HYDERABAD l wednesday l august 05, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE CITY EDITION India distances itself from Hasina’s planned press event Hasina will hold her first interaction with press on Wednesday evening, two years after she fled Dhaka following the collapse of her government Response to bangladesh seeking clarity no involvement from indian side: mea Dhaka on Monday sought a clarification from the Indian side on Sheikh Hasina’s planned press meet, with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s (L) foreign affairs adviser M Humayun Kabir saying that the public interaction from Indian soil could definitely undermine the positive momentum witnessed in the bilateral ties between the two nations in recent months ■ ■ “The interaction is being organised by a private media entity. India has no involvement in it, neither does it endorse views that may be expressed at the forum,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and other Awami League leaders including Shakib Al Hasan are likely to speak at the conference Aug 5, 2024 is when sheikh Hasina, 78, came to India after fleeing Dhaka 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 Case against Meta Revanth punished DCP at Rahul’s behest, says Kishan E x p ress Ne w s S er v i c e @ Hyderabad Accusing the state government of punishing a police officer for acting in accordance with the law, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday asserted that filing complaints against those posting objectionable content against Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a constitutional right. Addressing the media in New Delhi, Kishan alleged that the state government transferred DCP Anand Babu after he registered a case against Meta over objectionable posts targeting the Prime Minister. He claimed Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had “punished” the officer for performing his constitutional duty and alleged that the transfer was made at the behest of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. “The previous BRS government misused power to illegally tap the phones of politicians and celebrities. The present Congress government too is following a similar trend,” he said. Kishan also accused social media platforms of “acting arbitrarily and undermining India’s democratic system”. Referring to developments in Tamil Nadu, he said: “An opposition leader has been arrested there for making objectionable remarks against the chief minister. In Telangana, officials who registered cases over offensive posts were being pun- Union Minister G Kishan Reddy addresses a press conference in New Delhi on Tuesday ished. Will the Congress gover nment adopt the same approach if objectionable remarks were made against Rahul Gandhi?” On the allocation of the Prakasam Khani Open Cast (PKOC) dip-side coal block to Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), Kishan said the Centre had allotted three coal blocks to Singareni, including the Manuguru PKOC block. “Although several companies had shown interest in participating in the auction, the Centre allocated the block to Singareni considering the company’s interests and future,” he said. He said the allocation of the Naini, Tadicherla Block II and Manuguru PKOC coal blocks would strengthen Singareni and create new opportunities for the company . Udhaya arrested, released after tense standoff|p5 Food adulterators booked for culpable homicide E x p ress Ne w s S er v i c e @ Hyderabad For the first time, Hyderabad police have invoked Section 110 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (attempt to commit culpable homicide) in a food adulteration case after seizing more than 25 tonnes of adulterated spices allegedly mixed with hazardous chemicals during raids across the city . Three persons — Rahul BhaAdulterated spices seized ti, Vishal Panwar and Dulichand Kachhawar, all residents Spice Qty seized of the city — were arrested folAjwain 7,920 kg lowing the operation conducted Jeera 6,700 kg by the Hyderabad Food Adulteration Surveillance Team Cloves 550 kg (H-FAST). Shahjeera 2,280 kg Addressing a press conferSaunf 540 kg ence, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said HMustard 4,960 kg FAST carried out a special Jeera dust 2,350 kg drive targeting establishments Raw materials recovered involved in procuring, processing and trading spices. Officials Mustard stock 65,000 kg inspected 13 establishments Fenugreek seeds 13,460 kg and seized about 25 tonnes of Sesame seeds 10,000 kg adulterated spices containing hazardous chemicals and other Shahjeera 500 kg harmful substances. Shining powder 90 kg Police have registered three criminal cases against the Rice bran oil 12 litres accused. Synthetic & 1.5 kg North Zone Joint Commisfabric dyes sioner of Police SM Vijay KuRolling machines 3 mar said Section 110 was invoked because the case involved Total adulterated 25.3 tonnes spices seized: m o re t h a n ro u t i n e fo o d adulteration. “The accused knowingly mixed hazardous substances into food products despite being aware of the consequences. Consumption of such products could result in serious health complications, including cancer, making the offence far graver than ordinary adulteration,” he said.  