S JANAKI hyderabad l Sunday l july 12, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION S u r es h K av i raya n i & Av i n a s h Ra m ac h a n d ra n @ Hyderabad/Chennai Legendary playback singer S Janaki, fondly called the Nightingale of South India, passed away in Mysuru due to age-related health complications on Saturday She was 88. . Born in Pallapatla village near Re palle in Andhra Pradesh, Janaki began her playback singing journey in Telugu with the 1957 film MLA. Her first Telugu songs, Nee Aasa Adiyaasa and Idenandi Idenandi Bhagyanagaram, marked the beginning of an extraordinary career. Over more than six decades, Janaki became the voice of generations of actors. While she was best known for her renditions of countless songs in South Indian languages, Janaki left an indelible mark in Hindi, Bengali and Odia as well. Although she retired 23 April 1938 l 11 July 2026 Versatility made JANAKI a Truly SPECIAL singer from active playback singing in 2016, the 48,000 songs she sang in over 20 languages since the late 1950s will stand testimony to her versatility . One of her most memorable songs remains Nee Leela Paade- da Deva from the Telugudubbed version of the Tamil film Konjum Salangai (Muripinche Muvvalu), starring Savitri and Gemini Ganesan. Interestingly, Janaki was not the original choice for the song. The makers had initially approached legendary singer P Leela, but she recommended Janaki for it. The song went on to become a classic, and the film turned into a huge success, with Janaki’s soulful ren- dition playing a major role. What made Janaki truly special was her remarkable versatility. She could effortlessly lend her voice to a six-year-old child, a young heroine, a middle-aged woman or even an elderly character with equal conviction. One of the finest examples of this was the song Govullu Tellana Gopayya Nallana from Saptapadi, in which she convincingly sang in a child’s voice.  continued on P5 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 POCSO accused kills 6 in Shabad romance de La Roja Spain ultimately showed their class as they beat Belgium 2-1 to advance to only their second World Cup semifinal. A look... Victims include complainant, her mother & grandmother, accused’s wife and two sons Timeline to horror Complaints filed about a year ago W I T H T HIS ISSUE Game On PLUS 12 P AGES Express Read ERC clears dedicated Discom for agriculture Hyderabad: The State Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) has issued a licence to the Telangana Rythu Power Distribution Company Limited (TGRPDCL), clearing the way for Telangana to establish a dedicated power distribution company for the agriculture sector. The entity is likely to become operational within four months | P4 UN experts flag SIR deletions in Bengal New Delhi: Three United Nations Special Rapporteurs have written to the Indian government expressing concern over allegations that the Election Commission’s SIR of electoral rolls resulted in the deletion of millions of voters, with minority communities allegedly being disproportionately affected | P5 Family alleges Rajkumar began stalking the victim, repeatedly forced her to speak to him Later, the mother alleged he stopped the girl on her way to college and threatened to kill her if she rejected him Family stopped sending the victim to college for nearly six months Rajkumar installed CCTV cameras facing the victim’s house May 16 Victim appears for Inter first-year exam Rajkumar follows her, grabs her hand outside the exam centre and tries to drag her away Mother intervenes; police complaint lodged FIR registered under stalking, criminal intimidation and POCSO provisions Following weeks Police say Rajkumar absconded and got anticipatory bail Family alleges they later saw him in Shabad despite informing police Friday 10.45 pm Rajkumar attacks the complainant’s family Before midnight Complainant, her mother, grandmother, the accused’s wife and two sons, are killed Saturday SI Thimmasarthi Ramesh suspended Charge memo issued to Shabad SHO Baggari Kantha Reddy Police announce `2L reward for information leading to the accused’s arrest C h i t h a l u r i R e v a n t h @ Hyderabad In one of the most chilling crimes in recent memory a 35-year-old man accused , in a POCSO case allegedly killed six people, including the 16-year-old complainant, her mother and grandmother, before returning home and murdering his wife and two young sons in Shabad mandal of Rangareddy district late on Friday night. The killings, which police said took place in little over an hour between about 10.45 pm and midnight, sparked allegations of police negligence from the victim’s family and local residents. On Saturday , the investigating officer in the POCSO case, SubInspector Thimmasarthi Ramesh, was suspended, while a charge memo was issued to P Rajkumar Shabad SHO Baggari `2 L reward Kantha Reddy. Senior police officers said furannounced ther action would be Future City taken if any additional Police have lapses were found. announced a The accused, P Rajkureward of `2 mar, remains abscondlakh for info ing. Police said he had leading to the obtained anticipatory arrest of bail in the POCSO case Rajkumar. after initially evading Identity of the arrest. Police formed 10 informant teams to trace him, and would be kept announced a reward of confidential `2 lakh for information