KOCHI l wednesday l September 25, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE city EDITION Harini Amarasuriya sworn in as Sri Lanka’s new Prime Minister The 54-year-old sociology lecturer was sworn in by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who appointed his cabinet of four, including himself Dissanayake keeps key finance portfolio Parliament dissolved, election on Nov 14 Amarasuriya, who was first elected to parliament four years ago, is known for her activism on gender equality and minority rights issues. She is the third female PM in the country’s history and has been assigned the portfolios of education, labour, health, industries, investment, science & technology, and justice. Dissanayake has kept the key finance portfolio to himself | P9 ■ ■ Vijitha Herath and Laxman Nipunarachchi will also serve as caretaker ministers. Later, Dissanayake signed a gazette notification ordering dissolution of parliament and holding snap polls on November 14 Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund said it is ready to discuss its ongoing bailout programme with the Dissanayake-led government $2.9 billion IMF’s bailout package for Sri Lanka, of which $770 million has been released 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 Siddu loses bout Siddique faces arrest in rape case, goes into hiding Mukesh arrested after 3-hr against guv nod questioning, released on bail in Karnataka HC Siddique’s son met senior lawyers of the High Court in Kochi, sparking speculations that the former general secretary of the AMMA will move the Supreme Court against the rejection of his pre-arrest bail plea. Earlier, dismissing his anticipatory bail petition, Justice C S Dias observed that an overall scrutiny of the facts, the law on the point, and the nature, gravity and seriousness of the accusations against the actor, coupled with the materials placed on record, show prima facie his involvement in the crime. Hence, the petitioner’s custodial interrogation is inevitable for a proper investigation of the crime, especially since his defense is a E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Kochi Law panel’s report on ‘one poll’ yet to be made public P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi The government is yet to make public the 22nd Law Commission’s report on ‘One Nation, One Election’, which was submitted to the Union law ministry in March this year. According to law ministry sources, the 22nd Law Commission of India headed by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi submitted the final report on simultaneous elections before he demitted office in March. Justice Awasthi quit the panel after he was appointed as a judicial member of anti-corruption body Lokpal. It assumes significance as the Union Cabinet recently approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal of a highlevel committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind. Though the Law Commission began its work in November 2022 — much earlier than the Kovind panel — its final report has not yet been published or made available in public domain. It was in September last year that the government set up the Kovind committee. According to sources, the law panel recommended synchronising the terms of state assemblies in “two phases” in the next five years so that the first simultaneous elections could be held in May-June 2029. 16 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express quire investigation, the court fails to understand what other case can merit investigation, as the beneficiary is the wife of the CM and the benefit is by leaps and bounds, a windfall,” the court said. The bench said Siddaramaiah was “behind the smoke screen” for every benefit that has flown to his wife” in terms of the sites allotted to her. “The Gubernatorial order nowhere suffers from want of application of mind. It is not a case of not even a semblance of application of mind, by the governor, but abundance of application of mind,” the court said. In the opinion of the court, “The CM, a leader of the proletariat, the bourgeois and of any citizen, should not fight shy of any investigation.” The court observed that prima facie the CM’s family had obtained undue advantage because the compensatory sites were allotted in an upscale area for the land acquired in a downmarket area. “This is enough circumstance for undue influence,” that judge said. A woman’s experiences of sexual assault are not a reflection of her character, but rather an indication of her suffering. The attempt to blame a woman for speaking out may be a strategy to silence her, which is hostile to the supremacy of the law — High Court J&K Phase II polls today 26 seats to witness polls, 15 in Kashmir region and 11 in Jammu region bandipora Three Jammu districts that faced a string of terror attacks in the past three years, are ready of the battle of the ballot. A look J&K kupwara 25.78 lakh 239 voters eligible to cast their ballot; 13,12,730 of them male and 12,65,316 female ganderbal baramulla srinagar budgam pulwa