29082026-TT-01.qxd 8/28/2026 11:04 PM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 238 | 18 PAGES | ~7.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HIMACHAL PRADESH REFORM-MINDED KING OF NORWAY DIES AT 89 WORLD /thetribunechd WILL RESIGN FROM NC: MEHDI AFTER FAROOQ’S CHALLENGE J&K BABITA SINGH REPORTING: A WOMAN, BEYOND KHAKI REVIEW JIO PLATFORMS GETS SEBI APPROVAL FOR $3.8-BN IPO BUSINESS saturday | 29 august 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Tibet lake ‘burst’ triggers fresh flood fears in Nepal; 320 Indians untraced Sonia’s memoir wasn’t shelved over editorial changes, says Penguin 538 bodies recovered so far, 977 still missing| 21 rescued TN tourists arrive in Delhi Shekhar Singh Ujwal Jalali Rescuers evacuate a person from the tunnel of a hydropower project in the aftermath of flashflood and mudslide in Rasuwa, Nepal. REUTERS New Delhi, August 28 Fresh fears of another flashflood disrupted rescue operations in Nepal’s flood-ravaged Rasuwa district on Friday, even as 320 Indian nationals still remained uncontactable in the aftermath of the devastating Bhote Koshi floods. There was information that a fresh barrier lake had formed at the origin of the ice-rock avalanche that triggered the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli floods. Satellite imagery indicated that continued water accumulation in the lake could heighten the risk of another downstream outburst flood. The Nepal police issued an alert after receiving information from the Chinese side that another water body had breached in Tibet, raising concerns of a fresh downstream surge. The warning prompted a suspension of rescue operations for nearly three hours as security personnel, rescue workers and residents in affected areas were asked to remain vigilant and move to safer locations. continued on page 6 India seals deal to procure Javelin anti-tank guided missiles from US Ajay Banerjee Co-production through joint venture likely in future New Delhi, August 28 India has finalised an agreement with the US to purchase Javelin anti-tank missile systems for the Army, with prospects of the weapon being co-produced in the future through a joint venture between companies from the two countries. The decision comes nearly 17 years after the US first proposed selling Javelin to India and showcased it during a joint military exercise at Babina, near Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh. The missile is fired by ground troops to target tanks, armoured vehicles and fortified enemy positions at a range of up to 5 km. In military parlance, the COURTESY: LOCKHEED MARTIN Tribune News Service Javelin system is classified as a “medium-range, fireand-forget anti-tank guided missile (ATGM)”. The operating crew can literally “shoot and scoot” as the missile tracks the target on its own after launch. “It automatically guides itself to the target after launch,” say the missile’s manufacturers, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The Army currently uses a mix of indigenous, French, Israeli and Russian-origin ATGMs, each offering varied capabilities. The decision to acquire an ATGM from the US comes months after the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) cleared the sale of Javelin to India in November last year. The US State Department had approved a $45 million deal for 100 Javelin missiles, one fly-to-buy round, 25 command-launch units, training aids, simulation rounds, spare continued on page 6 REUTERS Tribune News Service A barrier lake formed following a landslide in the border area between the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, and Bagmati, Nepal. BACK PAGE India offers to deploy NDRF teams, awaits Nepal’s nod Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 28 India has offered to deploy the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams with specialised equipment in flood-ravaged Nepal, but is awaiting clearance from Kathmandu even as it rapidly scales up humanitarian and technical assistance to its Himalayan neighbour. The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said India was ready to provide any fur- ther assistance required by Nepal for search, rescue and relief operations, as the disaster left hundreds dead or missing and hundreds of Indian nationals uncontactable. “We have also made specific offer to Nepal authorities to dispatch the NDRF teams along with their associated equipment that can help in ongoing search and rescue operations and bring relief assistance to people impacted by the tragedy. continued on page 6 FESTIVE BOND A schoolgirl shares an affectionate moment with PM Narendra Modi during Raksha Bandhan celebrations in New Delhi. PTI Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 28 A political row erupted on Friday over Sonia Gandhi’s upcoming memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, with Penguin Random House India denying reports that it had decided not to publish the book after the author refused editorial changes, even as the Congress alleged pressure to delete references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS and Chinese