KOCHI l wednesday l September 09, 2026 l `10.00 l PAGES 16 l LATE city EDITION SC to consider issues related to Delhi hostel collapse on Sept 10 The Supreme Court was hearing a plea seeking a direction for a time-bound inspection and safety audit of PG accommodations in Delhi sc likely to transfer case from delhi hc An SC bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahdevan said it may transfer the case being dealt with by the Delhi HC. On Monday, the HC ordered a high-level inquiry into the tragedy. The SC bench on Tuesday said the issues dealt with by the Delhi HC are “serious” and overlap with the case already being heard by it on a pan-India basis ■ 2022 amicus curiae files status report ■ Senior advocate Ajit Sinha, amicus curiae in the matter considered by SC, said she has inspected the site along with a professor from IIT and MCD officials and filed a status report in this regard Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi government, termed the Sunday tragedy as “most unfortunate” Another satya niketan building collapse had left two people dead 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 ED for corruption case against Pinarayi, Riyas, Veena J o s e K J o s e p h & Shan A S @Kochi/T’Puram P A Mohamed Riyas T Veena assessing the report and will seek legal opinion. Further steps will be decided accordingly he said. ,” Though no formal announcement has been made, the state government has, in-principle, decided to hand over the matter to the vigilance and anticorruption bureau (VACB). However, there is confusion whether the VACB can directly register a case under the PCA or it should conduct a preliminary inquiry first. This matter, If the Keralam government registers a case based on the directive of a central agency controlled by the BJP regime, it would underline the existence of a BJP-Congress deal — M V Govindan, CPM state secretary Modi-Putin meet to lend big push to def, trade ties Bilateral meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit J ayanth J a c o b @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet on Friday ahead of the BRICS Summit, their second bilateral in weeks, with the talks set to give fresh momentum to the India-Russia par tnership across energy, defence, trade and strategic cooperation. The meeting comes amid record levels of Russian energy supplies to India, discussions on expanding defence cooperation and efforts to address longstanding payment issues in bilateral trade. Putin will attend the BRICS Summit on September 12-13. Ahead of the visit, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said India-Russia energy cooperation was continuing to reach new highs. “Every month we have a new record,” Peskov said, while declining to disclose figures. Defence cooperation is also expected to feature prominently with Russia signalling readi, ness to discuss the supply and possible technology transfer of A file photo of PM Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin | express Man fakes PMO ID card Mumbai police arrested two men at a PM Modi event venue after one of them, Rohan Parekh, used a forged PMO identity card to enter with bodyguard Dilip Kundre, carrying a licensed gun. The lawyer of the accused said his visit was only a “private” affair advanced platforms, including the Su-57 fighter and S-500 air defence system. “We have very good military equipment and are willing to offer it to the Indian side,” Peskov said. He indicated that Moscow was pre- flag meeting India, China hold talks in Arunachal J a v a r i a Rana @ New Delhi INDIA and China have held their first Corps Commanderlevel flag meeting in the eastern sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The first engagement took place at Wacha on the Indian side in Arunachal Pradesh on Sunday and the second talk at Damai on the Chinese side on Monday the Ministry of Exter, nal Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday . The engagement, described by MEA as the first “Senior Highest Military CommanderLevel Flag Meeting” in the eastern sector, comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to India for the BRICS summit later this week, as New Delhi and Beijing seek to consolidate the thaw in ties following the 2020 military confrontation in easter n Ladakh. 16 pages, including 4 pages of Kochi Express pared to discuss India’s demand for technology transfer in connection with the Su-57. Peskov also suggested that the two countries could deepen joint defence production, citing the BrahMos programme as a model. The two sides are also working to resolve accumulated rupee balances arising from bilateral trade, while exploring closer cooperation in rareearth exploration, an area with growing strategic significance for both countries. Peskov also said Moscow broadly shares India’s position that the conflict must be resolved peacefully “We do want . a solution of the Ukrainian conflict by peaceful means.” The leaders are also expected to discuss security counterter, rorism, drugs and space cooperation. India has separately raised the issue of its nationals serving in the Russian military . Peskov said a list was being compiled and those identified would be sent home. On BRICS, Peskov rejected the characterisation of the group as antiWestern, saying it was based on trust, respect and benefit. payments for services but were used to route bribe money The . ED report, accessed by TNIE, identifies 13 individuals and entities and sets out their alleged roles in the collection, payment and transfer of the funds. It said Pinarayi allegedly received `3.28 crore as bribe from CMRL through Veena. Riyas has been named in connection with the alleged receipt of bribes and transfer of funds to Dubai through Veena and known associates. The report alleges that Veena assisted Pinarayi and Riyas in the collection and routing of the funds. Exalogic is described as a corporate vehicle allegedly used for routing these “sham payments”. The ED has also alleged the involvement of CMRL MD S N Sasidharan Kartha and former CFO and CGM (Finance) P Suresh Kumar in the payment and facilitation of the purported bribes.  ● More on P4 Eiffel Tower reopens after staff strike E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Kochi The Kochi city police and private bus operators have decided to ensure police clearance and identity cards for all crew members, including drivers, amid growing concerns over incidents involving the staff. The decision was taken at a meeting convened by Kochi City Police Commissioner S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar with representatives of private bus operators’ associations and employees on Tuesday . “We reached a consensus on ensuring identity cards and police clearance for all bus employees,” he said, adding that while police clearance is mandatory, the ID cards will help police keep track of staffers switching operators and pre- joint agreement 2-day orientation programme/ workshop for bus staff to improve conduct, behaviour. Chief aim Prevent entry of criminal elements into public Digital punching transport system to curb racing service We have also decided to act against the practice of operating buses on lease, particularly where those actually operating the vehicles have