KANNUR l thursday l july 03, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Bangladesh court hands six-month jail term to EX-PM sHEIKH Hasina The International Crimes Tribunal, where Hasina is facing trial on charges of crimes against humanity, on Wednesday sentenced her in a contempt case First sentence since her exile in Aug 2024 Verdict based on leaked audio clip It marks the first time that 77-year-old Hasina has been sentenced in any case since she fled to India following a student-led uprising in August last year. The sentence, delivered in her absence, will come into effect from the day of her arrest or surrender before the court, chief prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told reporters after the verdict was handed down ■ Hasina’s trial was opened on Monday over the murder of student protester Abu Sayeed, whose killing in Rangpur University escalated to a nationwide violent protest that eventually ousted her ■ The verdict came over a leaked audio clip in which Hasina is allegedy heard telling a party leader that she has “licence to kill” people Aug 8, 2024 When Muhammad Yunus-led interim govt was sworn in, in Bangladesh 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 Institution of Dalai Lama will go on China fumes as incumbent says the Gaden Phodrang Trust alone has the authority to recognise his reincarnation H a r p r ee t B a j w a & J aya n t h J a c o b @ Chandigarh/New Delhi In a landmark announcement just days ahead of his 90th birthday, the 14th Dalai Lama on Wednesday formally announced that the centuries-old institution of the Dalai Lama will continue after his death, ending years of speculation over the future of Tibetan Buddhism’s highest spiritual seat. The decision, however, drew sharp criticism from China, which insists it holds authority over any future reincarnation. “I am affirming that the institution of the Dalai Lama will continue,” the exiled Tibetan leader declared in a statement posted on social media and his official website. He emphasised that only his personal institution, the Gaden Phodrang Trust, has the authority to identify and recognise his reincarnation, warning that no outside entity, including governments, has any right to interfere in the sacred process. “I hereby reiterate that the Gaden Phodrang Trust has sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation; no one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter.” The Chinese government Rijiju, two CMs to attend B’day event Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, CMs Pema Khandu and Prem Singh Tamang and Karnataka minister Gangadharaia are expected to attend the 90th birthday celebrations of the Dalai Lama on July 6 at Dharamshala The Gaden Phodrang Trust has the sole authority to recognise the future reincarnation. No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter Gere arrives, U.S. may send diplomat Hollywood veteran Richard Gere, is already in McLeodganj along with his son, Homer James Jigme Gere. The US is likely to be represented by Bethany Poulos Morrison, Dy Assistant Secretary in the State Department condemned the announcement, reiterating its long-standing claim to control the selection of Tibetan spiritual leaders, a stance that triggered international criticism for politicising religion. “The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama, and other great Buddhist figures must be chosen by drawing lots from a golden urn and approved by the central government,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing. She cited — Dalai Lama Screengrab of the 14th Dalai Lama announcing the institution will continue | PTI a Qing dynasty-era method to justify Beijing’s authority over reincarnations. Mao said China permits religious freedom but within limits defined by the state. “The survival and development of any religion lies in adapting to the country’s social environment and cultural traditions,” she said, defending China’s efforts to align religious practices with its governance model. Beijing views the Dalai Lama as a separatist and continues to reject his spiritual and political influence, especially in regions like Tibet and parts of the Himalayan belt where devotion to him is deep-rooted. In contrast to China’s rebuke, the Dalai Lama’s reaffirmation was welcomed by Tibetan groups and Buddhist communities across Asia. The spiritual leader revealed that his decision following 14 years of consistent appeals from religious leaders, civil organisations, and Tibetan communi- ties inside and outside Tibet. “Leaders of Tibet’s spiritual traditions, members of the Tibetan Parliament in Exile, participants in a Special General Body Meeting, members of the Central Tibetan Administration, NGOs, Buddhists from the Himalayan region, Mongolia, Buddhists of the Russian Federation, and Buddhists in Asia including mainland China, have written to me… earnestly requesting that the institution of the Dalai Lama continue,” he said. Importantly the Dalai Lama , noted that Tibetans inside China — despite state surveillance — had conveyed their support through informal channels. The Dalai Lama had first broached the question of his succession in 1969, stating that the future of his lineage should be decided by the Tibetan people. In 2011, he promised to revisit the issue around his 90th birthday With this week’s state. ment, that moment has come — and brought clarity . The Gaden Phodrang Trust will oversee the reincarnation search process, in consultation with the heads of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions and spiritual protectors linked to the Dalai Lama’s lineage. Quad raps Pahalgam terrorist attack, but does not name Pak E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi The foreign ministers of the Quad countries, India, the United States, Japan, and Australia, strongly condemned the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which killed 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen. In a joint statement issued after their meeting in Washington, the ministers called for the “perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay .” While the statement urged all UN member states to cooperate under international law with efforts to investigate and prosecute those responsible, it notably stopped short of naming Pakistan, which India holds responsible for cross-border terrorism, including the Pahalgam attack. From India’s perspective, the explicit mention of the Pahalgam attack is significant. “We unequivocally condemn all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all their Mineral supply chains The Quad Critical Minerals Initiative aims to strengthen economic security by collaborating on securing and diversifying critical mineral supply chains forms, including cross-border terrorism,” the statement read. Cross-border terror for India denotes the terrorism directed against it from Pakistan. Beyond terrorism, the joint statement highlighted concerns over security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. While avoiding direct reference to China, the ministers condemned the “dangerous and provocative actions” in the South and East China Seas. The ministers also announced the launch of the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, plans for the first Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network field training exercise, and the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership, which is slated to be inaugurated in Mumbai later this year. KU V-C suspends registrar; on SBI flags Anil Ambani-led RCom loan as fraud whose authority, asks minister B E NN K OCHU V E E DAN @ Mumbai E x p r ess Ne w s S e r v i c e @T’Puram The political war between the state government and the Raj Bhavan took a turn for the worse on Wednesday with the Kerala University (KU) vicechancellor suspending Registrar K S Anil Kumar for cancelling the June 25 event, hosted by a private organisation and attended by Governor Rajendra Arlekar, for displaying the controversial image of Bharat Mata carrying a saffron flag on the dais, at the Senate Hall. V-C Mohanan Kunnummal ordered Anil Kumar’s suspension two days after he submitted a preliminary report, which was critical of the registrar, to Arlekar on the incident. Higher Education Minister R Bindu and the Left-dominated Syndicate questioned the legitimacy of the V-C’s order, while Anil Kumar said he would take legal recourse. Mohanan suspended the registrar by invoking Section 10 (13) of the Kerala University Act that empowers the V-C to act on behalf of the Syndicate in urgent situations when the apex body is not in session. In the suspension order, the V-C said disciplinary action was being taken against the registrar for his acts which were “prejudicial to the interests of the university”. P Harikumar, joint registrar (administration) has been given temporary charge of registrar. “The official has been suspended after it was found that Police use water cannons on SFI activists during their protest in front of the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday | Express Ciza gets KU V-C charge T’Puram: Governor Rajendra Arlekar has given Ciza Thomas, V-C, Digital University, additional charge as the KU V-C from July 3 to 8, as Mohanan Kunnumal will be abroad for a conference. She will handle the new role in addition to her current responsibilities, a notification from Raj Bhavan said. he has shown disrespect to the governor and taken unilateral decisions by bowing to external pressure,” the V-C said, adding the mater would be reported in the next Syndicate meeting. “The Syndicate has been entrusted with conducting a detailed inquiry he said. ,” Maintaining he did not show any disrespect to the governor, Anil Kumar said he would move court against his suspension. He said he had ordered the cancellation of the event much before Arlekar arrived. Reacting sharply to the registrar’s suspension, Bindu accused the V-C of misusing his powers. “The Syndicate is the appointing authority of the registrar. The V-C can place the matter before the Syndicate, but he is not empowered to act on his own,” she said. Alleging that Kunnummal had been given charge of V-C in KU because of his “RSS links”, Bindu also took a dig at the governor. She said “some chancellors” were trying to vitiate the atmosphere in the state’s education sector through their “saffronisation attempts” and added such moves would be dealt with appropriately . Left-backed Syndicate members rallied behind Anil Kumar and said he will continue to report for duty. Member G Muraleedharan said only the Syndicate is empowered to take disciplinary action on officers above the rank of deputy registrar. “Section 10 (13) empowers the V-C to take decisions only in emergency situations. He has no right to use those powers in a matter that needs through examination and proper discussions,” Syndicate member S Naseeb said. SFI and DYFI activists took out separate protest marches to the Raj Bhavan on Wednesday against the V-C’s decision. DYFI workers scaled the police barricade and tried to enter the gover nor’s residenc, prompting the police to use water cannons many times. The country’s largest bank, State Bank of India, has classified the loan account of beleaguered Reliance Communications (RCom), under bankruptcy since June 2019, as a ‘fraud’ account, and reported the name of its erstwhile promoter and director Anil Ambani to the Reserve Bank of India. According