intrusions. The BJP in turn, ques, tioned what in the former Congress president’s memoir required “fact-checking”. Sources in the Congress claimed Sonia had refused to make changes or delete portions concerning Modi, the RSS and Chinese intrusions into Indian territory. Breaking its silence on reports surrounding the India edition, Penguin said it was not publishing the memoir in the country but rejected claims that Sonia’s refusal to accept editorial changes was the reason. “Any suggestion that Penguin Random House India decided not to publish ‘Belonging’ because the author declined Headmaster held for rape of Class VII student in Punjab HOSHIARPUR: A headmaster of a government middle school in Arniyala Shahpur village has been arrested for allegedly raping a 12-year-old Class VII student. The police registered a case on the complaint of the girl’s father on Thursday. The accused has been identified as Anuj Vasudev, the headmaster and science teacher at the school. According to the complaint, the girl had stopped attending school over the past few days. When her father asked her the reason, she allegedly told him that the headmaster had been harassing her and had subjected her to inappropriate physical contact. She also alleged that he had threatened to expel her from the school if she disclosed the matter to anyone. INSIDE Lt Col cashiered, gets 1-yr Buried by friends after overdose, 25-yr-old RI in drug supplies scam K’thala man’s body exhumed 14 days later Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service Chandigarh, August 28 A Summary General Court Martial (SGCM) has cashiered a Lieutenant Colonel from the Army Medical Corps and sentenced him to one-year rigorous imprisonment for financial misappropriation and administrative irregularities in the procurement of medical supplies for a military hospital in Jammu and Kashmir. Lt Col D Maji was tried on 14 charges under the provisions of Sections 52(a), 52(f) and 63 of the Army Act for making false statements, intent to defraud and acts prejudicial to good order and military discipline. The court found him guilty on five counts. The trial concluded in Nagrota (near Jammu) on August 28. The court’s findings and sentence are subject to confirmation by the higher authorities—in this case, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command. The misappropriation relates to 2018 and 2019, when the officer was posted at 166 Military Hospital. He served as the indenting officer for the procurement of medical supplies and was also the presiding officer for the technical and financial board proceedings. The Lieutenant Colonel had pleaded not guilty to the charges, contending that his actions had been bona fide and that documents relating to the case were forged and did not bear his signatures. He had earlier approached the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT). While the AFT’s Principal Bench, headed by Justice Rajendra Menon, declined to stay the disciplinary proceedings against him, it directed that no final continued on page 6 Aparna Banerji Tribune News Service Jalandhar, August 28 Fourteen days after a 25-yearold man died of a suspected drug overdose, the Kapurthala police on Thursday exhumed his body following a complaint by his family. Amandeep Singh, a resident of Desal village in Kapurthala district, had been missing since August 14. During the investigation into his disappearance, the police found that Amandeep had allegedly died of a suspected drug overdose after being administered drugs by his friends. A case has been registered against his friends Varinder and Palvinder, alias Ajay, at the Fattudhinga police station under Sections 238 (causing disappearance of evidence or giving false information to screen an offender) and 140(1) (kidnap- Was missing since Aug 14 | Accused admit they took drugs ping or abducting in order to trace of him was found for sevmurder) of the Bharatiya eral days. The accused were Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). rounded up three days ago Sub-Inspector Dilbag Singh after a formal complaint was of the Fattudhinga police station lodged against them. said that, acting on During questionthe family’s coming, the accused plaint, the accused allegedly told the were detained and police that they questioned. Based had administered on their disclosures, a drugs to Amanthird accomplice has deep and were also been nominated present while he in the case, the police consumed drugs said, adding that the on the night of accused admitted Amandeep Singh August 14. They during interrogation allegedly abanthat they had buried Aman- doned him in the fields after deep’s body in a field. his condition deteriorated. The family said Amandeep The police said that after had left home with some Amandeep died the following friends from the village on day, the accused buried his August 14 and never body in a field and attempted returned. They subsequently to cover up the incident. The informed the police, but no body was exhumed on Thurs- c m y b day, around 14 days after the alleged incident. As per information, records of Amandeep’s mobile phone showed