KANNUR l monday l february 17, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION European leaders to gather in paris today for summit on Ukraine Emmanuel Macron Volodymyr Zelenskyy Europe jittery as U.S. weighs deal with russia French President Emmanuel Macron will host leaders from key European countries on Monday to discuss the Ukraine war and the continent’s security call for maximum pressure on moscow The summit will focus on the future of European security as the US pursues a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine. European leaders fear Donald Trump may agree to Putin’s demands to limit NATO presence in eastern Europe and the US involvement in the continent’s security. Leaders of Britain, Germany, Poland, Italy and Denmark will attend ■ ■ Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed not to respect a truce negotiated by the US and Russia without Ukraine’s input Finland’s president said Europe must rearm Ukraine and put “maximum pressure on Russia” through sanctions and asset freezes in the run-up to negotiations sought by the US $52 bn The size of the European union’s military assistance for ukraine 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 row over handcuffs, turban Third aircraft carrying 112 Indians deportees lands in Amritsar try illegally or overstayed on their visas. THE third batch of 112 Indians Several deportees aboard the deported from the United States US aircraft who landed on Sataboard a military aircraft land- urday night said they were in ed late on Sunday night at Am- shackles during the journey ritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass In- and that 6 Sikh youths were not ter national air por t allowed to wear around 11.30 pm. turbans. Among the 112 deporDaljit Singh of Kurala tees, 31 are from Punjab, Kalan village in Hoshi44 from Haryana, 33 arpur said they were from Gujarat, two from handcuffed and their Uttar Pradesh and one legs chained during the each from Himachal journey “Our legs were . Pradesh and Uttarachained and hands Akali Dal cuffed throughout the khand. Two women slams from Punjab were jour ney. There were Mann among the deportees. three women and three Senior After security clearchildren on board who Shiromani ance, immigration, and were not cuffed,” Singh Akali Dal background checks, efsaid. The shackles were forts were being made leader Bikram removed before the airSingh to send the deportees craft landed in Amritback to their respective Majithia said sar., he said. Singh had Bhagwant states. Those from Puntaken the ‘Dunki route’. jab were being taken to Mann and his Sourav (20), who reached their homes in Punjab ministers are Chandiwala in Punjab’s concerned police vehicles. The Ferozepur district on about Haryana government Sunday “We were hand, Punjab’s had sent a private luxucuffed and our legs were ry bus to transport its image but are chained,” he said. quiet on Sikh residents back home. Harjit Singh, who This was the first de- youths being hails from Khanowal deported portation flight after the Ghuman village in Gurwithout meeting between Prime daspur district, said he turbans. M i n i s t e r N a re n d r a was kept at a detention Modi and US President centre and handcuffed Donald Trump in Washington on the flight. DC. Shiromani Gurdwara ParThe deportation of Indians is bhandak Committee (SGPC) part of an ongoing crackdown member Gurcharan Singh conby US authorities against indi- demned the shoddy treatment viduals who entered the coun- being meted out to Sikh youth. Confusion over trains led to stampede Police: 2 trains with identical names in different platforms led to confusion among passengers before the tragedy H a r p r ee t b a j w a @ Chandigarh DELHI cm TO BE DECIDED TODAY, OATH-TAKING ON tUESDAY AT Ramlila ground US cancels $21 mn grant to promote voter turnout in India E x p r e s s ne w s s e r v i c e @ New Delhi The newly-created US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) headed by billionaire Elon Musk said it has cancelled the previous administration’s $21 million funding to support efforts to increase voter turnout in India. The funding was part of a larger $486 million allocation to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening. “US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled,” it said, giving a list of funding commitments that stand cancelled. The list also includes $29 million to ‘strengthen political landscape’ in Bangladesh and $20 million for ‘fiscal federalism’ in Nepal. Reacting to the announcement, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it is proof of external interference in India’s electoral process. “$21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India’s electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!,” Amit Malviya, BJP’s national spokesperson, said. DOGE was created by President Donald Trump to reduce government spending. The Bharatiya Janata Party will hold a crucial meeting on Monday at the party headquarters in Delhi led by J P Nadda to choose the next Chief Minister, sources said Rail ministry takes safety measures Railway ministry said all special trains to Prayagraj will be run only from platform No 16. “So, passengers shall come and go from the Ajmeri Gate side of the New Delhi railway station,” the ministry said Personal belongings of passengers caught in Saturday’s stampede lie scattered on a stairway leading to platforms 14 and 15 | x R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R an d S H E K H A R SI N G H @ New Delhi Miscommunication, inefficient control management measures, confusion over train names are among the major factors that led to the stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night, which killed at least 18 people, 