THIRUVANANTHAPURAM l sunday l november 23, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION U.S. bankruptcy court orders Byju’s to pay $1 Bn to debtors A US court has ordered Byju Raveendran to pay back default amount of $1.16 billion to BYJU’s Alpha and US-based lender GLAS Trust LLC Byju Raveendran not complying with orders proves costly The Delaware Bankruptcy Court found that Raveendran failed to comply with its discovery order and continued to be evasive on several occasions. BYJU’s Alpha was incorporated when Raveendran was running the management of edtech firm Think and Learn Private Limited. The judgment follows a dispute between Byju’s and US based lenders ■ $10K ‘not allowed to present valid defence’ ■ The court said it found Raveendran’s behaviour had a strategic pattern of willful failure to comply with its orders Raveendran’s counsel said it is a default judgment, meaning the court issued it without Byju being permitted to present its defence, and instead deprived Byju of a valid defence a day is penalty that raveendran pays to the u.s. court 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 NIA to probe wider conspiracy in 2010 hand-chopping case Recap July 4, 2010: Seven PFI members attack Malayalam prof T J Joseph, chop off his right wrist for allegedly hurting religious sentiments 2015 & 2023: Total 19 accused convicted by NIA court; trial held in two phases January 10, 2024: First accused Savad arrested from Kannur after nearly 14 years; trial pending P R A M DA S @Kochi Nearly 15 years after the brutal hand-chopping attack on college professor T J Joseph, and the arrest of first accused Savad last year, the National Investigation Agency is set to carry out further investigation to determine whether more members of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) were i nvo l ve d i n t h e h e i n o u s assault. According to NIA, the custodial interrogation of Savad, who allegedly severed the professor’s right palm, had exposed a network of alleged PFI operatives who sheltered and arranged employment to him in Tamil Nadu and Kerala while he was on the run. Further investigation is necessary to secure additional scientific evidence and ascertain the role of other individuals in the wider conspiracy that may have fuelled the attack, the agency told the NIA Special Court in Ernakulam on Thursday. The court accepted the agency’s Kochi unit’s request. As per the NIA chargesheet, the accused attacked Joseph, former Malayalam professor at Newman College, Thodupuzha, on July 4, 2010. It said Savad chopped off the victim’s right palm and threw it away in the nearby compound as part of executing their radical belief. While chopping off the hand, Savad uttered that “This hand that insults Islam will not be used in future”, the NIA chargesheet said. After nearly 14 years on the run, Savad was arrested by the NIA on January 10, 2024 from Kannur where he was living under the pseudonym Shajahan. The NIA had filed a chargesheet against 27 accused persons under various sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substances Act and Indian Penal Code. After the trial, the NIA Special Court in Ernakulam convicted 19 accused in 2023. Since Savad was absconding, the case against him was split up and ● More on P5 refiled. PM Modi @G20: Let’s weaken the drug-terror link Proposes knowledge repository, Africa skills multiplier; global healthcare response team public-health emergencies. “We are stronger when we PRIME Minister Narendra work together in the face of Modi on Saturday called for a health emergencies and natural coordinated global push to dis- disasters,” he said. With Africa mantle the drug–terror nexus, hosting the G20 Summit for the strengthen health-emergency first time, Modi said, “Now is responses, creation of a Global the right moment for us to reTraditional Knowledge Reposi- visit our development parametory and accelerate skills ters and focus on growth development across Afthat is inclusive and susrica, in his address to tainable.” India also proworld leaders at the 20th posed a G20-Africa Skills G20 Summit in Johan- We’re stronger Multiplier Initiative, when we work aimed at creating 1 milnesburg on Saturday . In a warning on the together in the lion certified trainers in rise of lethal synthetic face of health Africa within the next emergencies drugs, Modi said: “To and disasters decade. The G20 leaders overcome the challenge also adopted a joint decof drug trafficking, espe- Narendra Modi, laration addressing tercially the spread of sub- on setting up of a rorism and climate stances like fentanyl, In- global healthcare change and broader glodia proposes a G20 response team bal challenges on the Initiative on Countering opening day of the sumthe drug–terror nexus. Let us mit. The document was finalweaken the wretched drug-ter- ised without the US. ror economy .” Earlier, South African PresiThe proposed platform, he dent Cyril Ramaphosa welsaid, would integrate finance, comed Modi at the Summit