Moscow, April 24: The Soviet Union yesterday offered its backing for the “strictest guarantees of Israel’s existence and independence” — if it was prepared to withdraw from occupied Arab territories. The pledge, made by the Foreign Minister, Mr. Andrel Gromyko, at a Kremlin dinner in honour of the visiting Syrian Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdel-Khalim Khaddam, was seen as the strongest Soviet promise yet to preserve the Jewish State.

Mr. Gromyko also re-affirmed his Government’s support for a reconvened Geneva peace conference, but urged thorough preparation so that the forum should not become as empty “fanfaronade.”

If Israel’s leaders wanted to ensure the peaceful development of their country, they simply had to abandon plans to annex other people’s territories, the Foreign Minister declared.

“Israel may get, if it wishes so, the strictest guarantees with the participation — under an appropriate agreement — of the Soviet Union,” he said. “These guarantees would ensure peaceful conditions for the existence and development of all States in the Middle East,” Mr. Gromyko said.

Hyderabad: The Shadnagar police have cracked a murder case with the arrest of a woman and her lover, who allegedly killed her husband and attempted to destroy evidence. Police have seized an auto-rickshaw, a butcher’s knife and two mobile phones from the accused.

According to officials, Mounika, a 26-year-old resident of Chinna Chilkamarthi village in Farooqnagar mandal, had lodged a missing person complaint on February 24. She claimed that her husband, Yadayya, had left home on February 19 to deliver milk but never returned. A case was registered, and an investigation was launched.

During the probe, police uncovered that Mounika was in a relationship with Ashok, a 31-year-old auto driver from Kandivanam village. Investigators found that Yadayya frequently consumed alcohol and had frequent altercations with Mounika, causing a breakdown in their marriage. Seeing him as an obstacle to their relationship, Mounika and Ashok allegedly plotted to kill him.

On the evening of February 18, Ashok took Mounika and Yadayya in his auto-rickshaw to a secluded area near Pedagattu Tanda, under the pretext of attending a feast at his uncle’s village. There, they made Yadayya consume alcohol. Once he was heavily intoxicated, Ashok allegedly slit his throat with a knife. The two then dumped the body in a pit, poured petrol over it and set it ablaze.

After the crime, the couple returned to Shadnagar and began living together in a rented room in Ayyappa Colony. However, locals grew suspicious and alerted the police. On April 23, both were taken in for questioning and confessed to the murder.

Cyberabad cop, 5 others booked for Rs 23L dacoity

Hyderabad: An armed reserve (AR) constable posted with the Cyberabad police commissioner’s escort vehicle and five others have been booked for dacoity by Moinabad police after allegedly looting Rs 23 lakh from a scrap dealer.

According to G. Pavan Kumar Reddy, SHO, Moinabad police station, the accused G. Shekhar, an AR constable from the city armed reserve (CAR) deployed on rotation duty with the Cyberabad escort team, conspired with his associates to rob a scrap businessman named Mohammed Imran.

On Wednesday afternoon, Shekhar and his associates — identified as Ajay, Mubin, Qutub and others — lured Imran by claiming that a farmhouse owner was selling a large quantity of scrap at a low price. They told him to bring Rs 23 lakh in cash to close the deal.

Imran, who was familiar with Ajay, trusted the offer and arrived at the farmhouse with his friends, carrying the money in a backpack, police said. Once they confirmed the cash was with Imran, the accused reportedly assaulted him and his associates, threatened them not to report the incident and fled the spot with the money.

However, Imran later lodged a complaint with Moinabad police, who registered a case under Sections 310 (dacoity causing hurt) and 115 of the BNS. The suspects have reportedly been detained, though police are yet to announce the arrests officially.

ED raids Hawala operators

Hyderabad: Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on Thursday raided hawala operators related to cigarette smuggling in Hyderabad. Officials said several pieces of evidence were found against the hawala operators.

The raids were conducted in more than 10 locations following a tip-off. Several teams were pressed into service. Suspicion on the hawala operators arose because of inter-state transactions. The unaccounted cash was seized from the premises belonging to the hawala operators.

Sources said Hyderabad is fast becoming a hub for cigarette smuggling.

The agency suspects the operators’ role in hawala transactions in other parts of India and even internationally. While the operators were questioned on Thursday on previous cash transactions, they were also asked to appear before ED officials for further questioning. The investigators are trying to piece together the entire network and find the kingpin.

