KYIY TARGETS MOSCOW WITH 34 DRONES Russia said it downed 34 Ukrainian attack drones targeting Moscow, the largest attempted attack on the capital since 2022. It forced the temporary closure of three airports. The picture on the left shows a car damaged in the attack. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 145 drones at Ukraine overnight | AFP | P9 BELAGAVI  MONDAY  NOVEMBER 11, 2024  `9.00  PAGES 12  LATE CITY EDITION 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 EXPRESS READ Indians fishing in SL waters concerning: Dissanayake JAFFNA: Sri Lankan President Anura Dissanayake on Sunday took a firm stance against Indian fishermen “illegally” fishing in Sri Lankan waters. This comes in the backdrop of the arrest of 23 fishermen from Rameswaram by the Sri Lankan Navy on Sunday. P5 JUSTICE SANJIV KHANNA TO TAKE OVER AS CJI TODAY Justice Khanna will succeed Justice D Y Chandrachud, who retired on Sunday. He will be the 51st Chief Justice of India and his tenure will end on May 13, 2025 | P7 Waqf row: CM orders Revenue Dept to withdraw notices to farmers EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru WITH just hours to go for bypolls to three Assembly constituencies, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday ordered withdrawal of all notices issued by the Waqf Board, staking claim to lands of far mers and other individuals. The order came just days after Jagadambika Pal, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf (amendment) bill, received over 500 petitions from farmers of North Karnataka, including Hubli, Vijayapura and Belagavi districts, comp l a i n i n g a g a i n s t Wa q f Board’s ownership claims. The chief minister directed officials to withdraw the ongoing mutation process and notices served to farmers. The letter, issued by the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah receives a guard of honour at the airport during his visit to Hubballi on Sunday Revenue Department principal secretary to all deputy commissioners, also warned that the action will be taken against officers who are issuing notices to farmers despite directions from the government on November 7. Assembly Opposition Leader R Ashoka on Saturday alleged that though the CM had claimed to have withdrawn notices to farmers, the Reve- nue Department on November 7 sought a report on the progress made in changing the land records. The department wanted an action taken report in 21,767 cases of changing khatas (land records), Ashoka stated and chided, “This is a U-turn government.” BJP has turned this into a major issue ahead of the November 13 bypolls to Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur, stating that the Waqf Board has been claiming ownership of lands on which temples and graveyards are situated. BJP, alleging that the ruling Congress is indulging in “Land Jihad”, has demanded the resignation of Waqf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, saying he was solely responsible for the Waqf Board notices to farmers, who have tilled these lands for generations. Army officer killed during encounter in Jammu F AYA Z W A N I @ Srinagar A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army was killed in an encounter with terrorists in Jammu’s Kishtwar district on Sunday . “Based on specific intelligence input regarding the presence of terrorists, a joint operation was launched by security forces in Bhart Ridge, Kishtwar. Contact was established and fight ensued,” the Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps said in a post on X. During the gunfight, JCO Rakesh Kumar of 2 Para (SF) was killed and three para commandos were injured, Army officials said. “A group of three to four militants are trapped in the area. It is the same group that had abducted and killed two village defence guards in Kishtwar two days ago,” an official said. More troops have been rushed to the area to strengthen the siege. Forces are using drones and other surveillance equipment to track down the terrorists hiding in the dense forest. In all, three encounters took place in Jammu and Kashmir since Saturday night. In another incident, security forces and terrorists exchanged fire in the forest area of Zabar- wan in Ishber Nishat in Srinagar. The gunfight erupted after terrorists fired indiscriminately at a search party comprising police, CRPF and Army personnel, an official said. The security agencies suspect two or three terrorists are hiding in the forest area of Zabarwan. Earlier, a terrorist was killed in an overnight encounter with security forces in the Rajpora area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. Nijjar’s aide Arsh Dalla arrested by Canadian police Dalla, designated as a terrorist by India, nabbed over a shooting incident in Ontario Police. Incidentally, the Punjab Police confirmed they have arCANADIAN police have de- rested two members of Dalla’s tained Arshdeep Singh Gill ali- Canada-based gang in Mohali as Arsh Dalla, a close aide of for their alleged involvement in slain Khalistani terrorist Hard- the murder of a Sikh activist eep Singh Nijjar, in connection last month. with a shootout case, sources The Delhi Police had said last said on Sunday. The Union year that Dalla has links with home ministry had designated inter national terror outfit Dalla as a terrorist Lashkar-e-Taiba and Wanted under the Unlawful Pakistan’s Inter-Servin India Activities Prevention ices Intelligence Act (UAPA) last year. The Punjab Police (ISI). Government sourcHe is a key member said preliminary es said New Delhi of extremist groups investigations would not seek his ex- revealed Arsh Dalla Khalistan Tiger Force tradition as ties with (KTF) and the Intertasked Navjot Canada are cold after Singh alias Neetu, national Sikh Youth the latter’s accusation Federation (ISYF). He a resident of of India’s involve- Kharar, Punjab, to lives in Surrey in ment in the killing of Canada’s British Cotarget Gurpreet Nijjar. “Extradition is lumbia province with Singh Hari Nau, going to be tough, as his wife and a minor who runs a under the present sitYouTube channel daughter. uation it is going to be under the name of In a Facebook post, almost impossible. Dalla had taken reHari Nau Talks And also, the Canadisponsibility for the an authorities have not arrest- murder of an electrician, Paraed him so far, only detained mjeet Singh, from Punjab’s Jahim,” an official said. graon. His associates had shot According to intelligence of- dead Manohar Lal, a Dera Sacha ficials, information related to Sauda follower in November Dalla’s detention in Ontario 2020. He was also involved in came shortly after reports of hatching a conspiracy to kidhis involvement in a shootout nap and kill Shakti Singh, anon October 28. He was detained other Dera Sacha Sauda on Sunday by Halton Regional follower. M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi Act against Zameer: Guv’s office to AG EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bengaluru ON Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot’s direction, his special secretary has written to the advocate general, directing him to take action against Waqf Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan for making allegations against a high court judgment. In his letter, the governor’s special secretary stated that as directed by the Governor, he is forwarding the representation submitted by social activist TJ Abraham, who has filed a complaint alleging illegalities in the allotment of sites by the Mysore Urban Development Authority to CM Siddramaiah’s’ wife BM Parvathi. The special secretary alleged that the minister has made serious alle g ations against the high court judgment, questioning the integrity of the judiciary The governor’s office . has sought necessary action in accordance with the law. Zameer had termed the court’s decision in September this year as a ‘’political judgment” when it dismissed a petition by Siddaramaiah questioning the governor’s sanction to prosecute him in the MUDA site allotment case. Abraham had written to the governor, stating that the “advocate general had not bothered to respond” to his request for contempt of court and criminal proceedings a g ainst Zameer.