chennai l sunday l December 07, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 28 l late city EDITION pregnant deportee from bengal returns to india on orders of sc torture living in solitary cell: sunali Sunali, who is in an advanced stage of pregnancy, was a migrant resident of Murarai in West Bengal’s Birbhum. She was admitted to the Rampurhat hospital in Birbhum, where she will remain under observation. “It was a torture living in a solitary cell of the Bangladeshi prison,” she said, recounting her hundred days at a correctional facility in Bangladesh Sunali Khatun, arrested by Delhi Police on suspicion of being a Bangladeshi and deported in June, was repatriated via Malda border trinamool calls it victory of oppressed ■ ■ Trinamool Congress MP Samirul Islam, who steered the legal battle for Sunali and the five other deportees, described her return as “a victory of the oppressed against the might of the Central government” Delhi Police had arrested Sunali, husband Danesh and her minor son in June and branded them “illegal immigrants” before expelling them 6 months is the time the woman from birbhum stayed away from india 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 Maintaining pricing discipline The objective is to maintain pricing discipline, prevent any exploitation of passengers in distress, and ensure that citizens who urgently need to travel are not subjected to financial hardship, the Union govt said Up to 500 km `7,500 500-1,000 km `12,000 Fare caps exclude User Development Fee, Passenger Development Fee & other taxes 1,000-1,500 km `15,000 They do not cover Business class tickets and flights operated under UDAN scheme Sanctions Sikh tied to it T i c k e t ava i l a b i l i t y Airlines must maintain ticket availability across all fare buckets. They may increase capacity on high-demand sectors, govt said over 1,500 km `18,000 Ticket price before fare cap kicked in No clarity yet on whether the caps for economy class tickets apply for premium economy as well Govt caps fares, wields whip IndiGo CEO gets DGCA show-cause notice; 800 cancellations on Sat; ticket refund by Sun S L a l i t h a @ New Delhi WITH THIS ISSUE Looming Large PLUS 12 P AGES Attack leaves Class 12 boy brain-dead, 15 juniors held Express News Service @ Thanjavur A 17-year-old Class 12 student of a government school in Patteeswaram became braindead after being assaulted by a group of Class 11 students from the same school on Thursday (December 4), as per sources from the Government Thanjavur Medical College. Police arrested all 15 students involved in the attack on Friday night, based on a complaint from the mother of the victim, who is currently in the Intensive Care Unit. Patteeswaram police said the incident took place when the victim was walking with his classmates along Sannathi Street near Theradi on Thursday, returning home after a special class at school. A group of Class 11 students singled him out and began verbally abusing him over an altercation that took place near the school toilet the previous day The group then as. saulted the Class 12 boy using wooden logs, causing severe injuries to his head, they added. Once the group fled the scene, the victim’s classmates rushed him to the Patteeswaram Primary Health Centre where he received first aid and his mother was informed.  P7 The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday stepped in to address the greed of some airlines exploiting the IndiGo mess as fares went beyond 8X on some sectors. It imposed strict caps on domestic fares with the maximum of `18,000 for an economy class ticket. Later in the day the , Director General of Civil Aviation slapped a show-cause notice on IndiGo’s CEO to respond within 24 hours why action should not be taken against him for the unprecedented chaos. The ministry also directed IndiGo to clear all pending passenger refunds for all cancelled or disrupted flights by 8 pm on Sunday December 7. , The fare cap of `7,500-18,000 (see graphic) prescribed by the ministry was still on the higher side, with fliers being made to pay for the needless chaos. These caps will remain in place “until fares stabilise or till further review”, the ministry said. The caps exclude levies like Airlines have also been instructed not to levy any rescheduling charges for passengers whose travel plans were affected by cancellations - Ministry of Civil Aviation’s order A passenger rests while waiting at Terminal 1 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport for her flight, in New Delhi on Saturday | PTI User Development Fee, Passenger Development Fee and other taxes. They do not cover Business class tickets and flights operated under the regional connectivity scheme (UDAN), the order stated. As for refunding, the ministry cautioned that any delay or non-compliance by Indigo would invite immediate regulatory action. The system of au- tomatic refunds will remain active until operations stabilise completely . IndiGo quickly responded with a “No questions asked. All refunds for your cancellations will be processed automatically to your original mode of payment.