hyderabad l thursday l november 13, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 18 l late city EDITION Inflation hits record low of 0.25% in Oct on back of GST cuts Tax cuts on nearly 400 mass-consumption items, coupled with subdued prices for vegetables, fruits and eggs helped push retail inflation to record low Food inflation stays in negative zone Fuels hope of further rate cut in December Food inflation remained negative at -5.02%, as prices of vegetables, cereals and pulses eased amid improved supplies and favourable weather. Vegetable prices fell 28% year-on-year, while pulses and spices declined by 16% and just over 3%, respectively. Clothing and footwear recorded only a 1.7% annual rise, thanks to GST rate cuts | P12 2024. The figure for this October was the lowest in the current series (base year 2012), which tracked data since January 2014 ■ The record low inflation raises hopes for another round of rate cut, when the RBI monetary policy committee meets in December ■ Inflation stood at 1.44% in September and 6.21% in October 8.56% the october inflation in kerala— the highest among all states 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 Cabinet resolution blames it on anti-national forces IT’S OFFICIAL: Red Fort blast was TERROR ATTACK MUKESH RANJAN , A n u p V e r m a a n d Ni t i n R a w at @ New Delhi Two days after the Red Fort car blast, the government for the first time categorised it as a terror strike. A Union Cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday passed a resolution expressing profound grief over the loss of 12 lives in the explosion, describing it as an “act of heinous terror” by anti-national forces. The carefully worded resolution restricted itself to the phrase ‘anti-national forces’, stopping short of pointing fingers at any external elements. However, it said, “The Cabinet directs that the investigation into the incident be pursued with the utmost urgency and professionalism so that the perpetrators, their collaborators and their sponsors are identified and brought to justice without delay. The situation continues to be closely monitored at the highest levels of the government.” A meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security was also convened at the prime minister’s residence to take stock of the situation. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi visited the LNJP Hospital after his arrival from Bhutan, and interacted with survivors of the blast. Expressing deep concern over the incident, he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring justice. “Those behind the con- cow slaughter Lifer to three in first of its kind verdict D I L I P S I N G H KSHATR I YA @ Ahmedabad IN possibly the first such verdict in the country the Amreli , Sessions Court in Gujarat has sentenced three persons to life imprisonment in a cow slaughter case and imposed a fine of `6.08 lakh each on them. “For the first time in the history of the country those guilty , of cow slaughter have been sentenced to life imprisonment. This is not just a verdict — it is a message. Those who commit injustice against the mother cow, a symbol of our faith and culture, will not be spared,” Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi posted on X. Hailing it as a landmark verdict, the state government said the ruling will go a long way in enforcing cow protection laws. Sources said this is the first time in the state’s history that such harsh punishment has been given in a single case. The verdict, delivered by Sessions Judg e Rizwanaben Bukhari on Tuesday, follows a year-long trial that shook the small town of Amreli and ignited statewide discussion on the provisions of the Gujarat Animal Protection Act. The court held the accused — Akram Haji Solanki, Sattar Ismail Solanki, and Qasim Solanki — guilty of slaughtering cows and trafficking beef. The case goes back to November 6, 2023 when Amreli police raided the house of Akram Solanki following on a tip-off and recovered slaughtered animal parts, tails, skins, and leg pieces. Qasim was nabbed on the spot but Akram and Sattar fled. They were caught later. Red fort attack Day’s developments Red EcoSport (pic) registered in the name of Dr Umar Un Nabi, who died when his Hyundai i20 blew up near Red Fort, found in Faridabad Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets an injured victim undergoing treatment at LNJP hospital in Delhi on Wednesday following a blast near the Red Fort | PTI spiracy will be brought to justice,” he asserted. “Went to LNJP Hospital and met those injured during the blast in Delhi. Praying for everyone’s quick recovery. Those behind the conspiracy will be brought to justice!” Modi said in a post on X. In Faridabad, the police seized a red Ford EcoSport car in Khandawali village for which a lookout notice was issued earlier in the day, as it is said to be registered in the name of Dr Umar Un Nabi, who possibly died in the Red Fort blast. The car will be checked for explosives by the forensics department. Police are trying to ascertain how it reached the village as also the whereabouts Woman doctor, brother planned lone-wolf strikes 31-member JPC on bills to remove PM, CMs formed N a m i ta b a j pa i @ Lucknow PREETHA NA I R @ New Delhi Two siblings, Dr Shaheen Shahid and Dr Parvez