KOCHI l friday l march 29, 2024 l `9.00 l PAGES 24 l LATE city EDITION Light combat Aircraft Tejas Mk1A’s first flight successful The HAL said the first LA 5053 aircraft of the Tejas Mk1A series took to the skies successfully from its facility in Bengaluru on Thursday ‘Significant milestone has been achieved’ INDIAN AIR FORCE TO INDUCT THE AIRCRAFT “HAL achieved this significant production milestone with concurrent design & development amid major supply chain challenges in the global geopolitical environment subsequent to the contract signature in February 2021,” said C B Ananthakrishnan, chairman and managing director of the company. The aircraft was piloted by Group Captain K K Venugopal (Retd) ■ ■ The Tejas Mk1A will have an advanced electronic RADAR, warfare, communication systems and additional combat capability The country can look forward to an early induction of the Tejas Mk1A by the IAF and more numbers through the three lines of production established at HAL, it said in a statement 18 mins was the flying time of Tejas Mk1A’s first flight 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 Delhi court extends the chief minister’s ED remand till the all fools’ day Kejri argues his case, sees plot to crush party former minister Satyendra Jain was also present. A Delhi court on Thursday saw Referring to this allegation, its arrested chief minister him- Kejriwal said because of his poself arguing his case in the liq- sition, several ministers come uor policy scam. “I was named to his residence and even exby four witnesses in the excise change documents. “Is this policy case. Are four statements statement sufficient to arrest a enough to arrest a sitting CM?” sitting CM?” he questioned. he asked. On the statement of another The court extended the cus- accused-turned-approver Ratody of Delhi Chief Minister ghav Magunta to the ED, the Arvind Kejriwal with the En- CM said Magunta’s father gave forcement Directorate (ED) by six statements to the probe four more days till agency but did not say April 1 in the scam. anything about KejriThe Rouse Avenue wal. Magunta is the Court saw heated arson of Buchi Babu, The actual excise guments between Kechartered accountant policy scam jriwal and ED lawyers of BRS leader K started after the during the hearing. Kavitha, who too is beginning of the “Where is the `100 under arrest in the ED investigation crore liquor scam same case. The AAP and not when the money the ED keeps chief argued that peopolicy was made harping on?” Kejriwal ple are being turned Arvind Kejriwal, asked, adding that the approver and forced Delhi chief minister entire liquor policy to change their statecase is a political conments. The ED invesspiracy to crush his Aam Aad- tigation began in August 2022. mi Party . The 2021-22 Delhi excise policy During the previous hearing, was later scrapped. the probe agency had sought to Not opposing the ED’s deestablish Kejriwal’s role in the mand for further custody Kejri, formulation of the excise poli- wal pointed out that approver cy by citing a statement of C Sarath Chandra Reddy donated Arvind, the then Secretary of `55 crore to the BJP just after former Deputy CM Manish his arrest. “I have the evidence. Sisodia. Arvind told the ED Money trail is established. He that he was handed a draft re- donated `55 crore to BJP after port of a Group of Ministers on being arrested,” Kejriwal said. the excise policy by Sisodia at The court noted his point and Kejriwal’s residence where assured it will be investigated. Comments by US State Dept unwarranted: foreign office Ye s h i Sel i @ New Delhi U JW A L J A L A L I @ New Delhi Tribal woman killed in wild jumbo attack E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kalpetta A 33-year-old tribal woman, who was out collecting wild honey, was trampled to death by a wild elephant at Parappanpara in the Meppadi forest range of Wayanad on Thursday . Her husband, who had accompanied her, suffered serious injuries in the attack. The deceased, Mini, belongs to the Cholanaikkan tribe in Vaduvanchal of Muppainad panchayat. This was the fourth death in wild elephant attacks in Wayanad this year. “As usual, Mini went to the forest along with her husband, Suresh, to collect honey on Wednesday evening. But the couple didn’t return home. She was found dead in the subsequent search by local residents on Thursday morning. The wild elephant attack took place around 10km away from Meppadi deep inside the forest. Her husband is undergoing treatment at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital. The couple has five children, the eldest of whom ins 16 years old,” said Yashodha Chandran, a local ward member. The loss of yet another life in a wild animal attack has put the spotlight back on recurring human-wildlife conflicts in the district, at a time when the Lok Sabha election campaign is set to intensify . K Surendran, BJP state president and the party’s candidate in Wayanad, alleged that human-wildlife conflict in Kerala, particularly in Wayanad, is a recurring nightmare and both the state government and MP Rahul Gandhi have failed to ad● More on P8 dress the issue. Arvind Kejriwal comes out of a Delhi court after he was produced in the excise policy scam on Thursday | PTI custody extension “...there appears to be sufficient reasons to permit further custodial interrogation, particularly keeping in view the submissions that he (Kejriwal) is required to be confronted with the material collected