bengaluru l monday l november 02, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION GST mop-up surges to `2.31 l- cr in October on festive demand October is the second consecutive month when monthly gross GST crossed `2 lakh crore, and 2nd only to the record `2.43 lakh cr mop-up in April Collections from DOMESTIC SALES up 16% Performance across key economic hubs GST collections jumped 23 per cent year-on-year. Gross GST collections from domestic sales rose 16 per cent to over `1.59 lakh crore, and revenues from imports climbed 42 per cent to `72,246 crore. The `2.31 lakh crore collection includes Central GST mop-up of `42,935 crore, State GST of `51,340 crore and Integrated GST of over `1.37 lakh crore, data showed ■ ■ Manoj Mishra from Grant Thornton Bharat said October collections capture the festive demand cycle, which brings higher consumer spending, retail activity and movement of goods across sectors Performance across key states, including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, UP and MP points to continued strength in GST collections 6.5% YoY is the increase in gst refunds, which is `27,934 crore in October 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 Sting op phone given to accused at HDK’s Delhi house: Top cop Litigants rush to SC for HC matters: CJI E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kochi CHIEF Justice of India Surya Kant on Sunday flagged the new trend of litigants approaching the Supreme Court for urgent listing or early hearing of matters already pending before high courts. “This is a new dimension of litigation which is now flooding the SC,” he said at the inaugural function of the celebrations held to mark 70 years of the Kerala High Court. The CJI said the SC has consistently respected the high courts’ autonomy, including their authority to regulate roster. “However, the frequency of such requests invites us to consider whether there is room to improve the responsiveness of our processes,” he noted. “We must ask: Can urgent matters be identified more effectively? Can listing procedures be made more transparent and predictable? Can technology help prioritise cases where delay may cause irreversible prejudice? And can we ensure a litigant’s access to timely justice does not depend upon their ability to travel to the national capital?” he said. The CJI said constitutional justice in India does not begin and end in New Delhi as its strength lies in a robust network of 25 high courts in the country “Each entrusted with . the duty of protecting rights and upholding the rule of law,” he added. Chief Justice of India Surya Kant speaking in Kochi on Sunday | PTI @ Bengaluru INDIA bloc leaders led by Rahul Gandhi, TMC’s Mamata Banerjee, Sonia Gandhi, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and others in New Delhi on Sunday | Sayantan ghosh CEC Gyanesh has to go: Oppn ‘Foolish drama’ on anniversary of 1984 anti-Sikh riots, says BJP INDIA bloc’s mega rally at Ramlila Maidan brings together all parties p r eetha na i r @ New Delhi IN a show of strength at Delhi’s historic Ramlila Maidan, a united Opposition on Sunday vowed to remove Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and hold the Narendra Modi government accountable for alleged “vote theft”, as a massive crowd rallied behind the INDIA bloc’s call to defend democracy and the Constitution. The congregation saw a striking show of unity as Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and other alliance leaders rode together in an open canter from the Minto Road-Connaught Place junction to Ramlila Maidan, where they addressed the gathering. Launching a diatribe against the government, Gandhi said removing Gyanesh Kumar would be the first step towards putting the country back on track, while asserting that “the CEC would face imprisonment for alleged ‘treason’ and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah would face legal action.” Calling the 2024 Lok Sabha elections “illegal”, he alleged that the Election Commission removed 15 percent of voters from the rolls, while the voteshare gap between NDA and INDIA bloc in the last general election was three percentage points. “Narendra Modi ji and Amit Shah ji, understand this—after Gyanesh Kumar, we will stand against you...,” he said. Invoking the Constitution, Gandhi said the gathering represented the voice of young people, farmers and workers determined to defend democracy . Addressing the gathering, SP’s Akhilesh Yadav raised the issue of alleged deletions from electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh and accused authorities of manipulating votes through SIR ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. “We, in the INDIA alliance, will not stop,” he said. Calling upon people across communities and political affiliations to unite against the BJP TMC , chief Banerjee said, “ We will fight this democratically We will fight with our lives.” ... Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby CPI general secretary D Raja , and CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya were among the senior leaders present. R A J E S H K U M A R T H A K U R & H a r p r eet Baj w a @ New Delhi/Chandigarh The INDIA bloc rally marching towards Ramlila Maidan | Sayantan ghosh Over 4K cops keep a watch Narendra Modi ji and Amit Shah ji, understand this—after Gyanesh Kumar, we will stand against you Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader Yellow & red flag will get official status: CM E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bengaluru The Karnataka government is planning to accord official state flag status to the yellow-and-red Kannada flag and facilitate its hoisting alongside the national flag on government buildings, announced Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday . Speaking at the 71st Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations at Kanteerava Stadium, he said it will be discussed at the upcoming winter session of the state legislature in Belagavi. He said the government is examining legal aspects of granting official recognition to the flag and will take another Cabinet decision before introducing legislation. “I have just hoisted the Kannada flag alongside the national flag. We are moving towards granting official recognition to the Kannada flag. Earlier, the Cabinet had taken a decision and submitted a proposal to the Union government. However, we have not received the recognition so far,” he said. The government recently consulted legal experts and will hold another round of discussions to ensure that the use and protection of the Kannada flag does not compromise the dignity and regulations governing the national flag. “We will fa- The rally in central Delhi concluded peacefully on Sunday, police said. Over 4,000 police personnel were deployed, apart from drones, body-worn cameras, anti-riot vehicles and personnel from CAPF The ruling BJP on Sunday sought to dismiss the INDIA bloc’s rally as a “foolish drama”, accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of hurting sentiments on the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, addressing a gathering in Chandigarh months ahead of the Punjab Assembly polls, trained his ire on Rahul, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and alleged the rally could only “rub salt in the wounds of the victims’”. “If you want to become PM, stay in mock parliament your entire life. Your turn won’t come. Telling lies, spreading anarchy, not letting Parliament function, this is your true nature,” he charged. Shah said when the Modi government came to power in 2014, riot cases were reopened and relief was given to the kin of victims. “India has never witnessed, nor will it ever witness, riots of this kind, incited by a political party he claimed. ,” In Haryana, BJP national president Nitin Nabin led a counter march to ‘Save democracy, eradicate anarchy’. Calling for Congress to apologise for the riots, he accused the party of blaming constitutional institutions after failing to secure a mandate. In Delhi, Union Minister JP Nadda told media the rally was a “foolish drama of the defeated”. He claimed traders had suffered losses of nearly `3,000 crore due to protests and alleged Sunday’s rally could result in additional losses exceeding `10,000 crore in the crucial festival period. express read Two from city drown, one missing off Gokarna beach Gokarna (Uttara Kannada): Two tourists from Bengaluru, including a woman, drowned in the sea at Dibbanaseshi beach in Gokarna of Uttara Kannada district on Sunday. One more person is still missing. The deceased were part of a group of 16 tourists, all working at a private call centre in Bellandur | P3 Chief Minister DK Shivakumar greets Yakshagana artistes during the 71st Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations in Bengaluru on Sunday | Express State considering 5% job quota for Kannadigas in MNCs: Min Chitradurga: The Karnataka government is considering 5% reservation in jobs for Kannadigas in multinational companies operating in the state, Minister for Scheduled Tribes Welfare T Raghumurthy said here on Sunday. Addressing Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations, he said MNCs are using state’s resources and labour of Kannadigas to expand their business, but are reluctant to provide employment opportunities to local people. “The government is considering 5% reservation to ensure that local people benefit from these companies,” he said. He said Chief Minister DK Shivakumar should take a firm stand on the issue. cilitate public discussions and discussions among legislators on hoisting the Kannada flag not just within the Chief Minister’s Office but also at Vidhana Soudha. During the winter session, we intend to give this issue a new direction and pass a resolution to seek legal protection from the Union government,” he said. The government is considering making it mandatory for institutions receiving government support to display the flag. An order encouraging private establishments to hoist the flag is expected to be prepared this month. He described the yellow and red flag as a symbol of Kannadigas’ identity and emotions.  