leading to his arrest. According to police, Rajkumar first went to the house of the teenage girl in Shabad and knocked on the door. When her mother opened it, he attacked her with a knife before killing the girl’s grandmother. Police said he spared a disabled family member present in the house. They said Rajkumar then forced the teenager into his car and drove her to a lake near Daiwalaguda village, where he slit her throat. He later returned to his house, about 300 metres away, woke up his wife, Saritha, and killed her before slitting the throats of his two sons, both aged below five. Future City Police Commissioner Tarun Joshi said Rajkumar called his father at 11.57 pm and claimed that he had killed six people. He also reportedly told his father that he intended to die by suicide, although police said this had not been confirmed.  continued on P3 India, New Zealand scale up ties to strategic partnership J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi India and New Zealand elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership on Saturday , marking the most significant upgrade in bilateral ties in decades, with the two countries unveiling an ambitious defence, maritime and economic agenda aimed at deepening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Following wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon, the two sides announced 18 outcomes, including 10 agreements spanning defence, maritime security, trade, supply chains and regional cooperation. The two sides launched a Maritime Security Dialogue, a reciprocal logistics support arrangement between the Indian Navy and the New Zealand Defence Force, a maritime cooperation pact between their defence ministries, and a roadmap Merino does it again A few days after scoring the winner against Portugal in injury-time, the midfielder, who had only been on the field for three minutes, finished from close range to score the winner in the 88th minute PM Narendra Modi with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon at an Indian diaspora event in Auckland | PTI to expand bilateral engagement over the next four years. The leaders also set an ambitious target of doubling bilateral trade in goods and services to NZ$7 billion (around `35,000 crore) by 2030, while committing to ensure the early implementation of the recently signed India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. “I am delighted that we are going to take our relationship forward through a Strategic Partnership. This milestone will motivate us to move ahead with greater energy confidence , and determination,” said Modi, the first Indian PM to visit New Zealand in four decades. The agreements underscore New Zealand’s growing strategic engagement with India as Wellington seeks to diversify partnerships in the Indo-Pacific, while reflecting New Delhi’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with like-minded maritime democracies against the backdrop of China’s expanding regional influence. The joint statement reaffir med both countries’ commitment to a free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific, stressing respect for sovereignty territo, rial integrity and the rulesbased international order. Both PMs also reiterated support for freedom of navigation and overflight. Simon finally breached Meeting France As soon as the draw was out, the brackets had suggested this and so it has come to pass. Two of the world’s best sides against will face each other in the first semifinal at Dallas for a place in the final. And it promises to be a cracker After not conceding for almost 11 hours, Spain’s Unai Simon finally conceded a goal, Charles de Ketelaere heading home a cross from the right. But Spain refocused to deliver the finishing touch Ready to hand over KLIS barrages to NDSA: CM Ex p r ess N e ws S e rv i c e @ Hyderabad Asserting that his government had no objection to handing over the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages to the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA), Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday challenged BJP MP Eatala Rajender to lead a delegation to New Delhi to apprise the authority of their condition and seek approval for the release of water. He also asked Rajender to meet the Union Jal Shakti Minister on the issue. “We are ready to hand over the barrages to the NDSA for rehabilitation if the agency comes forward. Eatala should take the responsibility of con- vincing the central agency to address the issue,” he said. Revanth also urged Rajender to persuade the Centre to order a CBI probe into the alleged multi-crore Kaleshwaram project scam and raise the issue in Parliament. He said his government was prepared to undertake rehabilitation of the damaged Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages in accordance with the recommendations of the NDSA. Speaking to reporters at the MCRHRD Institute, Revanth said the NDSA report had concluded that the Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages were unsuitable for storing water. “The NDSA stated that damage to Block No. 7 of the Medigadda barrage has rendered it unfit for water diversion. It noted that the Annaram barrage was severely damaged and that diverting water through it was unsafe. It also stated that diverting water through the Sundilla barrage was unsafe because