HYDERABAD l wednesday l may 28, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late cITY EDITION 65 injured as car Ploughs into Liverpool victory parade At least 65 people, including four children, suffered injuries on Monday evening when a 53-year-old white British man drove over people Vehicle entered street shut to traffic Car sped up when angry crowd blocked it The horrific incident happened around 17.00 GMT Monday when thousands of people were on the streets of Liverpool to celebrate Liverpool FC winning the Premier League. As the parade wound up, a Ford Galaxy drove into Water Street, which had been shut to traffic. The car, blocked by bystanders, suddently accelerated, knocking over people ■ ■ ■ Police said the roadblock on Water Street had been lifted temporarily just before the incident to allow an ambulance to pass through The Ford Galaxy car followed the ambulance onto Water Street, when an angry crowd blocked the car and opened the driver’s door The car then sped up, veering into people on both sides of the street no terror Police quickly disclosed the suspect’s details to refute Islamic terror angle 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 Maoist angle Truck-load of explosives looted in Odisha Prasanj e e t S ar k ar & A sish M e h ta @ Rourkela/Bhubaneswar Unidentified persons, suspected to be Maoist operatives, on Tuesday looted a truck-load of explosives from a remote and forested area located about 90 km from Rourkela, in Sundargarh district. The area where the loot took place connects to Saranda forests in the adjacent West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand, considered the hotbed of Maoists. The truck, sources said, was on its way to Banko area under K Balang police limits, where a stone quarry is located. Eight armed persons hijacked the truck around 10 am and drove it to the nearby forest where the explosive packets were unloaded. As per preliminary information, the truck was carrying about 150 packets of gelatin sticks of Prime make. DIG (western range) Brijesh Kumar Rai said the truck was intercepted near Banko and forcibly taken 1 km inside the forest, where the explosives were unloaded in presence of another 10-15 persons who then vanished into dense forests with the packets. Rai said the role of Maoists has not been ruled out. Sundargarh SP Pratyush Diwaker said probe is on. From the modus operandi and precision of action, sources pointed out that it appeared to be a handiwork of the Maoists. In the event these explosive packets reaching the hands of the Maoists, it may have devastating impact since the left wing ultras are battling for existence in Jharkhand. ‘Shocking’ jailing Bunked class? You could lose US visa of student over Sindoor post: HC J ayan t h J ac o b @ New Delhi Grants bail, says such ‘radical’ reactions by state will only radicalise young people S U D H I R S U R YA W A N S H I @ Mumbai Reform young minds The Bombay High Court observed that educational institutions’ responsibility is not limited to imparting academic education. Institutes should also help students learn from mistakes and reform, the bench added National interest safe HC rejected the college’s argument that the student’s anti-national sentiments posed a risk to campus community, saying mere critical social media posts cannot weaken national interest THE Bombay High Court on Tuesday ordered the immediate release of a 19-year-old engineering student arrested for sharing an Instagram post on Operation Sindoor and slammed the Maharashtra government and state police for their ‘radical reaction’ to a critical comment. While granting bail, a bench of justices Gauri Godse and Somasekhar Sundaresan said it was “absolutely shocking” that the student was treated like a hardcore criminal even after she apologised and deleted the social media post. “It is shocking that an FIR was lodged against her on May 9 without even considering the fact that she had deleted the post and even apologised,” the court said, while observing that the girl’s act of sharing the post can only be termed as “act of indiscretion” by a young student. “How can the state arrest a student like this? Does the state want students to stop expressing their opinions? Such a radical reaction will further radicalise the person,” the court observed. The bench also pulled up the college authorities for rusticating the student without giving her an opportunity to give an explanation. “How can you rusticate? Did you call upon an explanation? What is the purpose of an educational institution? Is it only to educate academically? You need to reform a student or make a student into a criminal?” Justice Godse told the counsel appearing for the college. The court suspended the rustication order. Noting that the student missed some of her exams while in custody it issued directions to permit her , to appear for the remaining papers. As for the papers missed, the student can make appropriate representations before the authorities. During the hearing, the court enquired about the girl’s mental and emotional status and directed the police to provide