DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2025, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 22 PAGES Maoist chief among 27 killed in Bastar encounter, takes toll to 200 this year Landmark achievement, first time gen secy-ranked leader killed: Shah Jal Shakti schemes: MPs meet today to discuss issues, concerns HARIKISHAN SHARMA NEW DELHI, MAY 21 JALSHAKTIMinisterCRPatilhas invited around 60 Lok Sabha memberstoholdaninformalinteractionThursdayonthepoints and concerns they had raised during a discussion on his Ministry’sDemandforGrantsfor financial year 2025-26. The meeting, which will be held at the Parliament House Annexe building, is likely to see members discussing issues related to different schemes of the Ministry including the Jal Jeevan Mission and Namami Gange. The meeting comes at a time when the Centre has decided to send 100 teams of Central Nodal Officers (CNO) for ground inspection of Jal Jeevan Mission schemes across the country amid concerns over irregularities in several states. A source said the Ministry has written to around 60 Lok Sabha members, inviting them to attend the interaction. These CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 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 districtonWednesday 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 Raipur CHHATTISGARH 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 PMLA case against Sonia & Rahul, Congress not accused yet: ED to court ■ Nearly 200 of them killed in encounters this year PAGES7,19 EXPRESS NETWORK HYDERABAD, NEW DELHI, MAY 21 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 secu- 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 BANU MUSHTAQ WINS BOOKER FOR KANNADA SHORT STORIES PAGES 11, 19 MANSAROVAR YATRA ON TRACK, 750 PILGRIMS SELECTED PAGE 8 THE EXPRESS INTERVIEW 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 SC grants interim bail to US trade deal by July 8, before 90-day pause ends Mahmudabad, orders an SIT probe and a gag RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, MAY 21 Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Anil Sharma GEORGE MATHEW, HITESH VYAS & SANDEEP SINGH CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, MAY 21 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NIKHILA HENRY & DEEPTIMAN TIWARY 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 Virtually no disclosure at SEBI helm, tackling this head on: new chief NEW DELHI, MAY 21 NIRBHAY THAKUR 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 SoniaGandhi and Rahul Gandhi. “Iwillshowthataprimafacie case of money laundering is What Basavaraju’s killing means for Maoists — and Govt’s fight against them EXPLAINED BY UNNY PM HAILS OP: ‘GOVT COMMITTED TO ELIMINATING MENACE OF MAOISM’ MAHARASHTRA BUSINESS AS USUAL `7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `15 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 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, whenthe 90-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.TheIndian del- 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