SAMBALPUR l monday l october 12, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l CITY EDITION Flash flood strikes Nepal again, weeks after deadly disaster A flash flood in the Budhi Gandaki River swept away houses and bridges and damaged three hydropower projects in Gorkha district on Sunday Two women among five persons missing Nepalese authorities rescued more than 80 people, including nine foreign nationals, with the help of four helicopters. Five people, including two women, remain missing. Locals said they fled their homes after hearing loud roaring sounds from the streams around 4 am. Over 40 houses were completely damaged while 27 suffered partial damage, authorities said ■ 700 Failure of temporary dam blamed ■ The flood may have been caused by the failure of a temporary dam created by a landslide near Chumchet in Gorkha district, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development said The disaster struck roughly a month and a half after the devastating Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river floods on August 26 | P9 Security personnel have been mobilised for relief work CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI In spl sitting, court orders restoration of metro, internet, finds prima facie case for contempt SC says peaceful protesters cannot be illegally detained SUCHITR A K A LYA N MOH A NTY @ New Delhi In an unusual special sitting on Sunday a spe, cial bench of the Supreme Court said there can be no illegal detention of those peacefully gathering and that barricades in the national capital must be reviewed immediately based on lawand-order and traffic requirements. The court also held that Metro services and railway facilities shall function normally until and unless they need to be regulated keeping in mind reasonable restrictions envisaged under Article 19 (2). Further, internet facilities should be restored and lawyers and journalists must not be obstructed from discharging professional duties, the court ordered. The court observed that petitioners had prima facie made out a case of contempt against the Centre and Delhi authorities for violating the court’s October 9 directions against “complete prohibition” of transport services. The two-judge Bench of Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana sought a response from Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Chairperson D Thara in the next hearing on October 13. “Free movement of people in the city shall be ensured subject to law and order situation and/ or traffic regulations... There shall be no illegal detention, particularly in cases of peaceful unarmed assemblage of people beyond the area where Section 163 BNSS is in operation,” the court ordered the Centre and Delhi Police. On being informed that a notice board had been put up in the court premises mentioning that Section 163 BNSS had been invoked in and around the precincts of the SC, the bench ordered it removed. The interim directions came on a contempt plea and a habeas corpus petition filed by lawyer Shailendra Mani Tripathi and senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy respectively The SC issued notices in . both cases, and sought a compliance report in the contempt plea. The court accepted the government’s assurance that Metro services would be normalised unless public order situation arose. CJI declines to meet Rahul, Kharge Chief Justice of India Surya Kant has declined to meet leaders from the Congress, including LoP Rahul Gandhi and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, on Monday. The CJI cited the pendency of related matters before the SC for declining to meet the leaders. Rahul had said the INDIA bloc would meet CJI to submit a memorandum on “vote chori” Police personnel physically remove protestors in Connaught Place, New Delhi on Sunday | Parveen Negi India rejects UN’s ‘interference’ India on Sunday rejected as “unacceptable interference” concerns raised by the United Nations Human Rights Office over detention of protesters, saying authorities had acted in accordance with the law. In a video, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Constitution guaranteed the right to peaceful assembly, which was safeguarded by the country’s institutions, an independent judiciary and a free media Dream big, pursue ideas sans fear: PM S u b a s h i n i V i j aya k u m a r @ Chennai PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asked students to dream big, think differently and pursue their ideas without fear, saying young people could help find solutions to the challenges facing India and the world. Addressing students at a school here, he urged them to contribute to the goal of build- PM Modi at the event on Sunday | Shiba Prasad Sahu ing a Viksit Bharat by 2047. His appeal came amid protests by student groups demanding removal of the CEC. However, he did not refer to the protests in his speech. Stating that the world is looking for solution providers, the PM said the students have the potential to provide