BHUBANESWAR l friday l december 26, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late CITY EDITION Ban on women using smart phones in raj dist withdrawn Village elders in Rajasthan’s Jalore district have withdrawn the ban imposed on women using smartphones after facing strident opposition Ban was misunderstood, say villagers ‘ban to curb children hooked to phones’ A meeting of the panchas (village elders) was convened on Thursday in Gazipur village, where they unanimously decided to withdraw the ban, saying the decision kept children in mind, but it was “misunderstood”. Earlier, on December 21, the panchas had banned daughters and daughters-in-law of 15 villages from using smartphones, starting Jan 26 ■ ■ A member of the panchas, Natharam Chaudhary, explained that the decision of December 21 was taken after numerous complaints from women that their children used to borrow their phones after school Chaudhary said kids spend the entire day watching videos, which has adverse effects on their brain; the ban was taken to curb this habit Dec 21 was when the village panchas announced the fiat 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 Political reset in B’desh as Tarique back in Dhaka Ex-PM Khaleda Zia’s son calls for building an inclusive Bangladesh E X P R E S S N E W S S E RV I C E @ New Delhi Merry Christmas Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Christmas service at the Cathedral Church of the Redemption in New Delhi on Thursday. “May Christmas bring renewed hope, warmth and a shared commitment to kindness,” Modi later posted on X | PTI Top Maoist Ganesh Uike, with over `1 cr bounty, eliminated E x p r ess N e w s S e r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar In a major anti-Naxal operation, a joint team of Odisha Police and central paramilitary forces killed four Maoists, including top CPI (Maoist) leader Ganesh Uike, during an encounter in Kandhamal district’s Chakapada police limits on Thursday. This follows the death of two senior Maoist cadres in exchange of fire with security forces in Gumma forests of the district on Wednesday . Uike, 69, a central committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist) and head of its Odisha operations, carried a reward of over `1.1 crore. He is said to have led several deadly attacks across eastern and central India and held many aliases as Rupa, Rajesh Tiwari, Chamru and Pakka Hanumantu. His death has dealt a severe blow to the Maoist network in the region. According to police, the encounter took place in Rambha forest range along Kandhamal-Ganjam border under Chakapada police limits. The operation involved 20 units of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Odisha Police, two battalions of the CRPF, and a team from the BSF. “The operation began early in the morning and saw multiple exchanges of fire between Maoists and security forces across the area. Maoists neutralised in the encounter with security forces in Kandhamal district Amid unrest and chaos in Bangladesh following the murder of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman returned to Dhaka on Thursday after 17 years in self-exile. The dramatic return of Rahman, the acting chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is expected to change the dynamics of the February 12 elections with a possible contest between the BNP and its former ally Jamaat-e-Islami. With the Muhammad Yunusled interim government barring ousted PM Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League from contesting elections, BNP is said to be the front-runner. Hasina had banned the Jamaat but Yunus lifted it due to pressure from radicals. The Jamaat reportedly enjoys the support of student outfits that led the protests to remove Hasina from power. Shortly after landing at the Hazrat Shahjalal International airport, Rahman stood barefoot on Bangladeshi soil in a symbolic gesture to mark his return to the country’s politics. Articulating his plans to build an “inclusive Bangladesh”, he said: “We want to New Delhi NIA to firm up common norms BNP’s acting chairman Tarique Rahman waves to his supporters in Dhaka | pti This country belongs to Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians — Tarique Rahman Another Hindu man lynched in B’desh Days after factory worker Dipu Chandra Das was lynched by a mob, another Hindu man identified as Amrit Mondal was beaten to death. Local reports quoting police claimed he was an extortionist build a safe Bangladesh... no matter who a woman, man, or child is, they should be able to leave their homes safely and return safely .” Rahman, 60, had been living in London since 2008. He was leading the BNP since 2018 following Zia’s ill health. Urging people to maintain peace and stability, he said: “We have people from the hills and the plains in this country Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Christians.” Invoking Martin Luther King’s famous speech “I have a dream”, he said, “I have a plan,” adding he will take everyone on board to rebuild the nation. Notably, during his address, Rahman didn’t make any direct reference to India though he mentioned the birth of Bangladesh in 1971. India liberated Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) from Pakistan’s brutal rule in 1971. P9 E X P R E S S N E W S S E RV I C E @ New Delhi Military base in Pak? Defence ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang, too, denounced the Pentagon report, which also flagged enhanced ties between China and Pakistan, adding Beijing “likely also considered” setting up a base in Pakistan China on T hursday denounced a Pentagon report that accused Beijing of leveraging reduced tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India to stabilise bilateral relations and prevent a deeper strategic alignment between New Delhi and Washington. “The Pentagon’s report distorts China’s defence policy, sows discord, and aims at finding a pretext for the US to maintain its military supremacy,” foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian caustically told the media in Beijing, when asked about the US Department of Defense’s annual report to Congress on China. Lin said Beijing views and handles its relations with New Delhi from a strategic height and a long-term perspective. “ We s t a n d re a dy t o strengthen communication, enhance mutual trust, promote cooperation, and properly handle differences with India, and advance a sound and stable bilateral relationship,” Lin said. @ Sambalpur A day after the brutal killing of a migrant labourer from West Bengal in Sambalpur, police on Thursday arrested six suspects and claimed that the victim was attacked over a dispute and not on suspicion of being an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant. The victim Suhel Rana, 20, was a native Murshidabad in West Bengal. He along with two others were standing near a shop on Wednesday