CONTINUED ON P5 Pakistan ramps up artillery muscle with Chinese SH-15s Neighbour strengthens artillery arm it relied on during Operation Sindoor J a v ar i a R a n a @ New Delhi Pakistan is expanding its Chinese artillery inventory on a previously unreported scale, having more than doubled its SH-15 procurement to over 500 155 mm self-propelled howitzers, with more than 200 already inducted into service, as it rebuilds and strengthens the artillery arm it relied on during Operation Sindoor, sources in the defence and security establishment told this newspaper. More than 200 of the truckmounted 155 mm/52-calibre guns supplied by Chinese defence major NORINCO have already entered service, allowing the Pakistan Army to raise around 12 artillery regiments, each comprising 18 guns organised into three batteries of six guns, the sources said. Before this, only a 2019 contract for 236 SH-15 guns had been publicly documented. The inductions, however, have not translated into a matching forward deployment. “A sizeable number have been kept in reserve. The figure of 250 guns along the border being cited is a projected inventory, not the actual forward posture,” a source clarified. During Operation Sindoor, Pakistan employed Chinese-origin artillery systems including in Many howitzers in reserve While several reports suggested that around 250 SH-15 guns are deployed opposite India, a sizeable number remain in reserve, with the 250 figure reflecting Pakistan’s projected inventory rather than its actual deployment along the Line of Control, sources said cross-border firing targeting civilian areas in Rajouri and Poonch, according to Indian officials. Islamabad has since accelerated its artillery modernisation, with the SH-15 emerging as the backbone of its future self-propelled gun fleet. The SH-15 is claimed as an export variant of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s PCL-181 mounted howitzer. Mounted on a 6x6 Shaanxi high-mobility truck chassis, the “shoot-and-scoot” artillery system has claimed speed of up to 90 kmph and can fire NATO-standard 155 mm ammunition to ranges of about 40 km. Additionally rocket-assisted , projectiles reportedly extend its reach beyond 50 km. Deliveries under the original contract began in January 2022. Sources added that Pakistan has also secured transfer of technology (ToT) from China, paving the way for eventual manufacture of the SH-15 at Heavy Industries Taxila. India’s artillery modernisation, meanwhile, continues to lag on timelines. The defence ministry signed a `6,900-crore contract in March last year with Bharat Forge and Tata Advanced Systems for 307 Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Systems (ATAGS), developed by DRDO. Deliveries are yet to begin, with the first regiment of 18 guns expected to enter service only around February 2027 after completion of mandatory product-model trials. With a strike range of nearly 48 km, the ATAGS will progressively replace the ageing 105 mm Indian Field Guns and 130 mm M-46 guns across 15 regiments. Until then, the K9 Vajra-T remains the Army’s only self-propelled 155 mm artillery system fielded in significant numbers, alongside the Dhanush and Sharang towed guns and the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system. The Army also ordered another 100 K9 Vajra-T guns from Larsen & Toubro in December 2024, adding to the 100 already in service. SC to RBI: list SOPs on digital arrest scams su c h i t ra ka lya n m o ha n t y @ New Delhi TO strengthen the fight against “digital arrest” scams, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the RBI to prepare and circulate, within four weeks, a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for tackling mule accounts and cyber-fraud-linked accounts, with copies to the Registrar Generals of all High Courts. A bench of CJI Surya Kant and justices Joy- malya Bagchi and V Mohana passed 13 interim directions while hearing the suo motu case on digital arrest scams, noting that existing mechanisms need “wider adoption, faster implementation, and follow-up”. The bench said states, UTs and law enforcement agencies must ensure public awareness of the SOPs. The status report must carry state-wise and bank-wise data on grievances registered/disposed and amounts restored. States without Cyber Crime Coordination Centres must operationalise them in four weeks and adopt the e-Zero FIR mechanism with I4C’s assistance. Authorities must ensure swift disposal of account-freezing matters. The Inter-Departmental Committee must issue awareness directions, consult banks on preventive technology, examine shared liability, victim compensation, and lowering CBI’s `10crore threshold, it said. Users face outage as WhatsApp begins age-confirmation tests R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi Messaging app WhatsApp has started testing a new feature in India to confirm users’ age as it prepares to comply with the upcoming Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act. The Meta-owned platform said this feature will not change the user experience or the way WhatsApp works. The DPDP Act, which will kick in on May 13, 2027, outlines stringent provisions for platforms such as WhatsApp and X in processing the personal data of children under 18. Under the Act, these platforms will be required to obtain verifiable consent from the child’s parent or