to SBI, RCom used `12,692.31 crore, 41% of the total loan, to pay connected parties through a web of interg ro u p t r a n s a c t i o n s. T h e company owed `31,580 crore to banks, SBI said in its letter. In an exchange filing on Move flouted directions of Supreme Court, RBI: rcom RCom said it will seek legal, remedial measures, arguing that SBI did not properly hear its side of the story as required by the Supreme Court and did not follow RBI norms on classifying a loan account as fraud Wednesday, RCom confirmed receipt of the letter from SBI, dated June 23. The firm asserted its right to seek remedial and legal measures, arguing that the bank did not properly hear its case as required by the Supreme Court and did not follow RBI norms on classifying a loan account as fraud. In a March 28, 2023 order, the SC directed banks to provide borrowers with a personal hearing before classifying their loan accounts as fraudulent, citing the principles of natural justice. The court noted that classifying a loan account as fraud has severe implications for borrowers, including potential crimi- Don for 500% tariffs on Russia’s partners JAYANTH JACO B @ New Delhi gill bill Shubman Gill celebrates his century against England in the second Test at Edgbaston on Wednesday | AFP | P11 IN a development that could possibly reshape US foreign trade policy and geopolitical alliances, President Donald Trump has backed a Senate bill proposing a sweeping 500% tariff on countries keeping economic ties with Russia. The legislation, known as the Sanctioning Russia Act, aims to economically isolate Moscow by penalising third-party nations, including India and China, which continue to import vast quantities of Russian oil. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who introduced the bill earlier this year, confirmed Trump’s support during an interview on ABC News. “If you’re buying prodDonald Trump ucts from Russia and you’re not helping Ukraine, then there’s a 500 percent tariff on your products coming into the United States,” Graham said. “India and China buy 70% of Putin’s oil. They keep his war machine going.” If enacted into law, the proposed tariffs would directly hit India and China, the largest buyers of Russian crude. three years later Tricked into buying ‘18 litres/day’ cow, man gets consumer panel relief M S V i d ya n a n d a n @T’Puram Not every promise is genuine. Mathai learnt it the hard way . Three years after he was tricked into purchasing a cow that failed to give anywhere close to the ‘18 litres of milk per day’ he was assured, the Kasaragod native got relief from the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (SCDRC). As per Mathai, he purchased a pregnant cow from Ganesh Rao, also from Kasaragod, on April 9, 2022, for `36,500. Rao promised Mathai the bovine would give 18 litres of milk per day . However, after delivery, the cow gave just 2 litres of milk and reacted violently whenever it was milked. It refused to feed the calf and would kick it away, Mathai said. Mathai took the matter up with Rao. However, the latter’s wife approached the police accusing him of creating nuisance at their home. During mediation by the police, Rao claimed he would prove the cow delivered the promised milk if it is milked at his residence. On the police’s directive, the cow and calf were If documentary evidence is insisted upon...it will amount to denying the rights of the consumer, which is against the letter and spirit of the Consumer Protection Act — State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission taken to his residence. However, Rao refused to return the animals. Mathai then approached the District Legal Services Authority but Rao remained ex-parte. , He then moved the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. There, he got a rude shock. Rao claimed he never sold such a cow to him. Still, the commis- sion favoured Mathai and directed Rao to refund him and also pay him compensation and legal costs. Aggrieved, Rao filed an appeal with the SCDRC. The bench comprising SCDRC president Justice B Sudheendra Kumar, judicial member Ajith Kumar D and member K R Radhakrishnan heard the ● More on P4 case.  nal proceedings and restrictions on future borrowing. Following this, RBI issued revised guidelines to banks incorporating this ruling into its February 2016 guidelines. After SBI’s move, other banks with exposure to RCom are expected to follow suit. “We have taken cognizance of the responses to our showcause notice and... concluded that sufficient reasons have not been provided by the respondent to explain the non-adherence to the agreed terms and conditions of the loan documents,” SBI said in its June 25 letter, which RCom disclosed to exchanges on Wednesday . express read stellar show Kerala tops in nat’l school survey T’Puram: Kerala clinched top spots in various categories in the NCERT’s PARAKH Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024 that assesses students of Classes III, VI and IX in India. Kerala was top among states in Class VI category and in second and third spots in Class IX and Class III categories | P4 Janaki row HC to watch Suresh Gopi-starrer on Sat Kochi: The Kerala HC will watch the film ‘Janaki vs State of Kerala,’ starring Union Minister Suresh Gopi, at 10 am on July 5. “Considering the allegations...I believe it is appropriate to view the movie before making any final decisions,” said Justice N Nagaresh | P2 Zumba row School asked to act against Ashraf Palakkad/Kozhikode: The DDE (Palakkad) has directed TAM UP School to initiate action, including suspension, against teacher T K Ashraf for defaming the government on social media. The move follows Ashraf’s posts against zumba in schools | P4