poonch ma anantnag Siddaramaiah | Vinod Kumar T Ka s h m i r ( P O K ) In a body blow to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Karnataka High Court on Tuesday upheld the approval given by Governor Thawarchand Gehlot to conduct an investigation against him in the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) case. The court upheld the Governor’s approval under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act on August 16 to investig ate the alle g ations against the CM. Justice M Nagaprasanna dismissed the petition filed by the CM saying it lacked merit. The case pertains to allotment of 14 sites worth `56 crore to the CM’s wife Parvathy B M in the upscale Viajayanagar 3rd stage in Mysuru in exchange for the land relinquished at Kesare village, which was outside Mysuru city limits. The court noted that Siddaramaiah’s son and MLA Dr S Yathindra had participated in a meeting where a resolution was passed in 2020 to allot 14 sites to his mother on compensatory basis; but the resolution was withdrawn citing its illegality And yet the 14 sites had . remained with her. “What happens to the 14 sites which were granted to CM’s wife on the basis of illegal resolution is a matter of investigation to unearth how and why the rule was bent in favour of CM’s wife? If this does not re- n O cc u p i e d Yat h i r a j u @ Bengaluru shopian kulgam ta Pakis Court says CM was behind the smoke screen for every benefit to his wife in MUDA scam Actor Siddique is on the run after the Kerala High Court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea on Tuesday in the alleged rape of a young actress in 2016. The police have issued a lookout notice against him. There are reports that the thespian would move the Supreme Court against the HC order. The special investigation team (SIT) probing the case found that Siddique was not at his Kochi residence. His mobile phones were also found switched off. An investigation is underway based on the relatives of the actor and hotels in Kochi, police sources said. “We are monitoring domestic terminals at the Kochi airport. His mobile tower location was last shown near the airport,” said a source close to the SIT. Meanwhile, total denial of the incident. His potency test is also to be conducted, the court said. The prosecution said Siddique raped the woman at Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram. There are witnesses and incriminating materials to establish that the petitioner and survivor were together in the hotel room when the alleged rape took place, it said. The counsel for Siddique argued that the alleged incident occurred in 2016, but the FIR was registered only in 2024, that is, after eight years, proving the falsity and hollowness of the allegation. The court dismissed the petitioner’s contention that complaint lacks credibility as she had earlier made unsubstantiated allegations ● More on P4 against 14 men. kishtwar reasi ramban rajouri Three Jammu districts — Rajouri and Poonch and Reasi — and three central Kashmir districts of Srinagar, Ganderbal and Budgam go to polls on Wednesday | Report: P7 udhampur kathua BEFORE wrapping up his threeday visit to the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the third such meeting between the two leaders in about three months. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the UN’s Summit of the Future, was requested by the Ukrainian side. Foreign secretary Vikram Misri said the back-to-back interaction between the two leaders shows India’s commitment to finding a way forward and contributing in any way possible to a resolution of the conflict. In the meeting, Modi conveyed India’s readiness to provide all support to facilitate a lasting and peace- ful resolution of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. The PM also reiterated India’s “clear, consistent and constructive approach in favour of a peaceful resolution of the conflict through diplomacy and dialogue as well as engagement between all stakeholders”. Recalling his recent trip to Kyiv, Modi said: “We are committed to implementing the outcomes of my visit to Ukraine to strengthen bilateral relations. Reiterated India’s legend 1st phase 2nd phase 3rd phase support for early resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and restoration of peace.” Modi had travelled to Kyiv in August to meet the Zelenskyy, just weeks after he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. In June, Modi held a meeting with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Italy . Zelenskyy thanked Modi for the peace efforts. “We are actively developing our relations and working together to strengthen cooperation across various fields. The main focus of our conversation was on enhancing our interaction on international platforms, particularly at the UN and G20, as well as implementing the Peace Formula and preparing for the second Peace Summit,” he wrote on X. (With inputs from agencies) Kerala standardises ambulance fares E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @T’Puram In an effort to