Sources said evidence against the operators include the unaccounted foreign currency (running into several crores of rupees), receipts of hawala transactions, proof of smuggling and unaccounted sale and purchase of pan masala.

Action against the hawala operators would be taken based on further inputs, ED officials said.

Hawala transactions are illegal in India as they violate the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and can help in tax evasion. Hawala transactions have earlier had links with terror financing, smuggling, trafficking and money laundering.

During the searches, ED officials have found unaccounted foreign currency, evidence related to hawala transactions, cigarette smuggling and unaccounted sale and purchase of pan masala. Following the inputs, they would initiate action against the hawala operators.

Notices issued to HMRL

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) and the state government following hearing of a public interest litigation that alleged the Metro system was promoting illegal offshore betting apps — 1xBET, Fairplay and Myjackpot777.

Standing counsel for HMRL Tejaswini Mereddy refuted the contentions. The court said HMRL must file a counter affidavit with relevant documents to show that no betting application advertisement is being permitted. The matter was adjourned to 29 April.

Underage biker dies in road accident

Hyderabad: A 16-year-old boy died in a road accident in Habeebnagar on Wednesday night. As many as four major traffic violations were seen in the incident.

The deceased B. Bhagyawanth, a class IX student, was riding a bike with three of his friends as pillion riders when the accident occurred near Hameed Café. A bike coming from the wrong side (opposite direction), driven by one Pradeep Kumar hit Bhagyawanth’s bike.

As Bhagyawanth fell, a private bus ran him over and he died on the spot, police said.

Bhagyawanth’s three friends suffered minor injuries.

Police have seized the bus and Pradeep’s bike. A case of rash and negligent driving was filed against the bus driver and Pradeep.

Bhagyawanth was a resident of Sitarambagh. He and his friends were going from Bhoiguda to Asifnagar. Bhagyawanth’s body was handed over to his family after post-mortem at OGH on Thursday.

Day after the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people lost their lives, India has been taking several actions against Pakistan while the Narendra Modi government hinting at major retaliation. From Madhubani in Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a stern message to Islamabad in pure Hindi on Thursday, declaring that this time, the punishment would be “beyond imagination.” He echoed this warning to the world in English, ensuring the global community grasped India’s intent. Modi, known for delivering his UN speeches in Hindi, chose English today specifically to make sure the message reached every corner of the globe. In a 30-minute address from Madhubani, the PM spent about five minutes in Hindi and nearly a minute and a half in English, outlining his action plan against terrorism. Referring to Pakistan as “Terroristan,” he warned of a punishment beyond imagination.

In today’s DNA, Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor, Zee News, analysed the developments that hint at something BIG:

Watch Full DNA Episode Here:

This phrase—”punishment beyond imagination”—has sparked speculation. India has defeated Pakistan in war four times and has twice conducted cross-border strikes in the last decade, including the 2016 surgical strike and the 2019 Balakot airstrike. It also played a key role in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh. So, what could be even more severe?

Could this mean a potential fragmentation of Pakistan into Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Punjab? Is India planning to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)? Or are targeted strikes being considered on terrorist leadership and ISI headquarters, potentially challenging Pakistan’s very existence?

What’s clear is that if there is military action this time, it will be open and decisive—not covert.

There are several unprecedented signs pointing toward significant action:

• For the first time, India publicly indicated a strong retaliatory move in advance.
• A high-level all-party meeting was convened before any action, signalling national political unity.
• The presence of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief at this meeting was also a first.
• Ambassadors from 20 nations were briefed beforehand by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
• Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Home Minister Amit Shah met with President Droupadi Murmu, and two red files were placed on the table—files believed to outline India’s next steps.

India is operating at high speed both diplomatically and militarily. Meetings are happening at every level, both nationally and internationally. Let’s decode the standard operating procedure (SOP) before a country heads into conflict:

First, full political support is crucial. That’s why the all-party meeting was held, and all political parties have reportedly expressed support for the government’s stance.

Second, it’s vital to have international allies on board. That explains why the MEA briefed ambassadors from G20 countries, including the US, Russia, France, Germany, and the UK. The European Union has also expressed support for India.

Third, neutralizing the enemy’s potential allies is part of the strategy. MEA officials also met ambassadors from China, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.

Adding to the significance, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi is scheduled to visit Kashmir tomorrow.

All signs—from the IB Chief’s involvement in political meetings to back-to-back diplomatic briefings—point toward a major operation in the making. India’s high-level coordination suggests a plan Pakistan could never have imagined, as preparations unfold across all fronts.