HYDERABAD l friday l july 18, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 36 l late cITY EDITION AAIB says too early to reach any definitive conclusion on crash The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said it was too early to draw any conclusion from its preliminary report into the AI 171 crash on June 12 comes in wake of wsj report on crash no room for premature conclusions AAIB’s rejoinder came after The Wall Street Journal on Thursday, quoting people familiar with US officials’ early assessment of evidence uncovered in the crash investigation, reported that “a black box recording of dialogue between the flight’s two pilots indicates it was the captain who turned off switches that controlled fuel flowing to the plane’s two engines” ■ ■ Requesting all sections to refrain from drawing conclusions based on unfounded facts, AAIB said the investigation is still not complete and the final report will come out with root causes and recommendations After the release of its preliminary report on July 12, this is the first official comment from the AAIB amidst global concerns on the probe 260 people died in the Air India Dreamliner crash in ahmedabad 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 India pushback Govt blames RCB, organisers for mess against NATO’s sanctions threat E x p r ess N e w s S e r v i c e @ Bengaluru 5 years on, 70 get clean chit in Tablighi Jamaat Covid-19 case MEA calls out NATO’s ‘double standards’, says country’s energy security is top priority E x p r ess N e w s S e r v i c e @ New Delhi J AYA N TH J ACO B a n d RA K E S H K U M AR @ New Delhi The Delhi High Court on Thursday quashed 16 FIRs lodged against 70 people who were booked for sheltering foreign participants of a Tablighi Jamaat congregation in March 2020, during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, in her verdict, simply said, “Chargesheets quashed,” while disposing of the batch of petitions filed by the accused. The 70 petitioners, represented by advocate Ashima Mandla, had approached the court seeking to end the criminal proceedings pending against them for allegedly hosting foreigners in violation of pandemic-related prohibitory orders. The Delhi Police, which had earlier opposed the plea, had argued that the accused sheltered foreign nationals who had attended the Markaz event at Nizamuddin, breaching lockdown orders and health protocols imposed by the government. Several of these foreign nationals have already been acquitted, discharged, or accepted guilt to leave the country . The petitioners said there was no evidence, either in the FIRs or in the chargesheets, linking them to the spread of Covid-19. Their presence alongside foreigners inside mosques or homes, they argued, could not be construed as participation in any religious congregation or violation of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897. INDIA on Thursday strongly pushed back against NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s warning that countries continuing to trade with Russia could face ‘very hard’ secondary sanctions, cautioning against ‘double standards’ in global energy policies. “We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following the developments,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in response to Rutte’s comments. “Let me reiterate that securing energy needs of our people is understandably an overriding priority for us. In this endeavor, we are guided by what is on offer in the markets, and by the prevailing global circumstances. We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter,” Jaiswal said. The sharp response came after Rutte, during his visit to Washington on Wednesday, echoed US President Donald Trump’s recent announcement of potential 100% tariffs on Russian exports, to be enforced in 50 days unless Moscow agrees to a deal on Ukraine. Rutte directly named India, China, and Brazil, warning that continued business with Russia could “slam back” on them in a “massive way.” “If you live in Beijing or Delhi… you might want to take a look into this, because this might hit No pressure, India has enough suppliers: Puri Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India will procure oil from other countries, should there be a problem sourcing it from Russia. “I don’t feel any pressure in my mind. India has diversified the sources of supply,” he said you very hard,” he said. India is one of the largest importers of Russian crude oil, which is sold at a price cap of $60 per barrel, much below global market rates. As of July, Russian crude accounts for 40% of India’s oil imports. Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said India is not concerned about sanctions on Russian crude, as there are enough supplies in the market. Speaking at the Urja Varta 2025 event organised by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, Puri said, “I’m not worried at all. If something happens, we’ll deal with it. India has diversified its sources of supply — we’ve gone from buying oil from about 27 countries to around 40 now.” Twin cities shine in Swachh survey: Hyd 6th cleanest mega city; SCB tops nation S B a c h a n J ee t S i n g h @ Hyderabad It was a day of double pride for the twin cities on Thursday, with Greater Hyderabad ranked the sixth cleanest city in the country in the Million Plus Cities category (population over 10 lakh) among 44 cities in the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 rankings, while Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) secured the top position among 58 cantonment boards and ranked 11th nationally in the medium cities category (50,000–3 lakh population). Hyderabad outperfor med other souther n metros, with Bengaluru and Chennai ranking 36th and 