14 of them women, and injured another 15 people. Over 2,500 passengers booked tickets at New Delhi on Saturday within a span of one hour, which could also have resulted in overcrowding. “As 2,600 more tickets were booked within an hour at New Delhi, and there was a surge in crowd numbers for Prayagraj, a special train was announced from Platform 12,” the rail ministry said. While the ministry said there was no platform change or cancellation of any special trains, vendors and porters at the railway station claimed an announcement was made about platform change. Following this, they said, passengers waiting at Platform 14 IPL to begin on March 22 The latest edition of the Indian Premier League will begin at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, the venue of the defending champions. The 74-match, two-month long competition will also conclude at the same venue on May 25. Kolkata to face Bengaluru in opener The defending champions, as is customary, will kick-start the league with the opener against Bengaluru on March 22. Both sides will have new captains Hyderabad and Kolkata venues for knockouts and finals Hyderabad, 2024’s losing finalists, will host the first qualifier and the eliminator on May 20 and May 21 before the caravan moves to the home of the current champions for the league’s closing stages on May 23 and 25 Group 1 Group 2 Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants Key dates May 20: Qualifier 1 | May 21: Eliminator | May 23: Qualifier 2 | May 25: Final Tharoor acknowledges UDF govts’ contributions E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @T’Puram Facing backlash from his party for praising LDF-ruled Kerala, Congress MP Shashi T h a r o o r o n S u n d ay stuck to his stance but attempted a balancing act by acknowledging the contributions of the previous Congress-led g ove r n m e n t s i n t h e state’s industrial sector. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Tharoor clarified that he has always stood for development and investment in the state. “Critics who want me to correct my stance should point out the mistake in my article,” he said. In a Facebook post earlier in the day, Tharoor said the controversy over his article has left him “surprised” as he had stated his views as an MP only on the “change in the state’s industrial climate owing to the g rowth of startups”. In a bid to assuage the ruffled feathers of the Congress leadership, the four-time MP said he was proud to say that it was former chief minister Oommen Chandy who paved the way for such a transformation. “It was owing to the creation of the Startup Mission and Startup Village by former CM Oommen Chandy that such developments happened,” ● More on P4 he said.  rushed towards Platform 16 resulting in the stampede. The Delhi Police, which conducted the initial probe, said two trains with identical names— both bound for Prayagraj—led to chaos among thousands of Maha Kumbh devotees. According to senior police officers, an Rly stations continue to be crowded On Sunday, major railway stations in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Punjab witnessed massive crowds headed for Prayagraj announcement for the arrival of the Prayagraj Special at Platfor m 16 created confusion among passengers waiting for the Prayagraj Express at Platform 14. In the rush to board what they assumed was their train, a large section of the crowd surged towards Platform 16, triggering a deadly crush. “There were already four trains scheduled to depart for Prayagraj that night, and three of them were delayed. This caused extreme overcrowding. The announcement further fueled panic, as many passengers believed they had missed their original train and rushed in the wrong direction,” said a senior police officer. The government announced a `10 lakh compensation for the families of the deceased, `2.5 lakh for those seriously injured, and `1 lakh for those with minor injuries. Despite the stampede, the New Delhi station remained overcrowded on Sunday, with platforms flooded with thousands of passengers trying to board trains to Prayagraj and other destinations. Heavy police presence was noted throughout the station. The foot-over-bridge and other connecting areas between Platforms 14 and 15 were densely manned by RPF officers to ensure the smooth movement of P7 passengers.  Security beefed up at rly stations Security has been beefed up at key railway stations including Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Kanpur, Lucknow and Mirzapur following the Delhi stampede, officials said Sack railway minister: Congress Opposition parties alleged mismanagement by authorities led to the stampede. The Congress launched a scathing attack on the railway minister, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove him Unsettling calm at ground zero hours after deadly rush R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R @ New Delhi SUNDAY morning brought an unsettling calm to New Delhi railway station, where just hours earlier a chaotic stampede had claimed 18 lives and left countless others shaken. The stampede occurred around 9.55 pm on Saturday night when passengers headed to Prayagraj congregated at platform 14 and 15. According to railway officials, Prayagraj Express was stationed at platform 14, while the Swatantrata Senani Express and Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express were delayed, leading to overcrowding on platforms 12, 13, and 14. Many eyewitnesses said the situation turned chaotic when a last-minute change of platform was announced. “It was total confusion,” said a vendor at the station. “When a special train to Prayagraj was announced I saw women fall from platform 16, passengers to the ground, rushed towards it. That’s