tadepalligudem l friday l september 19, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Visas of certain Indian business executives revoked: u.s. embassy The visas of a few Indian business executives were revoked for their alleged involvement in trafficking of fentanyl precursors, the US said decision to rein in trafficking of drugs fentanyl overdose deaths tipping point The embassy’s decisions is in keeping with the Trump Administration’s efforts to keep Americans safe from dangerous synthetic narcotics. “Individuals and organizations involved in illegal production, trafficking of drugs to US, along with their families, will face consequences including being denied access to US,” affirmed Chargé d’affaires Jorgan Andrews ■ ■ The US embassy in Delhi said the Trump administration has already taken critical steps to confront this crisis through a series of executive orders that secure its borders and combat drug trafficking | P7 Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid and drug. There have been reports in US of drug overdose deaths from consumption of fentanyl 70% of US’ 1,07,000 drug overdose deaths in 2024 were from fentanyl 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 Fresh Rahul-CEC sparring on ‘vote theft’ in Karnataka Six missing, 2 dead as rain batters U’khand n a r en d r a s e t h i @ Dehradun TWO people were killed, five rescued alive while six people are missing as landslides and flooding triggered by heavy rain flattened more than 40 houses in four villages of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Thursday . The deceased were identified as Narendra Singh (42) and Jagdamba Prasad (70). Of the six people still missing, four are from Kuntari Lagaphali and one each is from Kuntari Lagasarpani and Dhurma. All four affected villages — Kuntari Lagaphali, Kuntari Lagasarpani, Sera and Dhurma — come under the Nandanagar area, 260 km from Dehradun. Nandanagar is already reeling from land subsidence. Four people were rescued alive in Kuntari Lagaphali and one in Dhurma village, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) in Dehradun said. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to ensure adequate arrangements is made for shelter, food and water and other amenities for those affected. Those seriously injured, including a child, were airlifted to AIIMS in Rishikesh, Dhami told reporters in Gopeshwar after speaking to officials. P r ee t h a N a i r @ New Delhi SDRF personnel during a search operation in Nandanagar area of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand on Thursday. The four villages affected by the rain-related landslides and floods are located about 260 km from Dehradun. Six people — four from Kuntari Lagaphali and one each from Kuntari Lagasarpani and Dhurma — are still missing, SDRF officials said | pti Nato-style agreement to treat attack on one country as attack on both India weighs Pak-Saudi def pact J AYA N TH J ACO B @ New Delhi Sebi clean chit to Adani on Hindenburg allegations B E N N KOCHUV E E DA N @ Mumbai Markets watchdog Sebi on Thursday dismissed all charges levelled by the now-shuttered US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research against the Adani group, its founder Gautam Adani, his brother, and a few top executives including the group’s chief financial officer Jugeshinder Singh. The Hindenburg report had accused the group of share price rigging, insider trading, accounting fraud, and using offshore tax havens and shell firms to route funds. Sebi said its probe found no violation of regulations and that there were no related-party transactions. Accordingly, the watchdog decided to “dispose of the instant proceedings against noticees (Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone, Adani Power, Adicorp Enterprises, Gautam Adani and his brother Rajesh Adani) without any direction”. The final orders issued by Sebi’s whole-time member Kamlesh Chandra Varshneya also exonerated group chairman Gautam Adani and his brother Rajesh. Reacting to the order, Gautam Adani said that it reaffirmed his and the group’s stand that Hindenburg’s claims were baseless, adding that “those spread false narratives owe an apology”. Express read Seaplane firm keen on AP operations Vijayawada: Representatives of Mehair Seaplane company met Minister for Roads and Buildings BC Janardhan Reddy, and expressed their interest in operating seaplane services in AP. Besides showing willingness to launch services in 32 locations across AP, they also conveyed their readiness to set up a seaplane unit in the State | P4 INDIA on Thursday said it would assess the security implications of the newly signed Strate gic Mutual Defence Agreement between nucleararmed Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, amid concerns over shifting power dynamics in the Middle East and South Asia. The pact, signed on Wednesday during Pak Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ’s official visit to Riyadh, marks a major upgradation of defence ties between the two countries. It includes a mutual defence clause that says “any aggression against either of the two countries shall be considered as an aggression against both”. The accord was signed in the presence of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de-facto ruler, and Pakistan’s