HYDERABAD l wednesday l may 21, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE CITY EDITION Fresh law graduates can’t appear in judicial services exam, rules SC The Supreme Court on Tuesday held that only those with a minimum of three years of experience as lawyer can enter judicial service High courts to amend norms in 3 months Fresh norms applicable prospectively The judgment was pronounced by a bench of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and justices A G Masih and K Vinod Chandran. The bench said that such amendments to the rules must be carried out by High Courts within three months, and that these amendments must then be approved by the state governments within a further period of three months ■ ■ “The appointment of fresh law graduates has led to difficulties, as noted by multiple high courts. Practical experience in court is essential for ensuring judicial efficiency and competence,” the CJI said SC clarified that the three-year experience requirement will not apply to ongoing judicial recruitment but will only apply prospectively One-year Training must before candidates are permitted to preside over a court 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 BSF Retreat No interim order on Waqf without glaring case: SC ceremony at border resumes Law is presumed Constitutional unless otherwise proven, says CJI H a r p r ee t B a j w a @ Chandigarh In a further indication of the Indo-Pak border returning to normalcy the BSF re, sumed its retreat ceremony at all three joint check posts of the Punjab frontier — Attar in Amritsar, Hussainiwala in Ferozepur and Sadqi in Fazilka. Tuesday’s ceremony was exclusively for media personnel and a select gathering; it will be open to public from Wednesday . However, BSF troops will not shake hands with Pakistan Rangers and the gates will not be opened during the flag lowering process, as announced earlier in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, said sources. The BSF had halted the retreat ceremony on May 8 following Operation Sindoor to avenge the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. During the suspension of the ceremony the flag-lower, ing continued without public attendance. The resumption of the event is expected to rejuvenate the local economy that relies on tourism. Punjab minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal had on Monday visited the Shahpur border outpost near Ajnala and discussed the concerns of local farmers whose lands lie beyond the barbed wire fence, with BSF officers deployed along the border. Following the meeting, Dhaliwal announced that the gates would be opened for farmers shortly, allowing them to access their fields without restrictions. express read Four dead, 17 injured as private bus rams lorry Hyderabad: Four people were killed and 17 others injured when a private bus in which they were travelling collided with a stationary lorry in Vikarabad district under Parigi police station limits in the early hours of Tuesday. The police informed that the condition of a three-year-old, Mokshita, is critical | P2 After fare hike, Metro announces 10% discount Hyderabad: With the feedback from passengers critical, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited (L&TMRHL) on Tuesday announced a 10% discount on the revised fares across all fare zones and the three Metro corridors. The revised fares will be implemented from May 24, L&TMRHL said in a statement. SUCHITRA K ALYA N MOHA N T Y @ New Delhi BSF personnel participating in the retreat ceremony at the Attari-Wagah border near Amritsar on Tuesday | PTI Pak gets 2nd Field Marshal in Munir stan.” In 1959, General Ayub Khan had self-promoted himDays after Operation Sindoor self as Field Marshal when he exposed Pakistan military’s was Pakistan’s President. vulnerability, its army chief The four-day clash under MuAsim Munir was promoted as nir’s watch that paused after Field Marshal, the second in India struck at Pakistan’s air the country to occupy the high- bases under Operation Sindoor, est military position. was widely seen as a major mil“The Government of Paki- itary setback for Pakistan. stan has approved the promoIndia had launched Operation of Gen Asim Munir tion Sindoor to take out (Nishan-e-Imtiaz Militerror infrastructure in tary) to the rank of nine locations in PakiField Marshal for enstan and Pakistan-occusuring the security of pied Kashmir in rethe country and defeatsponse to the killing of ing the enemy based on 26 civilians in a terrorthe high strategy and ist attack in J&K’s Pacourageous leadership,” Gen Asim Munir halgam on April 22. Prime Minister ShehFrom being sacked as baz Sharif ’s office said. The de- ISI chief by the then prime cision was taken at a cabinet minister Imran Khan, Munir meeting chaired by Sharif. managed to rise from the ashes For his part, Munir said, after Sharif was elected PM. “This is not a personal achieve- Munir is trying to salvage the ment, but a tribute to the armed