hyderabad l Monday l July 14, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late city EDITION CCTV cameras in trains to enhance passenger safety In a first, the Ministry of Railways has decided to install CCTV cameras in all passenger train coaches and locomotives ‘Will deter miscreants, organised gangs’ The decision follows positive outcomes from experimental installations of CCTVs in Northern Railway. Railway officials said the move is expected to bolster passenger safety and help deter miscreants and gangs who exploit travellers. To preserve privacy, CCTVs will be installed in the common area near the doors | P7 74,000 vaishnav asks officials to make use of ai ■ Officials said each locomotive will be equipped with six CCTVs. Additionally, each cab of a loco will be fitted with one dome-type CCTV camera and two desk-mounted microphones, they added ■ Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav has encouraged officials to explore the use of AI on the data captured by the CCTV cameras Coaches and 15,000 locomotives will be fitted with cctv cameras 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 Khalistani terrorist Batala, 7 others arrested in US HAR P REET B A J W A @ Chandigarh in a major crackdown on international terror network, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested eight Khalistani terrorists across the US, including Pavittar Singh Batala—a gangster from Punjab wanted by the National Investigation Agency for terror activities linked to the banned Babbar Khalsa International. The eight men were picked up from San Joaquin County during an investigation into a gang-related kidnapping and torture case. During the raid, a been charged with various ofcache of arms including a fully fences including kidnapping, automatic Glock, hundreds of torture, unlawful confinement, rounds of ammuniwitness intimidation, tion, several high-caassault with a semipacity magazines, and automatic firearm, isover $15,000 in cash suing criminal were seized. threats, and gang-reBatala had an Interlated enhancements. pol Red Corner Notice “On July 11, the San against him. The othJoaquin County Sherer arrested men are iff ’s Office AGNET Amritpal Singh, Dil- Pavittar Singh Batala Unit—alongside the preet Singh, ArshStockton Police Depreet Singh, Manpreet Rand- partment SWAT, Manteca Pohawa, Gurtaj Singh, Sarabjit lice Department SWAT, StanisSingh, and Vishal. They have laus County Sheriff ’s Office SWAT and FBI SWAT—executed five coordinated search warrants across San Joaquin County as part of a gang-related kidnapping and torture investigation,” the San Joaquin County Sheriff ’s Office said. NIA sources said they are in touch with their US counterparts for Batala’s extradition. The accused used virtual numbers and encrypted apps to promote a pro-Khalistan network. The module was reportedly operating under the instructions of terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda. TG restricts 25% quota under RTE to areas without govt schools M e g h n a n at h @ Hyderabad The Director of School Education, Telangana, has issued fresh guidelines restricting the blanket implementation of Section 12(1)(C) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act. The provision, which mandates private unaided non-minority schools to reserve 25% of entry-level seats for children from disadvantaged groups (DG) and economically weaker sections (EWS), will now be implemented only in specific areas where no government or local body school exists within a one-km radius. According to the new provisions, the RTE quota will be enforced in 50 rural habitations and 46 urban colonies or wards where only private schools are available. The implementation is conditional and depends on the availability and capacity of government schools. Admissions to private schools under this provision will be allowed only if nearby government schools are either unavailable or have no vacant seats for eligible children. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the move reaffirms that private school admissions under Section 12(1)(C) are a supplementary measure, not a replacement for government schooling.  continued on P3 leading with faith Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy arrives at Ujjaini Mahankali temple for Lashkar Bonalu on Sunday | Sri Loganathan Velmurugan | p3 Shringla, Nikam among 4 nominated to RS E X P RE S S NE W S S ERVI C E @ New Delhi President Droupadi Murmu has nominated former foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, Kerala BJP leader C Sadanandan Master, and historian Meenakshi Jain. In a notification issued late Saturday night, the Ministry of Home Affairs said that the President has nominated the four eminent persons to the Rajya Sabha to fill vacancies ne- cessitated by the retirement of nominated members. A 1984 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Shringla had served as India’s Ambassador to the US and Thailand and as high commissioner to Bangladesh. He was foreign secretary from 2020 to 2022. Maharashtra lawyer Nikam was the special public prosecutor in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case. Sadanandan Master, a retired school teacher from Kerala, lost both his legs in an attack alleg- edly carried out by CPM workers in 1994. Historian and author Jain served as a lecturer at Delhi University’s Gargi College. In 2020, she was awarded the Padma Shri in recognition of her contributions to the fileds of literature and education. The President of India can nominate 12 people to the Rajya Sabha. These are well-known individuals from diverse backgrounds including art, literature, and public service. Four of the 12 nominated seats were vacant; the latest nomination fills those vacancies.  