HYDERABAD l sATURDAY l december 27, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE City EDITION President confers PM Rashtriya Bal Puraskar on 20 children Cricketing sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi (pic), singer Esther Lalduhawmi Hanamate, and judoka Yogita Mandavi among 20 awarded on Friday President Droupadi Murmu confers the award on ten-year-old Shravan Singh, who delivered water and milk to soldiers during Op Sindoor champions across six fields awarded of x factor, and the supreme sacrifice The award is in recognition of exceptional achievements in the fields of bravery, social service, environment, sports, art & culture and science & technology. President Murmu said it is owing to talented children such as Vaka Lakshmi Pragnika that India is considered a chess powerhouse. Ajay Raj and Mohammed Sidan P, who saved lives of others, were feted too ■ ■ Cricketer Vaibhav Suryavanshi was feted for making “a name for himself in a highly competitive sport”, the President said Nine-year-old Coimbatore resident Vyoma Priya, awarded posthumously, had lost her life while trying to save a six-year-old during an electrical accident in their gated community park | P7 9 awardees among the 20 are sportspersons 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 Facelift at Medaram, with roots grounded Visa hassle India presses US to resolve H-1B delay B Ka r th e e k @ Mulugu J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi INDIA on Friday said it has taken up with the US the issue of delays, cancellations and difficulties in scheduling H-1B visa appointments amid mounting concerns that recent regulatory changes have affected thousands of Indian nationals. “The Government of India has received several representations from Indian nationals who are facing delays or problems with the rescheduling of their visa appointments,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). “While we do understand that visa-related issues pertain to the sovereign domain of any country, we have flagged these issues and concerns of our nationals to the US Randhir Jaiswal, side, both in MEA spokesman Delhi and in Washington.” The latest disruptions follow a series of policy changes announced by Washington, including a steep fee of $100,000 for first-time H-1B visa applicants and a move away from the random lottery system towards prioritising applicants with higher skills. From December 15, the US also expanded social media vetting to all H-1B and H-4 visa applicants, a step that has led to widespread appointment cancellations and rescheduling months later. Jaiswal said India is actively engaging with US to address the issues faced by Indians. The changes apply to H-1B visas, which allow US firms to employ foreign professionals in specialised fields such as technology, engineering and medicine, as well as H-4 visas issued to dependents. Reports say thousands of Indians have been affected with several people who travelled to India specifically to renew their visas being stranded. A hotel owner in West Bengal’s Siliguri pastes a notice banning Bangladeshis | PTI MEA: Relentless attack on B’desh Hindus worrying Expresses deep concern over unremitting hostilities against minorities in the country J AYA N T H J A C O B @ New Delhi Unremitting hostilities against the minorities in Bangladesh is a matter of grave concern — MEA 2,900 cases of violence The MEA said that over 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities, including cases of killings, arsons, land grab have been reported during the tenure of the interim government INDIA on Friday expressed deep concern about the “unremitting hostilities” against Hindus in Bangladesh and condemned attempts to dismiss the continuing violence against religious minorities as media exaggeration or political violence. New Delhi also reacted cautiously to the return of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Tarique Rahman to Dhaka after 17 years of exile, stressing that the development should be viewed in the context of ensuring inclusive polls. “The unremitting hostilities against the minorities in Bangladesh including Hindus, Christians and Buddhists are a matter of grave concern. We condemn the recent killing of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh and expect that the perpetrators of the crime will be brought to justice,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. The comments came in the wake of a string of incidents targeting religious minorities in Bangladesh amid a rapidly evolving political landscape following the ouster of former PM Sheikh Hasina. Two Hindu men were lynched in two separate incidents in a span of a week. Jaiswal said India is closely monitoring the developments across the border and underlined that protection of minorities is integral to democratic credibility . Referring to the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das on December 18, Jaiswal said New Delhi has unequivocally condemned the incident and sought swift accountability. On the killing of another Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, on December 24, Jaiswal appeared to link it to hostilities towards minorities. When asked about BNP’s acting chairman Rahman’s return, Jaiswal struck a measured note, saying it should be seen in the context of ensuring inclusive elections. He reiterated India’s stand that the upcoming elections must be free, fair, and inclusive but refrained from commenting on Bangladesh’s internal political rivalries. With preparations gathering pace ahead of the