THURSDAY 23 50 PAHALGAM TOURIST SPOTS WERE SHUT AFTER ATTACK. MANY ARE NOW OPEN Tributes paid to Pahalgam victims on anniversary of terror attack APRIL, 2026 epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard ORBIT DIPLOMACY Tributes were paid on Wednesday to the 26 people who were gunned down by terrorists in J&K’s Pahalgam last year CHINA HELPS PAK WITH SPACE VISITS Two Pakistani candidates have been selected as the first foreign astronauts for China’s space mission training, a China government agency said PAGE 9 INDIA WILL NEVER BOW TO TERRORISM: MODI A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS  NEW DELHI  J8.00 Gripping Tamil Nadu contest today for decisive mandate T M U R U G A N A N D H A M @ Chennai ALL arrangements are in place across the state for electing 234 members to the 17th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Thursday With around 74 lakh . names deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the turnout may rise due to a reduced electorate base, though the actual participation levels will determine the final outcome. A total of 5.67 crore voters will exercise their franchise at 75,064 booths. Chief Minister M K Stalin’s DMK is facing a stiff challenge from the NDA led by former CM Edappadi Palaniswami, while actor-turned-neta Vijay is the X-factor. A notable 14,59,039 first-time voters are expected to play a critical role, with many young people showing strong enthusiasm to cast their ballots. This engagement is further evidenced by a significant number of people travelling back to their home towns to fulfil their democratic duty . When asked about her expectations regarding the voter turnout, Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik, addressing a press conference at the state secretariat on Wednesday said, , “Highest ever.” As per sources, about 13 lakh commuters left Chennai for various parts of Tamil Nadu and neighboring states on Tuesday and Wednesday using government and pri, vate buses and trains. Giving an overview of the state’s readiness, the CEO said there are 5,949 sensitive polling booths in 3,025 locations across the state. An official said security arrangements for these booths are already in place, including deployment of micro observers and CAPF personnel along with police personnel. She said 3,60,068 polling personnel have been engaged for the election, and 300 companies of CAPF have also been deployed to ensure free and fair elections. Besides, 83,875 police personnel are also on election duty. The vote counting will take place at 62 centres. In response to a question, the CEO said that 4.18 lakh postal ballots have been received so far. As for social media posts, 243 rebuttals and clarifications have been issued, and 163 FIRs have been lodged. She said 2,118 URLs have been blocked by the social media monitoring team in response to complaints. There are 249 model polling stations in the state. Of them, 325 are all-women-managed; 71 are PwD-managed; and 79 are youth-managed. Green polling stations are being piloted in certain districts. So far, the total value of goods and cash seized stood at `1,262 crore, of which `543 crore was in cash. As for election-related complaints, 5,634 complaints have been received through the CVigil app. Of them, only 17 are pending. About 74,270 complaints received through call centres from districts, and 52 remain unresolved. HC: No mass arrests of people The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday stayed the EC’s plan to swoop down on ‘troublemakers’ en masse and arrest them ahead of the first phase of polls. “It is wrong to identify someone as ‘troublemaker’ and arrest them on mass scale,” it observed. Police can take action as per law. But the rule of the law has to be followed even for preventive arrest, the court said ECI: Kharge issued notice The ECI took “serious note” of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “terrorist” and issued him a “stern notice”, officials said. He has been asked to explain his stand within 24 hours, they added. Kharge had accused Modi of “terrorising” political parties | P7 Toughest test yet for Mamata to crush challenge PAGES 12 IRAN Epaminondas Seized ship lacked permit: IRGC The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps alleged that MSC-Francesca was linked to Israel while Epaminondas lacked “the necessary permits” and had been “tampering with navigation systems” Three cargo ships attacked in Strait of Hormuz WEST Bengal is all prepped up for a pulsating contest between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress and the BJP on Thursday when 152 of the total 294 constituencies in the state go to polls in the first of the two-phase elections amid unprecedented security cover. This is the first election after the Election Commission of India’s controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of rolls resulted in 91 lakh deletions from the list. How it would impact the outcome is anybody’s guess. Appellate tribunals added just 139 of the 27 lakh — whose names did not figure in the supplementary rolls — to the list of eligible voters in the first phase. Of the 152 seats in the first phase, 54 in north Bengal districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur and Malda are seen as strongholds of the BJP. The remaining 98 seats in districts like Murshidabad, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura, West