nagapattinam l Monday l October 06, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION S.I.R. ‘Purified’ bihar’s voter list, says chief election commissioner Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has ‘purified’ Bihar’s voter list after 22 years, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said on Sunday Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar (C) with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi during a meeting in Bihar | PTI 17 initiatives taken in bihar to go pan-india Elections to be completed before nov 22 “The voters list in Bihar has been purified. This cleansing exercise has taken place after a gap of 22 years and will now be carried out across the country,” Kumar told reporters in Bihar. The CEC added that 17 new initiatives are being implemented for the upcoming Bihar assembly polls, which will also be replicated across the country in due course within 15 days of registration, a cap of 1,200 voters per booth, and mandatory VVPAT slip verification in case of mismatch complaints ■ Kumar, who is in Bihar to take stock of poll preparations, said the election process in the state will be completed before November 22 ■ The 17 initiatives include a new SOP to ensure EPIC cards are delivered 100% webcasting at all booths is among the initiatives listed by CEC 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 Call on Manipur government formation likely this week R A J E S H K UMA R THA K U R @ New Delhi Rescue operation underway in Darjeeling in West Bengal after a bridge collapsed following heavy rainfall; Nepal Army personnel help surivors in flood-hit Jhapa| PTI Landslides triggered by rain kill 20 in Darjeeling, 51 in eastern Nepal West Bengal’s Mirik bears the brunt; rescue operations on; Modi, Mamata offer condolences E x pr e ss n e w s s e r v i c e @ New Delhi AT least 20 people, including children, were killed and several others injured as relentless rain unleashed landslides across the Mirik and Darjeeling hills in West Bengal on Sunday sweeping away homes, sev, ering road links, battering villages, and leaving hundreds of tourists stranded. According to NDRF and the district administration, fatalities were reported from Sarsaly , Jasbirgaon, Mirik Basti, Dhar Gaon (Mechi), Nagrakata and Mirik Lake area. Mirik was the worst affected, with at least 11 people killed, and seven injured, the NDRF said. In Darjeeling, seven people died due to a massive landslide triggered by heavy rain. Rescue operations are under- IMD issues red alert for more rain in Bengal Damage by rain in Nepal distressing: PM The IMD on Sunday issued a red alert for parts of Darjeeling, Coochbehar and Alipurduar districts, warning of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours, and yellow alert for most places in north Bengal covering other parts of Darjeeling Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the tragic loss of lives and damage caused by heavy rains in Nepal is distressing and asserted that as a friendly neighbour and first responder, India remains committed to providing any kind of assistance that may be required way to evacuate the injured, Darjeeling Sub-Divisional Officer Richard Lepcha said. North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said the situation is “alarming.” “As of now, the death toll is 20. It is likely to go up. I am on my way to the area,” he said in the evening. Hundreds of tourists, who had flocked to the Darjeeling hills to enjoy Durga Puja and post-Puja festivities, have been left stranded as heavy rainfall triggered massive landslides. Many of them, including families and groups from Kolkata and other parts of Bengal, were visiting popular spots such as Mirik, Ghoom, and Lepchajagat when the rains met forecast US blanks India, Hikaru causes a stir Heavy rain to lash TN dists for three days Hikaru Nakamira celebrated checkmating D Gukesh hy throwing one of the Indian’s pieces into the crowd. In the end, a one-off exhibition was comprehensively won by the US team. A look... e x pr e ss n e w s s e r v i c e @ Chennai Even as the state prepares for the transition from southwest to northeast monsoon, heavy rain has been forecast across several districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry over the next few days. The Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has forecast heavy rain at isolated places over Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Kallakurichi and Cuddalore districts of TN, and Puducherry on Monday . A similar warning has been issued for Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Salem and Tirupattur districts on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, for the ghat areas of Coimbatore district, along with the Nilgiris, Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Tiruchy, Salem, Dharmapuri, Kallakurichi, Villupuram, Tiruvannamalai and Chengalpattu districts of TN, and Puducherry . An RMC official said the rainfall the state has been receiving since October 1 will be accounted for under the northeast monsoon. “The southwest monsoon is yet to withdraw. Usually the northeast monsoon , commences in the third week of October. However, for statistical purposes, rainfall under the southwest monsoon is calculated only up to September 30,” the official added. As per the long-range forecast of the India Meteorological Department for the northeast monsoon (October-December 2025), most parts of TN — except districts in the extreme south — along with Puducherry and Karaikal, are likely to receive normal to above-normal rainfall (44cm-50cm).  P5 lashed the hills since Saturday . Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced compensation for the victims without specifying the amount and the number of deaths. She said she would visit north Bengal on October 6 to assess the situation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the deaths and said the situation in Darjeeling and surrounding areas is being closely monitored. In neighbouring Nepal, at least 51 people were killed till Sunday morning due to landslides and floods triggered by rain, an official of the Armed Police Force said. A red alert was issued for areas around the Bagmati and East Rapti rivers. domestic flights from Tribhuvan International Airport have been paused. A screengrab of the video showing Hikaru Nakamura throwing Gukesh’s King piece to the crowd after the American’s win | X US 5 - 0 India In front of a live crowd, the US team dominated the Indian outfit, headlined by world champion D Gukesh and women’s World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh. From the get go at Arlington, Texas, the crowd cheered on as the concept of chess as a spectator sport gained more traction. Fabiano Caruana beat Arjun Erigaisi in the