Friday, July 18, 2025 | 28 Pages | `5 & for State (+4 pages) `6 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 Vol. 68 No. 245 | Leader in E-paper circulation l www.freepressjournal.in ● EDITIONS: ● MUMBAI ● INDORE ● PUNE ● BHOPAL ● NASHIK ● KONKAN ● E-paper ● Member: Audit Bureau of Circulation (July to December 2024) GAMES NATION Ahead of Bihar polls, CM Nitish announces free electricity up to 125 units to all domestic users. Briefs Chargesheet against Vadra The Enforcement Directorate has filed a charge sheet against Robert Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in a land deal in Haryana's Shikohpur. This is the first time a probe agency has filed a prosecution complaint naming Vadra in a criminal case. ED has also attached 43 immovable properties located in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat worth Rs. 37.64 crore pertaining to Vadra and his linked entities like Sky Light Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. and others. SEE NATION Mall fire kills 60 in Iraq Team is leaning towards playing Jasprit Bumrah in the fourth Test: Ryan ten Doeschate Cinema Salman Khan recalls getting cycle for 25 paisa Edit Nature-based city: Unlearnt lesson of July 2005 floods VIDHAN BHAVAN BRAWL | Clash follows a heated verbal exchange between MLAs Gopichand Padalkar and Jitendra Ahwad outside the House a day earlier Not unduly BJP, NCP (SP) SUPPORTERS worried: Govt SCUFFLE INSIDE ASSEMBLY on oil threats Ashwin Ahmad Kalpesh Mhamunkar MUMBAI FPJ SAYS: The violence indulged in by supporters of MLAs Jitendra Awhad and Gopichand Padalkar in the Vidhan Bhavan lobby on Thursday has totally tarnished the fair image of Maharashtra. It also raises serious questions about the law and order situation. Supporters of BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar and NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad clashed inside the premises of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Thursday, prompting concern and condemnation across party lines. The clash reportedly took place in the ground floor lobby of Vidhan Bhavan, the state’s legislative complex, where heated words quickly escalated into physical confrontation. Security personnel intervened and detained one person from each side. Vi- deos of the altercation soon went viral on social media, drawing public attention to the deteriorating law and order within one of the state's most prestigious institutions. The scuffle followed a heated verbal exchange between the two MLAs outside the legislature on Wednesday. Awhad alleged that Padalkar had intentionally slammed his car door after stepping out, causing it to hit him. Footage of the alter- cation circulated widely, showing the two engaged in a tense argument. Padalkar did not respond publicly to the accusation. CM and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the incident and called for strict action. “Fighting within the premises of Vidhan Bhavan is highly inappropriate. This institution falls under the jurisdiction of the Assembly Speaker and the Council Chairperson. I have requested them to take strong action. Such behavior tarnishes the dignity of the legislature,” Fadnavis said. 4Contd on | nation A fire engulfed a newly opened shopping centre the Corniche Hypermarket Mall in Kut a city in eastern Iraq, killing more than 60 people, including children, Iraqi officials said. Civil defence teams rescued more than 45 people who became trapped when the fire broke out late Wednesday. Others are still missing, according to the state-run Iraqi News Agency. SEE NATION 30,000 nurses to begin indefinite stir today K’taka blames RCB & KSCA for stampede, to lodge case PSA mess: Heads set to roll in Cong Vinay Madhava Gowda MUMBAI Amit Srivastava MUMBAI: Around 30,000 nurses are set to launch an indefinite strike from today. Healthcare services are likely to take a hit even though to minimise disruption, hospitals have deployed nursing students during the strike. However, the union warned that if the gov- Ravikiran Deshmukh Urvi Mahajani BENGALURU The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday accepted the judicial commission report holding Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), event management company DNA and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) responsible for the stampede during the IPL victory parade on June 4 that left 11 people dead and 47 injured. The cabinet decided to file criminal cases against RCB, KSCA and others. The Justice Michael D'Cunha Commission had submitted its report to the government last Friday. The Commission was set up following the stampede when all the stakeholders started pointing fingers at one another and the government came under criticism for the lapses at the function organised near the Vidhana Soudha. The report attributed the stampede to gross negligence, unprofessional planning, and a complete disregard for public safety by the RCB team management, DNA Entertainment Networks, and KSCA. 4Contd on | nation Bombay HC says UAPA valid in its present form A day-long visit by Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Harshwardhan Sapkal to the Vidhan Bhavan office of the Congress Legislature Party on Thursday, along with one-on-one talks with the MLAs made it clear that heads were likely to roll in Congress. Amid the palpable gloom in the legislature party wing a senior leader said the All India Congress Committee (AICC) was taking