biennial Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara, Asia’s largest tribal congregation, extensive development works are nearing completion at Medaram in Mulugu district. The jatara, which traces its origins to the medieval period, is scheduled to start on January 28 amid dense forests. The state government has taken up works with an outlay of over `250 crore to give the historic Adivasi place of worship a facelift that blends history, tribal faith and modern infrastructure, while respecting Adivasi customs and offering a completely new experience to devotees. Officials said the development works are almost complete, at least in the core area. Floating to the temple The newly constructed stone altars bedecked with flowers even as devotees offer prayers on Friday, much ahead of the biennial jatara | Sri Loganathan Velmurugan Utmost care has been taken in the design of the Sammakka, Saralamma, Govinda Raju and Pagididda Raju Gaddelu. Symbols of bamboo, the Sonodi bird, the white horse representing Stay off legislative turf: Govt on GST nudge U d ayan k i s ho r e @ New Delhi THE Centre on Friday opposed a PIL seeking reduced air purifier rates, telling the Delhi High Court that judicial intervention would violate the principle of ‘separation of powers.’ “This will open up a Pandora’s box,” the Centre told a vacation bench of justices Vikas Mahajan and Vinod Kumar after the court questioned why the rates couldn’t be brought “within reach of the common man”. Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman, for the Centre, said there was already a legislative process involving parliamentary standing committee reports and GST Council deliberations. “How can this process be scuttled through a court process?” he asked. On the court’s earlier sug- S i d d ha r d ha G att i m i @ Hyderabad update databases of known peddlers and consumers and to track the movement of indiThe Hyderabad city police viduals entering Hyderabad have moved to enforce a hard- specifically for New Year celeline zero-drugs regime ahead brations. The focus, Sajjanar of New Year’s Eve, signalling said, would be on prevention stepped-up surveillance, en- as much as detection. forcement and coordinated acPolice checks will not be limtion across the city . ited to public venues. Service Police Commissioner VC Saj- apartments, hostels and other janar on Friday ordered p r ivat e g at h e r i n g immediate deployment spaces will also come of special surveillance under scrutiny to deteams at pubs, hotels, ter illegal activity durrestaurants and event ing celebrations. venues, while directing The city police have round-the-clock monifixed 1 am as the clostoring of individuals ing time for New Year booked in drug-related events at pubs, hotels cases over the past two and restaurants. SajjaOur objective is years. nar warned that violaChairing a coordi- straightforward: tions would invite imnation meeting at the no drug-related mediate action. “If cases during Integrated Command any illegal activity is New Year and Control Centre in found, licences will be celebrations in Banjara Hills, Sajjacancelled without deHyderabad nar instructed senior lay he said. ,” VC Sajjanar, officers and field staff Check-posts and Hyderabad CP to maintain constant barricades will be revigilance throughout inforced at key locathe New Year period. He said tions, including Maitrivanam, enforcement would be layered Necklace Road, Tank Bund and and sustained, involving the KBR Park, to regulate crowd Hyderabad Narcotics Enforce- movement and maintain order. ment Wing (H-NEW), the Task While enforcement would be Force, the Special Branch and firm, Sajjanar said efforts local police units. would be made to minimise inOfficials have been told to convenience to the public. @ Hyderabad The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) has received more than 30 hoax bomb threat emails over the past three months, but the police have been unable to identify the s o u rc e, d e s p i t e m u l t i p l e investigations. While six arrests were made this year, the location of those behind the flurry of hoax emails still unknown. The police have made limited progress as far as zeroing in on the hoaxers is concerned. Shamshabad Deputy Commissioner of Police B Rajesh said six hoaxers were traced Key demands of the PIL The petitioner submitted that on medical devices, GST was five per cent whereas it was 18 per cent for air purifiers. He sought a direction to authorities to charge five per cent on air purifiers as well considering the capital’s pollution crisis gestion for a virtual GST Council meeting given Delhi’s air pollution crisis, the Centre said it was “not possible” as regulations require physical presence of all members. “This is not a PIL at all. GST is only a ruse...We are scared from the constitutional perspective. It is doctrine of separation of powers,” the ASG said, adding the Centre couldn’t commit to a Council meeting date. The bench had noted that and arrested in Gujarat, while acknowledging that several other complaints remain unresolved. Senior police officials said tracing the origin of the emails has proved difficult, largely due to the use of anonymous, privacy-focused email services. Such platforms allow accounts to be created without personal details such as names, phone numbers or addresses. In several cases, the accounts were accessed through browsers without persistent log-ins, leaving little server-side data for investigators to work with. The investigation has also been slowed by the use of Virtual Private Network (VPN) services, which