photo: ap vijayawada l monday l october 07, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION T20 World Cup: India women get the job done against pak After an upset loss against New Zealand, Harmanpreet & Co. enjoy relatively smooth sailing against neighbours on the back of a clinical bowling performance.... Arundhati, Shreyanka excel on bowling day Pakistan opted to bat first in Dubai but Renuka Singh and Deepti Sharma were on the money in the powerplay. The pacespin combo of Arundhati Reddy and Shreyanka Patil kept up the pressure, restricting Pakistan to 105/8. India got across the line but lie in fourth place thanks to a vastly inferior NRR. Up against Sri Lanka and Australia next It’s likely that India need to win both their remaining games to guarantee their progression to semis. They face Sri Lanka, who beat India in Asia Cup final, on Wednesday and Australia on Sunday. The No. 3 spot remains a musical chair for India. Harmanpreet was one drop in the first match. On Sunday, it was Jemimah Rodrigues’ turn | P11 -1.217 India’s Net Run-Rate after the Pakistan match 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 Beirut sees its ‘worst day’ as Israeli strikes intensify Iran grounds flights amid threat of attack; 50 dead in Gaza, Lebanon Agencies festive fervour Lord Malayappa Swamy was taken out in a procession on the Muthyapu Pandiri Vahanam on Sunday. Various troupes participated in cultural programmes on day three of Brahmotsavams in Tirumala | Express NCB, Gujarat ATS bust Bhopal drug factory A N UR A A G SI N GH & D i l i p S i n g h K s h at r i ya @ Bhopal/Ahmedabad IN a joint operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Delhi have busted a drug factory in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and seized mephedrone (MD) and raw materials worth `1,814 crore, authorities said on Sunday . According to sources, the joint team raided a factory in the Bagroda Industrial Area on the outskirts of Bhopal on Saturday and seized 907.09 kg of the banned drug following specific inputs from a person who was recently detained in Surat. A process was underway to manufacture a large amount of the contraband when the raid was carried out, sources added. Two persons identified as Amit Chaturvedi (57) from Bhopal security threats B’desh Hindu group to hold Durga Puja indoors Y e s h i s e l i @ New Delhi With anti-minority sentiments running high in Bangladesh, a prominent Hindu organisation has decided to hold Durga Puja celebrations inside an auditorium. “Considering the volatility of the present situation, Durga Puja in Ramakrishna Mission will be held inside the auditorium as hardliners have issued warnings against making sound,” a senior activist for minorities in Dhaka told this newspaper. The activist said the Hindus are living in a state of fear in Bangladesh after recent incidents of targeted attacks on them and other minority groups. Though the present government has assured protection for puja pandals, none of those accused of attacking the homes and properties of the Hindus have been arrested, the activist said. “We feel the present regime doesn’t want any minorities to exist in Bangladesh. Hindus are being falsely implicated in criminal cases. But can we expect justice to prevail?” Professor Najmul Ahsan Kallimullah, a political commentator based in Dhaka, told this newspaper that, “The minority communities in Bangladesh are a troubled lot today The present regime con. siders them as sympathisers of the Awami League.” In some areas, Puja committees have been reportedly asked to pay 5 lakh taka (INR 3.5 lakh) to set up puja pandals. Express read Chaos at IAF Air Show: 5 dead, several hospitalised Chennai: A spectacular aerial display of the Indian Air Force aircraft over the skies of Marina Beach was a big draw here on Sunday, but at least five persons died due to various causes including extreme exhaustion. To witness the event, thousands of people stood in the scorching sun for at least 2 to 3 hours | P5 and Sanyal Prakash Bane (40) of Nashik, Maharashtra were taken into custody . Bane was earlier arrested in 2017 in a MD drug seizure case in Maharashtra and served five years in jail. After his release, he conspired with Chaturvedi to manufacture and sell MD to make quick money The factory . was subsequently taken on rent and nefarious operations start- ed a few months ago. The joint raid by the Gujarat ATS and NCB also led to the seizure of around 5,000 kg of raw materials, including chemicals used for manufacturing MD. A preliminary probe suggested that the illegal unit had the capacity to manufacture 25 kg of MD per day officials said. , The