Sayeed, who were arrested over alleged links to a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror module, had been preparing to carry out lone-wolf attacks across the country for the past two years, sources said on Wednesday . The duo is being questioned by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and various central probe agencies. Dr Shaheen was arrested on Monday after police found arms and ammunition in a car registered in her name. During interrogation, she reve a l e d h e r yo u n g e r brother, Dr Parvez Ansari’s involvement in terror activities. Police subsequently searched Dr An- Radicalised sari’s residence in Madi- online aon, Lucknow, and seized his laptop, tablet and mo- According to investigators, the bile phones. The two admitted to be- siblings became ing in touch with terror self-radicalised suspects Dr Muzammil through and Dr Adeel Ahmad, who encrypted chat were also arrested on forums Monday through multiple advocating , encrypted communica- jihadist ideology tion platforms and foreign-based messaging apps. After each virtual meeting, they would delete chats, call logs and communication histories to destroy evidence and avoid tracking, sources added. The probe team managed to retrieve partial data fragments, which are now being analysed to trace their wider network. However, investigators believe that while the two were not under a structured command chain, they were ideologically aligned and motivated to act as lone-wolf attackers targeting public places or sensitive installations. THE Parliament on Wednesday constituted a 31-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) that will scrutinise the bills on the removal of the prime minister, chief ministers, and ministers if they are arrested for 30 days straight on serious criminal charges. The committee will be headed by Lok Sabha member and BJP leader Aparajita Sarangi, as per a Lok Sabha bulletin. The panel comprises 21 members from the Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha. Some of the Lok Sabha members on the panel include Ravi Shankar Prasad, Bhartruhari Mahtab, Pradan Baruah, Brijmohan Agrawal, Vishnu Dayal Ram and Harsimrat Kaur Badal. From the Rajya Sabha, the nominated members include Brij Lal, Ujjwal Nikam, Nabam Rebia, Dr K Laxman, Sudha Murty, Birendra Prasad Baishya, and S Niranjan Reddy . The committee has been mandated to submit its report Doesn’t blame external elements of its occupants who abandoned the vehicle. Back to the Cabinet resolution, it reiterated India’s commitment to the policy of ‘zero tolerance’ towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It also recorded its appreciation for the statements of solidarity from many nations across the world. Commending the role played by the probe agencies, it said, “The Cabinet notes with appreciation the timely and coordinated response of the authorities, security agencies and citizens, who acted with courage and compassion in the face of adversity. Their dedication and sense of duty are deeply commendable.” Mobile phone of Dr Muzammil Ganaie, arrested in connection with the terror module, showed he and Dr Umar conducted multiple recces of Red Fort area in Jan Passports of Dr Umar and Dr Muzammil show they had travelled to Turkiye Al Falah Univ says it has only professional association with 2 arrested docs Two cartridges, live ammo, and samples of two types of explosives found by FSL team at the blast site PM meets the injured Guj ATS seizes chemical from Hyd doc’s house ENS @ Hyderabad Acting on leads in the alleged ricin terror plot, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad conducted searches at the Hyderabad home of arrested doctor Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, seizing an unidentified chemical and raw materials. A source in the state police confirmed the searches to TNIE on Wednesday . On Sunday, the ATS said it had busted a suspected terror syndicate, arresting three persons including Dr Saiyed for allegedly preparing Ricin poison. “As part of the investigation, a team of Gujarat ATS conducted a search operation at Saiyed’s house in the Rajendranagar area on Tuesday and recovered a chemical and some raw materials,” a senior investigation official told PTI on Wednesday The seized chemi. cal and other materials, the Gujarat ATS official added, have been sent for forensic testing. According to ATS DIG Sunil Joshi, Dr Saiyed, a medical graduate from China, had allegedly undertaken the preparation of Ricin, a highly lethal poison, for a planned terrorist attack, having already commenced research and acquired the necessary materials and equipment. A court has remanded Saiyed to ATS custody till November 17. Saiyed’s family members said that his room had not been touched since his arrest as per the instructions of the police. The police went into his room and reportedly seized some incriminating evidence, they said. There was a drum, along with a machine and chemical bottles in the room, according to them. The Saiyed family moved to Hyderabad from Khammam nearly 20 years ago. They requested the ATS team to find the person who influenced Saiyed. It’s a mockery as joint Oppn is absent: Cong The Congress termed the JPC a mockery saying the joint Opposition representing the majority of Indians is absent. The