vengovernance and security tools ue with a ‘namaste’. Modi was to choke networks that channel seen interacting informally narcotics revenue into global with global leaders such as terrorism. Further, the PM UK Prime Minister Keir Starmcalled for creation of a G20 Glo- er, Italian Prime Minister Giorbal Healthcare Response Team, gia Meloni, and UN Secretary designed for rapid deployment General Antonio Guterres P7 during natural disasters and among others. j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi Row over rice varieties: ICAR gags scientists J i t en d r a C h o u b e y @ New Delhi The Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) is evolving organisational guidelines for scientists after a recent controversy over data related to genome-edited (GE) rice varieties. These guidelines restrict scientists from sharing their findings with the media and journals, TNIE has learnt. They also direct scientists to avoid publishing any research papers in international journals until they are fully confident about their findings. It all began after the government on May 4 announced the release of two GE rice lines developed by ICAR — Pusa DST-1 and DRR Dhan 100 (Kamala), which it said “have the potential to bring about revolutionary changes in terms of higher production, climate adaptability and water conservation”. , A platform of scientists, farmer leaders, medical experts, consumer rights activists and members of the Coalition for a GM-Free India rubbished the claim, citing data mined from ICAR’s All India Coordinated Research Project on Rice for 2023 and 2024. “Scientists are in a rush to get their works published, which sometimes are not backed by robust data,” said a scientist. “The new fiat will lead to fewer publication of research papers, but will enhance credibility .” Divine Tragedy PLUS 12 P AGES Australian batter Travis Head’s 69-ball century helped them beat England inside two days in the first Ashes Test in Perth | afp | P11 U n d e r - 1 7 p a l e s ti n i a n t e a m of seeking solace and finding joy in football c h a n d r a pr a b h u @ Chennai On Saturday evening, as the U17 Palestinian men’s football team held on to a 1-1 draw against India U17 at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad, in the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers tournament, they walked off the field with their heads held high. The result may not be what they wanted, but for them reaching Ahmedabad and taking the field itself was a struggle. Amidst the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine over the last two years or so, sport had taken a backseat. For this team, the prepa- ration had been far from ideal. They did not win any m a t c h e s a t t h e We s t Asian Football Federation’s (WAFF) U17 Championship last month. Out of 23 total players selected, 18 were from West Bank, but only 11 from the region turned up. Several players had their lives uprooted and displaced because of the conflict, losing their documents in the process. Mohammed Joma Suleiman, the team manager, claimed that bringing in the players with Palestinian roots from other countries to their homeland proved to be a big hindrance. “Because of the express read Flash mob triggers communal standoff SIR fallout Alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators wait to return home, following the special intensive revision (SIR) of poll rolls in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, on Saturday | PTI 1.2L voters ‘untraceable’, list to be published Kasaragod: A flash mob to promote green poll campaign unintentionally triggered a communal clash in Kasaragod, after some opposed it citing Friday prayers at a mosque. The police booked 50 people for rioting | P5 T’Puram: Enumeration forms for the Special Intensive Revision of poll rolls have been distributed to 99.5% of the 2.78 crore voters in the state. The office of Chief Electoral Officer-Kerala has now decided to publish the list of 1.29 lakh ‘untraceable’ voters | P5 P o l l p a n e l p e r m it s 2 trans women to contest in women-reserved seats EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @Alappuzha/T’Puram WITH THIS ISSUE Head-lining act In a significant acknowledgment of gender self-identification in the local body polls, two trans women, Arunima M Kurup in Alappuzha and Amaya Prasad in Thiruvananthapuram, have been cleared to contest from women-reserved seats after days of uncertainty . The State Election Commission on Saturday permitted Arunima, 26, to contest from the women-reserved Vayalar division of Alappuzha district panchayat. Confusion had risen soon after the Congress an- nounced her candidature, with opponents alleging she was ineligible as a trans woman. However, the Kanjukuzhi resident furnished an affidavit declaring she is a woman, supported by her voter ID, Aadhaar card and other records that listed her gender as female. She also Arunima M Kurup clarified that she had undergone gender-affirming surgery years ago and is legally