kottayam l Wednesday l march 26, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION U.S. embarrassed as secret plan to attack Yemen leaked to media A journalist was accidentally included in a group chat where top US officials were discussing upcoming strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels ‘Highly damaging’ situation barely avoided Why was signal, a commercial app, used? The plan was leaked to The Atlantic magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who was inadvertently added to a Signal app chat with top officials like VP J D Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The leak could have been highly damaging if the enemy somehow accessed the plan ■ ■ Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post on X on Tuesday that “no ‘war plans’ were discussed” and “no classified material was sent” But top Democrats condemned the breach, saying it was illegal and calling for an investigation to find out why officials were using a commercially available app for sensitive discussions | P9 2 days before the actual airstrike was when Goldberg was added 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 ED clean chit to BJP in Kodakara hawala case Frosty ties Intent, ability in India to interfere with polls: Canada J ayan t h J ac o b @ New Delhi India has the ‘intent and capability’ to interfere in Canadian communities and democratic processes, a media report said quoting Vanessa Lloyd, the deputy director of operations at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Lloyd claimed that China, Russia and Pakistan too could interfere in the federal election campaign. She was addressing a media briefing on Monday on efforts to protect the integrity of the general election, voting for which takes place on April 28. Lloyd added that “hostile state actors” were increasingly leveraging AI to meddle in the polls announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday . Under a federal protocol int ro d u c e d i n 2019, the news channel CTV News said, a panel of bureaucrats had the power to warn the public if it decided one or more incidents threaten Canada’s ability to hold a free and fair vote. Most threat actors ‘likely have adapted their tradecraft to conceal foreign interference activity, making it even more challenging to detect’, Lloyd mentioned, adding that it was ‘highly likely’ China would use social media to promote narratives favourable to its interests and target Chinese ethnic, cultural and religious communities in Canada using “clandestine and deceptive” means. The ministry of external affairs has so far not responded to these charges. But in January the nation rejected “insinu, ations” levelled by a Canadian commission report of interference in the 2022 election of Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative Party leader. E X P R E S S N E W S S E R V I C E @Kochi Himachal Pradesh HC Chief Justice G S Sandhawalia, a member of the panel set up by the SC, arrives at Justice Yashwant Varma’s residence in New Delhi on Tuesday | pti SC panel begins ‘currency stash’ probe, visits site Committee inspects Justice Varma’s house where burnt cash was allegedly discovered allegations of corruption following the discovery of cash at his home following a fire incithe Supreme Court-appointed dent on the night of March 14. committee on Tuesday began Justice Varma, who has since its probe into the discovery of been de-rostered by the Delhi cash from the residence of Del- High Court, has denied the alhi High Court judge Yashwant legations against him terming Varma, even as the Allahabad the whole affair a conspiracy . High Court Bar Association The SC Collegium on Monstarted an indefinite strike in day confirmed that it had recprotest against the proposed ommended Justice Varma’s transfer of the tainted judge to transfer to the Allahabad HC, the Allahabad HC. triggering fiery proT he probe panel tests from the bar assomembers—Justice ciation, which urged Sheel Nagu, Chief Jus- There have been the Central gover ntice of the High Court ment not to clear the attempts to of Punjab and Harya- cover up... Until a Collegium’s decision. na; Justice G S SandhaBar association chief resolution is walia, Chief Justice of reached, we Anil Tiwari said the won’t resume the High Cour t of protest is not against Himachal Pradesh; and work, no matter any court but against consequences Anu Sivaraman, Judge those who betrayed the of the High Court of judicial system. Allahabad HC Karnataka—reached Meanwhile, Rajya Bar Association Justice Varma’s official Sabha Chairman Jagresidence at 30, Tughlak Cres- deep Dhankhar on Tuesday cent, in Delhi at 1 pm. They held a meeting of floor leaders spent around 45 minutes there to discuss judicial accountabiland examined the room where ity in the wake of the developthe stash of cash was allegedly ments. The meeting came a day found, sources said. after Dhankhar interacted with It was not immediately Leader of the House J P Nadda known whether Justice Varma and Leader of Opposition Malwas at his residence when the likarjun Kharge, and referred inquiry panel visited. to the mechanism for judicial The panel’s findings will be appointments after the passage crucial in deciding the fate of of the NJAC Act in 2014, which Justice Varma, who is facing the SC later struck down. S uc h i t ra Kalyan M o h an t y & N a m i ta B ajpai @ New Delhi / Lucknow The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed the chargesheet