“ The airline also announced full waiver on all cancellations/reschedule requests of bookings made between De- @ New Delhi The UK Treasury imposed sanctions on a British national and an organisation for alleged terrorist activity in India and support for the Sikh extremist group Babbar Khalsa. This is the first time London has used its domestic counter-terrorism framework to target the pro-Khalistan group, officials said. The measures include an asset freeze and director disqualification against Gurpreet Singh Rehal, who is suspected of involvement in organisations carrying out terrorist activities in India. The Treasury also imposed an asset freeze on Babbar Akali Lehar, an organisation accused of promoting and supporting Babbar Khalsa. According to the UK Treasury Rehal is involved in Bab, bar Khalsa and Babbar Akali Lehar’s activities, including recruitment, financial support, and procurement of weapons and military material. Babbar Akali Lehar, the Treasury said, engages in similar activities by promoting, encouraging, and recruiting for Babbar Khalsa. All E x p r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Chennai In a significant gesture of solidarity Tamil Nadu Chief Minis, ter M K Stalin on Saturday flagged off a large consignment of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka, where thousands of families have been severely affected by Cyclone Ditwah. A total of 950 metric tonnes (MT) of relief materials were despatched from Chennai and Thoothukudi ports aboard Indian Navy vessels. Of the total shipment, 650MT was sent from Chennai Port and 300MT from Thoothukudi Port. The CM also handed over a symbolic package of the relief materials to Sri Lanka’s Deputy Consul General Ganesanathan Geathiswaran during an event at the Chennai Port. The first consignment from Chennai comprises 300MT of sugar, 300MT of lentils, 25MT of milk powder, along with 5,000 dhotis, 5,000 sarees, 10,000 towels, 10,000 blankets and 1,000 tarpaulins meant to support families in temporary shelters. The Thoothukudi consignment includes 150MT of sugar and 150MT of lentils. Ministers P K Sekarbabu (HR&CE) and S M Nasar (minorities and non-resident Tamils’ welfare), Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, senior officials, and representatives from the Sri Lankan Consulate were present at the event. Officials said the assistance reflects the long-standing cultural and emotional ties between the people of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. CM M K Stalin with SL’s Deputy Consul General Ganesanathan Geathiswaran during the event at the Chennai Port on Saturday | ashwin prasath to TNIE. However, they did not divulge further details. While specifics on the exact site, technology or timeline remain under wraps, the move aligns with RIL’s green energy ambitions. The project, expected to generate around 5,000 jobs, will supply clean energy for domestic and industrial use across the state, marking one of the largest investments announced for the region. Official sources said that the scale and location of the investment reflected TN’s efforts to push major capital spending beyond the traditional industrial hubs of Chennai and the western corridor. Despite a large and skilled workforce, the southern region, funds and economic resources in the UK owned, held, or controlled by Rehal or Babbar Akali Lehar are now frozen. UK individuals and entities were prohibited from dealing with these assets or providing financial services to them without a licence from the Treasury. Rehal was also barred from acting as a company director or participating in company management, directly or indirectly . Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby said: “We will not stand by while terrorists exploit Britain’s financial system. This landmark action shows we are prepared to use every tool at our disposal to choke off funding for terrorism -wherever it occurs and whoever is responsible. The UK stands firmly with peaceful communities against those who promote violence and hatred.” The sanctions were imposed under the Counter-Terrorism (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, which empower the Treasury to freeze assets and restrict individuals or entities suspected of involvement in terrorism, safeguarding the UK’s financial system. Try mediation, says SC in case of sexual abuse express news service @ New Delhi India team celebrates 2-1 ODI series win against South Africa in Visakhapatnam on Saturday | g satyanarayana ODI BALM FOR TEST SCAR g o m e s h s @ Chennai AFTER the famine, the