bengaluru l tuesday l june 16, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 24 l late CITY EDITION Fake NEET re-test question paper Racket Busted by Gujarat police The Gujarat Police have busted a fraud syndicate that promised students and parents access to NEET retest question papers in return for money Two from Rajasthan in custody used gaming sites to launder money: cops The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Police said the accused had created multiple Telegram channels and circulated ads and posts claiming they could provide the RE-NEET question paper. Sumer Singh Meena, a resident of Jaipur, and Akash Meena, resident of Kota, were arrested. However, no question papers or examination materials were recovered ■ ■ The suspects were also running parallel fake investment schemes. The police suspect that the proceeds of the crimes were routed through accounts linked to gaming websites to hide their origin Transactions of about `1.5 crore were found to have been carried out through their various bank accounts linked to the accused | P11 June 21 when the neet re-test would be held 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 B’desh sore as PM adviser stopped at New Delhi airport J aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi A diplomatic row erupted between India and Bangladesh on Monday after Dhaka summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe and conveyed its “deep disappointment” over the stopping in Delhi of Zahed Ur Rahman, adviser on policy and strategy affairs to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. It is learnt that Zahed was stopped by immigration authorities at the Indira Gandhi International Airport for ‘verification’ in the context of some of his previous anti-India statements. Though the authorities subsequently granted him a ‘one-time exemption’ to enter, he had by then decided to return to Dhaka on a night flight via Colombo. The incident triggered a strong reaction in Dhaka, with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman describing it as “unexpected” and “unfortunate”. “It is an unexpected incident, unfortunate,” Khalilur Rahman said and added that the Bangladesh government was taking appropriate steps regarding the matter. The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry also summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner Pawan Badhe and handed over a formal protest note. Foreign Ministry spokesman Shahidul Karim said that Badhe arrived at the ministry in the afternoon and was formally informed of Bangladesh’s concerns over the episode. Zahed had travelled to New Delhi to lead a Bangladeshi delegation to the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), being hosted by India’s Ministry of External Affairs on June 15 and 16. According to diplomatic sources, Bangladesh had formally informed India in advance about Zahed’s participation. Diplomatic sources said that Zahed had to wait at the airport for nearly two hours while immigration authorities carried out verification procedures. He was eventually cleared for entry under a one-time exemption, but chose not to proceed with his visit. The adviser was travelling on a regular Bangladeshi passport and not on a diplomatic passport, it was learnt. The development comes at a sensitive time in India-Bangladesh relations, which have witnessed occasional strains but showed the intent to repair and strengthen the ties amid political changes in Dhaka and differences over a range of bilateral and regional issues. Zahed is known as a political commentator and critic of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her government. Zahed Ur Rahman It is an unexpected incident, unfortunate, too Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh Foreign Minister IORA meet Zahed was travelling to India to attend the 28th Meeting of the Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) of the Indian Ocean Rim Association on June 15–16 in New Delhi It’s a deal Digitally signed by Trump, Vance, Ghalibaf; in-person inking on Friday New Disha for LNG flow E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i ce @ New Delhi In a major diplomatic breakthrough, US President Donald Trump and Iran announced an agreement intended to end more than three months of conflict in West Asia and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Digitally signed by Trump, US Vice President J D Vance and Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf electronically on Sunday, the framework is expected to be inked in person in Switzerland on Friday . Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the development. “I welcome the understanding reached between the United States and Iran on ending the conflict in West Asia, which has caused serious economic disruption across the world and led to loss of life in many countries,” Modi said in a post on X. He added that India hopes the agreement’s implementation will help restore peace and stability in the region and safeguard “the freed o m o f n av i g a t i o n a n d commerce”. In Washington, Trump declared the breakthrough on social media, saying “Ships of the world, start A Liquefied Natural Gas carrier, chartered by Petronet LNG, safely transited the Hormuz — the first Indian LNG tanker to cross it since the West Asia war broke over three months ago. It is also one of the first commercial vessels to transit the strait since the announcement of a preliminary ceasefire deal between the US and Iran your engines. Let the oil flow!” He also said the blockade on Iranian ports would be lifted once the agreement is signed. Iranian state media said Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council confirmed the understanding. “The memorandum will be published after signing in Switzerland,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said. However, the deal leaves several contentious issues unresolved. Iran’s nuclear programme remains the most sensitive point of contention. While both sides have agreed in principle that Tehran will not pursue nuclear weapons, details on enrichment limits, stockpile management, and inspection are yet to be finalised. Name on watchlist E XPR E SS N E WS S E RVI C E Zahed Ur Rahman’s name appeared on a watchlist during a routine screening, state-run BSS news agency reported. His YouTube channel ‘Zahed’s Take’ is blocked in India IN a major recast of the wholesale and factory gate inflation framework, the government on Monday unveiled a revised series of the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) with 2022-23 as the base year and simultaneously introduced new Producer Price Indices (PPIs). The new WPI series, released by the Office of the Economic Adviser under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, replaces the 2011-12 base year series. The government has also @ New Delhi PRODUCER PRICE INDEX Govt introduces PPI data for both goods and services for the first time to better reflect price movement Govt’s move in line with practices adopted by advanced economies and IMF recommendations Base year for both WPI and PPI to be 2022-23, replacing 2011-12 series launched the Output PPI, a