Bardhaman and Birbhum, are part of the the traditional citadel of the TMC. The respective strengths of the CPM-led Left Front and the Congress will also be under test. Apart from SIR and anti-incumbency the TMC faces serious charges like , widespread corruption, poor law and order, infiltration and tribal discontent. P8 ONLY 139 MORE BENGAL VOTERS GET TO VOTE I P8 BJP STRONGHOLD IN NORTH BENGAL TO SET TONE I P8 THREE-WAY FIGHT AND AN X-FACTOR IN TN I P5 EC seizes `473 cr in West Bengal Due to lack of motorable roads to Vellakavi and other high-altitude villages in Kodaikanal taluk of Dindigul district in Tamil Nadu, polling materials and EVMs are being carried on horses and mules. Teams must trek through a seven-kilometre rugged terrain to reach designated polling stations | EXPRESS MSC Francesca Euphoria Gulf of Oman US woman raped at Karnataka homestay EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Madikeri The Epaminondas | FILE PIC S U B H E N D U M A I T I @ Kolkata ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS The Election Commission (EC) said that between February 26 and April 22, it seized `472.89 crore from West Bengal. It has deployed 2,728 flying squad teams and 3,142 static surveillance teams in the state. “Flying squads have been specifically instructed to attend to complaints within 100 minutes,” it said.  “Remembering the innocent lives lost in the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack on this day last year,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X, adding India will never bow to terror. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the nation stands united against terrorism. The European Union and the United Kingdom have expressed solidarity with the people of India | P7 Trump extends truce, Iran seizes India-bound ship A G E N C I E S @ Washington/ Dubai IRAN on Wednesday fired at three cargo ships and seized two of them, including one bound for Gujarat, hours after US President Donald Trump announced that Washington was indefinitely extending its two-week ceasefire with Tehran. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards intercepted and transferred two vessels, identified as the “MSC-FRANCESCA” and the “EPAMINONDAS” (bound for Mundra port in Gujarat ), to Iranian territorial waters, Iranian media reported. It comes a day after the seizure of an Iranian vessel by the US in the Sea of Oman. Late on Tuesday night, Trump said he was extending the ceasefire at the request of Pakistan to give Tehran’s leadership more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war. “Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured… and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, DAY and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our attack,” President Trump said. Lebanon attacked As for the peace talks in Islamadespite truce bad, there is little clarity on when, or even if, they will take place. Israeli strikes killed three people in Lebanon despite Trump, however, told The New York Post that it’s possible that an ongoing 10-day the second round could begin by ceasefire, Lebanese state Friday, adding the economic media said, adding that blockade of Iran’s ports will reBeirut would request an main in place. Sources in Pakiextension of the truce stan told the daily talks would during upcoming talks resume in 36-72 hours. with Israel in Washington. Iran has not confirmed if it is The two governments, ready to attend the new round of which do not have talks. Its chief negotiator Modiplomatic relations with each other, are set to hold hammad Bagher Ghalibaf said it is “not possible to reopen the a second round of talks strait” if the US blockade of under US auspices on Iran’s ports continue. Oil prices Thursday P9 rose again on Wednesday with Brent North Sea climbing above $100 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate traded above $93 once again. Meanwhile, India denied making any payments —either in cash or cryptocurrency —to Iran to secure safe passage for its vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Two Indian vessels were fired upon as they attempted to cross the waterway on April 18. Reports said at least one ship fell victim to a scam offering fake safe passage in exchange for crypto. Addressing the German Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence and Security Defence Minister Rajnath Singh , warned that disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have direct implications for India’s security and economic stability . 54 A US national was allegedly sexually assaulted at a homestay in Karnataka’s Kodagu a week ago. The incident came to light after the woman alerted the US embassy which in turn , informed the local authorities. According to police, the incident occurred on April 12 in Kutta village near Kerala border. Two persons, the caretaker and owner of the homestay, have been arrested. The caretaker, hailing from Jharkhand, is the primary accused. The homestay owner allegedly tried to suppress the incident. Both the accused have been remanded in judicial custody . Kodagu Superintendent of Police Bindu Mani said all aspects of the case are under investigation, including allegat i o n s t h a t t h e wo m a n’s movement was restricted for several days after the incident. Sources said the woman, who had booked a tent stay from April 12 to April 17, alleged she was drugged and sexually assaulted by the