MONDAY SIR ‘PURIFIED’ BIHAR’S VOTER LIST, SAYS CHIEF ELECTION COMMISSIONER 06 OCTOBER, 2025 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard GAZA CEASEFIRE ISRAEL, HAMAS NEAR PEACE DEAL Israel and Hamas prepared for indirect negotiations in Egypt on Monday after Netanyahu said a hostage release could be announced this week PAGE 9 Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar (C) with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi during a meeting in Bihar | PTI 17 INITIATIVES TAKEN IN BIHAR TO GO PAN-INDIA A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00  PAGES 12 “The voters list in Bihar has been purified. This cleansing exercise has taken place after a gap of 22 years and will now be carried out across the country,” Kumar told reporters in Bihar. The CEC added that 17 new initiatives are being implemented for the upcoming Bihar assembly polls, which will also be replicated across the country in due course | P8 Call on Manipur government formation likely this week RAJESH KUMAR THAKUR @ New Delhi Rescue operation underway at Darjeeling in West Bengal after a bridge collapsed following heavy rainfall; Nepal Army personnel help survivors in flood-hit Jhapa| PTI Landslides triggered by rain kill 20 in Darjeeling, 51 in eastern Nepal West Bengal’s Mirik bears the brunt; rescue operations on; Modi, Mamata offer condolences EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ New Delhi AT least 20 people, including children, were killed and several others injured as relentless rain unleashed landslides across the Mirik and Darjeeling hills in West Bengal on Sunday sweeping away homes, sev, ering road links, battering villages, and leaving hundreds of tourists stranded. According to NDRF and the district administration, fatalities were reported from Sarsaly , Jasbirgaon, Mirik Basti, Dhar Gaon (Mechi), Nagrakata and Mirik Lake area. Mirik was the worst affected, with at least 11 people killed, and seven injured, the NDRF said. In Darjeeling, seven people died due to a massive landslide triggered by heavy rain. Rescue operations are under- IMD issues red alert for more rain in Bengal Damage by rain in Nepal distressing: PM The IMD on Sunday issued a red alert for parts of Darjeeling, Coochbehar and Alipurduar districts, warning of heavy to extremely heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours, and yellow alert for most places in north Bengal covering other parts of Darjeeling Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the tragic loss of lives and damage caused by heavy rains in Nepal is distressing and asserted that as a friendly neighbour and first responder, India remains committed to providing any kind of assistance that may be required way to evacuate the injured, Darjeeling Sub-Divisional Officer Richard Lepcha said. North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said the situation is “alarming.” “As of now, the death toll is 20. It is likely to go up. I am on my way to the area,” he said in the evening. Hundreds of tourists, who had flocked to the Darjeeling hills to enjoy Durga Puja and post-Puja festivities, have been left stranded as heavy rainfall triggered massive landslides. Many of them, including families and groups from Kolkata and other parts of Bengal, were visiting popular spots such as Mirik, Ghoom, and Lepchajagat when the rains 1.7 tonnes of firecrackers seized in city, six arrested US blanks India, Hikaru causes a stir HIKARU NAKAMURA CELEBRATED CHECKMATING D GUKESH BY THROWING ONE OF THE INDIAN’S PIECES INTO THE CROWD. IN THE END, A ONE-OFF EXHIBITION WAS COMPREHENSIVELY WON BY THE US TEAM. A LOOK... P R A B H AT S H U K L A @ New Delhi THE Delhi Police has launched raids across the capital, arresting six men and seizing roughly 1.7 tonnes of banned firecrackers this month. DCP Pankaj Kumar said teams struck in Dwarka, Rohini, Uttam Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Mukundpur and Shahdara after the Supreme Court recently directed to clamp down on storage and sale of illegal fireworks. Overall, police impounded 1,645 kg of contraband pyrotechnics and a pickup truck, he added. In the first phase, officers unearthed over 916 kg of banned fireworks during coordinated raids in Dwarka, Rohini and Uttam Nagar. Acting on a tip-off, police arrested grocery shop owner Akash Gupta(24) after recovering 13 cartons and a sack of assorted illegal items from his house. Gupta said he had procured the goods from pickup driver Chander Kant (36), who was later intercepted in Rohini with 400 kg of firecrackers. Based on Kant’s disclosure, police raided the home of Rishi Raj(37) in Uttam Nagar and recovered 182 kg of fireworks. Meanwhile, in Shastri Nagar, officers arrested Rahul Sagar (34) and seized 412 kg of fireworks. In Mukundpur’s Bhalaswa Dairy area, a residential building operating under the guise of an LED-bulb manufacturing unit concealed 311kg of banned stock and Sonu (30) was taken into custody. In Shahdara’s Ashok Nagar Market, Vishal Sharma (34) was arrested with 106 kg of firecrackers. lashed the hills since Saturday . Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced compensation for the victims without specifying the amount and the number of deaths. She said she would visit north Bengal on October 6 to assess the situation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the deaths and said the situation in Darjeeling and surrounding areas is being closely monitored. In neighbouring Nepal, at least 51 people were killed till Sunday morning due to landslides and floods triggered by rain, an official of the Armed Police Force said. A red alert was issued for areas around the Bagmati and East Rapti rivers. domestic flights from Tribhuvan International Airport have been paused. A screengrab of the video showing Hikaru Nakamura throwing Gukesh’s King piece to the crowd after the American’s win | X US 5 - 0 INDIA In front of a live crowd, the US team dominated the Indian outfit, headlined by world champion D Gukesh and women’s World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh. From the get go at Arlington, Texas, the crowd cheered on as the concept of chess as a spectator sport gained more traction. Fabiano Caruana beat Arjun Erigaisi in the first game under quick time control and it was the theme of the evening EXPRESS READ DGCA to probe RAT deployment in AI plane Aviation watchdog DGCA is probing an incident on October 4 involving Air India’s flight AI117 from Amritsar to Birmingham, where Ram Air Turbine, which is usually used in case of engine failures, got deployed without any command from the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft minutes before landing at Birmingham airport | P7 Naval warship makes port call in Malaysia The Indian Navy’s indigenous stealth frigate INS Sahyadri made a port call at Malaysia’s Kemaman port as part of the Eastern Fleet Operational Deployment to the South China Sea and Indo-Pacific. The ship was accorded a warm welcome by the Royal Malaysian Navy, the Indian Navy said on Sunday, adding that the port call was on October 2. RESULTS Caruana bt Erigaisi, Carissa bt Divya, Rozman bt Sagar, Nakamura bt Gukesh, Tani bt Ethan NAKAMURA STEALS HEADLINES For the last game, Nakamura took centrestage against Gukesh, the teen world champion. After the World No 2 fought past a losing position, he outfought Gukesh before checkmating him. In the end, he threw Gukesh’s king into the crowd before lapping up the cheers THE Centre is expected to take a call this week on government formation in Manipur, which has been under President’s rule since February 13 this year. Several Manipur BJP leaders, including former chief minister N Biren Singh, are currently in the national capital to push for government revival in the ethnic strife-torn state. MLAs H Dingo, Th Robindro, S Ranjan, former minister Govindas Konthoujam, and Hill Areas Committee chairman Dinganglung Gangmei are also camping in Delhi. According to sources in the party, the state leaders are scheduled to meet the BJP’s central leadership on Monday . Manipur Gover nor Ajay Bhalla is also reportedly in Delhi, further fuelling speculations of an imminent political development. “The final decision after the meetings with central leaders, Union home minister, and finally the Prime Minister, would be taken in the next few days, which may take a week or longer,” said a senior BJP leader. Another party insider said that since the assembly has not Crackdown on PLA Security forces have arrested 15 cadres of the banned People’s Liberation Army in connection with last month’s ambush on a convoy, which killed two soldiers MP govt doc held for cough syrup deaths A N U R A A G S I N G H & K A V I TA B A J E L I D AT T @ Bhopal/New Delhi India captain Harmanpreet Kaur (R) and her Pakistan counterpart Fatima Sana during the toss at Colombo on Sunday | AFP IND-PAK HANDSHAKE GATE SPILLS OVER TO WOMEN’S WORLD CUP G O M E S H S @ Colombo NO customary handshakes, no acknowledgement or conversation while sharing the field. That seems to be the new normal when it comes to India-Pakistan and sports. What started as a one-off gesture at the men’s T20 Asia Cup — the first time two countries met in the sporting field after the Pahalgam terror attack and the cross-border tensions that followed — is now being followed by the Women in Blue at the ICC Cricket World Cup on Sunday . No one went on record and said they would not shake hands with the Pakistan captain or team in as many words in the lead-up to the Pakistan match. No questions were permitted on the eve of the match. However, it was expected as much, especially after the fact that the BCCI had directed them before leaving for Sri Lanka. On a bright, yet cloudy Sunday, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her counterpart Fatima Sana stood side by side at the toss; there were no pleasantries exchanged or handshakes. Drama continued in the second innings when Pakistan’s Muneeba Ali was run out amidst the Indian team’s appeal for an LBW Later, India won . the tie by 88 runs. Toss confusion There was confusion after the toss. While it seemed like Sana called tails, the match referee said heads and the toss went in favour of Pakistan, who opted to field. Neither