party alleged it is a “JPC of the BJP and its B-Team” in the winter session, scheduled from December 1-19. However, 340 members of the main Opposition parties including Congress, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party , Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Left parties boycotted the panel. Last month, NCP (Sharad Pawar) broke ranks with the INDIA bloc and decided to be part of the panel. NCP(SP)’s Supriya Sule, who is a member of the new panel, had earlier said that her party was not breaking ranks with the Opposition by choosing to be part of the committee. Apart from NCP (SP), AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, BJD, YSRCP and SAD joined the panel. u-turn US lacks ‘certain talents’ and needs to bring them from other countries, US president Donald Trump said seeking to defend H-1B visas | P11 TG gets ‘Top Achiever’ tag for business reforms E n s @ Hyderabad Police check the baggage of passengers at RGIA on Wednesday Hoax bomb threat to RGIA Hyderabad: A bomb threat email received by Delhi Airport on Wednesday claimed explosives were placed at multiple airports, including Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad and Chennai. Following the alert, the RGIA Police, CISF, and Bomb Detection Team (BDT) conducted intensive checks in and around the airport. Authorities later confirmed it was a hoax. In the wake of a recent blast in Delhi, police also carried out searches at crowded places, including bus stops, with dog squads and other teams. Officials said the incident underscored the need for vigilance and coordination among security agencies. The railways has also been placed on high alert to ensure passenger safety. Telangana has been recognised as a ‘Top Achiever’ in the Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2024, announced by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). According to the Industries department, the state received top national honours in four key business-centric reform areas — Business Entry Con, struction Permit Enabler, Service Sector, and Land Administration. Special Chief Secretary (Industries and Commerce) Sanjay Kumar received the award from Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Kumar said, “This recognition in BRAP 2024 is a proud moment for Telangana and a reflection of the state’s Sanjay Kumar, Special Chief Secretary, Industries, receives the award from Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal renewed focus on efficiency, transparency and result-driv, en governance. Over the past year, several reform measures have been implemented with greater coordination and accountability across departments, ensuring that businesses experience smoother and faster processes. The emphasis has been on practical outcomes rather than procedural checklists.” jawaharnagar dumping NGT slaps `1L fine on GHMC, Ramky for defying orders k h yat i s h a h @ Hyderabad cold comfort People warm themselves as the night temperature drops in Karimnagar Adilabad recorded the lowest minimum temperature of 11.7°C as the state experienced chilly conditions on Wednesday Minimum temperatures in some parts of Telangana may remain 2–3°C below normal for the next two days, according to IMD The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Zone, has reprimanded the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and its concessionaire, Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited, for disobeying its earlier order that prohibited dumping of fresh municipal waste at Jawaharnagar landfill and imposed a penalty of `1 lakh on both the civic body and private agency It has direct. ed them to pay the amount jointly to the NGT (Southern Zone) Regular Practitioners’ Association within four weeks. The order, accessed by TNIE, came after it was found that the GHMC and the agency continued dumping operations for over a week after the ban was imposed on October 28. The tribunal noted that its clear directions not to dump any fresh waste or Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) at the landfill were violated until November 6. GHMC claimed it came to know about the order only after it was uploaded online, but the tribunal dismissed the explanation as unacceptable. The tribunal called the actions of GHMC and Ramky “utter disobedience of the order”. The tribunal’s censure follows mounting environmental and civic concerns over the management of the Jawaharnagar dumpyard, which has long been the epicentre of Hyderabad’s solid waste crisis. However, offering limited relief, the NGT modified its previous order to permit GHMC to bring fresh waste to the site solely for processing in the reclaimed 214-acre area of the 339-acre landfill. The remain- ing 125-acre portion, which comprises the capped landfill area, will continue to remain out of bounds for any dumping or residue storage. The tribunal made it clear that the agency must not leave any processing residue on the capped site and reiterated that operations must adhere strictly to environmental guidelines. The latest directions were issued after GHMC submitted a report detailing recommendations from IIT Bombay, which had inspected the site and suggested a set of short, medium and long-term measures for waste management and landfill rehabilitation.  Continued on P7