I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love —Jannik Sinner SHIVAMOGGA l sunday l february 16, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 26 l CITY EDITION Sinner, WADA reach agreement: World No. 1 gets 3-month ban Winner of three Majors, the Italian, who twice tested positive for banned substance, will be suspended effective immediately. World body withdraws CAS case Sinner did not intend to cheat: WADA The Italian, who twice tested positive for clostebol last year, had been exonerated by an independent panel in August. But the World AntiDoping Agency (WADA), unhappy with the verdict, had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). WADA has now withdrawn that case after reaching an agreement in line with Anti-Doping Code. ■ In a statement, WADA held that the Italian, who won the Australian Open, ‘did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit’. ■ They, however, held that he’s responsible for the actions of his entourage. Sinner had tested positive last March. Feb 9-May 4 Sinner’s ban period, the French Open begins May 25 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 Punjab chief minister objects to Amritsar being chosen arrival point US sends back 119 Indians in military aircraft J AYA N TH J A COB & H A RPR E E T B A J W A @ New Delhi / Chandigarh express read Will fight for better share of water: Gowda Bengaluru: Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda said Karnataka should receive 25 tmcft of water under the Godavari-KrishnaCauvery irrigation project and pledged to fight for this alongside all political parties. He said he will soon write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to direct the National Water Development Agency (NWDA) to set right this injustice | P4 4 hospitalised after Delhi station stampede New Delhi: Four women fainted and were hospitalised due to suffocation at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday evening, after a massive crowd of Maha Kumbh devotees gathered on platforms 13 and 14 around 10 pm as two trains to Prayagraj were cancelled, causing overcrowding. Fire tenders and ambulances were rushed to the scene. THE US on Saturday sent back 119 illegal Indian immigrants on a military aircraft—the second such deportation since Donald Trump took office as President—triggering a fresh political controversy with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann protesting the choice of Amritsar as the arrival point. While Mann alleged the BJPled government at the Centre deliberately chose Amritsar as the landing site to ‘defame Punjab’, sources told this newspaper that the arrival airport is decided after taking in view the deportees’ convenience for returning home. The sources pointed out that many of those deported are from the border areas of Punjab. Saturday’s flight had 67 people from Punjab and 33 from Haryana. They have been detained along the USMexico border. Amritsar has been a primary arrival point for deportees for some time, including in October last year when a group of illegal immigrants were sent back from the US through a chartered flight. However, the Trump administration’s use of a military plane to deport immigrants has sparked protests in India, with concerns raised over deportees arriving in handcuffs. India is understood to have raised the issue of inhuman treatment of its citizens with the US, but the US has once again chosen to send them back on a military aircraft. After arriving at the airport ‘Why not land in Delhi’ Accusing the Centre of trying to defame his state, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann asked why it’s always Punjab and not Delhi to land the deportation plane. A third plane carrying 157 deportees is also expected on Sunday to receive the deportees on Saturday night, Mann said: “Do not make our holy city Amritsar a deport centre.” Expressing concerns over how the Indian citizens would be treated onboard, Mann said the Centre should have sent a plane to bring them home. Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Parliament that restraints are part of the Standard Operating Procedures of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement while deporting illegals. However, legal experts say the use of shackles hurt the deportees’ dignity and violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1976 and the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 1984. Punjab police make first arrest, nab travel agent Ha r p r ee t Baj w a @ Chandigarh PUNJAB police made its first arrest of a travel agent involved in illegal immigration practices, following the deportation of 104 Indians from the US on February 5. Anil Batra, one of four accused, was arrested for sending a US deportee to the US via the “Dunki route.” Talking to this newspaper, inspector Abhey Singh Chauhan said that based on a complaint of Gurwinder Singh of Bhadson, Patiala, a case was registered on February 8 against t r ave l a g e n t A n i l B at r a and three others who had sent Singh to US via the ‘Dunki route’. Batra allegedly took `45 lakh from Singh to facilitate his travel to the US. Singh was first sent to Dubai, then to Suriname, and eventually made his way to the US via Central America, with the help of traffickers and smugglers. The arrest comes after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to probe complaints of fraudulent travel agents involved in deceptive immigration practices. The SIT has registered 10 FIRs against travel agents who allegedly deceived victims with false promises of f acilitating ille g al entry into the US. Police have frozen Batra’s bank account, which had a balance of `6.35 lakh. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav has urged the general public to come forward with any information that could assist in apprehending travel agents who facilitate illegal entry into the US, and advised citizens to only approach registered agents for immigration services. EAM calls out West’s double standards on democracy E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi EXTERNAL Affairs Minister S Jaishankar rejected the western viewpoint that democracy is in crisis globally and pilloried the West’s doublespeak on the issue. “I reject the idea that democracy is in crisis worldwide. In India, we are voting well, living well, and remain optimistic about the future of our democracy, which has indeed delivered,” Jaishankar said at a panel discussion in Munich. He pointed at the ink mark on his index finger, symbolising his recent vote. He flayed the West for its double standards on democracy ac, cusing it of treating democracy as an exclusive “Western characteristic”, while actively supporting “non-democratic forces” in the Global South — a practice that still continues. The minister said countries of the Global South are more likely to relateto the fact that the “Indian experience is more transposable to their societies than perhaps to those of others.” Ex-MLA from Goa dies  after auto driver hits him E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Belagavi Former Goa MLA Lavoo Mamledar, 69, died here on Saturday soon after he was allegedly assaulted by an autorickshaw driver. Mamledar collapsed while getting into the lift of a lodge where he stayed around 1.30 pm. Mamledar’s car scraped the autorickshaw in the city earlier in the day When auto driver . Amirsuhil Sanadi, 28, from Ashok Nagar, sought money to get the damage rectified, Mamledar refused, stating that nothing happened to the vehicle. This led to an argument between them and Mamledar left the spot. The auto driver followed Mamledar and allegedly assaulted him as he was entering the lodge premises. The auto driver assaulting Mamledar and the latter collapsing while getting into the lift inside the lodge can be seen in the CCTV footage from the lodge. Mamledar was immediately rushed to Belagavi District Hospital where he was declared brought dead. Mamledar’s daughter advocate Akshata Mamledar filed a complaint with Market police. Mamledar represented Ponda  in Goa Assembly from 2012 to 2017 as Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party candidate. He later joined Congress. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said his government is closely coordinating with authorities in Belagavi to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident. Vaishnaw reveals plan to lay B’luru-KIA rail line E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday announced his ministry’s plan to implement a railway project connecting Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) with Bengaluru city . As per the plan, a dedicated 7.9-km rail line will be laid between Doddajala and KIA. A 6.25-km stretch of the line will be elevated and 1.65 km underground. “Apart from the road, metro and suburban rail links, we are creating another railway network to KIA,” Vaishnaw told reporters. He said during his last visit, he travelled by train from KIA to the city “It was a comfort. able 40 to 45-minute ride. However, the proposed project faced technical issues. It needs a railway flyover. A team of experts presented a report today I will . share it with you soon. This will bring significant relief to people,” Vaishnaw said. Emphasising the need for suburban and metro rail projects for Bengaluru, he said the Union and state governments should work in tandem to implement them at the earliest. Vaishnaw expressed disappointment over execution of suburban railway project work by Karnataka-Rail Infrastructure Development Company (K-RIDE). It lacks technical expertise, he said and appealed to the state to appoint a full-time MD and 13 technically qualified personnel to K-RIDE. P4 HC allows felling of 2,518 trees in B’luru Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has permitted felling of 2,518 trees -- 1,988 by Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited for its suburban rail project and 530 for expansion of Air Force Command Hospital -- in the city.KRIDE and the hospital should cut trees in compliance with the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976, with