protection to the student. “Give her a separate classroom for writing exams,” the bench told the college. The allegation against the girl was that her social media post caused tension between two groups and posed threat to public peace. In her plea, the student said she shared a post without any ill intent and deleted it immediately after receiving a barrage of threats. The United States has issued an advisory to international students in the country includ, ing Indian nationals, urging them to strictly comply with the terms of their student visas. The US embassy in New Delhi warned that students who violate visa norms risk immediate consequences, including visa revocation and ineligibility for future US visas. “Always adhere to the terms of your visa and maintain your student status to avoid any issues,” the embassy stated in its The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday updated its monsoon forecast to above-normal rainfall for the whole season from June to September. The average seasonal rainfall across the country is likely to be 106% of the Long Period Average (LPA) with a model error of ±4%. Rainfall between 96% and 104% of the 50-year average of 87 cm is considered normal. As for the flow of monsoon, it is intense in different parts of the west and southern regions, and is way ahead of schedule. But scientists say the movement of the monsoon could slow down after three days, opening up the possibility of a dry spell. notice on Tuesday “If you drop . out, skip classes, or leave your program of study without informing your school, your student visa may be revoked, and you may lose eligibility for future US visas,” it added. Non-compliance of norms by students could result in im- mediate termination of their F-1 visa status, which may jeopardise their legal stay in the US and impact any future study or immigration benefits. According to the Open Doors 2024 Report on International Educational Exchange, the number of international stu- E x p r e ss N e ws S e r v ic e @ Hyderabad Pahalgam Pedalling J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah cycles after chairing a Cabinet meeting at Pahalgam in Anantnag district on Tuesday. A month after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, he interacted with the locals and assured them of reviving tourism | PTI Many collectors fail to meet CM’s performance yardstick E x p r e ss N e ws S e r v ic e @ Hyderabad The state government is reportedly displeased with the performance of a majority of district collectors, many of whom have scored poorly in internal evaluations. According to sources, a sig- nificant number of collectors failed to secure even 50-55% marks in the performance assessments conducted by the government. In light of these findings, the government is likely to initiate large-scale transfers of district collectors. A broader administrative re- Expects 108% in June Above-normal rains, fewer heatwave days Except for the Northeast, J&K and Ladakh, the rest of the country will receive abovenormal rainfall during monsoon season. Region-wise, the IMD expects normal rainfall in the Northwest (92-108% of LPA), followed by above-normal rainfall over Central India and South Peninsular India (over 106% of LPA). As for June, the countrywide rainfall is projected to be over 108% of LPA. Above-nor mal monthly minimum temperatures are likely across the country except in some parts , of Central India and the South Peninsula, where normal to below-normal minimum temperatures are likely As a re. sult, the IMD expect belownormal heatwave days over the Northwest and the East. A late-night US media report claimed that the Trump administration has ordered all US embassies to halt new interviews for student visas as it intends to expand social media screening of the candidates. The US embassy in New Delhi denied receiving the order dents enrolled at US colleges and universities reached a record high of 11,26,690 in 202324. India was the leading contributor with 3,31,602 students during that period — a 23% jump compared to the previous academic year. However, failure to follow the rules can have serious repercussions under Trump’s rule. Violations such as poor academic performance, unauthorised absence, or failure to report employment under Optional Practical Training can lead to deportation and termination of work authorisation. Vigilance finds SRH charges of arm-twisting by HCA to be true IMD predicts 106% of 50-yr rainfall average for the season J i t e ndra C h o u b e y @ New Delhi Freeze on visa interviews? below-normal in N-E, J&K Twin Cities get a taste of early monsoon showers E x p r e ss N e ws S e r v ic e @ Hyderabad A view of the flooded Motorai Palada village near Ooty in Tamil Nadu, following heavy rainfall in the Nilgiris on Tuesday | PTI shuffle of senior IAS officers is already underway . The expected transfers are intended to send a clear signal across the bureaucracy about the government’s intent to enforce accountability and prioritise field-level efficiency and citizen-centric governance.  