Madhya Pradesh police was not officially informed about the raid, said a senior police official. WITH less than 24 hours left for the Haryana assembly election results to be announced, the Congress party hopes to celebrate an early Diwali, going by the exit polls. However, it has an uphill task at hand —to nail down a chief mini s t e r ’s n a m e f r o m among multiple contenders and to contain the party’s problem of infighting. The exit polls on Saturday forecast a smooth win for the Congress with most pollsters predicting 55 of Haryana’s 90 “significant strike” on Iran, possibly targeting its oil installations or nuclear sites, apart from military infrastructure. Israel has been pounding Lebanon and Gaza since Saturday night. Powerful explosions rocked Beirut’s southern suburbs after midnight on Saturday, killing at least 25 people, authorities in Lebanon saiud. A BBC correspondent in the city described the night as “Beirut’s worst” since Israel started bombing the country two weeks ago. In Gaza, an Israeli strike on a mosque early on Sunday killed at least 21 people, Palestinian officials said. Displaced people were sheltering at the mosque that was struck near the main hospital in the central town of Deir al-Balah. Another group of four persons were killed in a strike on a school sheltering displaced people near the town, AP reported. “We are in a new phase of the war,” the Israeli military said in leaflets it dropped over areas in northern Gaza. “These areas are considered dangerous combat zones,” it said.  P9 Stranded in Oman, woman seeks govt help Express News Service Express News Service @ Chittoor Three persons, including a mother-daughter duo and a minor boy were arrested on Sun, day in connection with the suspicious death of a six-year-old girl at Punganur in Chittoor district. The 6-year-old girl, identified as Asmiya Anjum, had gone missing on September 29. She was found dead in a water tank on October 2. Police investigation revealed that a financial dispute between one of the accused and Asmiya’s father, Ajmatullah, was the motive behind the murder. Chittoor district Collector Sumit Kumar and Superintendent of Police Manikanta Chandolu oversaw the investigation. Elaborating on the case, the SP said a woman, key accused in the case, borrowed `3.5 lakh from Ajmatullah. After she failed to repay the loan, Ajmatullah threatened to file a lawsuit against her. Agitated by the threat, the woman hatched a plan to kidnap and kill Asmiya. When the girl was playing outside her house on September 29, the woman approached her Home minister Vangalapudi Anita addressing the media on Sunday | Express for Delhi on Sunday evening where he will hold a meeting with the party leadership. On Monday, the veteran leader is likely to meet the senior leadership before he returns to his Rohtak residence. His arch-rival Selja, a prominent Dalit face of the party has , not shied away from projecting herself as the CM candidate. Asked who would be the CM if the Congress comes to power, Hooda on Saturday reiterated that there is a laid down procedure in the party, according to which “the opinion of the MLAs will be sought and the high command will decide”. doned wells, and buildings were searched with the help of municipal workers and youth. Additionally, surveillance footage from CCTV cameras around the town was thoroughly examined, and technical teams from nearby districts were brought in to assist. Police interacted with Asmiya’s family, neighbours, teachers, and others who had last seen her. The investigation also explored potential leads involving anyone who may have previously harassed or touched the child inappropriately. The SP emphasised that no one involved in the heinous crime will be spared. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had spoken to Asmiya’s father and assured him complete support from the government. Home Minister condoles bereaved family Vangalapudi Anitha, Home Minister Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha, along with two other ministers — NMD Farooq and M Ramprasad Reddy —visited the girl’s house and consoled the bereaved family. Anitha said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had spoken to Asmiya’s father and assured him complete support from the government. Further, she emphasised the importance of supporting the grieving family during this difficult time. and lured her to leave the spot. The woman, along with her mother and the minor boy, fed the child before choking her to death. The trio then shifted the body on a bike and discarded it in a nearby summer storage tank. “As per preliminary medical reports, there were no signs of