address issues related to overcharging, the transport department has brought in standardised tariffs and rates for ambulances across the state. The fares have been fixed for five categories of ambulances for a minimum of 20km (including return distance). The base tariff ranges from `600 to `2,500 in these categories. The new tariff will be displayed inside the vehicle. “This is the first time in the country that a state is fixing the rates for ambulances,” said Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar. The minister said the ambulance owners’ associations have agreed to transport accident victims to the nearest hospital free of cost and Ambulance Category D level ICU ambulance with life support equipment Charge up to 20 km Waiting charge per Additional charge (10+10 km return) hour after 1 hour per km I2,500 I350 I50 C Level Traveller with AC I1,500 I200 I40 B Level Traveller without AC I1,000 I200 I30 A level ambulance with AC ( Omni/Bolero, etc) I800 I200 I25 A level ambulance without AC I600 I150 I20 also offered a 2% discount per km for all cancer patients and those under the age of 12. BPL card holders will get a 20% discount on the total travel bill. Also, there will be no waiting charge for the first hour. To prevent the misuse of ambulances, the transport department has intro- 31 polling stations on the border Omar Abdullah (National Conference vice-president), Tariq Hamid Karra (J&K Congress chief), Ravindra Raina (J&K BJP president), Altaf Bukhar (Apni Party president) Modi meets Zelenskyy in New York, offers India’s support for peace bid Y e s h i S e l i @ New Delhi 3,502 total polling stations Main contestants doda jammu samba candidates in the fray duced ID cards and navy blue shirt and black trousers as uniforms for ambulance drivers. A log book will be kept inside the vehicle to track the vehicle movement, besides random checking by enforcement officers. The transport commissioner will issue an order to this effect ● More on P4 shortly . 560 killed The toll from a massive Israeli bombardment in Lebanon in the past two days climbed to nearly 560, including 50 children and 94 women | P9 E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Kochi The special investigation team probing the sexual harassment allegations in Malayalam film industry on Tuesday recorded the arrest of CPM MLA and actor M Mukesh in connection with an alleged sexual assault of an actress in 2016. The arrest was recorded after a threehour-long interrogation at the Coastal Police headquarters in Kochi, led by AIG G Poonkuzhali. He was subjected to a potency test at a hospital later. Mukesh was released on bail shortly after the arrest, as the Ernakulam district court had granted him anticipatory bail on September 5. The complainant had accused Mukesh of sexually assaulting her under the pretext of offering roles in films and membership in AMMA. Mukesh reached the Coastal Police Headquarters, along with his lawyer, at 9.45am. “Mukesh appeared before the SIT, which recorded his statement. Following that, he was formally arrested. He underwent a medical examination and potency test at the Ernakulam General Hospital, and was released as per the conditions of his anticipatory bail,” Mukesh’s lawyer, Geo Paul, told ● More on P4 TNIE. Mpox patient, 71 persons on contact list under close observation: Health dept V i s h n u p r a s a d K P @ Malappuram The state health department is closely monitoring the 38-yearold mpox patient in Malappuram, along with the 71 persons on his contact list. District Medical Officer (DMO) R Renuka said no significant changes were made to the treatment protocol after confirming the clade 1b strain of the mpox virus in the patient. The person is currently receiving treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital, Manjeri. Renuka said clade 1b has a higher transmission rate compared to the clade 2 variant. The DMO said the patient’s health condition has improved. “Currently, there are 71 persons on the list – 29 who had contact with the patient in Malappuram, 37 who were with him on the Air India Express flight from Dubai to Kozhikode, and five others who had close contact with the patient in Dubai, including his roommates,” Renuka said. “As the patient’s condition has improved, the medical board overseeing the case will test his samples at the appropriate time. If the results become negative, steps will be taken to discharge the patient from the hospital,” the DMO said. She said all persons on the contact list are in selfisolation, and none have shown symptoms of the disease so far. A health official in Malappuram said the clade 1b strain of the mpox virus is the one responsible for outbreaks in Africa. “Clade 1b has a higher transmission capacity While other strains pri. marily spread through close physical contact, including sexual contact, clade 1b can also be transmitted through droplets released when a patient talks or laughs. Additionally, the mortality rate for this variant is higher,” the official said.
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