Thursday, July 10, 2025 | 29 Pages | `5 & for State (+4 pages) `6 Reg.No MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 1541/1957 M.p.c.s office Mumbai. PIN 400001 THE FREE PRESS JOURNAL Happy GURU Purnima Vol. 68 No. 238 | 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) NATION After Maharashtra, Election Commission bid to steal Bihar mandate: Rahul Gandhi Starlink gets India licence I ndia's space regulator INSPACe has authorised Elon Musk-run Starlink to offer satellite-based internet services in the country through its Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, Starlink Gen1. Operated by Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited (SSCPL), the service will be valid for five years or until the constellation’s operational life ends. The rollout remains subject to regulatory approvals, including spectrum allocation. Starlink, which has 4,408 satellites in orbit at around 550 km altitude, can deliver 600 GBPS throughput across India. It became the third company after Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications to get a telecom licence to provide satellite internet. However, commercial launch awaits the government’s decision on TRAI’s recommendations on satcom spectrum pricing. Trial spectrum for security compliance is also a prerequisite. GAMES Dilip Vengsarkar reserves high praise for Shubhman Gill the batter and the leader Cinema Nayanthara faces `5 crore notice for using clips in film Edit AAP’s anti-sacrilege law may create more problems for it TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN | Despite being declared unsafe in 2022, all types of vehicles used bridge; `212 crore had been approved for a new structure, but work did not begin 10 DEAD AS GUJARAT BRIDGE COLLAPSES Oct 2022: A 150- March 2016: year-old suspension bridge collapsed in Morbi (Gujarat), killing 137. An under-construction flyover crumbled in Kolkata, toll 26. June 2025: An old Aug 2016: Mumbai- iron bridge on the Indrayani river gave way near Pune, 4 dead. FATAL WRECK Goa highway bridge collapsed during monsoon flooding. 24 killed. March 2019: A foot overbridge near Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus crashed during evening rush hour, 6 dead. Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar police chief Madhukar Pandey was transferred on Wednesday, a day after a protest march defending Marathi pride. The march followed an attack on a shopkeeper who refused to speak Marathi. IPS officer Niket Kaushik has replaced Pandey. SEE CITY Steep hike in US visa fees Indian tourists, students, and H-1B workers heading to the US will soon pay more for visas. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Donald Trump on July 4, a $250 non-refundable Visa Integrity Fee will apply to most non-immigrant visa types from next year. Diplomatic visas are exempt. From 2026, applicants must also pay a $24 I94 surcharge, with possible additional fees of $13 or $30 for ESTA or EVUS users. The US says the new charges aim to reduce overstays. Total visa costs may now reach around ₹40,000. Red alert in Nagpur The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert for Nagpur and Wardha districts on Wednesday, prompting the closure of all schools and colleges in Nagpur. The region recorded 172.2 mm of rainfall in nine hours, leading to flooded roads and highways. An 18-year-old boy died, and another man went missing after being swept away in swollen drains. Officials said 71 villages in rural Nagpur were cut off due to heavy rains. Rescue efforts are ongoing with help from the State Disaster Response Force. 2 killed in IAF Jaguar crash Kalpesh Mhamunkar JAIPUR MUMBAI In a move with far-reaching legal and political implications, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday introduced the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, in the State Assembly. The legislation, intended to curb the growing footprint of Naxalite ideology in urban areas, has sparked fierce opposition, raising fears of civil liberties being compromised under the guise of counterinsurgency. The government insists the bill is essential for dismantling the operational networks of left-wing extremist groups that have shifted from rural forests into urban safe houses. Citing intelligence inputs and seized Bill Name Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024 Maoist literature, officials claim cities in Maharashtra are becoming logistical and ideological hubs for insurgents waging war against the constitutional state. “This is not an assault on democracy but a defence of it,” said Bawankule, arguing that the state is merely adopting measures already implemented in Naxal-affected states like Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha. An Indian Air Force's (IAF) Jaguar trainer fighter jet crashed in Churu, Rajasthan, on Wednesday afternoon, claiming the lives of both pilot and co-pilot. The IAF has constituted a Court of Inquiry to ascertain the causes. The plane crashed in an agriculture field in Bhanuda village at around 1.25 pm, with locals reporting a loud explosion. The debris of the fighter jet scattered over a large area but luckily no property was damaged. The Churu SP Jai Yadav said that the plane crashed in Bhanuda village. Pieces of badly mutilated bodies of pilot and co-pilot have been found near the debris. 