caretaker on the night of her arrival. She later informed the homestay owner, who shifted her from the tent to his residence on the premises, saying it would be safer. However, the survivor alleged that she was not allowed to leave immediately and the wifi at the property was disabled, limiting her ability to seek help. The woman reportedly left the homestay on April 17 and travelled to Mysuru, from where she contacted the US embassy A formal complaint was . registered later. The police said the survivor is currently undergoing medical treatment, and further details will be released when the investigation progresses. DIRECT DELHI-BEIJING FLIGHTS RESUME Air China has resumed its non-stop Delhi-Beijing flight, reconnecting the flight services between the two capitals, disrupted since 2020 due to Covid-19 and border tensions. Flights will operate on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, the airline said | P7 ‘Democracy in peril’: SC raps Didi for ‘Sacked’ help rapes, kills IRS officer’s daughter blocking ED raid at IPAC premises N I T I N R A W AT @ New Delhi S U C H I T R A K A LYA N M O H A N T Y @ New Delhi COMING down on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her alleged interference in the ongoing probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the Kolkata office of political consultancy firm IPAC, the Supreme Court on Wednesday observed that democracy is put in peril if a chief minister intervenes in a probe like this. “The chief minister of any state cannot walk into the midst of an investigation, put the democracy in peril, and then say don’t convert this into a dispute between the state and the Union,” said a two-judge bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N V Anjaria. Making strong observations against Banerjee, the court re- ‘Govt agency has no fundamental rights’ Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for a West Bengal police official, argued that the ED, being a statutory authority, could not invoke the fundamental rights doctrine. marked that such a situation was unprecedented and went beyond conventional federal disputes. “We never thought that in this country a day would come where a sitting CM would walk into the office where an investigating agency is probing a case,” the court said. It made these strong oral remarks against Banerjee while hearing the writ petitions filed by the ED and its officers under Article 32 of the Constitution. The ED petitions had sought a direction for a CBI investigation into the alleged obstruction of the ED officials during the search operations. During the hearing, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy , appearing for a senior West Bengal official, questioned the maintainability of the ED’s plea, saying the dispute is essentially between the Centre and the state. Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for a state police official, argued that the ED, being a statutory authority , cannot invoke fundamental rights under Article 32. He contended that neither the agency nor its officers possess an independent fundamental right to investigate. A 22-year-old daughter of an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer was murdered on Wednesday morning at her residence in south Delhi’s Kailash Hills. Police said the victim was allegedly raped before being strangled with a mobile phone charging wire and was hit on the head with a stick. The accused, a sacked domestic help, was held after a day-long hunt. The victim, an engineering graduate preparing for the UPSC examination, was alone at home at the time of the crime, as her parents had gone to a gym. When the couple returned around 8 am, they found their daughter lying unconscious on the floor and rushed her to a hospital, where she was declared brought dead. Crime and forensic teams were called to collect evidence. Investigators outside the crime scene in Kailash HIlls and (R) the accused | EXPRESS Accused an addict of online gaming, borrowed money The accused was addicted to online games and used to borrow money from other domestic workers and staff in nearby houses, and did not repay them. Police are probing if the crime was related to his dismissal. Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Vijay Kumar said, “The accused Rahul Meena was arrested in the evening from an OYO hotel in Dwarka. We have strong evidence and will present a solid case to ensure he receives the strictest punishment.” A case has been registered under charges of rape and murder. The Delhi Police learnt that the accused also had a case of rape registered against him in Alwar. During the probe, suspicion fell on Meena, a former domes- tic worker who had been removed about one and a half months ago. CCTV footage and eyewitness accounts showed he entered the colony at around 6.30 am, the house at 6.39 am, and left around 7.20 am. Police said he knew where the keys were kept outside for the maid, who was on leave for the day . The victim’s room was on the upper floor. Investigators believe Meena went upstairs, committed the crime, ransacked a cupboard, and stole `2– `2.5 lakh. Some of the stolen cash has been recovered. After the crime, he changed his trousers before fleeing. A car cleaner saw him in the morning and questioned his presence, to which he replied that he had some work to do. Meena had been dismissed over complaints of borrowing money due to online gaming addiction. P3