a tough stance on the way the Congress Party played the Public Safety Act bill in the Assembly where it passed without the party registering any opposition. The AICC has sought an explanation from MPCC chief Sapkal and the visit on the very next day to the legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar is seen as further confirmation of action soon to follow. When asked about the possible action, Sapkal merely said, Wait for now. Meanwhile, a delegation of the three constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi – The Congress, Shiv Sena UBT and the NCP SCP will call on Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Friday at 11.30 AM. The delegation comprising Vijay Wadettiwar and Satej alias Bunty Patil from the MUMBAI Congress, Jayant Patil and Jitendra Awhad from the NCP, Bhaskar Jadhav and Ambadas Danve from the Shiv Sena UBT will request the governor not to sign the bill. Vijay Wadettiwar admitted he had been asked to give an explanation. “I was not aware that the bill was to be taken up in the assembly for passage on July 10. I would have torn the bill if I were in the house”, he explained. Wadettiwar was in Chandrapur, his home district the day the bill was approved in the assembly by a majority. The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition challenging the constitutional validity of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, stating that the legislation is valid in its present form. A division bench of Justices Ajey S. Gadkari and Neela Gokhale said, “UAPA in its present form is constitutionally valid. The challenge to its vires fails. The petition fails.” A detailed judgment is awaited. The petition was filed by Anil Baile, who had been issued a notice by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in July 2020 in connection with the Elgar Parishad violence case of 2018. Baile had approached the High Court in 2023, contending that the provisions of the UAPA as well as Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (sedition) are ultra vires the Constitution. It argued that the UAPA grants excessive powers to the executive, enabling it to arbitrarily designate individuals and organisations as terrorists or unlawful without proper safeguards or clear definitions. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation I was not aware that the bill was to be taken up in the Assembly for passage on July 10. I would have torn the bill if I were in the House. Vijay Wadettiwar ernment fails to act, healthcare services across the state will come to a standstill. The nurses had staged a oneday token strike on July 17, demanding immediate recruitment for vacant posts, an end to contractual hiring, and equal implementation of 7th Pay Commission benefits for all nursing staff. According to the Maharashtra State Nurses As- Raina Assainar Navi Mumbai has earned a prestigious spot in the newly introduced ‘Super Swachh League’ of the Swachh Survekshan 2024, ranking it above the standard city cleanliness ratings. Among Indian cities with a population exceeding 10 lakh, it is the only city from Maharashtra to be included in this elite category, recognizing consistent cleanliness performance over the past three years. The recognition was conferred by President Droupadi Murmu at a national award ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The award was accepted by Navi Mumbai Municipal Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde and State Minister for Urban Development Madhuri Misal, in the presence of Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Minister of State Tokhan Sahu, and Secretary Srinivas Kirikithala were also present. Dr Shinde believed that innovation and sustainability is the core reason of Navi Mumbai’s Cleanliness Success. "Navi Mumbai has maintained its 7- Star Garbage-Free City status and its Water Plus Certification, even as it moved beyond traditional rankings. The city achieved a benchmark score above 85% to qualify for the Super Swachh League and implemented a number of inno- 4Contd on | nation The government on Thursday stressed that it was not “unduly worried” about secondary sanctions. The stand articulated by Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Puri came in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s recent threat that 100% secondary tariffs would be imposed on nations buying oil from Russia, and showed once again that India would not be toeing the West’s line on Ukraine. The minister’s statements were echoed by the MEA asserting that securing India’s energy needs remained the main concern of the government. Speaking at the Urja Varta 2025, an annual upstream oil and gas conclave, Puri said that the large global supply ensured that India would have more than enough oil to meet its needs even if there was a crackdown on Russian oil. Pointing out that India currently buys oil from over 40 countries, he said that the global market had more than enough supply to meet New Delhi’s energy needs. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | edit ‘No de-dollarisation’ De-dollarisation was not on the BRICS agenda, MEA sopkesman Randhir Jaiwal said. "We had a highly successful BRICS summit... In the joint statement, there are several aspects that have been fleshed out but at the same time let me tell you that de-dollarisation is not something which is on the agenda. Cross-border payments, yes, BRICS has talked about local currencies, but de-dollarisation is not something that is there on the agenda," he said. ‘Friendly countries’ working for India Ashwin Ahmad NEW DELHI MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed that “friendly countries” are interceding on India’s behalf to ensure Kerala nurse Nimisha Priya can be released. Priya who has been accused of killing Yemeni national Talal Abdo Mehdi in 2017 was arrested in 2020 and sentenced in 2023. Her death sentence which was set for July 16 has now been postponed. Stating that the government of India had been offering all possible assistance in the case Mehdi’s family have reJaiswal said: “We have pro- portedly asked for blood money vided legal assistance and also for US $1 million (₹ 8.6 crore) in appointed a lawyer to assist the lieu of execution. However, family. We have also arranged matters have become more for regular consular visits by complicated with recent reports her family stating that and we are NIMISHA PRIYA CASE M e h d i ’ s in touch with brother was relocal authorities, as well as her fusing the blood money and was family members, to resolve this demanding Nimisha’s execution. issue. This includes concerted Jaiswal did not confirm or efforts in the recent few days to deny these reports but stated seek time for the family of Miss that the government was conNimisha Priya to reach a mu- tinuing to monitor the situtually agreeable solution with ation. “We continue to closely the other party.” follow the matter and render AI-171: AAIB CAUTIONS AGAINST SPECULATION Dhairya Gajara all possible assistance in the case. We are also in touch with some friendly governments in this regard.” While the MEA spokesperson did not elaborate, government sources revealed that Iran was closely interceding with the Yemeni authorities on India’s behalf. Given that Nimisha is lodged in a prison in Sanaa which is now under the control of the rebel Houthis it is natural that New Delhi would call upon Tehran. 4Contd on | nation 16-yr-olds can vote in next UK poll Agencies MUMBAI LONDON The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has alleged that certain sections of international media have been repeatedly attempting to speculate through unverified reporting of the AI-171 crash. On the same lines, the Indian pilots’ body said that the deceased pilots deserve respect instead of unfounded character judgements. After the US-based Wall Street Journal newspaper reported that the investigation Navi Mumbai in ‘super swachh league’ NAVI MUMBAI sociation, around 30,000 nurses boycotted work on Thursday as their long-pending demands remain unmet. Over 5,000 nurses from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) also joined the protest. However, they did not receive any concrete response from the state government following the strike. NEW DELHI vative projects to achieve this goal," he said. The city uses modern waste segregation systems, collecting wet, dry, domestic hazardous, and now sanitary waste separately. A 206-vehicle fleet including electric trucks, mini-tippers, and compactors is deployed for collection and is tracked in real-time using RFID-enabled GPS systems. The city has also activated mechanical street sweeping vehicles, of which five are environmentally friendly. 4See also | city, nation of Air India’s AI-171, that crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12 killing 260 people, is now focused on the flight’s captain, AAIB has urged the public and the media to refrain from spreading premature narratives. It highlighted that certain sections of the international media are repeatedly attempting to draw conclusions through selective and unverified reporting. 4Contd on | nation ED searches 14 sites, 2 of them in Mumbai Ashish Singh MUMBAI The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Lucknow Zonal Unit on Thursday searched 14 locations, 12 in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district and two in Mumbai, in connection with an alleged religious conversion racket linked to self-styled godman Jamaluddin Shah, also known as Chhangur Baba. According to officials, the operations began early in the day and continued for over 13 hours. In Mumbai, the ED searched two premises: a 20th-floor flat in Kanakia Paris (F Wing), Bandra East, and a fifth-floor residence in Rizvi Heights CHS, Pitambar Lane, Mahim West. Both properties are linked to one Shehzad Sheikh. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | city Sixteen and 17-year-olds in the United Kingdom will be able to vote at the next general election, under government plans to lower the voting age. The pledge is part of a raft of measures being introduced through a new Elections Bill, reports the BBC. Other changes include expanding forms of voter ID to include UK-issued bank cards, moving towards automatic voter registration and tightening rules on political donations to protect against foreign interference. The minimum voting age is already 16 for local council elections in Scotland and Wales, and elections to the Senedd and Scottish Parliament. However for other elections, including to the UK Parliament, local elections in England and all elections in Northern Ireland, it is 18. Lowering the voting age to 16 across the UK would be the biggest change to the electorate since it was reduced from 21 to 18 in 1969. If the plan to lower the age to 16 is passed, Britain would be on par with Austria, Nicaragua, Argentina & Malta. 4Contd on | nation