US trade court strikes down reciprocal tariffs In a big blow to US President Donald Trump, New York-based Court of International Trade blocked most of his tariffs after finding that he overstepped his authority to regulate imports under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The White House disagreed with the ruling and filed an appeal | P11 BHUBANESWAR  FRIDAY  MAY 30, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 18  LATE CITY EDITION 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 Air Chief’s plainspeak on delays Tharoor calls his critics ‘zealots’ in defence acquisition timelines Says at times deals are signed knowing full well that delivery schedule would not be met M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi AIR Chief Marshal A P Singh on Thursday did some plainspeak on the inordinate delays in defence acquisition, saying sometimes deals are signed knowing full well that the promised delivery timelines would not be met. “Why should we promise something which cannot be achieved?” he wondered while addressing the CII Annual Business Summit 2025. “While signing the contract itself sometimes we are sure that it is not going to come up, but we just sign the contract. Uske baad dekhenge kya karna hai (We will later see what is to OPENING AMCA FOR PVT SECTOR VERY BIG STEP Lauding the inclusion of private players in the development of Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) as a very big step, the Air Chief said, “I’m sure this will pave the way for bigger things in future.” Air Chief Marshal A P Singh | PRAVEEN NEGI be done). Obviously then the process gets vitiated.” He added that there was not a single project he could think of that had been completed on time. The IAF’s lethal firepower brought Pakistan to its knees in the recent four-day war as part of Operation Sindoor to avenge the Pahalgam terror at- tack. This was despite delays in new inductions, which are perennial in the IAF. Its combat strength is not just dwindling, many of its fighter aircraft are reaching obsolescence. While its sanctioned strength of combat squadrons is 42, the actual strength hovers around 30, with each of them having around 18 aircraft. For example, Hindustan Aeronautics had assured it would begin delivery of 24 Tejas MKIA jets in February 2024. However, not one of them has been delivered yet. “Deliveries of Tejas MK-IA are delayed. The prototype of Tejas MK-2 is yet to roll out. There is no prototype yet of the stealth Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fighter,” Air Chief Singh said. He had in March flagged the issue of the “badly off ” numbers of fighter aircraft in the force. While it will take time to fill the existing gap, he said he would favour indigenously developed jets. BANK FRAUD CASES DOWN, BUT VALUE RISES 3-FOLD IN FY25: RBI D I PA K M O N D A L @ New Delhi PART TWO DYSTOPIAN SITUATION IN BANGLADESH The Yunus govt has pushed people into agitation mode and the country into a near-dystopian situation, reports senior journalist Monideepa Banerji | P9 DESPITE a decline in the number of reported bank frauds in 2024-25, the total value involved in these frauds almost trebled compared with the previous year, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s annual report. The increase is attributed to the reclassification and fresh reporting of earlier cases following a Supreme Court ruling on due process. A total of 23,953 frauds were reported during the year, down from 36,060 in 2023-24. However, the amount involved jumped sharply to `36,014 crore, up from `12,230 crore. This surge is primarily due to the reinstatement of 122 previously withdrawn cases amounting to `18,674 crore, after reexamination in line with the Supreme Cour t’s March 2023 judgment mandating adherence to the principles of natural justice before designating frauds. While private sector banks accounted for the highest number of frauds—14,233 cases—their share in the total amount was only 28%. In contrast, public sector banks, with 6,935 cases of fraud, were responsible for 71% of the value involved, reflecting the larger size and complexity of their loan books. Foreign banks, small finance banks, and payment banks together made up less than 1% of the total fraud value, the annual report showed. by a reference to the several attacks in recent years alone, A fresh war of words erupt- during which previous Indied between Congress MP an responses were both reShashi Tharoor and his par- strained and constrained by ty colleagues on Thursday, our responsible respect for underscoring the growing the LoC and the IB.” rift between them. After facAfter his clarification ing backlash for his remarks failed to broker peace with a on the surgical strike by In- section of party leaders, sendian forces in 2016 by breach- ior leader Randeep Surjewing the Line of Control ala stepped in to defuse the (LoC), ter med his situation, saying the censurers ‘zealots’. Kerala leader is part Tharoor took to soof the Congress famcial media to clarify ily though his remark his comments. was incorrect. “For those zealots Tharoor is heading fulminating about a multi-party delegamy supposed ignotion to five countries. Shashi Tharoor While speaking in rance of Indian valour across the LoC: Panama, he reportin the past.. I was clearly and edly said India breached the explicitly speaking only LoC for the first time in 2016. about reprisals for terrorist Taking a swipe at this stateattacks and not about previ- ment, Congress spokesperous wars;… But as usual, son Udit Raj said Tharoor critics and trolls are wel- should be made a “super come to distort my views spokesperson of the BJP”. and words as they see fit. I Meanwhile, many BJP genuinely have better things leaders including Union to do,” he said. minister Kiren Rijiju came Tharoor further wrote: in support of Tharoor, ques“My remarks were preceded tioning Congress’ motives. PA R V E Z S U LTA N @ New Delhi THIS EDITION INCLUDES A 4-PAGE ANNIVERSARY SUPPLEMENT EXPRESSIONS CBI detains ED officer for taking bribe! EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Bhubaneswar THE Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday evening detained a senior officer of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly accepting a huge amount of bribe from a miner. Sources said a deputy director-ranked officer of the c e n t r a l a g e n c y ’s B h u baneswar zonal office was nabbed while he accepting the gratification from the mine owner. He was immediately whisked away to the CBI office here for questioning. While the CBI neither confirmed nor refuted the claims, sources said, the ED officer had reportedly dem a n d e d lakhs of rupees regarding a case against the complainant which was earlier registered by the agency. Sources said the officer has been posted in Odisha since the last few years. Sources also pointed out that ED earlier this year conducted raids at the miner’s property in Bhubaneswar and Dhenkanal over financial irregularities. The miner had informed the CBI about the matter, following which the agency laid a trap and nabbed the ED officer whose questioning is underway .