and statements recorded so far,” special judge Kaveri Baweja said India on Thursday described the US State Department’s recent comments on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as unwarranted - its second riposte in response to two statements. Apart from weighing in on Kejriwal, the State Department also commented on the freezing of Congress funds. “ you are aware, on WednesAs day India had lodged its strong , objection and protest with the senior official from the US Embassy with regard to the comments made by the US State Department. The recent remarks by the State Department are unwarranted. Any such external imputation on our electoral and legal processes is completely unacceptable,” said Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal. The MEA said in India, legal processes are driven only by the rule of law. “Anyone who has similar ethos, especially fellow democracies, should have no difficulty in appreciating this fact. India is proud of its independent and robust democratic institutions. We are committed to protect them from any form of undue external influences,” Jaiswal added. India also reiterated that mutual respect and understanding form the foundation of international relations and states are expected to be respectful of the sovereignty and internal affairs of others. Guv appoints inquiry panel to probe Sidharthan death E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ T’Puram In an unprecedented move, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has ordered an Inquiry Commission headed by a retired High Court judge to probe the death of J S Sidharthan, a student of the College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences at Pookode in Wayanad. Retired Justice A Hariprasad has been appointed the Commission of Inquiry to investigate the administrative lapses, failure of authorities to prevent ragging and other criminal activities on the campus, as per the University Act and anti-ragging regulations issued by the UGC. Kunhan V G, who retired as DySP with the Wayanad Special Branch, has been appoint- express read Jailed don-politician Mukhtar Ansari dead Lucknow: Jailed gangsterturned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of cardiac arrest at a hospital in Banda in UP on Thursday. Ansari, 63, was a five-time MLA from Mau Sadar seat. He had over 60 criminal cases pending against him and was sentenced in eight cases. HOLIDAY: Our offices will remain closed today on account of Good Friday. There will be no issue of the paper tomorrow. 24 pages, including 4 pages of KOCHI Express Vizhinjam-Navaikulam road project ‘victims’ call for election boycott Shan A S @ T’Puram A poster on the boundary wall of a house at Pottankavu ‘Campaigners stay away’, say Naduvil voters Kannur: Peeved at the neglect towards damaged roads in four wards in the panchayat, residents of Naduvil in Kannur have decided to boycott the polls. They have placed banners, restricting campaigning activities in the area. The yellow notices pasted on both sides of the front boundary wall of ‘Sagargeeth’, a double-storied house in Pottankavu, near Kattakkada, are unmistakable. They herald the decision of the action council, which has been protesting against the delay in compensating landowners who had handed over their land and property documents for construction of the Vizhinjam ring road, to boycott elections. The Vizhinjam-Navaikulam ring road is an ambitious project that is expected to facilitate the movement of freight once Vizhinjam port is operational. The proposed 80km-long road traverses 24 revenue villages. It has been touted as a project that would transform the development landscape of the capital district. But the nearly 8,200 families, who will have to part with their land, are unamused. “We have decided to boycott the Lok Sabha election and all future elections till our issues are resolved,” says S Chandra Mohanan Nair, owner of ‘Sagargeeth’. Nair, who is also convenor of the action council, has pasted posters on all four sides of his property so as to ensure that politicians making their way to the area for election canvassing do not miss them. ● More on P8 pollscape Attingal paints a contrasting pic Amid the hustle and bustle of poll campaign, Unnikrishnan S, TNIE special correspondent, traverses through Attingal Lok Sabha constituency, where voters are caught between ‘hope and despair’. P5 ‘Kerala Model story bit sad’ TPuram: Opening a new front in her fight with the state government ahead of the LS polls, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman alleged that the much-touted Kerala Model story was a bit sad. P5 act of humility Joseph Kalathiparambil, Archbishop of Verapoly Archdiocese, kisses the foot of a faithful during the Maundy Thursday prayers at St Francis Assisi Cathedral in Ernakulam | T P Sooraj Panel to submit report within three months Retired Justice A Hariprasad has been appointed the Commission of Inquiry. Kunhan V G, who retired as DySP with the Wayanad Special Branch, will assist the commission. The commission has been asked to submit its report within three months. ed to assist the commission. The expenses of the commission, including remuneration, hospitality and conveyance, will be borne by the Veterinary and Animal Sciences University the notifica, tion read. Sidharthan, a secondyear student, was found dead in the college hostel on February 18, allegedly following a ‘mob trial’ and assault by a