4Contd on | nation 4Contd on | nation Aim To curb urban Naxalism, extremist activities Modelled On Laws in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha Agencies Melvyn Thomas VADODARA/SURAT In a tragic repeat of ignored warnings and collapsed infrastructure, ten people lost their lives when a portion of the 45-year-old Gambhira Bridge in Padra taluka, Vadodara, collapsed on Wednesday morning, plunging many vehicles into the Mahisagar River. The accident, which took place around 7 to 7:30 am, involved three trucks, two Eco cars, a rickshaw, a pickup vehicle and two bikes. The bridge, which had connected central Gujarat’s Anand and Vadodara regions to Saurashtra, is now severed, cutting off major regional access. Following the collapse, more than 20 fire personnel, an NDRF team, SDRF members, fire tenders, boats, and over ten ambulances were deployed. Locals too joined the rescue with urgency and grit. But for locals, this collapse is not a surprise; it is a catastrophe that was long coming. In August 2022, Harshadsinh Parmar, a Vadodara District Panchayat member, had written to the Executive Engineer of the Roads and Buildings Division, warning that the bridge was in a dangerous condition. He cited the Morbi Bridge collapse and demanded that the Gambhira Bridge be closed and rebuilt. Officials from the Vadodara Collector’s office even issued an order for testing and inspection. But no serious action followed, only superficial patchwork. 4Contd on | nation WINDHOEK PM Narendra Modi arrived in Namibia on Wednesday, marking the final stop of his 8 days, five-nation tour. This is Modi’s first visit to Namibia and the first Prime Ministerial visit to the country since Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s visit in 1998. Modi was received with a traditional welcome at Hosea Kutako International Airport by Nami- bia’s Minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala Musavyi. On social media platform X, he wrote, “Namibia is a valued and trusted African partner with whom we seek to boost bilateral cooperation. Looking forward to meeting President Dr. Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah and addressing the Namibian Parliament.” 4Contd on | nation Unauthorised churches Sena MLA assaults canteen staff PM TO TAKE FINAL set to be demolished CALL ON BJP CHIEF Ravikiran Deshmukh MUMBAI Kalpesh Mhamunkar MUMBAI Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule informed the Assembly that the government is set to demolish unauthorized churches in the state and is considering introducing a stringent law to curb religious conversions. Responding to a debate initiated by BJP MLA Anup Agrawal and others in the Assembly, Bawankule said he would consult Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on framing a strict law to curb conversions. “A strict law to The government is mulling strict law to restrict religious conversions. prevent religious conversions will be enacted in the state,” he said. The minister specifically referred to unauthorized churches in the Dhule-Nandurbar belt, where he has instructed the divisional commissioner to probe and ensure demolition of such structures within six months. 4Contd on | nation Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, no stranger to controversy, sparked outrage on Tuesday evening after assaulting an employee of the MLA canteen. A video of the incident — showing Gaikwad hurling punches while holding a pouch of dal — went viral on social media. Gaikwad, who represents the Buldhana assembly constituency and is part of the Eknath Shinde-led faction, claimed the food served to him was stale and alleged his repeated complaints to the canteen staff went unheeded. The canteen, located on the ground NEW DELHI Gaikwad’s violent outburst over stale food draws flak from across political spectrum floor of the Akashwani MLA hostel near Mantralaya, caters to a large number of legislators and staff during the ongoing Monsoon Session. Following the incident, the Food and Drug Administration Rubio echoes Trump on de-escalation Agencies NEW YORK/WASHINGTON Soon after after President Trump reiterated his claim of having prevented an escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeated it as well. Following Rubio's declaration, the State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce also took aim at India's stance that US had played no role. "Just going through a list here Mr President.and all these achievements that have happened domestically..Under your leadership, we've prevented and ended a war between India and Pakistan," Rubio said echoing his boss' remarks, sitting next to Trump, at the White House on Tuesday. Rubio also listed the peace deal between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, "a 12-day war that ended with an American operation that we're the only country in the world that could have done, hopefully pretty soon a peace deal between Azerbaijan and Armenia." "The entire Middle East and the infrastructure of it has the potential now to change because of Syria and Lebanon. And it hasn't even been 6 months. It's a great testament to your leadership" and the team, Rubio said. 4Contd on | nation (FDA) visited the premises and collected food samples, which were sealed and sent to the department's Bandra laboratory. 