HYDERABAD l Wednesday l January 21, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late cITY EDITION SC slams Maneka Gandhi’s critique of stray dogs order The Supreme Court on Tuesday lambasted former Union minister Maneka Gandhi for calling the order on stray dogs ‘impractical’ not initiating contempt proceedings: sc A bench of justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria said Maneka made “all kinds of comments” without thinking, but added it is not initiating contempt proceedings because of the court’s magnanimity. Senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, for Menaka, said his client’s words are not contempt as politicians do make statements Jan 28 sc flags disregard of its norms on strays ■ The Supreme Court was hearing several petitions seeking modification of its Nov 7, 2025 order directing the authorities to remove stray animals from the institutional areas and roads ■ The bench also flagged concerns over the non-implementation of norms on stray animals for the last five years is when the supreme court will hear the matter next 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 India’s B’desh mission now a non-family posting Party reinS in Nabin hands Terrible Tuesday: Sensex dives to lowest in 3 months, wipes off `10L cr of investor wealth A r s h a d K h a n @ New Delhi THE fortune of the Indian equity market, it appears, is firmly tied to the vagaries of US president Donald Trump. He seems to be the biggest ‘cue’ the domestic equity market is paying heed to as `10 lakh crore worth of investors’ wealth was wiped out on Tuesday amid US’ deepening standoff with Europe over Greenland. The stock market fell sharply on Tuesday, with benchmark NSE Nifty nosediving to its lowest level in three months and experiencing its biggest singleday fall since April 2025. The NSE Nifty settled 353 points or 1.38% lower at 25,232.50 while the BSE Sensex tumbled 1,066 points or 1.28% to close at J aya nt h J a c o b @ New Delhi India has designated its diplomatic mission in Bangladesh as a non-family posting for the time being, citing security concerns. As a precautionary measure, dependents of the Indian Mission and Post officials have been advised to return to India, while all diplomatic missions and posts in Bangladesh remain open and fully operational, sources said. The decision reflects New Delhi’s assessment of the prevailing security environment following months of political instability and rising tensions over the treatment of minority communities. Sources described the move as precautionary taken in view of evolv, ing ground conditions. Bangladesh is preparing to hold its first national election since the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government was ousted in a violent, student-led protest in August 2024. Election campaigning is scheduled to begin on January 22, with authorities promising strict security arrangements. However, the period leading up to the polls has been marked by sporadic violence, contributing to concerns among foreign governments and diplomatic missions. The safety of minority communities has emerged as a key issue in India’s recent engagement with Dhaka. India’s decision to shift its mission to a non-family posting signals that it views the current situation as sufficient enough to warrant added caution. Such measures are usually adopted when host countries face prolonged political uncertainty or elevated security risks, even as routine diplomatic engagement continues. Markets in red over Greenland E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad I can say Nitin Nabin ji is a millennial. He belongs to a generation that has witnessed a great deal of change... When it comes to party matters, Mananiya Nitin Nabin ji... I am a worker, and you are my boss Narendra Modi, PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the newly elected BJP president Nitin Nabin at the party’s headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday. A five-time MLA from Bihar, Nabin, 45, was declared elected unopposed, becoming the youngest ever in BJP to occupy the top post. “BJP is the only party where it is not necessary to belong to any particular family to hold major positions,” Nabin said. Soon after taking over charge from J P Nadda, he sought to set the tone for the upcoming state polls targeting opposition parties on a range of issues including the “changing demographics” | Sayantan Ghosh | p7 E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Hyderabad The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday recorded the statement of former minister and BRS deputy floor leader T Harish Rao in connection with the alleged phone-tapping case. Harish Rao was examined under Section 160 of the CrPC at the Jubilee Hills police station. According to sources, the questioning lasted close to eight hours and focused on alleged links with key accused in the case, including former Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief T Prabhakar Rao and A Shravan Rao, managing director of a vernacular television channel. SIT officials reportedly questioned Harish on the sharing of several mobile numbers of