group of students. Sidharthan’s father Jayaprakash had recently met the governor at Raj Bhavan, seeking a speedy action against those responsible. The governor, who has been at loggerheads with the state government, has been taking proactive steps, including disciplinary action against VC, following Sidharthan’s death. Khan set up the single-man commission in his capacity as the chancellor of university, exercising his powers under Section 9(7) and 9(9) of the Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Act, 2010. The inquiry report should be submitted within three months. As per the terms of reference given to commission, it should inquire into lapses by the administration, which resulted in Sidharthan’s death. ● More on P8 RIL picks up 26% stake in Adani arm R A K E S H K U M A R @ New Delhi IN a first, rival billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani have joined hands for a business deal as Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) acquired a 26% stake in Mahan Energen Ltd (MEL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Adani Power Ltd. The deal will give RIL 500 MW of electricity from MEL’s Madhya Pradesh-based power plants for captive use. “One unit of 600 MW capacity of MEL’s Mahan thermal power plant, out of its aggregate operating and upcoming capacity of 2,800 MW, will be designated as the Captive Unit for this purpose,” Adani Power said in an exchange filing. It added that RIL will pick up 5 crore shares with a face value of `10 (`50 crore). “The proposed investment by the Company is in compliance with the provisions of the Electricity Rules, 2005, in terms of which the Company, as a captive user, is required to own 26% proportionate ownership in one unit of MEL of 600 MW capacity, with RIL being the captive user of 500 MW generation capacity,” said RIL in its exchange filing.Ambani’s in- B’luru Cafe blasT: NIA arrests key conspirator Stake transfer to meet captive use norms If a power generating unit has to be considered a captive generating plant, the captive user must hold not less than 26% of the ownership in the captive generating company. Also, 51% of the power generated must be used by the owners for their own consumption terests span oil and gas to retail and telecom while Adani’s focus is on infrastructure spanning sea ports to airports, coal and mining. Though considered business rivals, the two Gujarat industrialists have rarely crossed each other’s path except in the clean energy business, where the two have announced multi-billion investments. Adani aspires to be the world’s largest renewable energy producer by 2030, while Reliance is building four gigafactories in Jamnagar — one each for solar panels, batteries, green hydrogen, and fuel cells. Adani is also building three gigafactories for manufacturing solar modules, wind turbines, and hydrogen electrolysers. Muzammil Shareef was picked up from Bengaluru and placed in custody as a co-conspirator after NIA teams cracked down at 18 locations | P8 ripples felt in Kerala Easter ‘working day’ in Manipur sparks slugfest E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kochi Amid the high-pitched election campaign, a notification by the Manipur government declaring Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday as working days for government offices, corporations and autonomous bodies in the northeastern state triggered a political slugfest between Congress and BJP leaders in distant Kerala. Following the nationwide furore, the Manipur government revised the order, restoring Easter Sunday holiday though , Saturday is to remain a working day However, the political . heat generated by the initial order continued to resonate throughout the day . “I am shocked. As you know in our country we have built a , system of mutual respect amongst religions and faiths and particularly respect that people deserve for their special days according to their religious traditions,” said Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who is locked in an intense triangular contest in Thiruvananthapuram constituency. “It’s surprising and worrying,” he said. Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union minister and BJP candidate in Thiruvananthapuram, said he was “very confident” that the Manipur government would not take any such initiative. “Easter Sunday should not be a working day he said. ,” Quoting news reports, Chandrasekhar said the Manipur government wanted to complete its year-end work and therefore, declared Sunday a working day . “Christians all over the country will be celebrating and seeking blessings on Easter. I am very confident that there will be no such initiative on the part of the government of Manipur,” he said. BJP state president K Surendran said the allegations regarding Easter Sunday being declared a working day were being raised by the Congress and CPM “without any basis”. “The Manipur government has stated that the upcoming Good Friday on the 29th and Easter Sunday on the 31st will be observed as public holidays. It is now incumbent upon both the Congress and Communist parties to clarify their stance on condemning the Hamas violence and the terrorist attacks in Russia,” said Surendran, wh o i s c o n t e s t i n g f r o m Wayanad. Christians, who constitute 18.4% of the population in Kerala, are crucial for the chances of all the three fronts -- LDF, UDF and the NDA -- in the state.
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