that he had last been in contact with some of his friends. Dheerendra Verma, DSP , Sultanpur Lodhi, said, “Amandeep went missing from his home on August 14. Following a formal complaint lodged three days ago, the accused were arrested and confessed to administering him drugs. A third person has also been nominated in the case. Whether the death was caused by a drug overdose can be established conclusively only after the postmortem report is received.” The body has been sent to the Civil Hospital, Kapurthala. The police said further action in the case would be taken after the post-mortem examination and the recording of the family’s statements. Cong alleges pressure, BJP questions ‘fact-check’ editorial changes does not accurately reflect the circumstances,” it said. The publisher, however, acknowledged that recommendations and factchecking formed part of its discussions with authors. “As a publisher, it is both our prerogative and responsibility to fact-check and provide authors with recommendations that are in the best interests of their books. This is a normal part of the publishing process,” Penguin said, adding that it remained “willing and keen to publish the book”. It declined to disclose details of what it described as “confidential discussions with the author”. The statement, however, failed to douse the political fire. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi termed Penguin’s clarification “weak” and pointed to books published by the company on the RSS and Modi’s ‘Exam Warriors’. “No doubt there are those in the BJP government who have now become afraid of a book continued on page 6 Pb man shares live feed with Pak, held LUDHIANA: The police have arrested a 20-year-old man from Gurdaspur for allegedly sharing live footage from CCTV cameras installed outside a rented shop on the LudhianaFerozepur road with Pakistanbased handlers. The police said the location of the cameras, 6 km from the sensitive Baddowal Cantonment, was one of the key aspects being examined as part of the investigation. INSIDE Plane tyre bursts on landing in C’garh BILASPUR: A Bilaspur-bound flight from Delhi suffered a tyre burst during landing at the airport here in Chhattisgarh on Friday, but all 41 people on board were safely evacuated, officials said. The flight, 9I613, operated by Alliance Air, was carrying 37 passengers and four crew members when the incident occurred. — PTI Stunning comeback by Pragg, is first Indian to win Grand Chess Tour St Louis, August 28 Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to clinch the Grand Chess Tour title, beating Fabiano Caruana of the US with a stunning comeback win in the grand finale here. Praggnanandhaa made a remarkable turnaround on Thursday after trailing Caruana by six points at the start of the day at the Saint Louis Chess Club here. The Indian eventually prevailed 15-13 to win his maiden GCT title and pocket USD 200,000 as the winning purse. The title win also guaranteed Praggnanandhaa a spot in the next year’s Grand Chess Tour along with Caruana, and another American Wesley So, who defeated Vincent Keymer of Germany 1812 to take the third place. “Honestly, I didn’t think I had many chances today... It’s not every day that you can get one win from Fabi, but to get two, it was important in the rapid,” Praggnanandhaa told Chess.com. The 21-year-old Chennai lad, who has been mentored by five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, started the day six points behind, but pulled another rabbit out of the hat and took a lead of two points after winning both the rapid games (four points to winner per game). It was even-stevens in the subsequent four games of blitz, with Praggnanandhaa and Caruana winning one each while the remaining two were drawn. The two-point lead at the end of the rapid games proved decisive for the Indian Grandmaster. The first game of the blitz section was a drawn affair before Caruana won the second to level the scores at 12-12. A determined Praggnanandhaa prevailed over Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa with Grand Chess Tour title in US. PTI DIDN’T THINK I’LL WIN Honestly, I didn’t think I had many chances today... It’s not every day that you can get one win from Fabi, but to get two, it was important in the rapid. Praggnanandhaa ❝ his opponent in the third game to restore his two-point lead (14-12). Had Caruana won the last blitz game, he would have forced two more games with the peculiar time control, followed by armageddon. But, a draw was enough for Praggnanandhaa to win the match, and he did just that to seal a famous title. “Congratulations to Praggnanandhaa on winning his first-ever Grand Chess Tour title!” Grand Chess Tour’s official handle posted on X. “Pragg defeats Fabiano Caruana in a thrilling final match to cap off an incredible season and claim the GCT crown for the first time in his career! What a comeback, what a fight, and what a way to become champion!” Earlier this year, Praggnanandhaa had become the first Indian to win the Norway Chess title, a campaign that featured two wins over world number one and tournament favourite Magnus Carlsen. — PTI