Congress leaders ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections, his association with Shravan, and the frequency of his conversations with Prabhakar. Sources said the investigators also sought clarification on whether an office had been set up in Jubilee Hills for surveyrelated work with Shravan Rao and whether it functioned under Harish’s guidance. Harish is said to have denied any such arrangement and stated that he had no links with Shravan or his establishments. The SIT further questioned him on why Shravan had contacted him frequently and why certain phone numbers were allegedly shared with Shravan through WhatsApp. Harish reportedly asked the officers to produce records to substantiate the claim and maintained that no such sharing had taken place. HC red signal to traffic fines on roads T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad The Telangana High Court has held that the police have no legal authority to stop vehicles on the road to compel motorists to pay pending traffic challans, ruling that such on-the-spot collections lack statutory backing. The order was passed by Justice NV Shravan Kumar while hearing a petition filed by V Ra- RECORD TUMBLE 25,500 25,400 25,300 NSE Nifty 25,232.50 25,200 9.15 am 11 am BSE SenSEX 1 pm 3 pm 4 pm 82,180.47 83,000 82.500 82.000 9.15 am 11 am 1 pm 3 pm 4 pm tariffs, with renewed uncertainty over US trade policy prolonging the recent consolidation. He added that continued FII outflows, rising US and Japanese bond yields, and a weakening rupee weighed on investor confidence. In the near term, market sentiment will hinge on the earn- UAE, TG agree to develop Future City The governments of the UAE and Telangana on Tuesday agreed to explore collaboration for the development of Bharat Future City as a global urban centre. The understanding emerged after UAE Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri met Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026. The discussions focused on potential cooperation in large infrastructure projects in Telangana, with particular attention on Bharat Future City . During the meeting, Revanth outlined the Telangana Rising 2047 vision and the roadmap to transform the state into a $3 trillion economy by 2047. He explained the scope of the Bharat Future City project, which is planned as India’s first Net-Zero greenfield smart city . Revanth said that global com- Tapgate SIT grills Harish for 8 hours Former minister T Harish Rao arrives for his examination by the SIT in the phone-tapping case on Tuesday 82,180. The sell-off was such that 48 stocks in the Nifty50 pack ended in the red and the market capitalisation of BSElisted fir ms came down to `455.76 lakh crore from `465.19 lakh crore. Investor sentiment across the globe has taken a hit over concerns related to US President Donald Trump proposing tariffs on countries opposing his bid to control Greenland and a subsequent pushback from Europe. This has revived fears of renewed global trade disruptions, prompting investors to exit equities. Vinod Nair, head of research, Geojit Investments, said domestic markets remained cautious ahead of the US Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump-era ghavendra Chary, who challenged the practice of police personnel using personal mobile phones to photograph vehicles for issuing challans. The petitioner contended that the law permits only authorised and specialised devices for traffic enforcement and that roadside demands for payment violate due process. The court directed the state police to cease all coercive meas- ures for the recovery of pending or already issued challans. It specifically barred the police from stopping vehicles to collect fines, seizing vehicle keys, obstructing motorists, or detaining citizens to force immediate payment. The court clarified that if a motorist does not pay a challan, the authorities must initiate prosecution before a competent court, rather than acting as a collection agency on the roadside.  continued on P5 Investigators also questioned Harish about his alleged contacts with former Task Force DCP and accused P Radhakishan Rao and BRS MLC K Naveen Rao, seeking to establish any connection among them. Sources said Harish stated that he had no knowledge of the matter. The SIT is also said to have raised queries related to certain electoral bonds allegedly linked to Radhakishan and D Praneeth Rao, with allegations that businesspersons were pressured to contribute to the BRS. Harish reportedly denied any involvement and said he had no information about the bonds, adding that such decisions were taken by companies independently . The SIT recorded his statement and concluded the inquiry around 7 pm. Harish later left the Jubilee Hills police station.  