injury or rape,” said Manikanta Chandolu. He confirmed that crucial evidence and suspicious movements of certain individuals led to the arrest of suspects. He explained that after a missing complaint was lodged by Asmiya’s family on September 29, 12 police teams, including search parties with trained dogs and technical units, were dispatched to comb the town. Nearby lakes, ponds, aban- @ Vijayawada A woman from Yeturu village in NTR district sought government’s help to be rescued from Muscat, Oman. In a video message that has now gone viral on social media platforms, she alleged that she was being physically and mentally abused by her employer. The woman, identified as Devi, appealed to the State government to save her from the torture of her employer. Devi said she had approached a travelling agent a few months ago, seeking job opportunities in the Gulf. At first, she was promised work in Kuwait. However, in the last minute, the travelling agent gave Devi tickets to Muscat. He persuaded her to go to Muscat saying the job was promising. In Muscat, Devi said her employer locked her in a room and deprived her of food. She claimed that the travel agent blocked her and cut off her communication with her family and authorities. “Now, the agent here is demanding `3 lakh for my return to India,” she stated, visibly distressed. Govt refutes allegations of spending `23 cr on matches during flood relief Lobbying starts in Congress seats - comfortably ahead of the halfway mark of 46. Even as the exit polls were out, hectic parleys began in the Congress camp to decide the next Chief Minister. Among the CM hopefuls are Rajya Sabha MP and exUnion minister Kumari Selja, for mer CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, his son and Lok Sabha MP Deepender Singh Hooda, Rajya Sabha MP and AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, and state Congress chief Udai Bhan, a Hooda loyalist. Bhupinder Singh Hooda left Flames and smoke rise from an Israeli airstrike in Dahiyeh, Beirut on Sunday | AP Mother-daughter duo, minor boy held for kidnap and murder of 6-yr-old girl n E X T h AR Y ANA C M PREE T H A N A IR @ New Delhi Iran on Sunday cancelled all flights till Monday amid concerns of Israel’s immediately retaliatory strike on Tehran’s October 1 missile attack on Tel Aviv. While Iranian media quoting officials said the flights have been cancelled due to operational restrictions, Tehran had earlier implemented restrictions on flights when it fired nearly 200 missiles at Israel. Meanwhile, Israel on Sunday intensified its bombardment of southern Beirut and northern Gaza, killing at least 50 people. The day also saw IDF unleash its heaviest bombardment on the Lebanon capital since it escalated its campaign against Iran-backed group Hezbollah last month. With October 7 marking the first anniversary of Iranbacked Hamas’s gruesome attack, West Asia watchers believe Israel is likely to step up its attacks to target the outfit’s sponsor Iran. Israeli officials have given ample indications in recent days that they are planning a Express News Service interview rajahmundry mp purandeswari Asserting that there is no confusion regarding the tripartite alliance in the State, the BJP State chief says the ideologies on the saffron party, the Jana Sena and the TDP are similar page 4 @ Vijayawada The State government on Sunday refuted false claims circulating on social media that `23 crore was spent on match sticks and candles during flood relief efforts. Condemning the misinformation, Special Chief Secretary (Revenue) RP Sisodia said such claims are baseless and aimed at misleading the public. He clarified that the expenditure was primarily for mobile generators to assist flood-affected residents during power cuts at night, and not solely for candles and matches as falsely alleged. Sisodia urged the public to ignore the rumours and trust verified information. He reiterated the government’s commitment to providing necessary relief to flood victims. Errors in bank details of 21,000 victims identified Meanwhile, officials identified 21,768 flood victims, who had incorrectly registered their bank account details. These errors have since been corrected, and `18.69 crore in flood relief will be deposited into the accounts of the affected families by Monday evening. Last week, a large number of flood victims had staged protests at the NTR District Collectorate, complaining of lapses in the enumeration of flood damage. More than 2.3 lakh families were affected in the flash floods triggered by the breach to the Budameru Rivulet. The protestors claimed that several victims were ignored during the enumeration.