KOCHI l monday l february 17, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l LATE 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 3rd aircraft carrying 112 Indian deportees lands in Amritsar Several deportees aboard the US aircraft who landed on SatTHE third batch of 112 Indians urday night said they were in deported from the United States shackles during the journey aboard a military aircraft land- and that 6 Sikh youths were not ed late on Sunday night at Am- allowed to wear turbans. ritsar’s Sri Guru Ram Dass InDaljit Singh of Kurala Kalan ternational airport. village in Hoshiarpur Among the 112 deporsaid they were handtees, 31 are from Punjab, cuffed and their legs 44 from Haryana, 33 chained during the jourfrom Gujarat, two from ney. “Our legs were Uttar Pradesh and one chained and hands each from Himachal cuffed throughout the Pradesh and Uttarajour ney. There were khand. Two women three women and three Akali Dal children on board who from Punjab were slams among the deportees. were not cuffed,” Singh Mann After security clearsaid. The shackles were Senior ance, immigration, and removed before the airShiromani background checks, efcraft landed in AmritAkali Dal forts were being made sar., he said. Singh had to send the deportees leader Bikram taken the ‘Dunki route’. Singh back to their respective Sourav (20), who reached states. Those from Pun- Majithia said Chandiwala in Punjab’s Bhagwant jab were being taken to Ferozepur district on their homes in vehicles Mann and his Sunday, said, “We were arranged by the state ministers are handcuffed and our legs concerned government. Haryana were chained.” about government had sent Harjit Singh, who Punjab’s two private luxury bus hails from Khanowal to transport its resi- image but are Ghuman village in Gurquiet on Sikh daspur district, said he dents back home. This was the second youths being was kept at a detention deported deportation flight after centre and handcuffed without the meeting between on the flight. turbans Prime Minister NarenShiromani Gurdwara dra Modi and US PresiParbhandak Committee dent Donald Trump in Wash- (SGPC) member Gurcharan ington DC last week. Singh condemned the treatThe deportation of Indians is ment meted out to Sikh youths, part of an ongoing crackdown and said it would take the matby US authorities against ille- ter of sending Sikhs without gal immigration. turbans with US officials. Confusion over trains led to stampede Police: 2 trains with identical names on 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 The Bharatiya Janata Party will hold a crucial meeting on Monday at the party headquarters in Delhi led by JP Nadda to choose the next Chief Minister, sources said Measures to ease Kumbh travel 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 crowd control 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 passengers. Over 2,500 passengers booked tickets at New Delhi on Saturday within a span of just 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 US cancels IPL to begin on March 22 The latest edition of the Indian Premier League will begin at the Eden $21 mn grant Gardens in Kolkata, the venue of the defending champions. The 74-match, meant for voter two-month long competition will also conclude at the same venue on May 25. Kolkata Hyderabad and Kolkata venues turnout in India to face for knockouts and finals Bengaluru 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. 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, 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 forms high-level probe into tragedy Railway ministry has set up an inquiry into the stampede. The probe panel comprises Pankaj Gangwar, Principal Chief Security Commissioner, and Nar Singh, Principal Chief Commercial Manager, Northern Railway 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 ran 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. In the wake of the tragedy there was heavy police , presence at the station. The footover-bridge and other connecting areas between Platforms 14 and 15 were manned by RPF officers to ensure safe movement P7 of 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 the minister: Congress Opposition parties alleged the stampede was due to poor management by the authorities. Targeting the railway minister, the Congress urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack 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 eerie calm to New Delhi railway station, where just hours earlier a chaotic stampede had claimed 18 lives and left countless others shaken. Although there was no significant crowd until about 9.30 am on Sunday, the aftermath of the stampede was evident. Toys, infant milk bottles and medicines were among items strewn across the platforms. “It was total confusion,” said a vendor at the station. “When a special train to Prayagraj was announced from platform 16, passengers rushed towards it. That’s when the stampede occurred”, said a coolie. The chaos that resulted between platforms 14 and 15, and on the foot-over bridges left scores of passengers crushed. Scattered slippers, I saw women fall torn bags, and abandoned be- to the ground, longings lay scattered across only to be the staircase, the bridge, and trampled over. platforms 14 and 15 — silent People didn’t even realize they witnesses to the tragedy “I’ve were stepping on . been a vendor here for the others who were last 15 years, but I’ve never still alive seen such a heart-wrenching scene,” said Chetan, a local Dharamji Mandal, Bookstall owner 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, with 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. Reena Devi, 55, from Sarita Vihar, and her husband Dinkar, 59, said they had not encountered problems at the confluence of the rivers in Prayagraj, but did face a lot of difficulty aboard the train to Delhi due to overcrowding. 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 Asharippara, Chalakudy looted , the bank to resolve his financial problems brought on by his exuberant lifestyle, SP B Krishnakumar told reporters. He said the suspect 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 in 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 Chalakudy two years back. Rijo’s wife regularly used to send him money as savings and to he wore on the day of the incimeet his expenses. But, Rijo dent proved to be decisive. He splurged it all on friends and wore two T-shirts and a jacket parties without her knowledge. on top. Before making it to the Rijo plotted to rob the bank to National Highway after the hit, make up for what he the accused took off the had wasted after his jacket and a T-shirt wife informed him of without removing the her plan to retur n helmet to avoid his dehome in March,” the oftection on CCTV camficer said. eras,” the SP said. Police collected hunWhile the probe team dreds of CCTV visuals was initially left and details of mobile stumped, further examtowers around the ination of CCTV Rijo Antony bank as part of their footage revealed a perinvestigation. Officers son riding the same realised that the number plate scooter and wearing the same on the two-wheeler used by the pair shoes, but donning a differsuspect was fake. ent T-shirt. Officers even got They also examined CCTV hold of CCTV footage showing visuals inside the bank in the him removing the first T-shirt, days prior to the heist. with the scooter parked on the ● More on P4 “The colour of the shoes that roadside.  Rijo Antony’s house is less than 200m from the bank’s branch, which he last visited three days before the incident with a complaint about an expired ATM card — Krishnakumar, Thrissur Rural SP 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. P5 Anti-ragging cells to be formed in schools in state 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 ragging and bullying 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’.