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 ■ ■ bengaluru l tuesday l april 22, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l late city EDITION LGBTQ+ part of his outreach Allowed women vote at Vatican 3-day state mourning Francis made it easier for married Catholics to get an annulment, allowed priests to absolve women who had had abortions and let priests bless samesex couples He let women vote alongside bishops in some Vatican meetings. It was a revolutionary change. However, he had a ‘closed door’ policy on women’s ordination The Indian govt declared a three-day State mourning till Wednesday. An additional day of mourning will be observed on the day of the Pope’s funeral adieu, progressive pope P N ICO L E WI N F I E L D @ Vatican City Gold hits 1 lakh per 10gm in B’luru, 99K in Delhi Gold of 99.5 purity in Bengaluru cost `1,02,000 per 10 grams Gold of 99.9% purity in New Delhi: `99,800 per 10 grams So far this year, the yellow metal’s prices have risen `20,850, or 26.41% per 10 grams There has been increased buying among ETF investors, while upcoming festive demand is fueling additional support Pranav Mer, V-P, Globally, gold futures breached the psychological USD 3,400-mark for the first time JM Financial ever, rising USD 80 per ounce, or 2.4 per cent. Services P4,12 murshidabad violence: two arrested Two key accused for killing a father and son in Murshidabad during violence over Waqf Act were arrested in Jharsuguda in Odisha on Monday | P10 D ec ember 17, 1 93 6 -A pr i l 2 1 , 2 0 2 5 The pope will always be remembered as a beacon of compassion, humility and spiritual courage - Narendra Modi, prime minister ope Francis, history’s first Latin American pontiff who charmed the world with his humble style and concern for the poor but alienated conservatives with critiques of capitalism and climate change, passed away on Monday He was 88. . “At 7.35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the home of the Father. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” said Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo, who takes charge after a pontiff ’s death. Francis had a cerebral stroke that led to coma and irreversible heart failure, the Vatican said. In his condolence message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Deeply pained by the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. In this hour of grief and rem e m b r a n c e, my h e a r t f e l t condolences to the global Catholic community .” Francis, who suffered from chronic lung disease, was hospitalised on February 14 for a respiratory crisis that developed into double pneumonia. He spent 38 days there, the longest hospitalisation of his 12-year papacy . He made his last public appearance on Easter Sunday — a day before his death — to bless thousands of people in St Peter’s Square, drawing wild cheers and applause. From his first greeting that night — a remarkably normal “Buonasera” (“Good evening”) — to his embrace of refugees and the downtrodden, Francis signaled a very different tone for the papacy stressing hu, mility over hubris for a Catholic Church beset by scandal and accusations of indifference. The Argentine-born Jorge Mario Bergoglio brought a breath of fresh air into a 2,000-year-old institution that had seen its influence wane during the tenure of Pope Benedict XVI, whose surprise resignation led to Francis’ election. But Francis soon invited troubles of his own, and conservatives grew increasingly upset with his progressive bent, outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and crackdown on traditionalists. His greatest test came in 2018 when he botched a notorious case of clergy sexual abuse in Chile, and the scandal that festered under his predecessors erupted anew. Four Indians with voting right to elect successor Kochi: Four Indian cardinals, including two Keralites, are part of the 120-strong College of Cardinals who will attend a secret conclave to choose the next pope. The Indian cardinals eligible to vote in the conclave are Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, 72, the Archbishop of Goa and Daman and Patriarch of the East Indies; Thiruvananthapuram-based Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, 64, the Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church; Cardinal Anthony Poola, 63, Archbishop of Hyderabad and the first Dalit cardinal in history; and Changanassery native Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, 51, who had been coordinating Pope Francis’ foreign trips since 2021 | P5 —ENS 1 2 3 4 Cardinal Anthony Poola Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad Francis’ death sets off a weekslong process of allowing the faithful to pay their final respects, first for Vatican officials in the Santa Marta chapel and then in St. Peter’s for the general public, followed by a funeral and a conclave to elect a new pope. Francis was elected on a mandate to reform the Vatican bu- reaucracy and finances but went further in shaking up the church without changing its core doctrine. “Who am I to judge?” he replied when asked about a purportedly gay priest. The comment sent a message of welcome to the