first game under quick time control and it was the theme of the evening. RESULTS Caruana bt Erigaisi, Carissa bt Yip, Rozman by Sagar, Nakamura bt Gukesh, Tani bt Ethan. Nakamura steals headlines For the last game, Nakamura took centrestage against Gukesh, the teen world champion. After the World No 2 fought past a losing position, he outfought Gukesh before checkmating him. In the end, he threw Gukesh’s king into the crowd before lapping up the cheers. THE Centre is expected to take a call this week on government formation in Manipur, which has been under President’s rule since February 13 this year. Several Manipur BJP leaders, including former chief minister N Biren Singh, are currently in the national capital to push for government revival in the ethnic strife-torn state. MLAs H Dingo, Th Robindro, S Ranjan, former minister Govindas Konthoujam, and Hill Areas Committee chairman Dinganglung Gangmei are also camping in Delhi. According to sources in the party, the state leaders are scheduled to meet the BJP’s A five-year-old male lion named Sheryaar, brought in from Bengaluru’s Bannerghatta Biological Park in 2023, has been off the radar since October 3, when he was released into the safari zone at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park (AAZP), Vandalur. Zoo authorities have launched an extensive search operation using drones, camera traps and ground teams. The lion was released into the 50-acre safari area — a natural forest landscape with more than 90% vegetation cover — on October 3. However, unlike the other lions that return to their night shelters by evening, Sheryaar did not come back that night. A special search operation was immediately launched, and the animal was briefly sighted the following day before disappearing again into the thicket. Zoo officials said pugmarks and rake marks were found near the compound wall within the safari area, suggesting the lion is moving around and exploring its surroundings. “This is normal behaviour for a young lion adapting to a new environment,” said AAZP Director Ritto Cyriac, adding that the area is fully secure with a boundary wall and chain-link fence. To ensure the animal’s safety , five dedicated teams have been deployed to monitor the 50-acre safari zone. Drones, including thermal imaging drones for night surveillance, are being used, and 10 camera traps have been installed to track the lion’s movement. The safari area, home to small prey species such as peacocks and rabbits, has been closed to visitors as a precau- tion. Senior forest officials, including the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra, inspected the safari area on Sunday and reviewed the operations. Zoo authorities said similar instances have occurred earlier when newly-introduced lions wandered for a few days before returning safely . P5 Crackdown on PLA Security forces have arrested 15 cadres of the banned People’s Liberation Army in connection with last month’s ambush on a convoy, which killed two soldiers Ind-Pak handshake gate spills over to women’s world cup g o m e s h s @ Colombo NO customary handshakes, no acknowledgement or conversation while sharing the field. That seems to be the new normal when it comes to India-Pakistan and sports. What started as a one-off gesture at the men’s T20 Asia Cup — the first cricket match after the Pahalgam terror attack and the crossborder tensions that followed — is now being followed by the Women in Blue at the ICC Cricket World Cup on Sunday . No one went on record and said they would not shake hands with the Pakistan captain or team in the lead-up to the match. No questions were permitted on the eve of the match. However, this was expected, especially after the fact that the BCCI had directed them before leaving for Sri Lanka. On Sunday, there were no pleasantries or handshakes between India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her counpress Intake HC-formed SIT begins probe into Karur stampede tragedy | P4 Lion goes off the radar in Vandalur zoo S V K R I S HNA CHA I TANYA @ Chennai central leadership on Monday . Manipur Gover nor Ajay Bhalla is also reportedly in Delhi, further fuelling speculations of an imminent political development. “The final decision after the meetings with central leaders, Union home minister, and finally the Prime Minister, would be taken in the next few days, which may take a week or longer,” said a senior BJP leader. Another party insider said that since the assembly has not According to officials, wandering off is considered normal behaviour for a young lion adapting to a new environment | representative photo been dissolved and remains in suspended animation, there are no major legal obstacles to forming the government. This technical status makes reinstallation of a BJP-led government a more straightforward process if the central leadership gives its approval. The development comes seven months after the imposition of President’s rule following the resignation of Biren Singh on February 9. Since then, no political party or coalition has staked a claim to form the government, resulting in the continued imposition of Central rule. However, with the law and order situation improving, political observers expect a BJPled government may soon come to power in Manipur. MP govt doc held for cough syrup deaths E x pr e ss N e w s S e r v i c e @ Bhopal/New Delhi India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (R) and her Pakistan counterpart Fatima Sana during the toss at Colombo on Sunday | afp terpart Fatima Sana at toss. Later, India won the tie by 88 runs. Toss confusion There was confusion after the toss. While it seemed like Sana c a l l e d t a i l s, t h e match referee said heads and the toss went in favour of Pakistan, who opted to field. Neither Kaur nor the presenter objected to it, adding to the confusion. No official comment by ICC was given. Following the deaths of 14 children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, the police have arrested a government doctor who had prescribed the cough syrup suspected to have caused the fatalities. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Madhya Pradesh Police has registered an FIR against paediatrician Dr Pravin Soni and the Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of the Coldrif syrup. Dr Soni was arrested late on Saturday night. Of the 10 deaths mentioned in the FIR, in at least nine cases, a combination of medicines, including Coldrif cough syrup, was prescribed by Dr Soni at his private clinic in August and September. Two parents who lost their children told this newspaper that Dr Soni had prescribed a combination of medicines, including the syrup. Dr Soni who was posted at the Parasia Civil Hospital has been suspended by the state government.