38th, respectively . This was Hyderabad’s bestever performance in the survey after securing the ninth spot in 2023–24 and tenth in 2022–23. MAUD Secretary K Ilambarithi, GHMC Commissioner RV Karnan and Additional Commissioner (Health and Sanitation) Raghu Prasad received the awards at a ceremony in New Delhi. In the Million Plus Cities category, the first five ranks went to Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Lucknow, Raipur and Jabalpur. Greater Hyderabad also received a seven-star rating for its garbage-free status and was re- certified as a ‘Water Plus’ city for the fourth consecutive year, while SCB earned a three-star rating in the same category. GHMC scored 100% in all but one category: door-to-door waste collection, waste processing, dumpsite remediation, cleanliness of residential and market areas, water bodies and public toilets. It scored 93% in source segregation. SCB was also conferred the Ministerial Award in the Special Category, becoming the only cantonment in the country to receive this recognition, for its efforts in solid waste management and innovative best practices under the survey .  Continued on p5 The Karnataka government has blamed the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), its event management partner DNA Networks Pvt Ltd and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for the stampede that claimed 11 lives on June 4. This was revealed in a status report submitted by the government to the Karnataka High Court. “The RCB Management, in association with its event management partner… and the KSCA, unilaterally decided to hold the victory celebration without prior consultation with the police and without obtain- ing the necessary permissions or license for such celebration,” said the report. The report said that star RCB player Virat Kohli’s video on RCB’s social media pages led to the huge turnout as well. The state had submitted its response to the HC in a sealed cover on June 12 and the court had asked it to furnish a copy to KSCA, RCB and DNA. The report listing out the sequence of events said that RCB had posted several messages on its official social media handles, inviting the public to participate in the Victory Parade, despite no permission being granted. The report noted that RCB/DNA/KSCA failed to seek appropriate per- File photo missions as per the prescribed format required under the Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and Processions (Bangalore City) Order, 2009. The report said the KSCA submitted a letter of intimation to the Cubbon Park police station on June 3 before the IPL final. What’s the deal? KTR, Lokesh meeting in secret to plot: CM E x p r ess N e w s S e r v i c e @ Hyderabad Launching a scathing political offensive, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday alleged that Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao held three secret meetings with Andhra Pradesh minister Nara Lokesh, son of AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. “Why did Rama Rao meet Lokesh in secret? Why was there a midnight dinner? What’s the deal between them?” Revanth asked, alleging a covert alliance between the BRS and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Revanth accused the BRS of spreading misinformation and said party supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao’s family was “spitting venom” against his government. He accused the former chief minister of betraying Telangana’s aspirations and challenged him to an open debate in the Assembly. “I’m ready to take on KCR on the Floor of the House, but I won’t debate drug peddlers or bathroom cleaners,” he remarked, in an apparent dig at Rama Rao’s associates and comments over his frugal living as a student in the US. Hinting at tensions within the Kalvakuntla family, the Pushing for approvals Hyderabad: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, accompanied by IT Minister D Sridhar Babu and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, met Union Minister for IT and Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi on Thursday and sought approval for several projects in Telangana | P4 IT & electronics sector Railways sector n Advanced System in Package (ASIP) Technologies Project n Micro LED Display Fab Project (Crystal Matrix) n Sanction of a high-tech electronics park in Mucherla, Rangareddy district, under the EMC 2.0 scheme Setting up of a new electronic manufacturing park near the Regional Ring Road (RRR) chief minister said even BRS MLC K Kavitha was not accepting Rama Rao’s leadership. “There are serious disputes within KCR’s family. Rama Rao is asking his father to make him the Leader of the Opposition, but KCR is refusing. Let them first resolve their i n t e r n a l f a m i ly i s s u e s, ” Revanth added. `8,000 crore High-budget Regional Ring Rail project, parallel to the RRR New railway line connecting Dry Port to Machilipatnam (Bandar) Port Creation of a separate Kazipet Railway Division Sanction of 4 new railway lines costing over `13,000 crore. TG demanded the Railways bear the project’s full cost The chief minister alleged that Rama Rao was “surrounded by a ganja batch”. “His associates are drug users. When I dared them to take a drug test, they vanished. His friend Kedar died of a drug overdose in Dubai. We have the forensic report and we’re ready to table it in the Assembly he declared. ,”  Continued on p4 express read Tapgate: Bandi to appear before SIT on July 24 Yellow alert issued for seven districts in TG Govt told to pay `1.25L each to 6 for expired vax Hyderabad: Minister of State (Home) Bandi Sanjay Kumar will appear before the SIT probing the phone-tapping case on July 24. It will also record statements from his PRO Pasunooru Madhu, PA