3 academics caught in NCERT row approach SC The three academics said drafting of the content was a collective process. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was told the three experts, Professor Michel Danion, Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar, were not fly-by-night persons and had credibility. On February 26, the court banned NCERT’s Class 8 social science book which contained ‘offending’ contents on corruption in the judiciary. mangaluru l tuesday l april 07, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 14 l city EDITION 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 Both sides reject Pak proposal on truce, Israel hits South Pars again Trump calls ceasefire plan ‘very significant’ but not enough to end the ongoing conflict day The convicts in the Sathankulam custodial death case being taken away from the court in Madurai on Monday evening (top); Kin of the victims speaking to reporters | k k sundar Sathankulam case: All nine policemen sentenced to death J EG A DEESW A RI PA NDI A N @ Madurai In a groundbreaking verdict, the 1st Additional District and Sessions Judge of Madurai, G Muthukumaran, on Monday, imposed the death penalty on all nine policemen who were convicted for the custodial torture and death of two traders — P Jeyaraj and his son Beniks — at Sathankulam in Thoothukudi in 2020. The nine convicts were identified as, then inspector S Sridhar, then sub inspectors P Ragu Ganesh and K Balakrishnan, then head constables S Murugan and A Samidurai and constables M Muthuraja, S Veil Muthu, S Chelladurai and X Thomas Francis. Referring to similar incidents, including George Floyd’s murder in the United States and recent killing of Ajithkumar in Madapuram, the judge observed that custodial killings are a social evil and an assault on human rights. “When there is power, there should be responsibility The policemen . involved misused their power and like the fence eating away at grass, they took the life of two common men, a father-son duo, by stripping them of their clothes and beating them throughout the night, merely because Jeyaraj scolded them and Beniks tried to prevent them from assaulting his father,” the judge said, adding that the judgment should serve as a warning so that such incidents do not recur. Muthukumaran said, “If a life sentence is given, police officials may get emboldened that they can come out of jail after serving it.” CBI tasked with probing CM nepotism SUCHI T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Monday directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations that various government contracts in Arunachal Pradesh were awarded to firms linked to Chief Minister Pema Khandu’s family . “We order CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry The CBI to . submit a status report within 16 weeks on whether an independent investigation is required or not,” said a bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath. The court was hearing a PIL filed by two NGOs, Save Mon Region Federation and Voluntary Arunachal Senaa, alleging that most government contracts in the state were being illegally awarded to the Khandu family . The NGOs sought a probe by a Special Investigation Team into the charges. The court in its order said the CBI’s preliminary inquiry shall cover awards of contracts from 2015 to 2025. Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, had during the arguments pointed out that 31 contracts had been awarded in 11 years to Brand Eagles, owned by the CM’s wife. Another company called Frontier Associate, owned by the CM, got 91 contracts with a total value of `145 crore, he said. urea Farmer ID mandatory to purchase fertiliser Fertiliser will be distributed through the K-Kisan software based on each farmer’s landholding size and crop, ensuring that only the required quantity is allotted | P7 38 A g e n c i e s @ Dubai IRAN and the United States received a draft proposal late Sunday calling for a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal, tentatively dubbed the ‘Islamabad Accord’, came from Egyptian, Pakistani and Turkish mediators, hoping the 45-day window would provide enough time for talks to reach a permanent ceasefire. It was sent to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. Iran on Monday rejected the proposal. News agency IRNA said, “Iran... has rejected a File photo of the South Pars gas field in the southern Iranian port town of Assaluyeh, which was hit by an Israeli missile strike on Monday | AFP ceasefire and insists on the need for a definitive end to the conflict.” Iran’s refusal for truce came after the head of intelligence for Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Maj Gen Majid Khademi, was killed in an attack targeting him in Tehran. For his part, US President Donald Trump said the truce proposal was a “very significant step,” but not enough yet to end the conflict. The Revolutionary Guards said they will avenge Khademi’s killing, adding preparations were on to enforce new operating conditions in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s central military command warned of “much more devastating” retaliation if enemies hit civilian targets. Word of Iran’s rejection came while Trump addressed an 55% of voters remain excluded even after review: West Bengal Bengal, said the appellate tribunals should pass interim orders for those prima facie found THE West Bengal government wrongly excluded. on Monday told the Supreme The bench, however, declined Court that as many as 55% of the submissions and refused to voters whose names were re- set any deadline for the tribumoved from the electoral rolls nals to decide on the appeals. stand excluded even after the The court noted the electoral adjudication of claims list needs to be frozen and objections. at some point in view “Out of these 60 lakh of the upcoming Ascases, available data of sembly elections, but 40 lakh cases indicates it was leaving the decithe exclusion rate is sion to the appellate 55%,” said senior lawtribunals. yer Shyam Divan, apThe CJI asked the pearing for West BenCalcutta High Court gal Chief Minister Tribunals will go on chief justice to conMamata Banerjee. hearing and we do stitute a three-memA bench headed by not want to rush it, ber panel of former but we need to Chief Justice Surya senior judges to frame freeze the list Kant and comprising uniform procedures somewhere... j u s t i c e s Jo y m a l ya for these tribunals. Appellate process Bagchi and Vipin Pan- can take a month “Let the committee choli, noted that 59.15 prescribe the proceor even 60 days lakh out of 60.06 lakh dure by tomorrow Supreme Court cases were decided by (Tuesday) so that adApril 6 noon. judication of appeals Divan argued that the rejec- can be expedited,” it said and tion rate is very high despite fixed the matter for further the judicial safeguards. “These hearing to April 23. were mapped individuals. SevIn another decision, the court en lakh objections have already directed the NIA to take over been filed and several lakh ap- the probe into the gherao of jupeals are in the process of be- dicial officers engaged in SIR ing filed,” he said. work in Malda after noting seSenior advocate Kapil Sibal, rious allegations against the appearing for the State of West local police. SUCHI T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi Easter event on the White House lawn. Asked if Tuesday at 8 pm Washington time was his final deadline for Iran, Trump replied, “Yeah.” Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said they struck a petrochemical facility in Iran. “The IDF has now strongly attacked the largest petrochemical facility in Iran located in [Asaluyeh],” he said, adding the facility in the Pars region services Iran’s South Pars natural gas field, and produced around half of the country’s petrochemicals. Strikes on cities across Iran killed more people on Monday , while in Israel’s Haifa, victims were found dead in rubble following an attack. Israel said four people were killed in Haifa. Oil prices fluctuated, with North Sea Brent at $109 a barrel and US West Texas at $112.  ‘Islamabad Accord’: P11 Accused on run Woman govt teacher killed, body burnt Express News Service @ Kalaburagi A government woman teacher was brutally killed and her body burnt in an attempt to destroy evidence near Kalmod village of Kamalapur taluk, police sources said here on Monday. The deceased, Jyoti Kapale Hiremath (57), was teaching at the government school in Wandarkhed village of Bhalki taluk (Bidar district). She had taken a rented house in Bidar to be near her workplace. A resident of Anand Colony in Kalaburagi city, she visited the city once a week. Kalmod is on the way to Bidar, the police said. Initially, the crime was registered as the murder of an unknown woman, based on a complaint filed by Manohar Chakrakar of Kalmod. Later, her identity was established. Kalaburagi SP P Adduru Srinivasalu said the search for the accused has begun. Quarry allotted for Kaiga Units 5, 6 in tiger reserve, but forest official okays it S u b h a s h C h a n d r a NS @Kaiga (Uttara Kannada) Mamata Banerjee addresses a public meeting in Nadia on Monday | pti ‘Stalin, Congress in cahoots with BJP’ Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee on Monday alleged that the BJP had entered into a “tacit understanding” with the Congress and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, saying many officers from Bengal had been sent to the southern state as poll observers. Also, the EC transferred around 500 officers in Bengal compared with a handful in other pollbound states, she alleged The proposed Units 5 and 6 of the Kaiga nuclear plant have encountered their first hurdle -- a quarry allocated to extract construction material for the units falls within the ecologically sensitive Kali Tiger Reserve and Western Ghats. Environmental activists, who have opposed the proposal, want an alternative site to be allocated. Despite accepting these facts, considering the objections and taking note of intense opposition, the Deputy Director General of Forests (DDGF) has okayed the proposal for consideration. The approved site to extract construction material for the two units of Kaiga Nuclear Power Station measures 3.70 hectares on Survey No 87, Devikar village in Karwar taluk of Uttara Kannada district that falls within the tiger reserve. “It is within the ecologically sensitive zone of Kali Tiger Reserve, where quarrying is prohibited. Devikar village is part of the Western Ghats eco-sensitive area. The user agency (UA -- Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant) has not submitted any environ- The quarry site for Kaiga 5 and 6 mental clearance (EC) and Wildlife Clearance (WLC) required for the purpose,” observes DDGF S Senthil Kumar in his letter, but still goes ahead and recommends it for consideration. His letter suspects that Kaiga plant carried out quarrying at the site, violating norms. “The quarry area had earlier been in operation and under the possession of the UA. After the expiry of the lease in 1999, it was not taken back by the forest department and the quarrying reportedly continued beyond 1999 for Units 3 and 4 in violation of the Forest Conservation Act 1980,” the letter available with The New Indian Express observes. CONTINUED ON: P7 Security scare at Delhi Assembly as private car breaks through the iron gate Express News Service @ New Delhi IN a major security breach at the Delhi Assembly on Monday afternoon, an unauthorised private car entered the premises after ramming through one of the boundary gates. The car with an Uttar Pradesh registration number stayed inside briefly and came out. The driver of the Tata Sierra placed a flower bouquet in the Speaker’s official car parked on the porch before fleeing, triggering a a major security scare at the Vidhan Sabha. The intruder hit a big gate and a boom barrier before en- Accused followed farmers’ agitation: Police Police sources said the accused, identified as 37-year-old Saravjeet Singh, a resident of Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, is believed to be a follower of the farmers’ agitation. Uttar Pradesh Police reached the residence of Singh in Pilibhit and questioned his family members, who claimed he was suffering from mental health issues and was undergoing treatment tering the area via gate number 2, which is a VIP gate. Several police teams, including the bomb squad and dog squad, rushed to the spot. A Forensics team also came to the spot and lifted the exhibits from near the gate and the area where the bouquet was placed. The bouquet was also checked. Police checked the CCTV footage and intercepted the car at Roop Nagar area in north Delhi. Three persons, including the driver identified as Sarabjeet Singh, were intercepted. Forensic team inspecting Delhi Assembly premises on Monday | Sayantan Ghosh Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Raja Banthia said that around 2.10 pm, a whitecoloured Tata Sierra bearing re gistration number UP26AZ8090 forcefully entered the premises of the Delhi Assembly through gate number-2. “One individual alighted from the car and proceeded towards the porch area carrying a bouquet and a garland of marigold flowers. The Vidhan Sabha was not in session. During the incident, the accused drove the vehicle in a dangerous manner with intent to run over security personnel on duty thereby endangering their , lives,” the DCP said.