powerful army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, highlighting its strategic weight. The agreement, finalised days after Israeli airstrikes on Qatari soil targeting Hamas leaders, has the potential to reshape regional security alignments as many Gulf states are now questioning the long-term I m p l i c at i o n s f o r I n d i a India to assess the Pak-Saudi pact’s impact on national security and regional stability 1 Future military conflicts with Pak could technically evoke a response from Saudi Arabia 2 India worried about nuclear proliferation as Pak is expected to provide N-cover to the Saudis 3 Energy security, diaspora safety India is expected to weigh not just the military dimensions of the pact and also its broader strategic implications on energy security, diaspora safety, and the evolving balance of power in the Gulf. Over 8 million Indians live and work across the Gulf, with a substantial population in Saudi Arabia Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif (left) with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after signing a pact in Riyadh | AP reliability of the US as a security guarantor. It also comes months after the military conflict between India and Pakistan following Phagalgam attack. Reacting to the development, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) offered a measured response. “We have seen re- ports of the signing of a strategic mutual defence pact between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. Pakistan’s decades-old alliance with Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, is deeprooted in shared faith, strategic interests, and deep econom- ic interdependence. It also includes a longstanding military partnership. Between 1,500 and 2,000 Pakistani troops are currently deployed in Saudi Arabia, providing operational, technical, and training support, including to the kingdom’s air and land forces. While defence cooperation between the two nations is not new, formalising it into a mutual defence pact to include the nuclear umbrella marks an escalation that is likely to trigger close scrutiny in New Delhi. A senior Saudi official, speaking to the international media, acknowledged the complexities involved regarding India — a key Saudi partner.“Our relationship with India is more robust than it has ever been. We will continue to grow this relationship and seek to contribute to regional peace whichever way we can,” the official was quoted as saying. When asked whether Pakistan would provide Saudi Arabia with a nuclear umbrella, the official said: “This is a comprehensive defensive agreement that encompasses all military means.” Such comments are likely to be watched closely in India. In yet another exposé on ‘vote theft’, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed large-scale irregularities in Karnataka’s Aland constituency, accusing Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of ‘protecting those murdering democracy’. Rahul charged that 6,018 voter names were deleted in Aland in a systematic manner using software, adding the CEC was complicit in the deletion as he refused to provide crucial data and take any action despite repeated requests from the Karnataka CID. However, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Karnataka claimed it had handed over all information required for the probe to the Superintendent of Police, Kalaburagi district on Sept 6, 2023. In Delhi, the ECI said, “No deletion of any vote can be done online by any member of the public, as misconceived by Gandhi.” The fraud was exposed by chance when a booth-level officer discovered that her uncle’s vote had been deleted after a neighbour applied for the deletion of his vote, said Rahul. “However, the neighbour denied it. Some other force hijacked the process,” he added. Although the Karnataka CID sent 18 letters to ECI in a span of 18 months seeking destination IPs, device ports and OTP trails of the fake Form 7 applications, the poll body has not ap to get 13,050 MT of addl urea Agriculture Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu says the urea consignment is expected to arrive at Gangavaram Port by September 20, providing much relief to farmers | P4 Assembly backs GST 2.0 despite TTD fully geared up for `8,000 crore revenue loss for AP Brahmotsavams rush S G u r u S r i k a n t h @ Vijayawada Despite an estimated `8,000 crore revenue loss for Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has supported second-generation GST reforms, prioritising public welfare over immediate fiscal gains. His support, rooted in balancing fiscal responsibility with public interest, has created a positive atmosphere at the GST Council meeting, enabling swift approval of the tax reforms in a single day . This was disclosed by Finance Minister Payyavula Keshav during a resolution passed on the first day of the Monsoon Session of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Thursday congratulating Prime Min, ister Narendra Modi for the landmark decisions taken at the 56th GST Council meeting regarding tax rationalisation. Andhra Pradesh has set a precedent by becoming the first State in the country to unanimously pass a resolution welcoming GST 2.0 reforms, commending Modi and Union Finance Minister Nir mala cabinet panel to