DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2025, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 18 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 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 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 PAGES2,14 EXPRESS NETWORK HYDERABAD, NEW DELHI, MAY 21 Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Anil Sharma SUPREME COURT GRANTS INTERIM BAIL TO PROF MAHMUDABAD PAGE 6 MANSAROVAR YATRA ON TRACK, 750 PILGRIMS SELECTED PAGE 10 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 secu- CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CENSUS REVEALS 32% INCREASE PM lauds rise in Asiatic lion population in Gujarat GANDHINAGAR, MAY 21 NEW DELHI, MAY 21 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NIKHILA HENRY & DEEPTIMAN TIWARY PARIMALADABHI 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 Sonia Gandhi 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 `5.00 ● WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 GUJARAT CHIEF Minister BhupendraPatel,onWednesday, released the figures of the 16th Lion Population Estimation, according to which the population ofAsiaticlionshasrecordedanincrease of around 32% compared tothe15thlioncensus,conducted in 2020. ThepopulationofAsiaticlions has increased to 891 from 674 in 2020. Meanwhile, Prime Minister NarendraModiexpressedhappiness at the rise in the population of lions in Gujarat. ThePrimeMinisterwasreacting to Chief Minister Patel's post onX. Modisaid,“Itisveryencouraging information. It is heartening to note that the efforts under 'Project Lion' are providing them (lions) a conducive environment and ensuring their protection.” FULL REPORT PAGE 4 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 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 US trade deal by July 8, before 90-day pause ends RAVI DUTTA MISHRA NEW DELHI, MAY 21 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 Ahmedabad