route internet traffic through multiple servers, often outside India, masking the sender’s actual IP address. Officials said this layering makes digital tracking timeconsuming and, in many cases, inconclusive. continued on p2 air purifiers are pricey rang, ing from `10,000-12,000 `60,000. “It is beyond the reach of a common man. Why not bring it down to a reasonable level...What is the difficulty in the GST Council meeting?” it asked. The ASG said, “It is a loaded petition, we want to know who is behind this...Somebody wants a monopoly in air purifiers...Health ministry is not even a party The .” court permitted the Centre to file a counter-affidavit within 10 days. express read 3-year-old twins die in AC compressor blast Hyderabad: A suspected AC compressor blast claimed the lives of a pair of 3-year-old twins in Sundarnagar, Kachiguda on Friday. The deceased were identified as Abdul Rahman and Abdul Rahim. Police said that Abdul Rahman sustained 90% burn injuries in the blast while Abdul Rahim succumbed to asphyxiation | P2 Tapgate Case A-1 prabhakar Rao released by SIT after questioning|P2 Parents kill Class XI girl in love with married man Express News Service @ Karimnagar A Class XI student was allegedly murdered by her parents in Shivarampalli village of Saidapur mandal in Karimnagar district, following objections to her relationship with a married man from the same village. The victim, Archana (16), was found dead under suspicious circumstances on November 16. Her father, Reddy Raju, initially lodged a complaint rate the legend through symbolic representations, with around 7,000 such symbols engraved across 31 stone installations in and around the sacred platforms.  continued on p2 Pil in Delhi HC to cut GST for air purifiers Sajjanar vows ‘zero-drugs’ Long arm of law yet to reach hoaxers policy for NY celebrations Express News Service tribal aristocracy peacock, holy , dots symbolising gotras and Adivasi dances have been inscribed on towering pillars carved out of single gigantic stones. The stone installations nar- With about a month to go for the Jatara, devotees have already begun thronging the Adivasi place of worship. The long weekend may have helped devotees offer special prayers, with roads leading to Medaram resembling Vanapravesham — a local tradition symbolising a day-long forest dwelling. An elder of a family said they visit the temple every year, but this time they arrived much earlier to the jatara to offer jaggery, locally referred to as gold. “This year it is different as the development works are being taken up. The premises are also widened,” said the devotee stating that she had died by suicide. However, following a detailed investigation, police concluded that she had been murdered. Huzurabad Assistant Commissioner of Police V Madhavi said the police suspected foul play and reopened the case. D u r i n g t h e p ro b e, i t emerged that Archana was in a relationship with Anil, who is married. Despite repeated warnings and scolding by her parents, she continued the relationship. Police said the parents viewed the matter as an issue of family honour. According to investigators, on the night of November 15, after Archana went to sleep, her parents allegedly forced her to consume poison. When she was still alive, her father allegedly strangled her. During interrogation, Reddy Raju confessed to the crime. The case, initially registered as a suspicious death, was later altered to murder. The Saidapur police arrested both parents, Reddy Raju and Lavanya, and produced them before a magistrate, who remanded them to judicial custody . Meanwhile, Archana’s sister, Sravanti, lodged a complaint against Anil, alleging that his relationship with the girl led to her death. Based on the complaint, the police registered a POCSO case against Anil on Friday ACP Madhavi said. , CEO among three held for gang-rape in moving car Raj e s h A s nan i @ Jaipur Three persons, including the CEO of a private IT company , have been arrested in connection with the alleged gang-rape of the firm’s female manager in a moving car after a birthday party in Udaipur. Police said a local court on Thursday sent the accused to four-day police custody They . identified the accused as GKM IT Pvt Ltd’s owner and CEO, Jitesh Sisodia, a senior female executive of the firm and her husband Gaurav Sirohi. The horrific incident allegedly took place on December 20, while the complaint was lodged on December 23. As per the FIR, the alleged assault followed a birthday and New Year’s party organised by the CEO at a hotel in Udaipur. The victim said she reached the hotel around 9 pm. The CEO, the senior female executive and her husband were also present. The party reportedly continued till 1.30 am. The victim said when she began feeling unwell late at night, the senior female executive offered to drop her home. Around 1.45 am, they left the hotel in the victim’s car. The executive’s husband and the CEO were present in the vehicle as well. Midway during the journey , the accused allegedly purchased an intoxicant and forced the victim to consume it, following which she passed out. When she partially regained consciousness, she saw the CEO sexually assaulting her in the moving car, the victim said in her statement. She alleged that despite her repeated pleas, the accused dropped her home only around 5 am. The victim told the police that her car’s dashcam recorded audio and video of the entire incident. The footage allegedly shows the presence and involvement of all three accused. Police officials are examining the footage.