DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA ● REG.NO. MCS/067/2018 - 20 RNI REGN. NO. 1543/57 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2025, MUMBAI, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 PM HAILS OP: ‘GOVT COMMITTED TO ELIMINATING MENACE OF MAOISM’ 138 171 78 BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY PMLA case against Sonia & Rahul, Congress not accused yet: ED to court NIRBHAY THAKUR NEW DELHI, MAY 21 THEENFORCEMENTDirectorate told a Delhi court Wednesday that while the Congress party was not yet an accused in the National Herald case, a prima faciecaseofmoneylaunderingwas made out against party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. “Iwillshowthataprimafacie case of money laundering is made out... The attachment of properties took place in CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Maoist chief among 27 killed in Bastar encounter, takes toll to 200 this year Landmark achievement, first time gen secy-ranked leader killed: Shah JAYPRAKASH S NAIDU RAIPUR, MAY 21 TWENTY-SEVEN MEMBERS of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), including its general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju (70), were killed in an encounter with security forces in Abujhmad area of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on Wednesday morning. A jawan from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) was also killed in the faceoff. The encounter is the latest in CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 MUMBAI, MAY 21 THE MAHARASHTRA government has given its consent for the merger of the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) with the Indian Railways, becoming the last of the shareholder states to agree to the proposal. The approval, however, is contingent on two conditions: reimbursement of the state’s financial share in the corporation and retention of the name The encounter site in Abujhmad Narayanpur Bijapur Dantewada BASTAR STRONGHOLD ■ 1,003 Maoists killed in the state’s Bastar region in more than 11 years Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju Maharashtra gives nod for Konkan Rail’s merger with Indian Railways with riders VALLABH OZARKAR Raipur CHHATTISGARH ‘Konkan Railway’ post-merger. InaletteraddressedtoUnion Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw last month, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the Maharashtra government supports the merger, provided the Indian Railways reimburses Rs 396.54 crore — the state’s equity contribution to KRCL — and continues to use the ‘Konkan Railway’ name, acknowledging its regional and operational significance. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ■ Nearly 200 of them killed in encounters this year PAGES7,13 EXPRESS NETWORK What Basavaraju’s killing means for Maoists — and Govt’s fight against them NIKHILA HENRY & DEEPTIMAN TIWARY HYDERABAD, NEW DELHI, MAY 21 rity establishment say. For the Maoist movement in general, and the two states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in particular, Basavaraju was synonymous with the Maoist party. The 70-year-old, who was among the 27 Maoists killed by security forces in Abujhmad, ● hailedfromSrikakulamin Andhra Pradesh and was a student of the Regional E THE DEATH of CommunistPartyof India (Maoist) leader Basavaraju in an encounter in Abujhmad marks a pivotal moment in the fight against Left Wing Extremism, officials in the secuEXPLAINED 110 MAHARASHTRA 22/05/2025 Virtually no disclosure at SEBI helm, tackling this head on: new chief GEORGE MATHEW, HITESH VYAS & SANDEEP SINGH MUMBAI, MAY 21 THERE WAS “virtually no public disclosure” for those at the helm of market regulator Securities andExchangeBoardof India,not even meeting “minimal expectations”, new chief of SEBI Tuhin Kanta Pandey told The Indian Express. Thiscandidadmissioncomes within three months of his taking over the charge at SEBI from Madhabi Puri Buch whose controversialthree-yeartermended in February. She and her husband Dhaval Buch had faced allegations that they held investments in offshore funds, in TUHIN KANTA PANDEY SEBI CHAIRMAN whichassociatesof AdaniGroup Chairman Gautam Adani’s brother, Vinod Adani, had also invested. The Buchs had denied these allegations. While taking charge at SEBI, he said, there was a “narrative” about conflict of interest at the CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 India set to sign interim US trade deal by July 8, SC grants interim bail to before 90-day pause ends Mahmudabad, orders an SIT probe and a gag RAVI DUTTA MISHRA ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, MAY 21 PAGE 10 INTERVIEW CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW DELHI, MAY 21 BANU MUSHTAQ WINS BOOKER FOR KANNADA SHORT STORIES PAGE 7 MANSAROVAR YATRA ON TRACK, 750 PILGRIMS SELECTED THE EXPRESS DECLINING TO stay the investigation against him over his online posts on Operation Sindoor and restraining him from speaking or writing on the matter, the Supreme Court granted interim bail Wednesday to Ashoka University Professor Ali Khan Mahmudabadwhowasarrested by Haryana Police. On Tuesday, a court in Ali Khan Mahmudabad Sonipat, where Ashoka University is located, had sent Mahmudabad to judicial custody until May 27. Observing that Mahmudabad’s remarks CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 INDIA IS likely to sign an interim trade deal with the US by July 8, whenthe90-daypausewindow ends and reciprocal tariffs kick in. This, a government official said, will ensure New Delhi averts the 26 per cent retaliatory tariff imposed by the US on Indian goods. The confidence comes following Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit last week to Washington, aimed at giving fresh impetus to the ongoingtradetalks.TheIndiandel- egation’s visit was days after the United States and China agreed todramaticallyde-escalatetrade tensions and sign an agreement to reduce tariffs on each other. “Talks are progressing positively. We are looking to conclude an interim deal before the first tranche (of tariffs) takes effect on July 8. It will cover goods, non-tariff barriers, and select areas of services, including digital trade. We are working to ensure that the 26 per cent additional dutyandpossiblythe10percent baseline tariff do not apply to India,” the official said. However, another official CONTINUED ON PAGE 2