Boyinipalli Praveen Rao and former PA Pogula Tirupati. Hyderabad: After a week-long dry spell, the state experienced light rain at isolated places on Thursday. The highest rainfall was recorded in Medchal-Malkajgiri at 85.5 mm. A yellow alert for heavy rainfall has been issued for seven districts for the next five days | P2 Hyderabad: The Telangana Human Rights Commission (TGHRC) has directed the state government to pay compensation of `1.25 lakh each to six persons who were administered expired Hepatitis-B vaccines at Gandhi Hospital in 2014 | p2 stripe by stripe Foresters elated as more tigers roar at Amrabad K h yat i S h a h @ Hyderabad Tigers sighted during the monitoring exercise between December 2024 and May 2025 You don’t need to do much if you simply protect tigers from being killed. Conservation is about patience. What we’re seeing now is the result of consistent effort Rohit Gopidi, Amrabad Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) The Amrabad Tiger Reserve (ATR) has recorded a rise in its tiger population — from 33 to 36 — in the 2024–25 Phase IV Monitoring exercise. Though modest, the increase is underpinned by deeper indicators: more adult tigers, more breeding females and signs of long-term stability . The Forest department, which conducted the monitoring between December 2024 and May 2025, used 1,594 camera traps across 797 grid points following National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocols. Dividing the reserve into four spatial blocks, officials en- sured systematic data collection through both direct sightings and indirect signs such as pugmarks and scats. Amrabad Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rohit Gopidi told TNIE that the numbers reflect five years of uninterrupted protection and zero poaching. “You don’t need to do much if you simply protect tigers from being killed. Conservation is about patience. What we’re seeing now is the result of consistent effort,” he added. Adult tiger numbers rose from 26 to 34, and breeding females from 15 to 20. While the number of recorded cubs dropped from seven to two, Gopidi said this was part of the natural reproductive cycle. “Most breeding females had cubs last year. Tigers don’t breed again until the cubs mature, usually after two years. What matters is we’ve hit a key threshold of 20 breeding females,” he said. Actual numbers could be higher: DFO Just days after the monitoring period ended, officials spotted another tigress with three cubs, raising hopes for a strong birth cycle ahead. Gopidi expects 10–11 tigresses to breed this year. Each camera trap, placed roughly every 2 square kilometres, ran for 30 days before being rotated, allowing for photoidentification of individual tigers. “This is not an estimate, it’s a confir med minimum count. Actual numbers could be higher,” Gopidi noted. Much of the success, the DFO said, comes from the ground. ATR currently has two anti-poaching camps with five squads each, aided by 25 fulltime trackers stationed deep in the forest. “Trained trackers, routine patrolling and local engagement have helped ensure zero poaching in recent years,” he added.  Continued on p2 However, that was merely an intimation, and not a requisition for permission as required. Despite this, RCB unilaterally proceeded on June 4, announcing a public ‘Victory Parade’ from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium via multiple social media posts starting at 7.01 am. The report stated, “At 8.55 am, RCB posted a video clip featuring Virat Kohli on RCB’s official handle @Rcbtweets on ‘X’, in which he stated that the team intended to celebrate victory with people of Bengaluru city…on June 4.” It also said the situation deteriorated when the organizers responsible for gate management, failed to open the gates on time. misuse of funds ED files ECIR against HCA prez, four others E x p r ess N e ws S e r v i c e @ Hyderabad The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) against the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president A Jaganmohan Rao and four others, based on a CID investigation into alleged misuse of funds and forgery within the association. Sources said the ED’s ECIR is based on an FIR and investigation reports filed by the Telangana CID, which had earlier flagged irregularities in funds received from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Apart from Jaganmohan, the accused include Srinivas Rao, Rajendra Yadav, Sunil Kante and G Kavitha. The ED suspects large-scale financial irregularities and fund diversion within the HCA, in violation of PMLA and FEMA provisions. Sources said the ED is likely to seek custody of the accused by filing a petition in the special court once the CID concludes its custodial interrogation.  p5 Nimisha case Govt in touch with friendly nations: MEA J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi THE Indian government is making urgent efforts to avert the execution of Nimisha Priya, the Indian nurse sentenced to death in Yemen, to allow her family more time to reach a “mutually agreeable solution” with the victim’s relatives, the External Af fairs Ministry said on Thursday . Priya, a resident of Kerala, was convicted in the 2017 killing of a Yemeni man and is currently imprisNimisha Priya oned in Sana’a, which is under Houthi rebel control. Her execution, initially scheduled for July 16, was postponed following interventions by Indian officials, members of the Indian diaspora in Yemen and a prominent cleric. “This is a very sensitive matter and the Government of India has been offering all possible assistance.... we are in touch with local authorities ... and some friendly governments... to resolve this issue,” MEA spokesp e r s o n R a n d h i r Ja i sw a l saidsaid.