KOZHIKODE l friday l September 20, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Ashwin sparkles on home turf; india post 339/6 on Day 1 vs ban Ravichandran Ashwin hit his sixth Test ton (102) as he combined with Ravindra Jadeja to post 339/6 on Day 1 of the first Test against Bangladesh shaky start for India; young Pacer excels India had a shaky start as Bangaldesh pacer Hasan Mahmud reduced the home team to 144/6. In a stunning first spell, Mahmud, 24, accounted for the cream of Indian top-order — Rohit Sharma (6), Shubman Gill (0) and Virat Kohli (6) — before snapping Rishabh Pant’s return to Test cricket (39). K L Rahul fell for 16. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal posted 56 runs for 118 balls. Ravichandran Ashwin celebrates his century with teammate Ravindra Jadeja during Day 1 of the first test cricket match between India and Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday | PTI 112 Balls Ashwin faced. He hit 2 sixes and 10 fours & remains on crease with jadeja 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 India rejects ‘unwarranted’ lawsuit filed by Pannun Pannun moves US court for damages over alleged assassination bid Ahead of PM’s visit PTI @New Delhi India on Thursday rejected as completely “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” a lawsuit filed in a US court against the Indian government and certain Indian officials by Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in an alleged foiled plot to assassinate him. Pannun, who heads the radical group Sikhs for Justice filed the civil lawsuit in a US federal district court in New York demanding damages for the alleged attempt to eliminate him on American soil last year. In November last year, US federal prosecutors charged Indian national Nikhil Gupta of working with an Indian government employee in the foiled plot to kill Pannun in New York. Replying to a question at a media briefing on the civil lawsuit filed by Pannun, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri described it as “unwarranted” and “unsubstantiated imputations”. Pannun, wanted in India on terror charges, holds dual citizenship of the US and Canada. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun | Express The development comes days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the US from September 21 to 23 to attend the Quad summit in Wilmington, Delaware, and address the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the UN General Assembly. The PM is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden. No relief forJayarajan, Rajesh in murder case E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @Kochi In a setback for the CPM, the CBI court in Kochi on Thursday dismissed the discharge petitions filed by party leaders P Jayarajan and T V Rajesh in the murder of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) activist Ariyil Shukoor in 2012. The court will frame the charges against the accused persons on October 18. Ariyil Abdul Shukoor was held hostage by a group and murdered in broad daylight in Kannapuram in Kannur on February 20, 2012. According to the CBI, Shukoor was murdered in retaliation to the attack on the vehicle in which Jayarajan and Rajesh were travelling at Pattuvam earlier that day . It is alleged that Jayarajan and Rajesh, the P Jayarajan 32nd and 33rd accused, respectively, were involved in the criminal conspiracy to murder him. The agency said the conspiracy was hatched by six accused persons, including Jayarajan and Rajesh, at the Taliparamba Cooperative Hospital where the CPM leaders were undergoing treatment after the attack. When Jayarajan and Rajesh’s discharge petitions were taken up in court for consideration, T V Rajesh the CBI prosecutor and counsel of Shukoor’s mother submitted that witness statements recorded by the police and CBI decisively established the role of Jayarajan and Rajesh in the criminal con- spiracy. However, the duo’s counsel vehemently argued that the CBI allegations against Jayarajan and Rajesh were not liable to be accepted. The counsel said the only statement the CBI is relying upon is that of witnesses Abu P P and Muhammad Swabir, who claimed to have heard U V Ve n u ( 3 0 t h a c c u s e d ) shouting to P Sureshan (28th accused) and A V Babu (31st accused) to deal with IUML activists properly at Taliparamba hospital, and that Jayarajan and Rajesh also heard the ● More on P4 same. going global “As we’ve said earlier, these are completely unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations. Now that this particular case has been lodged, it doesn’t change our views about the underlying situation,” Misri said. “I would only invite your attention to the person behind this particular case whose antecedents are well known,” he said. Following the allegations by the US, India appointed a highlevel inquiry committee to look into the inputs provided by the US on the plot. “I would also underline the fact that the organisation -- socalled that this person represents -- is an unlawful organisation, has been declared as such under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act of 1967 and it has been done so on account of its involvement in anti-national and subversive activities aimed at disrupting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India,” Misri said. “I do not want to say anything more than that at this point in time. I think that speaks for itself,” he said. The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in the US district court for Southern District of New York against the government of India, NSA Ajit Doval, former R&AW chief Samant Goel, senior security official Vikram Yadav, and Nikhil Gupta. The summons state that a response must be given within 21 days. ‘My Dear Kuttichathan’ set for English re-release S w at h y L e k s h m i V i k r a m @Kochi Iconic Malayalam film “My Dear Kuttichathan” is all set to captivate audiences worldwide with its English dubbed version. Released in 1984, this fantasy classic was India’s first 3D film and has been entertaining generations with its enchanting tale of a friendly spirit who befriends three children. “The movie will have a worldwide release shortly. Some scenes have been reshot to enhance the viewing experi- ence. The revised version promises to retain the original charm while introducing the timeless story to a new international audience,” director Jijo Punnoose told TNIE. The story revolves around a mystical indigenous goblin called “Kuttichathan” who is under the spell of an evil sorcerer. However, it gets released by three children and then befriends them. Jijo revealed that the remade film boasts interesting changes, including the introduction of druids and a captivating opening sequence set in Salisbury Highlands in England. The story now features a chief druid, an English character, alongside an eight-year-old girl named Maya and her Indian-origin grandmother. The film’s opening sequence weaves together the mystical worlds of England and India. As the film unfolds, the chief druid learns of the goblin’s release in India, setting the stage for a captivating journey that seamlessly blends magic, m y s t e r y, a n d c u l t u r a l ● More on P4 diversity  .