Kaur nor the presenter objected to it, adding to the confusion. There was no official word yet either from the team or the ICC. Himachal welcomes season’s first snowfall H A R P R E E T B A J W A @ Chandigarh THE higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh, including Rohtang Pass and Dhauladhar ranges, received the season’s first snowfall on Sunday morning, leading to a drop in the minimum temperature. The Kullu district administration has suspended vehicular traffic to Rohtang Pass and advised commuters not to venture through this highway . A fresh spell of mild snowfall on the Dhauladhar ranges and overnight rainfall in parts of Kangra and Chamba districts brought a dip in temperatures across several hill towns of the hill state ushering in early winter-like conditions. As Dharamsala, McLeodganj, Kangra, Palampur, Dalhousie, Chamba and Bharmour witnessed a significant change in weather, with a sudden chill re- A fresh spell of mild snowfall brings a dip in temperatures in the valley | PTI placing the warm sunshine of the past few days. Intermittent showers continued through the morning in several parts of the region, leading to the formation of dense fog that blanketed the upper reaches of the mountains. Strong icy winds swept the higher and mid hills of the state followed by severe thunderstorm, lightning and intermit- been dissolved and remains in suspended animation, there are no major legal obstacles to forming the government. This technical status makes reinstallation of a BJP-led government a more straightforward process if the central leadership gives its approval. The development comes seven months after the imposition of President’s rule following the resignation of Biren Singh on February 9. Since then, no political party or coalition has staked a claim to form the government, resulting in the continued imposition of Central rule. However, with the law and order situation improving, political observers expect a BJPled government may soon come to power in Manipur. tent rains. Also, there were reports of uprooting of trees due to storm and heavy downpour from several parts of the state. According to the Meteorological Department, Dharamsala and its twin town McLeodganj recorded 25.5 mm of rainfall during the night, while Palampur received 10.2 mm, Kangra 18.4 mm and Chamba 4 mm, Brahmani 26.4, Nangal Dam 23 mm, Malraon 22, Bilaspur 20.4 mm and Nainadevi 18.1 mm. Thunderstor m was witnessed in Kufri, Jot, Murari devi, Sundernagar, Bhunter, Kangra and Shimla while gusty winds with velocity of 30 to 61 Kmph lashed Reckongpeo, Tabo, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Sundernagar and Kukumseri. The minimum temperatures dropped by one to three degrees across HP and Tabo was coldest with a low of 3.1 degrees, followed by Keylong 3.6 degrees, Kalpa and Kukumseri 6.2 degrees and Kufri and Narkanda 10 degrees each. An orange alert has been issued warning of hail, heavy to very rain, thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds with speeds ranging from 40 to 50 kmph at isolated places in six districts of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Sirmaur, and Lahaul and Spiti districts on October 6. FOLLOWING the deaths of 14 children in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district, the police have arrested a government doctor who had prescribed the cough syrup suspected to have caused the fatalities. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Madhya Pradesh Police has registered an FIR against paediatrician Dr Pravin Soni and the Tamil Nadu-based Sresan Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of the Coldrif syrup. Dr Soni was arrested late on Saturday night. Of the 10 deaths mentioned in the FIR, in at least nine cases, a combination of medicines, including Coldrif cough syrup, was prescribed by Dr Soni at his private clinic in August and September. Two parents who lost their children told this newspaper that Dr Soni had prescribed a combination of medicines, including the syrup. “The medicines were prescribed by Dr Soni, and his staff asked us to buy from the pharmacy inside his clinic. The medical shop appears to be run by people close to him,” one of them said. Dr Soni who was posted at the Parasia Civil Hospital has been suspended by the state government and attached to the office of regional director (health services) in Jabalpur. Both Dr Soni and Sresan Phar maceutical have been charged under sections 276 (adulteration of drugs) and 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Meanwhile, in the wake of the cough syrup deaths, the Union health ministry on Sunday held a high-level meeting with states and Union Territories. Discussions were held on ensuring compliance with statutory quality standards in drug manufacturing, the rational use of cough syrups, especially among children, and strengthening the regulation of retail pharmacies. BHAGWAT EXHORTS TAKING BACK PoK RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday referred to the partition of India, and said that “a room in our home” that has been usurped by someone has to be reclaimed | P8