4Contd on | nation 4See also | city PM Narendra Modi’s return from his five-nation tour is eagerly awaited by the BJP, as he is expected to take a final decision on the appointment of the party’s next chief. The term of incumbent J.P. Nadda ended in June 2024. However, he continued in the role as the BJP constitution mandates that elections be held in at least half of its 37 state and Union Territory units before electing a new national president. That process was completed earlier this month. The party is believed to have MUMBAI A leaked phone call has revealed that former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina authorised the use of lethal force against protesters during last year’s mass unrest. The audio, which was leaked online in March, has been verified by BBC Eye and forensic experts. In the tape, Hasina is heard saying in Bengali: “Tara jekhanei taader paabe, tara guli korbe. Proyojone pranghati astro byabohar korte hobe” [Wherever they (security forces) find them (protesters), they will shoot. If required, use lethal weapons]. 4Contd on | nation Pak sets aside Rs 30 m for Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor’s houses rehab PTI Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government on Wednesday approved Rs 33.8 million for the restoration and conservation of historic buildings belonging to Indian film legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor here. The allocation was approved in a meeting chaired by provincial Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Advisor for Tourism and Archaeology Zahid Khan Shinwari. The meeting approved key projects for heritage preservation and tourism promotion in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province under the World Bank's KITE programme. The historic buildings of Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar, which have already been declared national heritage by the Pakistan government, are in a dilapidated condition. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Archaeology Department has planned to convert both structures into museums dedicated to the lives and careers of both the actors. Then-Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had declared the houses a national heritage site on July 13, 2014. The government intends to acquire the property and transform it into a museum that will showcase Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor's journey from Peshawar to Mumbai, including a dedicated gallery, said Archaeology Department Director Dr Abdus Samad. The declaration aims to protect the historical building from demolition and ensure its preservation as a cultural landmark. The Dawn newspaper had reported in 2021 that Raj Kapoor’s haveli in Dhaki Dalgaran area was valued at Rs11.5 million and Dilip Kumar’s ancestral residence in Mohallah Khudad at Rs7.2 million. 4Contd on | nation prepared a shortlist after consultations among senior leaders and the RSS, its ideological mentor. Nadda had also met RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale in Delhi on June 28. Relations between the RSS and BJP had soured after Nadda's comments last year that the party was now “saksham” (capable) of functioning independently. The RSS is said to have scaled down its campaign involvement in the 2024 LS polls, contributing to BJP’s seat losses. However, they have since reconciled, leading to BJP wins in the Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi polls. Hasina ordered lethal force SC acts over lawyers’ ED LEAKED AUDIO summons FPJ News Service heritage sites PESHAWAR Manish Godha Modi in Namibia, gets highest civilian award Briefs Twin city CP shifted Bill targeting ‘Urban Naxals’ introduced Dilip Kumar’s ancestral house in Peshawar. FPJ News Service MUMBAI The Supreme Court has initiated a suo motu case in response to investigative agencies summoning advocates for offering legal opinions to their clients—an action that has stirred widespread outrage among the legal fraternity reported Live Law . A bench led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, along with Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria, will hear the matter on July 14. The move follows recent summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to senior advocates Arvind Datar and Pratap Venugopal over advice provided to accused persons. The action drew sharp criticism from bar associations, prompting the ED to retract the summons and issue a directive stating that no lawyer shall be summoned without the ED Director’s prior approval. 4Contd on | nation