no clear connection with the persons responsible for them — S Kaliraj Mahesh Kumar, Kochi City Police Commissioner vent entry of criminal elements into the transport service. “We are exploring legal options to make ID cards mandatory as well,” he said, adding that the process to issue clearance and ID card is expected to be completed in two weeks. The move comes amid a series of law and order-related incidents involving private bus employees in Kochi. On Tuesday the driver of Krithika bus , operating on Kalamassery-Thevara route allegedly abandoned the vehicle with passengers onboard in the middle of the road near Edappally junction following an argument with the cleaner. On Monday, a private bus staffer forcefully lifted the barrier and abused workers at Palakkad: Police on Tuesday took a West Bengal man in custody for the alleged murder of a woman and a girl whose dismembered bodies were found in Attappadi last week. Provat Das, 35, confessed to the killings during interrogation, the police said | P4 R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi Metro Man submits notes on high-speed rail report Kochi: Metro Man E Sreedharan has submitted his comments on the report of the expert panel formed by the state government to examine the proposal for a high-speed rail corridor. The government is expected to take a call on the proposal shortly | P4 bowled over East Zone fast bowler Mohammed Shami signs autographs on Day 3 of the Duleep Trophy final against South Zone in Chennai on Tuesday. South Zone trailed by 466 runs at the end of the day’s play | PTI U n usua l l y h o t No clouds to block sun, state sweats as September sets in UV index Hottest on Tuesday Punalur 35.2 (+3.3) Shielded by an umbrella, Bhargavi, 64, of Tamil Nadu sells guavas by the roadside in Kakkanad under the scorching sun | A Sanesh Kottayam 34.6 (+3.8) CIAL Kochi 34.0 (+3.3) in ˚C departure from normal in () Alappuzha 10 Kottayam 10 Idukki 10 Palakkad 9 Kollam 9 P’Thitta 8 Malappuram 8 Thrissur 8 Ernakulam 7 Kozhikode 7 Wayanad 7 Kannur 7 T’Puram 6 Kasaragod 5 Kumbalam toll plaza. Police are investigating the incidents. The latest move also follows criticism against the police in the case involving private bus staffer Muhammad Ansar who was rearrested soon after being granted station bail in connection with a road-rage incident. Senior cops said the department is planning to invoke the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA) against Ansar. Kaliraj said the police have given bus owners one week to submit the details of their employees. “(It will take) approximately one week for us to conduct clearance. So, roughly we , expect that all private bus employees in the city will have police clearance within two weeks,” he said. Decks cleared for satellite broadband services EXPRESS READ Bengal man confesses to double murder The monument was closed for a day after its staff went on strike over women being asked to leave during a visit by BAPS delegation | P7 Cop clearance, ID cards for pvt bus staff in 2 wks Also planned Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan leaving after the CPM state committee meeting at AKG Centre in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday | Express In a move that that could trigger a major political storm in Keralam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked the state police to register a separate corruption case against Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan, his son-in-law and MLA P A Mohamed Riyas, and daughter T Veena over alleged bribe transactions linked to Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL). The agency has forwarded its findings and supporting evidence from the money-laundering probe to State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar, seeking registration of an FIR under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) and other relevant provisions. Chandrasekhar confirmed to TNIE that he had received ED’s communication. “We are home department sources said, has been referred to legal experts and further action will be taken based on their advice. Since Pinarayi and Riyas are public servants, a prior approval from the state government is required to conduct a probe against them. Government sanction is also required to register an FIR against them. The ED’s recommendation marks a major expansion of its CMRL-Exalogic probe, which initially focused on payments totalling `2.78 crore made by CMRL to Exalogic Solutions Pvt Ltd, a now-defunct company owned by Veena. The payments were shown as being towards IT and consultancy services. The ED has alleged that the transactions were not genuine Sha i nu M o han @T’Puram Does it feel hot, Keralam? Blame the weakening southwest monsoon and thinning cloud cover. They are why the state is witnessing unusually high temperature. And, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), mercury is likely to stay 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal on Wedenesday too. That’s not all. On Tuesday, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram recorded a high UV index of above 7. According to Some relief Amid its temperature warning, IMD has also forecast the possibility of rain in Keralam from Friday to Saturday. Yellow warnings have been issued for Alappuzha and Ernakulam on Friday, and for Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam on Saturday. the IMD, Keralam has received only 5mm of rainfall, or 7% of what is expected, during the first week of September, which is one of the reasons for the hot weather. P Vijayakumar, assistant professor (environmental sciences), University of Kerala, said the first week of September is traditionally associated with intense heat. “During this period, as part of its apparent southward movement, the sun is almost directly overhead over Keralam. We normally do not feel this heat so strongly as the southwest monsoon brings cloud cover, which blocks a significant amount of sunlight. This is not happening since monsoon has weakened and cloud formation has reduced,” ● More on P4 he said.  IN a move that could bring satellite communication services closer to commercial launch in India, the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the apex decision-making body for telecommunications and digital policies at the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has approved a spectrum usage charge of 5% of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) for satellite communication services. The government can now move ahead with spectrum assignment for satellite communication firms such as Starlink, Eut e l s a t O n e We b, and Amazon Leo to launch commercial services in India. The charge will be lower at 4% of AGR for operators providing services in rural and remote areas. DoT will move the proposal through the Inter-Ministerial Committee and then seek Cabinet nod. The DCC also approved spectrum assignment for five years with an option for a twoyear extension. Trai had recommended 4% of AGR spectrum usage charge, along with `500 per urban subscriber per year for non-geostationary satellite orbit-based satellite services with rural and remote subscribers being exempt from additional levy The DoT rejected . the per-subscriber charge.