continued on P4 e x p r e ss r e a d Anand in dock over film ticket hike nod The Telangana HC has taken suo motu cognisance and initiated contempt proceedings against Special Chief Secretary (Home) CV Anand for permitting an increase in movie ticket prices for the film “Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu” | P5 panies such as Marubeni and Sembcorp were already on board. “Very recently we signed , an MoU with Reliance Group’s Vantara to establish a new zoo in Bharat Future City he said. ,” Al Marri said the UAE government would be open to partnering with Telangana and suggested the formation of a joint task force comprising officials from both sides to facilitate faster implementation. He also proposed a strategic partnership between a UAE food cluster and Telangana, with a focus on the rural and agriculture-based economy . IT and Industries Minister D Sridhar Babu, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and senior officials were part of the Te l a n g a n a R i s i n g delegation. Saudi firm, Israel reach out Separately, Saudi-based indus- trial conglomerate Expertise expressed interest in partnering with Young India Skills University (YISU). Mohammed Ashif, president and CEO of Expertise, met the chief minister and proposed collaboration to meet the company’s requirement of recruiting around 5,000 skilled workers annually. “We would like to partner with the Skills University and begin training the workforce in the crafts we require,” he said. In another meeting, Revanth met Alon Stopel, chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority , to discuss ongoing collaborations in agriculture, climate change and startup innovation. The Chief Minister’s Office said Israel would partner with and support Telangana startups in areas including AI and deep tech, covering sectors such as healthtech, agri-tech, cybersecurity and aerospace. ings season, while geopolitical developments and global trade conditions remain important influences, he said. The rupee ended at 90.98 per dollar, slightly weaker than Monday’s close of 90.91. In the broader market, the Nifty Midcap 100 and Nifty Smallcap 100 underperformed the frontline indices, falling by up to 3 per cent each. FIIs sold equities worth `2,192 crore on Tuesday mark, ing the 11th consecutive session of net outflows this month. In the Asian markets, South Korea’s Kospi, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, Shanghai’s SSE Composite index and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index settled lower. Markets in Europe were trading over 1 per cent lower. In a 1st, K’taka suspends DGP over sleaze clips E N S @ Bengaluru For the first time in the history of Karnataka, a DGP-rank officer has been suspended. Hours after an alleged intimate video involving K Ramachandra Rao surf aced online on Monday, the state government cracked the whip against him. Rao, a 1993batch IPS off i c e r, w a s heading the Ramachandra Rao Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement. The undated 47second compilation, consisting of three video clips and two audio recordings, surfaced on Monday In the video, the DGP . is allegedly seen in a compromising position inside his office during working hours. tale of two governors Governor R N Ravi walks out of Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday without delivering customary address | Express Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan receives Governor Rajendra Arlekar ahead of the Assembly session | Vincent Pulickal Ravi refuses to Arlekar altered deliver customary policy address, speech in House alleges Pinarayi T M u r u g a n a n d h a m @ Chennai E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVIC E @ T’Puram For the third consecutive year, Governor RN Ravi’s annual inaugural address to the Assembly became a flashpoint, with the governor once again refusing to read the speech prepared by the state. He left the House abruptly, declining to deliver the speech, alleging an insult to the national anthem and unsubstantiated claims in the state-prepared text. Minutes after the walkout, the governor’s office released a statement listing out 13 reasons as to why he had declined to read out the prepared speech. The statement from the Lok Bhavan, among other things, alleged that the gover nor’s microphone was switched off repeatedly and the national anthem was insulted by not being rendered at the beginning of the session. The governor’s office alleged that the prepared speech was marked by unsubstantiated claims, particularly on investment inflows, with many MoUs remaining unrealised, with severe stress on MSMEs ignored.  Dramatic scenes unfolded in the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan sought to correct Governor Rajendra Arlekar’s policy address after the latter had finished his speech and left the House. While Vijayan flagged “omissions” and “alterations” to the text approved by the Cabinet, sources close to the governor said Arlekar had read out an amended version of the address to which the government had earlier agreed but later backtracked. Vijayan was provoked by the governor’s omission of a passage critical of the Centre: “Kerala continues to face severe fiscal stress arising from a series of adverse Union government actions that undermine the constitutional principles of fiscal federalism.” Lok Bhavan sources said the governor skipped some “factually incorrect” portions. Speaker A N Shamseer later ruled that only the speech ratified by the Cabinet would be recognised as the official version.