P2, 4 CBI brings Mahadev app kingpin from Oman New Delhi: The CBI has extradited Sourabh Chandrakar, alleged kingpin of the `6,000 crore Mahadev App illegal online betting syndicate, from Oman. Chandrakar is wanted in two CBI cases in which chargesheets have been filed, and an ED case involving money laundering | P7 DigiYatra trial run for int’l pax at KIA, six airports New Delhi: DigiYatra, the contactless and paperless initiative which relies on face recognition technology, has begun trial runs for international passengers at seven airports in India, including the Kempegowda International Airport. A wider rollout is planned in 2027 | P7 The mobile phone that was allegedly used in the sting operation targeting former chief minister Siddaramaiah was handed over to an accused at the official residence of Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy in New Delhi, Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said on Sunday . “The accused, Ritesh Pandey, who had been arrested, disclosed during interrogation that he and another accused, Vinod Sharma, purchased a mobile phone from a shop in Karol Bagh, Delhi, on the instructions of Prajwal Prasad. They later took it to Kumaraswamy’s official residence on Kushak Road in New Delhi and handed it over to Prasad, who was present in the house,” the commissioner told the media. He said these details were given by Pandey and the claims are being verified as part of the ongoing investigation. The Central Crime Branch (CCB) Cyber Crime Police arrested Pandey in Delhi on October 24 in connection with the case registered at the Cy- HDK accuses officer of ‘leaking’ information Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday slammed Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh for “leaking” confidential information related to the investigation into the sting operation. He said he was aware of the direction in which the investigation was progressing and what was happening within the police department | P4 ber Crime Police Station, based on the complaint filed by Siddaramaiah. Pandey is now out on bail. “Notices have been issued to Vinod Sharma and Prajwal Prasad, but both have not responded and are absconding. We have learnt that they have filed anticipatory bail applications. Further investigation will only be possible after we interrogate Vinod and Prajwal once they are arrested. Their interrogation is expected to help establish the sequence of events and identify others involved in the alleged operation. We have gathered technical evidence, including CCTV footage and other digital records, besides detecting suspicious financial transactions between Pandey and Prasad,” the officer said.  P4 double delight PV Sindhu & Lakshya Sen claimed the women’s and men’s singles titles with straightgame wins at the Hylo Open Super 500 badminton event | badminton photo | P11 India’s first indigenous bullet train on track, undergoes ‘squeeze test’ RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi INDIA’s first indigenous bullet train, called B28, is taking shape at BEML’s ‘ ditya’ facilA ity in Bengaluru. Sharing the details on Sunday the railway ministry said: , “India is taking a major step towards indigenous high-speed rail technology with the Bharatmade bullet train. It is being manufactured for the MumbaiA h m e d ab a d bu l l e t t r a i n corridor.” Sources said the bullet train will be cheaper than the Japanese Shinkansen trains. “India was supposed to buy E5 Shinkansen sets. However, after high quotes and potential delays, the government decided to go Atmanirbhar. Japan will still give two Shinkansen sets (E5 and E3) free for testing.” Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected the BEML plant on Sunday and witnessed the ‘squeeze test’ — a critical safety assessment which includes applying controlled compressive/tensile forces on the train car body to assess its structural strength, rigidity and dimensional stability . Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviews the manufacturing progress of the bullet train | X Next B’luru-Mumbai VB to pass through Hubballi Bengaluru: Karnataka’s next Vande Bharat Sleeper train will connect Bengaluru to Mumbai via North Karnataka and Hubballi, covering regions that currently lack access to a world-class train service, said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday | P2 The B28 will have a maximum test speed of 280 km/h. It is expected to roll out by the year-end or early next year. The inaugural run is tentatively fixed for August 15, 2027 on the 97-km Surat–Vapi section. The entire Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor is scheduled for completion around 2029–30. B’luru-Pune corridor next Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday hinted that the proposed Bengaluru-Pune bullet train corridor could be among the next set of high-speed rail projects