KOllam l saturday l February 28, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION pakistan says it is in ‘open war’ against neighbour afghanistan Pak army claims it killed 274 taliban men Pakistan bombed major cities in Afghanistan on Friday, and said the neighbours are in “open war” following months of tit-for-tat clashes Mast Qalandar vs ‘reaching their collar’ Pakistan Army spokesperson Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said his forces “killed 274 Taliban personnel, while 400 were injured”. Twelve Pakistani soldiers were killed, while 27 others injured, he added. AFP journalists heard shellfire and gunfire in Torkham, with Afghan soldiers heading towards the frontier after overnight bombardment by Pakistan ■ ■ “Our patience has run out. Now it will be Dama Dam Mast Qalandar,” Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said in a post on X However, Taliban govt spokesman Mujahid said the recent strikes were intended to send a clear message that “our hand can reach their collar.” He claimed Taliban had seized 19 Pakistani military posts 55 pakistani soldiers killed in latest round of attacks, says taliban 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 Kejri, others let off in excise scam Special judge Jitendra Singh raps CBI for procedural lapses, refuses to put accused on trial It’s a historic verdict. The court has proved that Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and AAP are kattar imaandar (staunchly honest). I challenge the PM to hold fresh polls in Delhi. If BJP wins over 10 seats, I will quit politics U D AYA N K I S H OR E @ New Delhi HC lifts stay, clears release of ‘Kerala Story 2’ E x p r ess N e w s S e r v i c e @ Kochi The Kerala High Court on Friday granted permission for the release of ‘The Kerala Story 2 – Goes Beyond’, staying a single judge’s order halting the film’s screening for 15 days. The order will pave the way for the release of the film in more than 1,800 theatres across the country and in 355 centres abroad. A division bench comprising Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice P V Balakrishnan issued the order on an appeal filed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, proprietor of Sunshine Pictures, Mumbai, seeking to quash the single judge’s order. The division bench, which had reserved its order after an urgent hearing that lasted around two hours on Thursday night, passed the interim order at 4pm on Friday . Earlier on Thursday the sin, gle judge had stayed the release of the movie — originally scheduled for Friday — after verifying the contents of the teaser and finding that it had a “prima facie potential to distort public perception and disturb communal harmony”. The judge had observed that there were prima facie materials indicating an absence of application of mind to the requirements of law by the censor board. The division bench, in its order, stated that once a certificate has been issued, there is, prima facie, a presumption that the authority concerned has taken into account all guidelines, including public order. “...if any issue of public order arises due to the release of the movie, it is the duty of state to maintain it,”it said.  ● More on P5 A Delhi court on Friday discharged former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and 22 others, including deputy CM Manish Sisodia and ex-BRS leader K Kavitha in the alleged excise scam, finding it unworthy of trial as it junked the CBI chargesheet. Hours later, the CBI moved the Delhi High Court challenging the trial court order. Trial court special judge Jitendra Singh also pulled up the CBI for procedural lapses, violation of constitutional principles and relying on hearsay evidence. He also found the ‘South Group’ label for the excise policy accused particularly inappropriate, adding he will recommend a de par tm e n t al inquiry against the investigating officer of the case. — Arvind Kejriwal, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal gets emotional as he addresses the media on Friday | PTI “Prosecution case, as presented in the chargesheet, rests largely on surmises, conjectures, and inferential leaps unsupported by cogent material,” the judge said. Singh said that the policy was the outcome of a structured gov- Satyamev Jayate (truth alone triumphs). This (case) was a web of lies. Judiciary has cut right through it. Who will account for the time that I lost with my kids (due to her incarceration for five months)? — K Kavitha, Telangana Jagruthi president ernmental process involving multiple departments, expert committees and cabinet-level approvals, and the decisions, even if later withdrawn or criticised, “cannot by themselves give rise to criminal liability unless supported by clear evidence GDP projected to grow 7.6% in FY26 under new series P U S H P I TA D E Y @ New Delhi THE Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Friday released a new series of annual and quarterly National Accounts with 2022-23 as the base year, replacing the 2011-12 series, and raised India’s real GDP growth estimate for FY26 to 7.6% from 7.4% projected earlier. Data showed that real GDP growth in Q3 of 2025-26 eased to 7.8% from 8.4% in the July-September quarter. Growth in the corresponding year-ago quarter was 8%. Chief Economic Advisor V Anantha Nageswaran said that given the revised data, strong Q3 performance, and improving outlook for capital flows and trade frameworks, FY27 real GDP growth projection was revised upward from 6.8-7.2% range to 7-7.4% with upward risk. The CEA said with full-year growth estimated at 7.6% for FY26, the economy would need to expand by over 7.8% in Q4 to meet the projection. Why revise base year Base year revision aims to better capture structural changes in the economy, include new data sources, refine estimation