trial Input PPI for manufacturing, and Service PPIs covering seven sectors including banking, insurance, railways, telecom and air passenger services. Migration & colonial history: Story of 2026 WC THE story of the 2026 World Cup is also a story of migration, the history of colonialism and how some of the countries used their networks of scouts and agents to tap into their diaspora across the world. Here’s an example. On Tuesday night, France will play Senegal. Out of the 26 members in the African team, 10 of them were born in France with some of them making their competitive club debuts for sides across France before declaring for Senegal, the country of their parents or grandparents. Algeria have as many as 13 who were born in France. It includes one of the most famous surnames in world football, Today’s matches (Wednesday IST): Group I: France vs Senegal (12.30 am); Iraq vs Norway (3.30 am); Group J: Argentina vs Algeria (6.30 am); Austria vs Jordan (9.30 am). Live on Unite8 Sports and Zee5 Luca Zidane, Zinedine’s son. The result is that many, like Luca, featured in a number of French age-group teams, before declaring for Algeria. The banlieues of Paris have long become the hotbed for football talent and countries from around the world have become wiser. It’s why out of 1248 players at the World Cup, 75 were born in France. The migratory patterns are also visible in other ways; out of the 1248 players, 289 will not play for the country of their birth. It’s here Guarantees Only K’taka voters eligible, says CM Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the state govt’s guarantees are meant for the people of Karnataka and not outsiders. “We want the benefits to be credited directly to beneficiaries’ accounts,” he said | P4 Inflation up, new PPI series to capture it kicks in global game s w a r o o p s w a m i n at h a n Trump has indicated Iran may be allowed low-level enrichment, a departure from his earlier position demanding complete dismantlement of its nuclear infrastructure. Sanctions relief and frozen Iranian assets also remain under negotiation. Iranian officials have demanded access to billions of dollars in blocked funds and a phased lifting of US and UN sanctions. Washington, however, has only committed to discussing potential waivers and a possible reconstruction framework over the next 60 days. While Iran reportedly conditioned the agreement on a halt to Israel-Hezbollah fighting, Israel said its forces would continue operations in Lebanon. Trump criticised recent Israeli strikes in Beirut, saying they were “not appropriate” at a sensitive diplomatic moment.  P14 Spain frustrated Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, front, makes a save against Spain | AP that first-timers like Curacao and Cabo Verde have improvised. Considering there are clear cultural and geopolitical links between Curacao and The Netherlands, they have tapped into that existing system. Out of the 26-strong squad, only one, Tahith Chong, was born in the ATLANTA: Debutants Cape Verde produced one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history by holding European champions Spain to a goalless draw on Monday. Despite overwhelming possession, Spain could not penetrate the resolute Cape Verde defence, leaving the African nation’s fans celebrating wildly in Atlanta. country. The other 25 were all bor n in Netherlands. Cape Verde, also tapped into their vast scouting networks in Portugal (three), Netherlands (six) and France (three). It’s why 12 of their 26 were born and schooled in these three countries.  P19 Full story: newindianexpress.com PPI to phase out WPI in five years PPI comprises Output, Input, and Service indices comprising 7 sectors Service PPI to cover banking, securities transaction, insurance, management of pension funds, railways, air (passenger) & telecom; remaining sectors in next phase The commerce ministry said WPI and PPI will be published in parallel for five years to allow users, particularly those relying on WPI-linked contracts and escalation clauses, to transition to the producer price framework. After this, WPI will be discontinued. As per the new data, WPI inflation surged to 9.7% year-onyear in May 2026 against 8.3% in April, led by a jump in energy prices. Combining the new base and old base WPI, the May print is the highest in 44 months. Fuel inflation rose to 30.3% in May from 24.9% in April, driven by crude oil, natural gas, and mineral fuels (ATF, naphtha, petrol, diesel, etc). The Output PPI (goods) saw a rise similar to that of WPI, at 9.4% in May against 8.1% in April, led by fuel inflation. 2 killed, 5 hurt in major fire at Mysuru bar E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i ce @ Mysuru Two people were killed and five others injured after a fire broke out at a bar and restaurant in Mysuru on Monday afternoon and officials suspect a short-circuit to be the cause. The incident occurred on the top floor of Fox Den Kitchen and Mixology Joint near Netaji Circle in Dattagalli. Two hotel cooks, Shaheen (26) from Darjeeling and Prakash (24) from Nepal died due to severe burns. Several others, including customers Sonu (25), Ramesh (25), Mahadeva Prasad (32), Prajwal (26), Avinash (27) and hotel owner Preetham, sustained injuries and were admitted to nearby private hospitals. Shaheen’s wife, who also worked at the establishment, was present on the first floor during the incident and managed to escape. P7 Customers try to escape the blaze at the bar in Mysuru on Monday Autopsy: Vennela died of obliteration of airway, blunt abdominal trauma B a l a C h a u h a n @ Bengaluru She had last worn a branded pink T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans, when she was allegedly fatally assaulted by her mother’s paramour -- realtor GM Mohan --inside his car in Indiranagar on March 24, reportedly over the choice of an ice cream. Her T-shirt was bloodstained and her six-yearold body carried obvious marks of external injuries on her face. “Bloodstained fluid oozing out from both nostrils and mouth. Tip of fingers and nail beds showed bluish discoloration,” stated the postmortem report of six-year-old Vennela P Her face bore multiple abra. sions; from her nose to her cheeks. Priyanka and GM Mohan The Kadugodi police initially registered a case of suspicious (unnatural) death (UDR) under Section 194 (3) of Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 after Vennela’s mother, advocate Priyanka, who is a co-accused and under arrest now, is said to have told the cops that Mohan and she, along with her daughter had travelled by road to Thiruvananthapuram, Alleppey and Madurai in the last three days to celebrate her birthday and Vennela had fallen sick because of travel and food poisoning. “She said the bruises on the face were because the child had fallen multiple times inside the car because she was unwell,” said sources. The postmortem conducted at the Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre on March 25 stated that the cause of death was “combined effect of asphyxia as a result of obliteration of airway and blunt trauma to the abdomen sustained,” and turned the case from UDR to FIR.  P5