continued on P4 With the southwest monsoon setting in, several parts of the Twin Cities received s h owe r s o n T u e s d ay evening. According to TGDPS, Ramchandrapuram in the city recorded 81.3 mm, Patancheru 57.3 mm, Serilingampally 54 mm and Rajendranagar 45.5 mm of rainfall on Tuesday evening. In rural Telangana, Palakurthy received 126.3 mm, Gundala 120.8 mm and Mangapet in Mulugu district 119 mm. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy meanwhile, instruct, ed officials to be vigilant and take all necessary measures to prevent loss of life or damage to property . With the IMD forecasting heavy rains in various parts of the state, Revanth directed the GHMC, Police, HYDRAA and power utilities departments in Hyderabad to be available round the clock and work in coordination. Appealing to people to be vigilant in areas receiving heavy rain, the chief minister instructed Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao to regularly review the situation in areas across the state hit by heavy rain, including Greater Hyderabad.  Report: P3 A Vigilance and Enforcement department probe has reportedly found the allegations made by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) management against the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) to be true. According to sources, the vigilance team has submitted its preliminary findings to the state government, reportedly recommending action against HCA officials. The state government had ordered the investigation following accusations that HCA officials were attempting to pressure the SRH franchise for additional complimentary tickets during the Indian Premier League (IPL) season. According to the probe report, SRH was already providing 10% of tickets to HCA free of charge. However, the HCA secretary reportedly demanded an additional 10%, a demand the SRH management refused. The report further states that HCA president A Jagan Mohan Rao also sought 10% of complimentary tickets for personal use, which was similarly denied. Sources linked to the investigation alleged that following this refusal, the HCA president created operational hurdles for the franchise. Specifically, during a match between SRH and Lucknow Super Giants, HCA staff were reported to have locked VIP galleries, disrupting arrangements made by the SRH management. Attempts to reach Jagan Mohan Rao for comment were unsuccessful, as his phone remained switched off. e x p r e ss r e a d UoH researchers part of prize-winning team Hyderabad: Researchers from the University of Hyderabad played a key role in the Large Hadron Collider experiment at CERN, which has been awarded the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics | P2 Amidst reports of top BRS post demand, Kavitha unveils Singareni Jagruthi I r e ddy S rini v as R e ddy @ Hyderabad MLC K Kavitha meets Singareni Jagruthi members in Hyderabad on Tuesday If insiders in the BRS are to be believed, MLC K Kavitha is trying to make the most out of the churning that has currently gripped the party Going by the . political manoeuvring that is beginning to surface from the BRS, the sources may quite well be right. The sources say that Kavitha told the emissaries sent by her father and party supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) on Monday — BRS MP D Damodar Rao and the party’s legal cell in-charge Gandra Mohan Rao — that she would want the post of working president, currently held by her brothe r K T R a m a R a o, should the latter be elevated to lead the state unit, or a position of equivalent importance and clout in the party hierarchy . Expectedly, the request has intensified internal debates and many in the BRS are hold- ing their breath to see how KCR responds. Many others interpret Kavitha’s reported demand as the beginning of a deeper contest for influence within the par ty’s core leadership. Amid this backdrop, KCR has reportedly instructed key leaders to refrain from making any p u bl i c c o m m e n t s o n Kavitha’s position or activities — a move that has only added to speculation over ongoing tensions. Singareni Jagruthi launched Kavitha has seemingly upped the ante. On Tuesday, she launched Singareni Jagruthi, a new wing under the Telangana Jagruthi banner. She has positioned Singareni Jagruthi as a parallel structure to the Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmika Sangham, of which she served as honorary president. Singareni Jagruthi is being seen by some insiders as an assertion of political space by Kavitha.  continued on P4 Day after ACB summons, KTR leaves for scheduled tour to US, UK Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao left for a visit to the United States and United Kingdom on Tuesday. The ACB had on Monday summoned him in connection with the Formula E Race case, to which he responded that he would appear after returning from his trip. It is not clear whether the ACB accepted his request. In the US, Rama Rao will be chief guest at the Telangana Formation Day celebrations and BRS silver jubilee event on June 1 in Texas. In the UK, he will deliver the keynote address at India Week 2025 in London, organised by Bridge India.