in the Kodakara hawala case, naming 23 people as accused. The chargesheet, submitted before the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kochi, contradicts the Kerala Police, which had concluded that the money looted in the highway robbery was intended for the BJP’s campaign during the 2021 Kerala assembly elections. None of the 23 accused named in the ED’s chargesheet have direct links to the BJP ef, fectively giving the party a clean chit in the case. The case revolves around allegations that hawala funds from Karnataka, purportedly meant for the BJP’s election campaign, were looted near the Kodakara flyover on April 3, 2021, three days before the state went to the polls. Former BJP office s e c re t a r y T h i ro o r Satheesh had previously claimed that illicit funds had been delivered to the party office, prompting the Kerala Police to conduct further investig ation. The police’s chargesheet, filed before the Agency contradicts police findings The police chargesheet had said the looted money was intended for the BJP’s campaign, citing multiple statements and gathered evidence. The ED chargesheet contradicts this. Oppn wins, govt agrees to lift construction curbs near dams E xpress N ews S ervice @T’Puram Giving in to Opposition’s prodding in the assembly Wa, ter Resources and Irrigation Minister Roshy Augustine on Tuesday said the government will cancel its order issued last year imposing restrictions on construction activities within 20m of dams in the state. Responding to a notice for adjournment motion moved by UDF MLA Mons Joseph, Roshy said the order will be nixed as there are concerns among the public on the curbs imposed. He said discussions will be held with the legislators who represent the affected constituencies, if required. Roshy had on various occasions informed the assembly that the order will be tweaked to ensure no inconvenience is caused to the public when it comes to construction activities. However, not content with his promise of amending the order, the UDF MLAs on Tuesday demanded the order be struck down in its entirety Fi. ‘Order caused issues’ In the assembly, Kaduthuruthy MLA Mons Joseph said the order led to issues in the state. About 7,732 acres of land was deemed as buffer zone, while 38,661 acres were declared as restricted areas after it came into effect, he said. nally, Roshy agreed to cancel the fiat. The order had deemed the land falling within 20m of the reservoirs as buffer zone, where construction activities are banned. It said beyond the buffer zone, construction activities would be regulated for another 100m. Roshy said the order was issued in connection with a litigation that was initiated by a resort owner, whose application for a no objection certifi- F ree S pee c h F u r y cate for construction activities was rejected. “It’s to protect the interest of the public and ensure the safety of dams that the order was issued. Shouldn’t we regulate the distance between dams and buildings? Since the order has created an apprehension among people, we will change it,” Roshy said. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said though the dams have been there for decades, there were no such restrictions on construction. The resort owner approached the court in 2024, but the government issued an order regarding the NOC in 2023. The order, Satheesan said, bypassed existing rules on construction activities and if implemented, will lead to restrictions in places such as Iritty town. Satheesan also said the minister had talked about amending the order, but it will not solve the issue. “If the order exists, officers will misinterpret it. Hence it should be withdrawn,” he said. Following this, Roshy promised the order will be revoked. EXPRESS READ Kamra Defies Summons, refuses to apologise Cyber commandos complete training Kottayam: The first batch of cyber commandos, formed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre, finished their six-month training. The passing-out ceremony was held on Tuesday | P5 S u d h ir S uryawans h i @ Mumbai The Mumbai Police on Monday summoned stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for questioning the next day over a case registered against him for lampooning Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a recent performance in Mumbai. However, Kamra refused to appear immediately, citing death threats and concerns for his safety He reportedly request. ed a week’s time to comply Kamra also took . to social media and said he had no reason to apologise since he had only repeated what deputy chief minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar had already said. The police, investigating whether Kamra was compensated to mock Shinde, have registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and are examining his phone and call records. The controversy erupted after Kamra’s performance, in which he parodied the song Bholi Si Surat to call Shinde a gaddar (traitor), referencing his 2022 rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray. Following the video’s release, Shiv Sena workers vandalised a comedy club and demanded its closure. Eleven workers were arrested and later granted bail. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) also demolished part of the club. Kamra defended the comedy club, saying a venue is not responsible for a comedian’s words. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut defended Kunal Kamra saying he had not said anything new. “...Kamra has spoken and repeated the truth and fact only,” Raut said. Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Irinjalakuda in July 2021, stated that the looted money was indeed intended for the BJP’s campaign, citing multiple statements and gathered evidence. According to the ED, `3.5 crore, which Dharmaraj — the key figure in the case — entruste d t o h i s d r ive r Shamjeer for a property purchase in Alappuzha, was stolen at Kodakara flyover. Dharmaraj provided documents substantiating the CPM set for major churning of top brass ordained to lead I do not fear the mob. I wouldn’t go under my bed waiting for the controversy to die down Kunal Kamra Kamra trolls BMC Addressing trolls, Kunal Kamra left a voicemail featuring his song, Hum Honge Kangaal (we shall be bankrupt) and mocked BMC by saying that his next show be held at place which needs to be razed Aboon Mor Baselios Joseph I, the newly ordained Catholicos of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, after the installation ceremony at St Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Cathedral at Achane in Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday | read on: P4 T’Puram: Gearing up for its 24th Party Congress next week, the CPM is preparing for a major churning of its top brass. Half of the politburo is set to give way to fresh faces | P5 source of the money. In addition to the stolen amount identified by the police, the ED seized `3 lakh in cash and assets worth `8 lakh belonging to him. The agency emphasised that its probe was limited to money laundering transactions following the heist. Despite Opposition allegations against former BJP state president K Surendran, neither the police nor the ED found evidence implicating him in the case so far. The ED’s findings have reignited political debates in Kerala, with Opposition parties criticising the agency’s conclusions and reiterating demands for further scrutiny into the alleged involvement of BJP leaders in the case. Will meet revenue targets despite tax relief: FM E xpress news service @ New Delhi THE government could ‘realistically’ achieve personal income tax collection targets despite offering huge tax relief, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Tuesday while responding to the debate on Budget in the Lok Sabha. The House passed the Finance Bill 2025—the piece of legislation that gives legal backing to the tax proposals and other fiscal measures announced in the Budget—with 35 amendments. “The Finance Bill provides unprecedented tax relief to honour taxpayers. We have recognised their contribution,” Sitharaman said. In the FY26 Budget, the government increased the threshold for income tax rebate to `12 lakh per from `7 lakh earlier. For salaried taxpayers, this threshold jumped to `12.75 lakh per year after taking into account `75,000 standard deduction. The government also tweaked the tax slabs to benefit a large section of taxpayers. The changes would lead to loss of tax revenue of `1 lakh crore. However, the government has increased the personal income tax collection target for FY26 by 14.14%. “The projected tax collections for FY26 are based on solid data,” Sitharaman said. With the passage of the Finance Bill 2025, the Lok Sabha completed its part of the Budgetary approval process. The Budget process for FY26 will be complete after the Raj ya S ab h a a l s o ap proves it. 90% complete State’s first floating home is no longer up in the air B I J U E PA U L @Alappuzha One of country’s lowest-lying regions, Kuttanad has more than 2 lakh people living below sea level. Every year, floods force residents to leave their homes. The 2018 deluge was particularly severe, with nearly 90% of the population evacuated as floodwaters rose 8-10 ft. The calamity forced people of the region to explore alternative ways of constructing houses, including on raised pillars, to escape future deluges. Among the other building methods devised was the floati n g h o u s e. Va r u n R a m akrishnan of Cheriyamadathil, Mankombu, was the first to adopt the idea. Now, his 1,120 sqft house, having two attached bedrooms and other facilities, is nearly 90% complete. And the technology has been patented by M R Narayanan, owner of Transbuild Dwelling. According to Varun, residents of Kuttanad leave their homes during floods. “As a solution to this displacement, I de- The floating house coming up in Mankombu, Kuttanad. The structure’s foundation comprises 110 vacuum compartments, enabling it to float when water levels rise | Express cided to construct a floating house. Narayanan is helping me achieve my dream. It has been a success so far,” he said. This is the first floating house in the state, said Narayanan, who is also from Mankombu. “We have constructed floating villas for resorts and floating platforms for a solar project in Banasurasagar, Wayanad. We promise long durability for houses built using this method,” he said. The foundation is constructed with a hollow base using ferrocement and thermocol. After levelling the land, a plastic sheet is laid out and a 1.2-m-high foundation is built on it. The walls are also constructed using thermocol and ferrocement, while latex concrete is used for the roof to reduce weight. The foundation comprises 110 vacuum compartments, enabling the platform to float when water levels rise. To prevent it from sliding, the house is anchored to concrete pillars, allowing it to move only verti● More on P4 cally  .