evening when they came under attack from a group of unidentified miscreants who allegedly sought their ID documents. Rana suffered grievous injuries and succumbed. Two others, Akir Rehman (24) and Anwar Hussain (22), escaped with injuries. IG (Northern Range) Himansu Lal, however, said the murder was related to sudden provoca- tion. “It is not regarding targeting anyone. All accused have been apprehended. Further scientific investigation is on,” he said. Even as police claimed the murder was result of a sudden provocation, conflicting accounts from fellow workers emerged. Haque Saheb, the labour contractor who had enlisted the migrant workers from Murshidabad had a different version. Saheb told this paper that he had spoken to the labourers who were staying with Suhel. “They confirmed that the attackers confronted them over their identity, accusing them of being illegal immigrants. When the labourers wanted to produce their ID docu- ments and turned back to fetch them, the miscreants attacked them from behind,” he added. A fellow labourer who lived with the victims, speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that the accused had confronted them on suspicion of being illegal immigrants which led to the assault. Additional SP Srimanta Barik said the accused, under the influence of alcohol, approached the migrant workers asking for beedis. When the workers said they had none, an altercation ensued. Soon the three were attacked during which Suhel suffered head injury that proved fatal. “Six persons have been arrested in connection with the inci- The accused, under the influence of alcohol, approached the migrant workers asking for beedis. When they said they had none, an altercation ensued and the three were attacked – Srimanta Barik, ASP Lucknow No one family drove growth: PM PM Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the country’s growth can no longer be attributed to just one family, launching a veiled attack on Congress’ first family and dynastic politics. Modi said the BJP government has freed the country from the tradition of eulogising a single family for all good that had happened | P8 Plea in SC against Sengar 3 Odisha cities cross 300 AQI, surpass Delhi in pollution I P2 Majhi opens new SOG centre, hikes perks for forces I P3 dent and verification is underway to ascer tain if more individuals were involved,” Barik said. Police registered a case under sections 115(2), 117, 109(1), 103(1) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and produced the six accused before a court. However, the ASP said identities of the accused could not be disclosed as the investigation is ongoing and a test identification parade (TIP) is yet to be conducted. Meanwhile, Suhel’s body was taken to the district headquarters hospital and Rehman and Hussain were admitted to a private hospital. When TNIE attempted to contact the injured men at the hospital, the authorities claimed they had been discharged. However, Ainthapali IIC PK Swain said they were still under observation at the hospital. As for the LAC, Lin said, “the boundary question is a matter between China and India, and the current border situation between the two countries is g e n e r a l ly s t abl e w i t h smooth communication channels.” The US releases such reports year after year, grossly interfering in China’s internal affairs, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang told a separate media briefing. He described it as a maliciously misinterpreted report that is full of erroneous understanding. Unnao rape INSIDE e x p r ess ne w s se r v i c e @ New Delhi WB worker murder: 6 held, cops rule out B’deshi angle M AYA N K B H U S A N PA N I With special focus on measures to strengthen prosecution-led counter-terror efforts across the country and evolve a unified legal framework governing investigations, senior police functionaries will deliberate during the two-day ‘AntiTerror Conference’ beginning Friday | P7 Pentagon report on India axis malicious: China With this major breakthrough, Odisha stands at the threshold of becoming completely free from Naxalism. We are resolved to eliminate Naxalism before March 31, 2026 – Amit Shah, Union Home minister After the operation, and Sima (all Maoist the security forces cadres) carrying cash confirmed that four reward of `1.65 lakh Maoists had been neueach. Two INSAS ritralised, two of them fles and one 303 rifle women, all in uniwere recovered from for m,” ADG (Antithe site of the Naxal Operations), encounter. Ganesh Uike Union Home minisOdisha, Sanjeeb Panter Amit Shah hailed da said. Originally from Pullemala the successful operation and village of Chendur Mandal termed it a significant milein Nalgonda district of Tel- stone towards Naxal-free angana, Uike was one of the Bharat. “In a major operation most wanted Maoist leaders in Kandhmal, Odisha, 6 Naxalin India and headed the out- ites, including Central Comfit in Odisha. Such was mittee Member Ganesh Uike, Uike’s role in Naxal extrem- have been neutralised so far. ism that he carried a `40 With this major breakthrough, lakh reward by Chhattis- Odisha stands at the threshold garh, `25 lakh each by Telan- of becoming completely free gana and Andhra Pradesh, from Naxalism. We are reb e s i d e s ` 1 . 1 c r o r e i n solved to eliminate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026,” Odisha. The other three have been the Home Minister’s Office identified as Rajani, Umesh posted on X.  Continued on P5 express read Bus tragedy A luxury bus on fire following a collision with a speeding truck, in Karnataka’s Chitradurga in the wee hours of Thursday | PTI | P5 At least six killed At least six persons, including a child, were killed in the accident, Superintendent of Police Ranjith Kumar Bandaru said Two reported missing Four women and a girl child travelling in the bus, as also the truck driver were killed. Two persons were reported missing Kashmiri Shawl vendor assaulted in Uttarakhand A Kashmiri shawl vendor was allegedly assaulted, robbed, and threatened by a group of Bajrang Dal activists in Uttarakhand, the J&K Students Association said | P8 A Supreme Court petition has challenged the Delhi High Court’s decision to suspend expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar’s life sentence in the 2017 Unnao rape case. Advocates Anjale Patel and Pooja Shilpkar argued that the HC erred by ignoring the trial court’s observation that Sengar should remain imprisoned for life. They contended that the bail disregards his “serious criminal ante- Kuldeep Sengar cedents” and involvement in heinous crimes, including orchestrating the victim’s father’s murder while in custody . On December 23, the high court had suspended Sengar’s sentence, imposed in December 2019, noting that he had served over seven years. However, Sengar will remain in jail as he is serving 10 years for the custodial death case in the same matter.