recognised as a woman. Citing Supreme Court rulings and Union g ove r n m e n t provisions on the right to g ender selfidentification, the presiding officer approved her nomination. Amaya Prasad 98,451 candidates eligible for polls A total of 98,451 candidates were approved to contest in the local body polls as the scrutiny of nominations ended on Saturday. As many as 2,261 papers were rejected. P2 In Thiruvananthapuram, UDF candidate Amaya Prasad was confirmed eligible to contest from the women-reserved Pothencode division of the district panchayat. Her nomination, too, had come under scrutiny after officials noted that transgender candidates could contest only in general seats. With her voter ID listing her as ‘transgender’, Ameya approached the Kerala High Court, which said the returning officer could decide on her eligibility After verification, the . officer accepted her documents identifying her as a woman and approved her candidature. current situation, we could not bring players to train together, and our preparation was not that good,” Suleiman told this daily. “There is a player from Gaza, we cannot bring anyone from Gaza also because of the war and the genocide is happening there (Israel have repeatedly denied any and all accusations of genocide),” he added. For the team, football is a way of resistance and bringing joy to the kids back home. “They know what it means to carry the Palestinian flag on their crests. Since the start, they know this is a mission and this way, they can share the happiness to Palestinian P11 kids,” said Suleiman. drone drops Global arms trafficking module tied to ISI busted express news service @ New Delhi DELHI Police’s Crime Branch has busted an international arms trafficking module allegedly linked to ISI-backed arms network with the arrest of four people. They recovered high end Turkiye (PX-5.7) and China (PX-3) made weapons smuggled from Pakistan through drones. Ten foreign made semi-automatic pistols along with 92 live cartridges were also seized. The seized weapon PX-5.7 is only used by Special Forces. Police said they got a tip-off on November 19 on a cross-border arms trafficking module involved in supplying sophisticated illegal weapons in Delhi/ NCR. It was found that they would come to Rohini to deliver the arms consignment. A trap was laid in Rohini Sector-28 and four people were apprehended with foreign-made semi-automatic pistols and live cartridges, DCP (Crime) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said. Those arrested are Mandeep Singh (38) Dalvinder Kumar (34), both residents of Punjab; Rohan Tomar (30) and Ajay (37). The module was involved in smuggling weapons using drones. Yadav said the consignment is dropped at locations near the border, where receivers on the Indian side retrieve them. The network relies on local collaborators who monitor police movement, facilitate pickups, and transport it to safe houses. Payments are routed through hawala channels. Nuclear sector to open for private players A bill seeking to open the civil nuclear sector for private players is among the 10 proposed legislations listed for introduction in the winter session of Parliament, beginning December 1 | P7 Pilgrims’ rush contained, govt to raise darshan slots E xpress N ews S ervice @Kottayam Having brought the rush of pilgrims under control, the government on Saturday decided to adjust spot booking at the Sabarimala hill shrine according to daily crowd flow. A high-level meeting convened by Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan in Pampa also decided to increase the number of devotees ascending the holy steps to 85 per minute from the current 75 to let more pilgrims have darshan. The meeting, attended by Devaswom secretary M G Rajamanickam and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president K Jayakumar, also addressed the need to improve existing crowd-management strategies. To expedite pilgrim movement, it was decided to deploy more experienced police personnel. Spot booking slots were capped at 5,000 until Monday after heavy influx of pilgrims threw crowd control measures haywire on November 18, the second day of the Mandala- Other decisions Number of pilgrims ascending holy steps to be raised to 85 per minute from present 70 Joint daily review to be held at Sannidhanam. Similar meetings mandated at Pampa & Nilakkal Parking facilities at Nilakkal to be fully utilised Large LED display walls to be set up at Pampa and Nilackal to provide real-time info to pilgrims Issues related to dolly services to be addressed Makaravilakku pilgrimage season. As many as 53.6 lakh pilgrims visited Sabarimala during the pilgrimage season last year, and the turnout is expected to be higher this time. As per estimates, nearly five lakh pilgrims have visited Sabarimala since the start of the pilgrimage season on November 16. On November 21 alone, 72,037 devotees had darshan by 7pm. KSRTC’s daily income from the Nilakkal-Pampa chain services rose to `60 ● More on P5 lakh.