army’s reputation as it lost face forces and the people of Paki- following Imran’s arrest. MAYA N K SI N G H @ New Delhi Govt blinks as TMC nominates Abhishek A day after TMC’s Yusuf Pathan, named by the Centre in one of the global outreach delegations, opted out, the party replaced him with Abhishek Banerjee after Union minister Kiren Rijiju called TMC chief Mamata Banerjee | P7 Pak army suffered significant losses Poonch Brigade Commander Brigadier Mudit Mahajan on Tuesday said the Pakistani army suffered significant losses during Operation Sindoor not only in terms of numbers but also in morale and credibility French Senate team expresses solidarity A delegation from the French Senate on Tuesday extended strong support to India in its ongoing fight against terrorism and expressed solidarity in the aftermath of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir Gulzar Houz tragedy: Weakened by fire intensity, building may be razed S i d d h a r d h a G at t i m i @ Hyderabad The fire that ravaged the house of a jeweller at Gulzar Houz, and claimed the lives of 17 people, may have been intense enough to weaken the concrete structure beyond repair. A forensic team inspected the fire-damaged structure on Tuesday to gather evidence regarding the cause of the blaze, and reportedly observed cracks in the walls and floor, raising concerns over the building’s structural stability . Initial assessments suggest that the fire may have been triggered by an explosion in an air conditioner (AC) compressor. Investigators reportedly discovered 14 AC units installed in the building. The high Six-member committee to probe killer fire The state govt has constituted a six-member committee, to be led by the Hyderabad Collector, to comprehensively probe the devastating fire, revealed Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Tuesday | P3 number of ACs indicated an overload on the power cables. Officials also noticed what appeared to be signs of short circuit caused by ageing wiring — a possible cause of the fire. They noted that if the wiring was old, the use of multiple ACs and other appliances could have caused an overload that melted the wires and triggered a short circuit. The fire’s intense heat was reported to have caused considerable structural damage. Cracks have appeared in the walls and floors, while tiles and marble fittings were damaged, further weakening the integrity of the building. Officials also noticed a lack of adequate ventilation. The apparent absence of an exhaust system is believed to have allowed smoke to accumulate inside the premises, contributing to the suffocation of the 17 victims. A final decision on the demolition will be made following a detailed structural assessment. However, based on current observations, authorities are inclined to proceed with demolition to mitigate future risks and ensure public safety . THE Supreme Court on Tuesday said the petitioners challenging the Waqf law would need a very strong and ‘glaring’ case for interim relief. Citing the “presumption of constitutionality in favour of law”, a bench of Chief Justice Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih orally observed that for a stay of the statute, a strong case has to be shown. “There is a presumption of constitutionality in favour of every statute. For interim relief, you have to make out a very strong and glaring case. Otherwise, presumption of constitutionality will be there,” CJI Gavai said while hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for one of the petitioners, told the bench that they have a strong prima facie case and asserted that “irreparable injury will be caused if the provisions are activated”. Pleading for interim orders, ‘Creeping acquisition of waqf properties’ Senior advocate Kapil Sibal said the law provides for “creeping acquisition” of waqf properties, adding that by altering the composition of central and state waqf boards to include nonMuslims, it also attempts to “dilute community control” Sibal said that the Waqf Act was designed in such a way as to capture waqf properties without due process. “Private properties are being taken away only because of dispute. The officer above collector is appointed to see the dispute, and meanwhile the property is taken away he said. ,” Terming the legislation unconstitutional, Sibal said waqf is an endowment to God. “This dedication cannot be transferred to anybody Once a waqf, . always a waqf,” he argued. “They capture the waqf, expropriate the waqf. Then there is also a violation of Article 26 and 27. Then comes the CEO of the board, who shall be appointed by the state and also shall be non-Muslim,” Sibal said. KLIS panel summons KCR, Harish and Eatala for cross-examination Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, urged the court to confine the hearing to the three issues earmarked by the court earlier— waqf by user, nomination of non-Muslims to Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards, and