promote benefits Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has announced the formation of a Cabinet SubCommittee to lead a statewide campaign starting September 22, when the new GST regime begins, involving MLAs, MLCs and MPs to highlight the benefits of reforms for the common man Sitharaman for promoting rapid economic growth. The Chief Minister announced the formation of a Cabinet Sub-Committee to lead a statewide campaign starting September 22, when the new GST regime begins, involving MLAs, MLCs and MPs to highlight the benefits of reforms for the common man. Making a PowerPoint presentation on GST 2.0 in the Assembly, Naidu highlighted the reduction of prices of essentials commodities like soaps, toothpaste and ghee, which come under 5% tax slab. Life and health insurance premiums are exempted from GST, saving Andhra Pradesh up to `750 crore through its Universal Health Policy. Agricultural equipment and electronics goods also benefit from tax cuts, supporting farmers and consumers. Naidu emphasised that the reforms built on the 2017 GST framework, which simplified a complex system of 17 taxes and 13 cesses. Now, GST 2.0 has set India on a path to double-digit growth. “The GST reforms are a festive bonus for the people, driving wealth and welfare,” the Chief Minister said, announcing a Dasara-to-Diwali campaign to ensure benefits reach every citizen, aligning with the State’s ‘One Family One Entre, P4 preneur Vision’.  B M u r a l i @ Tirumala The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has been fully prepared for the nine-day annual Brahmotsavams as lakhs of pilgrims are expected to visit Tirumala, TTD Chairman BR Naidu said. Speaking to TNIE, the TTD Chairman said extensive arrangements are in place, from Alipiri to the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Venkateswara temple, ensuring a seamless experience for pilgrims. “Hundreds of workers are enhancing the ghat roads, recently upgraded with traffic signboards, road studs, and other safety measures. TTD Vigilance and traffic police have been deployed to regulate the vehicle flow, and round-the-clock traffic has been allowed on Garuda Seva Day he explained. ,” On September 24, the first day of Brahmotsavams, VicePresident CP Radhakrishnan, and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will visit Tirumala. The Alipiri entrance has been adorned with illuminations, and floral decorations, complemented by a new GoVratha Pooja Complex and an 11-lane security checkpoint. Welcome arches on major highways from Bengaluru, Chennai, Kadapa and Vijayawada greet devotees, while the GNC Toll Gate features unique floral and light displays. Naidu highlighted the blooming of rare flowers and fruit plant pollination, enhancing Tirumala’s natural charm. Ring roads, pathways, guest houses, and Vaikuntam Complex have been illuminated with mythological displays, visible from 50 km away  P4 . The TTD plans to construct 1,000 temples in the State, targeting six temples per Assembly segment, and 10 per Lok Sabha constituency to promote Venkateswara Bhakti Tatva — BR Naidu, TTD Chairman Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at a press conference in Delhi | Parveen Negi ECI must stop protecting vote thieves. They should release all evidence to the CID within a week Rahul Gandhi, Cong leader responded so far, he alleged. The deletions, he added, were at the top 10 booths where Congress holds strong influence and had won eight of them. Rahul said that an automated program chose the first name from each booth to delete votes, with mobile numbers from outside the state used to file fake applications. “Someone set up a centralised criminal operation to steal elections. In Aland, this operation filed 6,018 deleted applications by impersonating voters using automated filling of online EC forms,” he said. Suryakant, a Karnataka resident, said his identity was used to delete 12 voters in 14 minutes; however, he was unaware of the deletions. Liquor case: ED conducts searches at 20 places E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted searches at 20 locations in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Delhi as part of its money laundering probe into the alle ged multi-crore liquor scam. A c c o rd i n g t o s o u rc e s, searches were conducted at companies and offices linked to the accused in the liquor case. The probe focuses on entities and individuals accused of routing kickbacks through bogus and inflated invoices from distilleries. Searches were carried out at the residences of businessman Burugu Ramesh and his son Vikranth at West Marredpally in Hyderabad. The raids, which lasted for nearly seven hours, led to the seizure of incriminating documents. In addition, the ED searched the office premises of Arete Institute of Medical Sciences, Shree Jewellers Eximp, NR Udhyog LLP The India Fruits , Pvt Ltd, Venkateshwara Packaging, Suvarna Durga Bottles, Rao Saheb Boorugu Mahadev Jewellers, Ushodaya Enterprises and Mohanlal Jewellers. During the preliminary probe, Burugu Srikanth, associated with Kaspo Legal Services, Mahadev Jewellers, and Rajshree Foods as a director, also came under the scanner. Investigators have identified that money obtained through commissions from distilleries, was allegedly transferred to shell companies.