feast? Not quite but Indian cricket, after enduring a shambolic 0-2 Test series defeat against the visiting South Africans, has something to smile about after a 2-1 ODI series win. After sitting through the disappointments of Kolkata and Guwahati, Indian fans would have welcomed the familiar rhythms of watching Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma playing pivotal roles in the wins. Of course, this is nothing new. India continues to enjoy Reliance plans `12K-cr bio-energy project in state A `11,760-crore bio-energy investment proposed by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is set to be a part of Tamil Nadu’s thrust for industrial expansion in the South. A memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed at the TN Rising investment conclave in Madurai on Sunday, sources confirmed Express News Service Stalin flags off 950MT of cyclone relief to SL t n r isi n g i n m a d u r a i C S h i v a k u m a r @ Chennai cember 5 and December 15. In another directive, the ministry directed IndiGo to ensure that all baggage that was separated from passengers due to cancellations or delays be traced and delivered to each passenger’s residential or chosen address within 48 hours. IndiGo for the first time obliquely quantified the day’s cancellations — around 800. “By the end of day, we would have operated over 1,500 flights. With regards to destinations, over 95% of network connectivity has already been re-established as we are able to operate to 135 out of the existing 138 destinations in operations. There is a recovery IndiGo said. ,” In a first, UK goes after terror outfit Babbar Khalsa with Madurai being the hub, has long struggled to attract large industrial investments. It can be recalled that RIL chairman and managing director, who virtually addressed the Global Investors Meet in Chennai in January 2024, had emphasised the group’s commitment to making new investments in TN in the renewable energy and green hydrogen sectors. unparalleled dominance in white-ball cricket at home. Sure, one can argue that the three-match ODI series was almost devoid of context as the 50-over World Cup is two years away in very different conditions. But this win is a reminder of the talent that exists in India across formats even if they were missing multiple players either through rest or injury . Question marks will persist over the medium-term futures of Kohli and Sharma but they know that as long as they perform, they will be undroppable whatever the manage- ment and the selectors think about them keeping in mind the World Cup in 2027. If the seniors led the way, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal staked their claim in the team with a century each. The former was asked to bat at No 4 by the management and he delivered with a ton in the second match. Jaiswal’s hundred came as the icing on the cake on Saturday Kohli and Shar. ma have three more ODIs to look forward to before disappearing from the national setup for at least six months. As of now, it’s over to the T20Is for India. P15 5injured in car killed 7 accident on ecr Five men, including four pilgrims from AP, were killed and seven others sustained injuries after a speeding car rammed into a parked vehicle on the East Coast Road near Keelakarai in Ramanathapuram early on Saturday | P4 THE Supreme Court on Friday urged parties involved in a sexual harassment case against Venu Gopalakrishnan, CEO of Kochi’s Litmus 7 Systems Consulting, to explore mediation to resolve their dispute. A bench comprising Justices B V Nagarathna and K V Viswanathan said, “...We find that in the interest of all parties, there ought to be a settlement. The matter is referred to the Supreme Court Mediation Centre. The parties are directed to appear before the Centre on 07.01.2026 in person or through videoconferencing.” On September 11, the Kerala High Court had denied anticipatory bail to Gopalakrishnan, citing the “very serious” nature of allegations. The other accused in the case — Jacob P Thampy, Eby Paul, and Bimalraj Haridas — were granted anticipatory bail. Gopalakrishnan had approached the Supreme Court, which on September 26 stayed all coercive actions against him. Senior counsels Mukul Rohatgi and Raghenth Basant, representing the petitioner, said the complainant, a former employee, had filed the charges after getting bail in an extortion case initiated by Gopalakrishnan. Justice Nag arathna expressed skepticism about the harassment claims. The accused alleged the woman and her husband had demanded `30 crore during a hotel meeting on July 23, including an immediate `10 crore transfer, with `50,000 transferred from Venu’s account on July 28. The couple was arrested for extortion soon after. The woman denied knowledge of the `50,000 transfer and alleged sexual harassment. The next hearing is on February 2.