identification of government land as waqf. Mehta said the written submissions of the petitioners cover several other issues. However, Kapil Sibal and senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for some petitioners, objected to it, saying “there cannot be any piecemeal hearing”. The arguments were inconclusive on Tuesday and would continue on Wednesday, when the Centre will present its defence of the Waqf Act. sc hearing Ashoka Univ asst prof sent to judicial custody E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad HARPR E E T B A J WA a n d I f r a h M u f t i @ Chandigarh / New Delhi The Justice PC Ghose Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday issued notices to BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, former irrigation minister T Harish Rao and BJP MP Eatala Rajender, who was the finance minister in the BRS regime, asking them to appear before the panel in the next 15 days for cross-examination. The panel has fixed the deadline of June 5 for KCR, June 6 for Harish Rao and June 9 for Rajender to appear before it. The Commission was constituted in March 2024 to probe the allegations of irregularities in the construction of Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla — the three barrages that form part of the mammoth Kaleshwaram project. For the last three months or so, the Commission appeared to be undecided whether or not to summon politicians for cross-examination. On Monday the state govern, ment extended the tenure of the Commission for two more months — up to July 31, 2025. On Tuesday the Commission served , notices to the politicians. A district court in Haryana’s Sonipat on Tuesday sent Ashoka University assistant professor Ali Khan Mahmudabad to judicial custody and posted the matter to May 27. Mahmudabad was arrested on Sunday after Haryana Police registered two FIRs against him on charges of “endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country” through his social media posts on Operation Sindoor. Sonipat police produced Prof Ali Khan Mahmudabad him in court on Tuesday after the two-day remand ended. They sought another seven days remand but the court decided to send Mahmudabad to judicial custody . The development comes when the Supreme Court is seized of the matter. A bench of justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar is likely to take up the case on Wednesday, the top court’s cause list showed. Harish meets KCR n  the evening, Harish Rao In called on KCR at the latter’s farmhouse in Erravalli. While it is not known what transpired at the meeting, it assumed significance in the wake of their being summoned by the Ghose panel. n KCR does depose before If the Ghose Commission, he would be the second former chief minister to do so. N Chandrababu Naidu had deposed before the Somasekhara Commission on the Yeleru land acquisition case, known as the Yeleru scam It may be mentioned here that KCR had knocked on the doors of the Telangana High Court in June 2024, after receiving notices from the Justice L Narasimha Reddy Commission.  continued on P4 Back in custody After harassment, Raj Bhavan staffer adds theft to CV E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad In a case of matters getting way out of hand, an employee of the Raj Bhavan has made not one, but two trips to judicial custody over the “trivial matter” of some morphed photographs and a stolen hard disk. T Srinivas, a 45-year-old IT hardware technician stationed at Sudharma Bhavan, was first suspended after being accused of workplace harassment — digitally altering photos of a woman colleague. The woman lodged a com- plaint on May 10 accusing Srinivas of morphing her photographs in an obscene manner. The IT technician was arrested two days later and sent to judicial remand. A police case generally indicates to would-be criminals that it is a time to lie low. Not Srinivas. After being suspended, he decided to make a heroic — or absurd — return to the office. He showed up wearing a full-face helmet (without a two-wheeler and that too indoors) to avoid being recognised and allegedly walked off with a hard disk from the computer he had used earlier, which is believed to contain the morphed material. Srinivas’s brilliant plan didn’t last long. On May 14, the Raj Bhavan IT manager filed a fresh complaint, and the police— clearly not impressed by Srinivas’s disguise—tracked him down again. The hard disk was recovered and Srinivas was re-arrested on May 15 for his second stint in judicial custody . The Panjagutta police were quick to reassure the public that this farce was strictly an internal affair. They made it clear that no outsiders were involved and no sensitive Raj Bhavan data was at any time compromised. A case has been registered and Srinivas charged under Sections 305(a), 316(5), and 331(4) of the BNS. The investigation continues. path to piety Pilgrims on their way to the Saraswathi Pushkar ghats at Kaleshwaram on a bullock cart on Tuesday