Rules of 1977 and also by adhering to the conditions imposed by the BBMP tree officer and the court, including compensatory afforestation, it said. A division bench of Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice MI Arun passed the order on interlocutory applications on cutting trees for both projects. P5 left in the lurch Customers of the New India Cooperative Bank gather outside a branch in Mumbai on Saturday after the RBI imposed restrictions on issuing loans and withdrawals due to liquidity concerns and governance issues | pti Apart from Jaishankar, the panel comprised Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, US Senator Elissa Slotkin and Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowsk, who were discussing “Live to Vote Another Day: Fortifying Democratic Resilience,” at the Munich Security Conference. A query was put to the minister if countries in the Global South still aspire to have a democratic system and if its people are attracted to it, Jaishankar said: “Look, to an extent, all big countries are unique to an extent. But, we would certainly hope, I mean to the extent, we think of democracy as a universal aspiration, ideally a reality .” Social media posts help cops nab man on the run for 9 years E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru Social media posts and ordering food online helped police nab a 35-year-old rowdy-sheeter in the city on Thursday. Mohammed Farooq, who had seven cases, including an attempt to murder, against him, evaded arrest for nine years. A rowdysheeter in Madiwala police limits, Farooq took to crime in 2012 and continued till 2016 when he went underground. Farooq’s family members, including his brother-in-law, who is with Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP), were questioned. But nobody had any information about him. His wife is rowdy-sheeter Jaani’s sister. Even Jaani revealed nothing about Farooq when police questioned him. When efforts of police did not yield any result, a crucial lead came from an informant, who saw a picture of Farooq in front of Vidhana Soudha on Instagram. During investigation, it was found that Farooq operated an Instagram account in his son’s name. Police took the IP address and that helped them find Farooq’s mobile phone number. Based on the tower dumb, police learnt that he lived in Doddakallasandra on Kanakapura Road. As it did not help them find his exact location, they approached online food aggregators to find out if there were bookings from that mobile phone number. This revealed Farooq’s residential address,” a police officer said. Farooq was arrested when he was returning home after picking his child from school. Farooq lived with his wife and child in an upscale apartment. He stopped all criminal activities in 2016 and became a car dealer. He did not attend his father’s funeral fearing arrest, the police officer said. Bouquets and brickbats Hacked & Helpless PLUS 12 PAGES Tharoor’s praise for Kerala in TNIE column sparks Cong backlash E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ T’Puram/Malappuram/Kozhikode FINDING itself in an embarrassing situation after party MP Shashi Tharoor heaped praise on the Left-ruled Kerala, calling the state a model of economic innovation and sustainable growth, the Congress leadership launched an open attack on him. While several Congress lead- ers, including V D Satheesan, K C Venugopal, and Ramesh Chennithala, dismissed Tharoor’s arguments in his column in The New Indian Express that appeared on February 14, he, understandably, found support among the Left leadership. Even as his views sparked uproar, Tharoor stuck to his ground, saying the article was in Kerala’s interest. In his column, Tharoor said Kerala has emerged as a dynamic centre for startups. He termed Industries Minister P Rajeeve’s claim that a business can be opened in just two minutes as an “astonishing development”. Soon after the article appeared, Rajeeve shared it on social media, thanking Tharoor. Brushing aside Tharoor’s comments, Leader of Opposition Satheesan said the party will examine the circumstances under which such claims were made. When somebody in the government does something well, one should acknowledge and praise it. I’ve criticised and praised in fairness and on the basis of specific points —Shashi Tharoor Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan asked the party national leadership to respond to Tharoor’s comments. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said Tharoor’s views did not conform to reality “Kerala’s industries sector . is in a bad state. Is there any development happening in the coir and fisheries sectors?” he asked. Ramesh Chennithala said Tharoor had a misunderstanding. “Kerala is not an investment-friendly state. Several enterprises were shut during the LDF’s tenure,” he said. It’s learnt that the party leadership may seek disciplinary action against Tharoor. Without mentioning Tharoor, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “His statements were based on facts and numbers.”