi, who possibly died in the Red Fort blast. The car will be checked for explosives by the forensics department. Police are trying to ascertain how it reached the village as also the whereabouts PREE T H A N A IR @ New Delhi Two siblings, Dr Shaheen Shahid and Dr Parvez Sayeed, who were arrested over alleged links to a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror module, had been preparing to carry out lone-wolf attacks across the country for the past two years, sources said on Wednesday . The duo is being questioned by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and various central probe agencies. Dr Shaheen was arrested on Monday after police found arms and ammunition in a car registered in her name. During interrogation, she reve a l e d h e r yo u n g e r brother, Dr Parvez Ansari’s involvement in terror activities. Police subsequently searched Dr An- Radicalised sari’s residence in Madi- online aon, Lucknow, and seized his laptop, tablet and mo- According to investigators, the bile phones. The two admitted to be- siblings became ing in touch with terror self-radicalised suspects Dr Muzammil through and Dr Adeel Ahmad, who encrypted chat were also arrested on forums Monday through multiple advocating , encrypted communica- jihadist ideology tion platforms and foreign-based messaging apps. After each virtual meeting, they would delete chats, call logs and communication histories to destroy evidence and avoid tracking, sources added. The probe team managed to retrieve partial data fragments, which are now being analysed to trace their wider network. However, investigators believe that while the two were not under a structured command chain, they were ideologically aligned and motivated to act as lone-wolf attackers targeting public places or sensitive installations. THE Parliament on Wednesday constituted a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) that will scrutinise the bills on the removal of the prime minister, chief ministers, and ministers if they are arrested for 30 days straight on serious criminal charges. The committee will be headed by Lok Sabha member and BJP leader Aparajita Sarangi, as per a Lok Sabha bulletin. The panel comprises 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha. Some of the Lok Sabha members in the panel include Ravi Shankar Prasad, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Pradan Baruah, Brijmohan Agrawal, Vishnu Dayal Ram and Harsimrat Kaur Badal. From the Rajya Sabha, the nominated members include Brij Lal, Ujjwal Nikam, Nabam Rebia, Dr K Laxman, Sudha Murty, Birendra Prasad Baishya, and S Niranjan Reddy . The committee has been mandated to submit its report Doesn’t blame external elements IT’S OFFICIAL: Red Fort blast was Two days after the Red Fort car blast, the government for the first time categorised it as a terror strike. A Union Cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday passed a resolution expressing profound grief over the loss of 12 lives in the explosion, describing it as an “act of heinous terror” by anti-national forces. The carefully worded resolution restricted itself to the phrase ‘anti-national forces’, stopping short of pointing fingers at any external elements. However, it said, “The Cabinet directs that the investigation into the incident be pursued with the utmost urgency and professionalism so that the perpetrators, their collaborators and their sponsors are identified and brought to justice without delay. The situation continues to be closely monitored at the highest levels of the government.” The Cabinet observed two minutes’ silence in honour of the innocent lives lost. It appreciated the prompt efforts of the medical personnel and emergency responders. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the LNJP Hospital after his arrival from Bhutan, and met the survivors of the blast. Expressing deep concern over the incident, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to en- Woman doctor, brother planned lone-wolf strikes 31-member JPC on bills to remove PM, CMs formed N am i ta b a j pa i @ Lucknow Cabinet resolution blames it on anti-national forces of its occupants who abandoning the vehicle. Back to the Cabinet resolution, it reiterated India’s commitment to the policy of ‘zero tolerance’ towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It also recorded its appreciation for the statements of solidarity from many nations across the world. Commending the role played by the probe agencies, it said, “The Cabinet notes with appreciation the timely and coordinated response of the authorities, security agencies and citizens, who acted with courage and compassion in the face of adversity. Their dedication and sense of duty are deeply commendable.” Mobile phone of Dr Muzammil Ganaie, arrested in connection with the terror module, showed he and Dr Umar conducted multiple recces of Red Fort area in Jan Passports of Dr Umar and Dr Muzammil show they had travelled to Turkiye Al Falah Univ says it has only professional association with 2 arrested docs Two cartridges, live ammo, and samples of two types of explosives found by FSL team at the blast site Lifer to three in first of its kind verdict E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @T’Puram DILIP SI N G H KSH AT RI YA @ Ahmedabad self reliant P J Dasan paints a wall poster as part of his campaign for the Kerala local body elections. Dasan, who has been making election graffiti since 1987, is the LDF candidate from Nazareth ward in Fort Kochi | A Sanesh Care takes hit Patients lie side by side on thin mats, verandas turn makeshift wards as Kozhikode MCH struggles due to both manpower and space crunch | P4 It’s election time Who has the edge, and why? As local body elections near, TNIE begins with an analysis of each front’s chances and takes a look back | P6 Two weeks after the LDF decided to put on hold implementation of the PM SHRI scheme following opposition from the CPI, the state government on Wednesday formally conveyed the same to the Centre, but not before a ‘reminder’ from the ally . The government sent the letter after CPI ministers P Prasad and K Rajan met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the morning. General education secretary K Vasuki sent the same after consultation with the Advocate General, the minister’s office said. The CPI had been unhappy over the delay in formally conveying the front’s decision to the Centre. Speaking