methodologies, and enhance coverage and accuracy Today’s Match 7pm: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka (Pallekele) Jacks gives pak life Will Jacks’ 32 off 18 help England beat New Zealand in Colombo on Friday. Pakistan now need to beat Sri Lanka by 65 runs or have to chase any target set by Sri Lanka in 13 overs on Saturday | AFP ‘extra-marital affair’ Just before polls, Vijay’s wife calls it quits P r a b ha k a r Ta m i l a r asu @ Chennai SANKGEETHA Vijay, wife of actorpolitician and Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader Vijay Chandrasekar, has filed a divorce petition before the Chengalpattu court alleging cruelty and adultery The family . court has summoned Vijay to appear before it on April 20. Sankgeetha accused her husband of having an extra-marital relationship with an actress and that he has subjected her to “persistent mental cruelty neglect and desertion”. , If required, she said she would implead the actress as second respondent. She urged the court to hold incamera proceedings to protect the privacy and dignity of the parties and their children. On December 3 last, Sankgeetha filed the petition before the Principal District Judge Court, Chengalpattu, under provisions of the Special Marriage Act, 1954. The petition was transferred to the family court on February 24. After Vijay Sankgeetha ‘Withdrew emotionally, distanced himself’ In her petition, Sankgeetha alleged that Vijay “gradually withdrew emotionally, distanced himself from conjugal life and excluded her from his social and professional engagements” the first hearing in the case on Thursday, the family court adjourned the matter to April 20 and directed Vijay to appear in person. In her petition, Sankgeetha said the marriage was first registered in the UK on July 10, 1998, and later solemnised according to Hindu rites in Chennai on August 25, 1999. The petition stated that the marriage was initially cordial and that she devoted herself to family life and raising their children while supporting Vijay’s professional commitments. However, she alleged that in April 2021 she discovered that Vijay was involved in an adulterous relationship with an actress, which caused “deep emotional pain and mental suffering”. Despite assurances that the relationship would end, she claimed their association continued. Sankgeetha also contended that attempts to resolve the dispute amicably through legal notices and personal discussions between 2021 and 2025 failed. She alleged that financial restrictions were imposed on her and that the marital relationship had irretrievably broken down. Seeking dissolution of marriage, she has requested permanent alimony residence at matrimonial home or , an equivalent accommodation. of quid pro quo, personal gain, or misuse of office”. Prosecution case does not disclose even the threshold of prima facie suspicion, far less the “grave suspicion” mandated by settled principles of criminal jurisprudence, the court said. Observing that the judicial task was not to secure a convenient outcome or to endorse a dominant narrative, but to uphold the rule of law, the judge refused to put the accused on trial. The judge rejected the charge that Kejriwal as the then CM exercised overarching control over the conspiracy relating to the formulation and implementation of the excise policy say, ing the only principal material relied upon to implicate him was the statement of approver, which was “without any independent corroboration”. E x p r e s s Re a d Pinarayi to lead poll campaign; CPM candidate list in March first week T’Puram: CM Pinarayi Vijayan will lead the LDF campaign in assembly polls, the CPM has officially announced. With this, the party has made it clear that the 80-year-old would be its CM candidate this time too. The CPM is all set to release its candidates list by the first week of March. P5 NSS refuses security checks for VP visit at Mannam Samadhi E x p r ess N e w s S e r v i c e @Kottayam In a brazen move, the NSS leadership has refused security checks at Mannam Samadhi mandapam at its Perunna headquarters ahead of Vice President C P Radhakrishnan’s scheduled visit, forcing the security team to withdraw and potentially prompting a revision of the dignitary’s itinerary . Sources close to the NSS leadership said the decision stemmed solely from concerns that police dog inspections could desecrate Mannam Samadhi — revered as a holy site by the community —and insisted the organisation bore no ill will toward the vice president. “In fact, he (Radhakrishnan) had visited Perunna and offered floral tributes at Mannam We have Samadhi shortly before assuming office,” a temporarily suspended the source said. According to police, the vice president is checks and scheduled to arrive in Changanassery on Sat- informed the vice president’s urday to attend the valedictory function of SB office, awaiting College’s centenary celebrations. His itinerary further includes landing at the NSS Hindu College instructions ground at Perunna and proceeding to the nearby Mannam Samadhi to pay floral tributes, be- A Shahul Hameed, fore moving to SB College. However, the NSS’s Kottayam dist police objections to the security checks have compli- superintendent cated these plans. “We have received communication from the vice president’s office regarding his intention to pay floral tributes at Mannam Samadhi. However, the NSS authorities have expressed reservations about security checks at the Samadhi mandapam. We have temporarily suspended the checks and informed the vice president’s office, awaiting further instructions,” said A Shahul Hameed, Kottayam district police superintendent. The security team that arrived in Perunna to carry out the checks comprised personnel from the Central Reserve Police ● More on P5 Force (CRPF) and the Kerala Police.