LGBTQ+ community and those who felt shunned by a church that had stressed sexual propriety over unconditional love. “Being homosexual is not a crime,” he said in 2023. Francis changed the church’s position on the death penalty, calling it inadmissible in all circumstances. He also declared the possession of nuclear weapons, not just their use, was immoral. In other firsts, he approved an agreement with China over bishop nominations that had vexed the Vatican for decades, met the Russian patriarch and charted new relations with the Muslim world by visiting the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq. He reaffirmed the all-male, celibate priesthood and upheld the church’s opposition to abortion, equating it to “hiring a hit man to solve a problem”. But he added women to important decision-making roles and allowed them to serve as lectors and acolytes in parishes. He let women vote alongside bishops in periodic Vatican meetings, following long-standing complaints that women do much of the church’s work but are barred from power. Still, a note of criticism came from the Women’s Ordination Conference, which had been frustrated by Francis’ unwillingness to push for the ordination of women. AP  P11 Modi, Vance hail progress in trade talks Ex-DG&IGP’s murder: Wife held, J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi and US Vice President JD Vance on Monday hailed the significant progress in the ongoing talks for a fair and forward-looking bilateral trade agreement. They also acknowledged the growing cooperation between the two nations in key sectors such as energy defence, , advanced technologies, and other strategic areas, during a meeting marked by personal warmth and a shared commitment to strengthening the India-US partnership. The meeting took place on the first day of Vice President Vance’s four-day visit to India, with Second Lady Usha Vance, their three children, senior members of the US administration, and top Indian officials in attendance. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also present. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance, Second Lady Usha Vance and their children, in New Delhi on Monday | PTI Reflecting on his January visit to Washington, Prime Minister Modi recalled his “fruitful discussions” with President Donald Trump, which laid the foundation for a close and growing partnership between the two nations. Modi Road rage: Biker held for attacking Wg Cdr in B’luru dent of Babusaab Palya. He works with a call centre. The incident came to light after Wg In a road rage case, an Indian Cdr Bose shared two videos on Air Force wing commander social media. However, the was attacked by a biker at Byap- CCTV footage shows him chargpanahalli in the city on Mon- ing at Vikas, assaulting and day morning. kicking him, which he claimed The incident took place that he did in “self defence”. around 6.30 am while Wing In the first video, Wg Cdr Commander Shiladitclaimed that the biker ya Bose and his wife suddenly came from Squadron Leader Madbehind and stopped humitha Dutta were his bike near their car on their way to the bus near Gopalan Grand stop near Gopalan Mall. The biker allegMall on Old Madras edly started abusing Road in their car. him in Kannada. Wg Cdr Bose was After a few hours, Wg Cdr Bose supposed to fly to Wg Cdr Bose uploaded Kolkata to admit his another video in which father to a hospital. He too as- he appeared in bandages and saulted the biker in “self de- said his wife was to drop him fence” and the police have ar- near the bus stop at Gopalan rested the biker based on a Mall around 6.30 am. The biker complaint by Sqn Ldr Dutta. approached their car from right The couple lives in DRDO and started banging the winColony in CV Raman Nagar. In dow after seeing his wife driva swift operation, Byappana- ing. The biker allegedly damhalli police arrested the biker aged the window with a stone identified as Vikas, 20, a resi- and also hit him with it.  P5 E x p re s s N e w s Ser v i c e @ Bengaluru emphasised that the shared visions of “Make America Great Again” and “Viksit Bharat 2047” would continue to drive bilateral cooperation forward. An official readout of the meeting said: “The leaders welcomed the significant progress in the negotiations for a mutually beneficial India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement focused on the welfare of the people of the two countries. They also acknowledged the continued efforts to enhance cooperation in energy defence, strategic tech, nologies, and other areas.” Prime Minister Modi also conveyed his warm greetings to President Donald Trump and expressed his eagerness to host him in India sometime later this year. During their meeting, both leaders exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. They agreed that dialogue and diplomacy should remain central to resolving international challenges. “The two leaders also exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual interest, and called for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward,” the readout of the meeting said. express read 8 Maoists gunned down in Jharkhand RANCHI: As part of the anti-Maoist offensive, security forces Monday gunned down eight cadres of the outfit, including Central Committee Member Vivek having a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head, in an encounter in Lugu Pahar in Jharkhand. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the government’s commitment to eliminating Naxal insurgency | P10 KMF all set to enter Rajasthan, MP markets BENGALURU: Nandini, Karnataka’s popular homegrown milk brand, is all set to enter Rajasthan as part of its plan to grow beyond South India. KMF plans to begin milk procurement and set up co-packaging centres in Rajasthan to strengthen its supply chain, with Madhya Pradesh also being explored as part of its wider expansion strategy | P5 daughter shifted to NIMHANS R a k s h i t h G o w d a @ Bengaluru HSR Layout police in Bengaluru on Monday arrested Pallavi, 64, wife of former state police chief Om Prakash, in connection with his murder, while his daughter Kriti has been shifted to NIMHANS for tests. During interrogation, Pallavi is said to have confessed to having killed her husband. Investigators said Pallavi firmly believed that her husband would kill her and her daughter. Hence, she decided to murder him. Meanwhile, investigations revealed that Pallavi allegedly murdered her husband using chilli powder and cooking oil, before stabbing him more than 10 times. The case has been handed over to the Central Crime Branch (CCB) for further investigation. Pallavi, while being taken for a medical check-up, told reporters, “(It is a) Case of extreme domestic violence against my daughter and me.” She was later produced before a local court, which remanded her in judicial custody for 14 days. The CCB is likely to take her into custody for further investigation. The 68-year-old retired IPS officer’s son Karthikesh filed a complaint with HSR Layout police on Sunday evening, accusing his mother and sister of murdering his father. According to the complaint, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda pays homage to former DGP&IGP Om Prakash, in Bengaluru on Monday. Om Prakash was found murdered at his HSR Layout residence in the city on Sunday | nagaraja gadekal Pallavi had been threatening to kill Prakash. Prakash had been living with his sister Sarita Kumari for the past few days. However, two days before the murder, Kriti went to Sarita’s house and forcibly brought Prakash home. Karthikesh stated that when the murder took place, he was in Domlur and his neighbour alerted him about it. When he rushed home, he found his father brutally killed. A broken bottle and a knife were found near the body The FIR stated . that Pallavi and Kriti have been suffering from depression and frequently fought with Prakash. Police said that during interrogation, Pallavi disclosed that they fought frequently over the past week. Prakash allegedly kept threatening her and their daughter with a gun, saying he would shoot them dead. This led to tension at home. Pallavi claimed that she and her daughter were mentally exhausted due to his harassment. Pallavi is said to have told police that on the day of murder, arguments erupted again over various issues. Pallavi is also said to have confessed that she first threw chilli powder at him, covered his face with a blanket and then poured cooking oil to restrict his movements, before stabbing him repeatedly with a kitchen knife, the officer said, adding that Prakash bled to death. Pallavi called her friend, a retired IPS officer’s wife, and said, “I killed a monster,” before alerting the local police.  MORE ON P3 state of neglect Sri Krishnadevaraya’s tomb is now a mutton market! R a g h o t ta m K o p pa r @ Koppal The tomb of erstwhile ruler of Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya at Anegundi has been turned into a mutton market. With tourists making it viral on social media, people of Anegundi have expressed their anger at those selling meat on the premises of the tomb. Many historians and monument lovers have requested the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to stop the sale of mutton on the tomb premises and rejuvenate the spot. Sri Krishnadevaraya’s tomb has 64 columns and is on the banks of the Tungabhadra. It is popular among the tourists who visit Hampi. Some organisations in Koppal, Gangavati and Anegundi have planned to hold a meeting soon to take a decision to Sri Krishnadevaraya’s tomb at Anegundi in Koppal district | Express launch a protest against converting the tomb premises into a mutton market and neglect- ing other monuments in the region. Krishnadevaraya, a descendant of Sri Krishnadevaraya’s family, termed this development disturbing. “We have appealed to the departments concerned to act against those who try to destroy the monuments at Anegundi and other places in and around Hampi,” he said. In his post, Vijayapura MLA Basavaraj Patil Yatnal stated that if the ASI can protect Aurangzeb’s tomb, why can’t it p r o t e c t S r i Krishnadevaraya’s? Meanwhile, Koppal superintendent of police Ram L Arasiddi said the local police have not received any complaint on the sale of mutton on the tomb premises. However, they will look into the matter and initiate action.