lawful guardian before any personal data of the child can be processed. The rules prohibit platforms from engaging in activities that could harm children. Also, there is a ban on tracking or behavioural monitoring of children, and platforms can’t direct targeted ads at children. IT Secretary S Krishnan said WhatsApp’s move “might be from the context of DPDP Act... But we will have to check with them... because we are approaching the deadline...” On Monday several WhatsApp users, including many , in India, found their accounts placed under “review” for up to 24 hours, leaving them unable to use the platform. The issue surfaced around 8 pm IST, with affected accounts displaying a message stating that they were under review without any prior warning from the platform. The temporary account reviews come at a time when WhatsApp is facing increased scrutiny from the government over its proposed username feature, which would allow users to communicate without sharing their mobile numbers. 17 hurt as AI flight suffers mid-air altitude drop s l a l i t ha @ New Delhi A total of 17 people, including four cabin crew members, on an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi, sustained injuries on Tuesday when the plane suffered a sudden loss in altitude while cruising at 36,000 feet. The aircraft with 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members, landed safely at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Inter national Airport around 11 am. The Airbus A320 aircraft was grounded by aviation regulator DGCA, which has launched a probe. One of the crew members sustained se- Detailed check The Union aviation ministry said the aircraft has been moved to the hangar and the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder have been secured for detailed examination. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu visited the injured in a hospital vere injuries in the sudden fall, which sent the plane down by 300 feet, said a DGCA source. The aircraft is believed to have suffered substantial damages. The AI 2379 took off at 8.27 Injured flyers (L) being taken to hospital; and a ripped luggage section door | X am (local time) from Phuket and landed at Delhi’s T3 at 11.07 am, 43 minutes before schedule. A DGCA official attributed the accident involving AI 2379 bearing the registra- tion VT-EXO to “a suspected transient technical fault”. A source at Delhi airport said the incident occurred outside the Indian airspace probably around 10.30 am (India time). “The airport received a call after the incident about people requiring medical assistance on landing and we had the ambulance vans on standby to assist the passengers. The medical centre inside the airport (Medanta) treated the flyers initially and they were later sent to Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj.” In a statement, the airline said, “AI 2379 experienced a sudden loss of altitude during cruise. After the event, the aircraft continued normally .” A passenger told a news agency she saw her sister thrown up from her seat. “We thought we would die.” E x p r e s s Re a d super additive Indian-flagged vessel attacked in Red Sea UoH patents HYDERACENE for rockets, missiles New Delhi: An Indian-flagged merchant vessel with 13 Indian nationals aboard came under attack off the coast of Yemen on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. All the Indians have been rescued, it said. New Delhi condemned the attack and said targeting of commercial shipping in the region must stop. “We condemn the attack on the Indian-flagged commercial vessel, MSV Faize Noore Oliya that sank in the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen on August 4,” the MEA statement said. M e g h n a Nat h @ Hyderabad The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has secured an Indian patent for HYDERACENE, a novel polymer-based material developed for use in solid rocket propellants for defence and space applications, a development that could strengthen India’s self-reliance in strategic defence technologies. The innovation is expected to reduce dependence on expensive imported materials while offering comparable, or even better, performance. The Indian Patent (No. 596319), granted on July 21, 2026, has been awarded to the University for the invention titled “Synthesis of Novel Burn Rate Catalyst, Ferrocene Polyethylene Glycidyl Grafted Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene via Ring-Opening Polymerization.” The technology was developed by Mutyalanaidu Ganivada, Prof Sourav Jana and Prof Tushar Jana of the School of Chemistry . The researchers said the patented material is the outcome of nearly four years of research, although the team has been working on burn-rate catalyst materials for more than a decade. Prof Tushar Jana told TNIE that HYDERACENE was developed as an indigenous alternative to BUTACENE, a commercially available poly- mer-based burn-rate modifier used in solid rocket propellants in the aerospace and defence sectors. “We developed a new molecule and named it HYDERACENE after Hyderabad. The existing commercial material, BUTACENE, is largely imported from European countries. Our studies indicate that HYDERACENE performs similarly or even slightly better, while offering an indigenous solution,” he said. CONTINUED ON P3