these solutions. He urged the students to make the most of opportunities available to them. Day after 12 killed, Houthis strike Riyadh airport again A g e n c i e s @ Dubai/ Riyadh CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke before being released on Sunday along with Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das | PTI CJP leaders say protests won’t stop till cec quits u d aya n k i s h o r e & a n u p v e r m a @ New Delhi HOURS after being released from detention on Sunday Cockroach Janta Party leaders vowed to , intensify their agitation demanding removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, as around 200 protesters were detained and New Delhi remained under a thick security blanket. Following the Supreme Court order after a special hearing earlier in the morning, police partially relaxed the clampdown, including opening of Metro stations and resumption of internet services. The hide-and-seek continued between protesters and security personnel, who kept doing flag marches and chasing protesters away who regrouped to resume the agitation. , CJP leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das were released on Sunday morning Police file on the condition that they 20 FIRs would not “breach peace” for Police claimed a year. YouTuber Dhruv that it registered Rathee, after he was released 20 FIRs in in the morning, claimed he connection with was not detained, but “kid- Saturday’s napped” by police. protest. The FIRs CJP co-convener Ranka included charges said he and other leaders related to assault would approach Delhi Police on police and on Monday to seek a date for obstruction of holding a fresh protest at duty, among Jantar Mantar. other offences. At a press conference held On detentions, at Press Club of India, Das police said alleged the government had “preventive turned the state against its arrests” were own citizens and the CJP’s made following agitation would continue. “all procedures”. “Protests will happen not just in Delhi but in the whole country This will . not stop till Gyanesh resigns,” he said. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke said he had not signed any bond barring him and other CJP leaders from staging further protests. “I have not signed any bond. We will take to the streets again... We are not afraid of your dictatorship; we will end your dictatorship,” Dipke told reporters at Nagpur airport, before proceeding to Hingoli in Maharashtra to attend the last rites of his grandmother. CPM Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas was injured after Delhi Police allegedly manhandled him in Connaught Place. Brittas said security personnel nearly choked him despite his attempts to identify himself as an MP He was later . admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital. Among others detained were CPI leader Annie Raja and members of SFI, AISF and AISA, including Neha Bora and Aishe Ghosh. Reporters Sans Frontieres said “at least 16 journalists were brutally detained”. A fresh Houthi attack targeted Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, a day after a missile attack there killed 12, including an Indian national, and wounded more than 300 in the sharpest escalation of the ongoing war between Iran-backed Yemeni rebels and Saudi Arabia. A Saudi official said an unidentified projectile struck Terminal 4 of the airport, causing a fire. The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority said there were injuries, but did not specify . About an hour after the airport attack, AFP journalists reported hearing two explosions in quick succession in central Riyadh. The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear. Earlier in the day, the authorities had extended the airport’s closure till Sunday night. It was also announced that schools in the capital would hold classes online till the end of the week. There is no age limit to fulfilling one’s dreams. Dukhishyam Padhy has proven this adage true by becoming one of the three runners from Odisha to complete the Berlin Marathon on September 27. The 77-year-old from Bhubaneswar has clocked 5 hours, 20 minutes and 32 seconds to complete the 42.195-km race, marking his 141st marathon in a running career spanning 10 years. He was joined by Ramesh Kumar Sahu, who finished 5:31:11, and Bibhabasu Dash, who crossed the finish line in 6:08:25. What made the trio’s partici- pation all the more significant was that they were among the first runners from Odisha to complete the Berlin Marathon, said the elated septuagenarian. While some Odia runners have participated in the event in the past, they were mostly NRIs. The Berlin Marathon, held in the German capital, is one of the six World Marathon Majors, alongside races in Boston, New York, Chicago, London and Tokyo. Renowned for its flat course, fast conditions and enthusiastic crowd support, the event takes runners through the city’s streets and past iconic landmarks, including the Brandenburg Gate. The 2026 edition was the 52nd since the