only to be when the stampede oc- trampled over. People didn’t curred”, said a coolie. even realize they The chaos that resulted be- were stepping on tween platforms 14 and 15, others who were and on the foot-over bridges still alive left scores of passengers crushed. Scattered slippers, Dharamji Mandal, torn bags, and abandoned be- Bookstall owner longings lay strewn across the staircase, the bridge, and platforms 14 and 15 — silent witnesses to the tragedy “I’ve been . a vendor here for the last 15 years, but I’ve never seen such a heart-wrenching scene,” said Chetan, a local vendor. Mohan, a cleaning staff at the station, described it as “one of the worst” tragedies he had witnessed in the past 10 years. “There were personal belongings everywhere. People had no time to gather their things; they just ran for their lives,” he said, tears in his eyes. On Sunday a majority of passengers return, ing from Prayagraj alighted at platforms number 14 and 15, which were unusually clean. Some inquired about the casualties, before disappearing into the crowd towards the exit. Bank robbery suspect held; cops say loot was to resolve fin burden G O PI K A V A RRI E R @ Thrissur Just over 48 hours after the heist at the Federal Bank branch in Potta, Chalakudy, Thrissur Rural police on Sunday arrested a suspect. Rijo Antony from Asharippa, ra, Chalakudy looted the bank to , resolve his financial problems brought on by his exuberant lifestyle, SP B Krishnakumar told reporters. He said the suspect, an account holder in the bank, had been planning the robbery for several months, observing the daily functioning of the bank, staff timings and patterns. On Friday afternoon, the suspect came on a two-wheeler, threatened the bank staff using a kitchen knife, and made away with `15 lakh. According to the SP, Rijo’s wife works as a nurse in Kuwait. “Hailing from Velur, in Thrissur district, the family had moved to days prior to the heist. Chalakudy two years back. Ri“The colour of the shoes that jo’s wife regularly used to send he wore on the day of the incihim money as savings and to dent proved to be decisive. He meet his expenses. wore two T-shirts and But, Rijo splurged it a jacket on top. Before all on friends and parmaking it to the Naties without her tional Highway after knowledge. Rijo plotthe hit, the accused ted to rob the bank to took off the jacket make up for what he and a T-shirt without had wasted after his removing the helmet wife informed him of to avoid his detection her plan to return on CCTV cameras,” home in March. The the SP said. couple has two schoolWhile the probe Rijo Antony going kids,” the officer team was initially left said. stumped, further exPolice collected hundreds of amination of CCTV footage reCCTV visuals and details of mo- vealed a person riding the same bile towers around the bank as scooter and wearing the same part of their investigation. Of- pair shoes, but donning a differficers realised that the number ent T-shirt. Officers even got plate on the two-wheeler used by hold of CCTV footage showing the suspect was fake. him removing the first T-shirt, They also examined CCTV with the scooter parked on the ● More on P4 visuals inside the bank in the roadside.  express read Governor’s stance on varsity bill to be crucial T’Puram: A proposed bill that enhances powers of the Higher Education Minister as Pro Chancellor in universities is likely to face choppy waters in the Raj Bhavan. Two earlier bills had failed to get Presidential assent. Given this scenario, the stance to be adopted by the new Governor Rajendra Arlekar on the proposed University Amendment Bill, 2025 will be crucial when it comes up before him for assent. P4 94 people died from rabies infection in 5 yrs Alappuzha: Poor monitoring by local bodies, a social and cultural apathy towards waste management and inadequate awareness about infections are being blamed for the rapid rise in rabid-dog attacks and deaths due to rabies in the state. According to data made available by the state health department in reply to an RTI application, 94 people have died from rabies infection in the state over the past five years. P2 Soon, schools in state to have anti-ragging cells E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kozhikode/Kochi The general education department has decided to ask all schools in the state to form antiragging cells amid reports of ragging in some schools. “Incidents like ragging, which are not conducive to the welfare of society, are taking place in some educational institutions in the state,” General Education Minister V Sivankut- ty said on Sunday . “To prevent ragging, strict measures need to be taken, along with organising awareness activities and grassroots-level interventions. Therefore, the department of general education is considering introducing anti-ragging cells in every school. The department is planning to form a committee of senior officials to arrive at the structure and functioning of the cells,” Sivankutty said, while addressing the Kerala School Teachers’ Association state conference in Kozhikode. He said the committee will be asked to submit its report based on which anti-ragging cells will be created. The anti-ragging cells are mandatory in higher education institutions while it’s not compulsory in schools until now. The government move to form anti-ragging cells comes in the wake of a 15-year-old boy taking his life last month by jumping from his apartment allegedly following bullying and ragging at his school at Thiruvaniyoor in Ernakulam district. In another incident on February 12, five students of a government-aided higher secondary school in Kannur allegedly assaulted a junior for not respecting seniors and not obey● More on P4 ing their ‘orders’.