p5 Shoulder nudge, fiery spells set up final day Mohammed Siraj celebrates Ben Duckett’s wicket on Sunday | AFP F i r o z M i r z a @ London THE atmosphere was crackling, like a heavy discharge of industrial grade current. The hosts were under the pump and the visitors, who had begun the series with a loss, knew they had rare chance of back to back Test wins outside Asia and West Indies. The feisty Mohammed Siraj had made contact with Ben Duckett’s shoulder after a mistimed pull didn’t clear mid on. Nitish Reddy screamed in the general direction of Zak Crawley after the opener found one of the two gullies. Siraj was in happy rage after finding Ollie Pope plumb and Akash Deep, who opened up about his sister’s fight with cancer, had let out a visceral scream after spreadeagling Harry Brook’s middlestump. When the players walked off for lunch, it was ironic because what could on the menu that was going to better two hours of cricket in excelsis? In short, sparks flew when the visitors resumed the morning session with vigour and purpose. It all seemed like a spillover of the one-over drama on Saturday evening. And it had nothing to do with the heat that’s engulfed the island nation this summer. Like always, Jasprit Bumrah was unplayable. Siraj was all fire and brimstone. And, together, they made the hosts’ batters look rather ordinary some of it because the sur, face belatedly came to life. Post lunch, Washington Sundar, a contentious choice, played with the angles, created a few doubts and ran through England’s spine to pick up 4/22 across 73 legal balls. The last 12 minutes after India captain Shubman Gill was caught plumb infront was almost a repeat of England’s second innings late evening drama on Saturday Late Akash Deep’s . wicket made the contest more gripping. On Monday India re, quire 135 to secure a one of their great overseas wins. England, on other hand, need six wickets to take lead. Over to Lord’s, with great expectation. P11 Now, EC mulls pan-India revision of electoral rolls Move follows SC view that SIR is a ‘constitutional mandate’ M U K E S H RAN J AN @ New Delhi UNDETERRED by the controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar, it is learnt that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has sent a communication to chief electoral officers (CEOs) of all states to activate poll machinery for a possible rollout of the exercise on a pan-India basis. The ECI’s decision comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s observation last week that SIR is a “constitutional mandate” and that ECI can go ahead with the revision exercise in Bihar. Several opposition parties and civil society organisations had moved the Supreme Court challenging the intensive revision, saying it deprived eligible citizens of their right to vote for want of documents specified by the poll panel for inclusion in the voters’ list. Union Home Minister Amit Shah in an interview with this newspaper on Saturday had said, “I believe that if anyone has any concerns about the process, he/she should approach the Election Commission. Not with presumptions, but with examples of the outcomes of the process. Roll revision is not happening for the first time. It happened in 1991, too. Also, it’s not being done only in Bihar. I think it will be done across India. Anyway, the Express read 3 techies caught buying ganja in Gachibowli Hyderabad: In just a span of two hours, 14 persons, including three techies, attempting to buy ganja were caught by EAGLE sleuths during a decoy operation in Gachibowli on Sunday. All tested positive for cannabis in on-thespot urine tests | p2 Monsoon in TG falls short of IMD forecast Hyderabad: In contrast to IMD’s prediction that the state would experience excess rains, the rainfall has been on the lower side in Telangana since the beginning of the southwest monsoon season this year | p2 Israeli strikes kill at least 30 people in Gaza contest for ages Carlos Alcaraz took the first set while Jannik Sinner came back to win the next as the top two players in world battle for the coveted Wimbledon crown | AFP Deir al-Balah: Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed at least 30 people on Sunday, including six children at a water collection point, local health officials said, despite attempts by mediators to bring about a ceasefire | P9 matter is before the Supreme Court.” On the opposition calling it a shadow CAA-NRC, Shah had said, “They opposed everything the EC does. They need to justify their poll defeats, so they present fake narratives.” In