marathon was first held in 1974. It attracted around 56,000 finishers from 160 countries. Securing a place in the race is difficult, with entry through a ballot system. Padhy’s selection gave him the opportunity to fulfil a long-held ambition of competing in one of the wo rl d ’s m o s t c e l e b r a t e d marathons. Competing in the 75-andabove age category, Padhy finished 33rd among 66 runners. Sahu and Dash competed in the 65-and-above category. All three completed the race within the stipulated cut-off time of six hours and 15 minutes. For Padhy, however, the achievement went beyond finishing another marathon. “Running with participants from 160 Dukhishyam Padhy showing his medal after completing Berlin Marathon countries felt like running with the whole world. A dream became reality, and it will remain a lifelong memory,” he said. A native of Hinjili, he eventually settled in Bhubaneswar in tack. The Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack. “We strongly condemn the repeated attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport over the past few days, including the dastardly attack on October 10, which have led to loss of lives, injuries and property damage,” its statement read. Amid the attacks, several flights connecting Keralam with Saudi Arabia and other destinations in West Asia have P9 been cancelled.  palatial canopy e x p r e s s r ead Manipur tense as death toll goes up Guwahati: Parts of Manipur remained tense on Sunday following the Kuki-Naga clashes of Friday and Saturday after the death toll rose to nine. The violence occurred in Kamjong—which is located near the Myanmar border—Ukhrul and Kangpokpi districts | P8 At 77, Bhubaneswar runner conquers world marathons @ Bhubaneswar One Indian national, who was injured in Saturday’s attack and was undergoing treatment, died on Sunday the , Indian Embassy in Riyadh said. “We convey our heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased. We are in touch with the family and will provide all support for ensuring the early repatriation of mortal remains,” the embassy said in a statement. At least 10 more Indians have been injured in the at- The Damana Gopinath Jew Durga Puja Pandal is set to depict a Char Dham-style arch, inspired by the famous temples of Uttarakhand, at Chandrasekharpur in Bhubaneswar | DEBADATTA MALLICK a g ele s s s t r ide Express News Service People gather outside a metro station near Riyadh airport on Saturday | AP 2014 after retirement. “There was earlier hardly any scope of marathons in Odisha. In 2016, I participated in Tata Steel Bhubaneswar half marathon at the age 66 years and completed 21 km. This encouraged me to take part in the coming marathon events across the country, said Padhy. In the last 10 years of his running career, he has completed 141 running events with 44 podium finishes across 24 states in the country, including significant marathons like Mumbai Tata, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Pune, Goa, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi, Vadodara, Ladakh and others. Last year, he also completed Bangkok Marathon (42.2 km). 5-yr-old girl killed, three injured in fire due to LPG leak elder brother, Uttam Malik (50) and neighbours rushed to rescue the family. Uttam susA five-year-old girl died and tained burn injuries while trythree persons, including her ing to douse the flames and parents, sustained extensive rescue the trapped family burn injuries after a fire broke members. out following an LPG cylinder Abhiram’s elder daughter leak at Arabal village under escaped unhurt as she was Dharmasala police playing in front of the limits on Sunday . house when the inciThe deceased was dent occurred. Neighidentified as Papali bours rescued the The fire broke Malik, daughter of four injured persons out after gas Abhiram Malik (43) and doused the flames. began leaking and Tilotama Malik They were rushed to from the LPG (37). The mishap ocDharmasala commucylinder’s pipe. It curred in the morn- quickly engulfed nity health centre. ing when Tilotama the room, setting Doctors declared Pawas preparing breakpali dead on arrival, household fast for her family Ab. while her parents articles and clothes on fire hiram and Papali were shifted to SCB were also in the Medical College and Sources room. Hospital in Cuttack. The fire broke out Uttam is undergoafter gas began leaking from ing treatment at Dharmasala the LPG cylinder’s pipe. Tilo- CHC and his condition is statama noticed the leak and ble, police said. screamed for help. However, On being informed, fire flames erupted from the leak- services personnel and police ing pipe and quickly engulfed from Kotapur outpost and the room, setting household Dharmasala police station articles and clothes on fire. Ti- reached the spot. “Our investilotama, Abhiram and Papali gation is underway to deters u s t a i n e d s e v e r e b u r n mine the cause of the gas leak injuries. that led to the fire,” police Hearing screams, Abhiram’s said. Express News Service @ Jajpur