of the extensive damage. The NDSA recommended that all restoration designs, repairs and related works should be undertaken only with the approval of the NDSA or the Central Water Commission (CWC),” he stated. Explaining why water could not be lifted through the Kan- 15 Indians killed as boat capsizes off Vietnam j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi AT least 15 Indian tourists, including 13 men and two women, were killed after a tourist boat carrying Indian visitors capsized off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island on Saturday prompting a major , search-and-rescue operation and emergency assistance by Indian diplomatic missions. The vessel, carrying 36 people, 32 Indian tourists, three crew members and one attendant, overturned around 1 pm local time (11.30 am IST) while returning from Hon May Rut Ngoai Island to An Thoi Port amid rough seas and strong winds. Authorities said 21 people were rescued and taken to hospital, with two reported critical. The Indian embassy said its Ambassador, accompanied by mission officials, was travelling to Phu Quoc to oversee consular assistance, coordinate with Vietnamese authorities and support the affected Indian nationals. cambodia Phu Quoc Phu Quoc Island Gulf of Thailand Vietnam The speedboat capsized 400 metres off Hon May Rut Ngoai, an island off the coast of Phu Quoc, killing 15 Indian tourists; 10 of them were from TN, 3 from AP and two from Kerala TG sets up helpline The Telangana government has set up a dedicated control room for the families of those affected by the boat accident near Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam. Helpline numbers 9885371189 7997959754 9989654807 7997959779 Lava Mobiles said some of its employees and channel partners were among those ai enhanced pic killed in the boat accident. In a statement on X, Lava said, “Our immediate priority is to extend all possible support to those affected and their families. Our teams in both India and Vietnam are in regular contact with the families and are providing all possible assistance.” Sources said around 110 Lava distributors and employees from South India were travelling together on the Vietnam trip, although only a section of them was travelling on the ill-fated boat. nepalli pump house, the chief minister said a minimum water level of 93.50 metres was required, while the present level stood at only 89.90 metres. “To lift water through the Kannepalli (Lakshmi) pump house, located about 18 km away , a water level of 93.50 metres is required. Although there is water flow at Medigadda, the level does not reach the required mark. The situation is similar at Annaram and Sundilla. If water is lifted from Kannepalli, it flows back to Medigadda because the gates there remain open. As per the NDSA recommendations, the gates cannot be closed as it would compromise the safety of the barrages,” he said.  continued on P4 Student from Hyd missing in Finland found dead Helsinki/Hyderabad: The body of an 18-year-old Hyderabad student, who went missing in Finland in May has been re, covered from the sea in Helsinki, according to information provided by the Indian Embassy in Finland. In an email on Friday the Embassy informed the , family that Finnish authorities had found the body of Manideep Reddy who was pursuing , a Bachelor’s degree in Software and Systems Engineering at LUT University Lahti, and was , last seen at a mall in Helsinki on May 5. The family’s lawyer, KLB Kumar, alleged that the death was suspicious and claimed the case had not been properly investigated. He further alleged that communication from Finnish authorities stopped after May 29 and sought a thorough probe into the circumstances surrounding the student’s disappearance and death. Kumar also urged the Union government to facilitate Manideep’s parents’ travel to Finland to identify the body and make enquiries.  Agencies Delayed info HC gives TSIC 3 months to clear 404 RTI pleas T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad More than 400 Right to Information (RTI) pleas filed by a single activist have remained pending before the State Information Commission (TSIC), prompting the Telangana High Court to step in and set a three-month deadline for their disposal. Justice Surepalli Nanda directed the TSIC to issue fresh notices to RTI activist Vaddam Shyam and dispose of all his 404 pending second appeals and c o m p l a i n t s w i t h i n t h re e months. The court also made it clear that the panel must follow both its earlier directions and the Supreme Court’s guidelines on using technology to improve access to justice. The order came on a writ petition filed by Shyam, secre- tary of Jana Telangana Rights Society He told the judge that . despite a high court order passed on September 18, 2025, the TSIC had neither issued fresh notices nor taken up his cases for hearing. The dispute dates back to an earlier attempt by the TSIC to list all 404 appeals and complaints for hearing on a single day without providing case-wise details. The high court set aside that notice last year, directing the TSIC to issue fresh notices containing the particulars of each case and to hear them in manageable batches. When the matter came up for hearing, the TSIC informed the court that the Information Commissioner had been on leave for six months and resumed office on June 27, 2026.