the communication to the CEOs, the ECI asked them to prepare for conducting SIR in their respective jurisdictions with January 1, 2026 as the qualifying date, which means that above 18 years on Sibal says SIR is unconstitutional Election Commission has always been a “puppet” in the hands of the BJP government, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal alleged, adding that the poll body’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar is “unconstitutional” that date would be included in the voters’ list. According to sources, a few CEOs have already started putting out voters’ list published after the last SIR held in their states. The website of Delhi CEO has the 2008 voters’ list when the last revision took place. According to sources, ECI will take a final call on nationwide exercise after July 28 when the Bihar SIR case will come up again for hearing in the top court. ‘People from Nepal, B’desh, in Bihar list’ Exp r e ss n e ws s e r v i c e @ New Delhi BOOTH-level officers of Election Commission of India (ECI) conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar have found a number of individuals from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar possessing Indian documents such as Aadhaar, domicile certificates, and ration cards, sources said on Sunday . According to ECI officials, ground-level officials have so far established direct contact with nearly all voters in the state as part of the exercise. “During house-to-house visits, a large number of people from Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar have been found. They have got Aadhaar, domicile certificates, ration card,” said an official. Sources said a thorough verification will be carried out between August 1 and 30, and names found not eligible will be excluded from the final voter list to be released on September 30. The ECI had said SIR was necessary in Bihar due to a number of reasons, including inclusion of foreigners in the current list. None hurt from shots fired as mob storms MLC’s office C h i t h a l u r i R e v a n t h @ Hyderabad Tension erupted at the Q News office of MLC Chintapandu Naveen, alias Teenmar Mallanna, in Peerzadiguda, Medipally, on Sunday, after activists belonging to BRS MLC K Kavitha’s Telangana Jagruthi allegedly barged in and vandalised the premises over his derogatory remarks against the BRS leader. In response, Mallanna’s government-appointed gunman fired six rounds in the air to disperse the mob. Police confirmed to TNIE that none of the injuries reported in the incident were from the shots fired by the gunman. Mallanna alleged that the attack was an attempt to murder him. Several people, including the MLC, were injured, and blood was found on the office floor. Furniture was damaged, and CCTV cameras were also destroyed in the incident. Mallanna, who was recently A gunman attempts to prevent Telangana Jagruthi members from entering MLC Teenmar Mallanna’s chamber in Hyderabad on Sunday suspended by the Congress, said the protesters were enraged over a comment he made, which he claimed was a “common dialogue”, not a personal attack on Kavitha. Durgam Maruthi, Asifabad district president of the Teenmar Mallanna team and an eyewitness, told TNIE that around 40 people stormed the office at around 11.20 am, when only 15 people were inside.  continued on P4 obituary Kota Srinivasa Rao: Complete actor, unforgettable friend Brahmanandam Legendary Telugu Actor U ndoubtedly, Padma Shri Kota Srinivasa Rao was a towering figure in the world of acting, as widely acknowledged by many . A truly versatile performer, Srinivasa Rao seamlessly portrayed a wide range of roles — comedian, villain and character artist — in more than 700 films. He was, in every sense, an accomplished and complete actor. Beyond cinema, he also served the public as an MLA representing the BJP . His passing is not just a personal loss for me but a profound loss for Indian cinema, especially for the Telugu-speaking audience across the globe. Though he is no longer with us physically he will continue to live on , through the unforgettable characters he brought to life — as long as cinema and acting en- Kota Srinivasa Rao (1942–2025) dure. ‘Natana Unnantha Kalam, Kota Srinivasa Rao Garu untaru’. (Kota Srinivasa Rao will be there as long as acting is there) Our professional association spanned over four decades. There was a decade when Kota Srinivasa Rao, Babu Mohan and I were part of nearly every film. We would often work 18 to 20 hours a day He was known for . his fearless honesty — always straightforward, never hesitant to speak his mind. Our friendship was deep and genuine, so much so that we affectionately addressed each other in the most endearing ways. (As told to Shreya Veronica)  Related stories: p5 Anguished by the passing of Shri Kota Srinivas Rao Garu. He will be remembered for his cinematic brilliance and versatility. He enthralled audiences across generations Narendra Modi, prime minister Though Kota garu is no longer with us physically, he will remain forever in the hearts of Telugu people through the diverse roles he portrayed A Revanth Reddy, chief minister