to reporters in the morning, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam reminded the government about sending the letter. “The LDF government will never be part of PM SHRI; it is It’s a mockery as joint Oppn is absent: Cong The Congress termed the JPC a mockery saying the joint Opposition representing the majority of Indians is absent. The party alleged it is a “JPC of the BJP and its B-Team” in the winter session, scheduled from December 1-19. However, 340 members of the main Opposition parties including Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party , Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Left parties boycotted the panel. Last month, NCP (Sharad Pawar) broke ranks with the INDIA bloc and decided to be part of the panel. NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule, who is a member of the new panel, had earlier said that her party was not breaking ranks with the Opposition by choosing to be part of the committee. Apart from NCP (SP), AIMIM’S Asaduddin Owaisi, BJD, YSRCP, and SAD joined the panel. u-turn US lacks ‘certain talents’ and needs to bring them from other countries, US president Donald Trump said seeking to defend H-1B visas | P11 Govt informs Centre about PM SHRI freeze cow slaughter IN possibly the first such verdict in the country the Amreli , Sessions Court in Gujarat has sentenced three persons to life imprisonment in a cow slaughter case and imposed a fine of `6.08 lakh each on them. “For the first time in the history of the country those guilty , of cow slaughter have been sentenced to life imprisonment. This is not just a verdict — it is a message. Those who commit injustice against the mother cow, a symbol of our faith and culture, will not be spared,” Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi posted on X. Hailing it as a landmark verdict, the state government said the ruling will go a long way in enforcing cow protection laws. Sources said this is the first time in the state’s history that such harsh punishment has been given in a single case. The verdict, delivered by Sessions Judg e Rizwanaben Bukhari on Tuesday, follows a year-long trial that shook the small town of Amreli and ignited statewide discussion on the provisions of the Gujarat Animal Protection Act. The court held the accused — Akram Haji Solanki, Sattar Ismail Solanki, and Qasim Solanki — guilty of slaughtering cows and trafficking beef. The case goes back to November 6, 2023 when Amreli police raided the house of Akram Solanki following on a tip-off and recovered slaughtered animal parts, tails, skins, and leg pieces. Qasim was nabbed on the spot but Akram and Sattar fled. They were caught later. PM meets the injured a political decision taken by the front. The cabinet has agreed to it. The LDF and government decided to send a letter conveying the decision to the Union government. If this does not happen, we will see,” Binoy said. After the minister informed that the letter had been sent, Binoy termed it a victory of LDF politics. “This is LDF’s contribution to student and teacher organisations protesting against the RSS agenda in the education sector,” he said. He also said only the media was doubtful whether the government will send the letter. “The CPI had no such doubts,” he said. The CPI had opposed the government’s move to sign an MoU with the Centre on implementing the PM SHRI in the state. It was then decided that the scheme will be put on hold until a seven-member cabinet subcommittee chaired by Sivankutty reviews it. The panel is yet to hold its first meeting. Padmakumar summoned for questioning E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @T’Puram Dampening CPM’s attempts to wriggle out of the Sabarimala gold theft case after the arrest of former TDB president N Vasu, the special investigation team summoned his predecessor A Padmakumar for questioning on Wednesday The ex. CPM MLA, however, did not tur n up citing personal reasons. Though there is no official word from the SIT on when Padmakumar will appear, sources said it could happen anytime this week. Vasu was Devaswom Commissioner when the gold-plated sheets were allowed to be taken out and transported to Chennai for maintenance. The charge against Vasu was that it was on his directive the gold-plated copper sheets were recorded as mere copper plates in official documents. During that period, Padmakumar was the TDB president. Far from home B’luru man combs every Kochi street, bylane in search of missing father A b d u l N a z e r M A @Kochi In the rush of cars and bikes in Kochi city, a young man sat quietly on the steps of a commercial complex near Pathadipalam metro station. Suddenly , he leapt up and ran towards an elderly passerby, his eyes searching the man’s face with desperate hope, only to turn away disappointed. The 35-yearold man then returned to his spot, beside a fading poster that read ‘Missing: Suraj Lama’. Santon Lama, son of 59-year- old Suraj—a Bengaluru resident who went missing in Kochi after being deported from Kuwait last month — has had the same routine every day: combing every shortcut, bypass and street across Ernakulam district in search of his father. “Every time my phone rings, hope fills my heart. Yesterday night (Tuesday), I got a call from Perumbavoor about a possible sighting. I rushed there and searched till morning, but in vain,” said Santon. Suraj worked in Kuwait for Santon Lama with a poster of his missing father Suraj Lama (top) near the Pathadipalam metro station | T P Sooraj nearly 30 years, running his own restaurant. He was deported to Kochi after reportedly suffering memory loss caused by ‘methanol poisoning’. After his condition worsened, Suraj was transferred to a deportation centre and sent to India. “Two days after his arrival, we received a photo of an air ticket from one of his friends in Kuwait, revealing that my father had been deported via Jazeera Airways on October 4 and landed in Kochi the next day said Santon. ,” He said, “I recently rented a bike to ease my search. Every morning, I fill its tank and ride through the streets, residential areas and bylanes across Ernakulam’s rural belt - from Aluva to Perumbavoor looking for my father. By evening, I return to the city and continue looking in public places, including the shelter home premises. At night, I go from one metro pillar to another, checking the people sleeping there, hoping to find my father ● More on P7 among them.”