FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLII No. 212 | INDORE | WEDNESDAY | JANUARY 7, 2026 | Pages 16 ` 3 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in Sports Anahat storms into British Junior Open U-19 final P.14 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE MONEY Ind-Ra sees reforms, trade pacts cushioning economy, lifting growth UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK Our Staff Reporter Cinema Varun Dhawan on Border 2 prep P.16 INDORE IMAGE DENTED, SAYS HC; SUMMONS CS IMMEDIATE DIRECTIONS Our Staff Reporter INDORE INDORE While the state government puts death toll in the Bhagirathpura epidemic at 8, people are claiming that at least 20 people have died after consuming contaminated water in the area. Shravan Harkurwar The figure of 20 deaths was arrived at after it was discovered that there were two names - Shravan Natthu Khuparav (90) and Ramkali (47) – in the list of 15 names whose families have been given Rs 2 lakh compensation by the district administration on Tuesday for deaths that took place during the outbreak of epidemic in the Bhagirathpura area. These two names were not in the list of 17 people (including constable Omprakash Sharma (69) of Dhar) whose deaths had already been reported in the media, taking the toll to 19. 4Continued on | P8 fp Briefs PUNE Kalmadi passes at 81 Suresh Kalmadi, former MP from Pune, Union Minister of State for Railways and prominent sports administrator, passed away on Tuesday at a private hospital in Pune at the age of 81. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, a son and grandchildren. NEW DELHI Sonia Gandhi hospitalised Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has been admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here after she suffered respiratory discomfort, sources said on Tuesday. At present, she is doing fine, and her condition is "absolutely stable", they said. The veteran Congress leader has been kept under observation by a chest physician. Terming the Bhagirathpura water contamination tragedy ‘a public health emergency’, Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday held that the right to clean drinking water is an integral part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court summoned the chief secretary to be present via video conferencing on January 15, the next date of hearing. Hearing a bunch of writ petitions, including public interest litigations, relating to water contamination tragedy in Bhagirathpura (Ward No 11) and other parts of Indore, a division bench of Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi issued a series of immediate and preventive directions to the State government and Indore Municipal Corporation. The petitions alleged that negligence, mismanagement, corruption and a lackadaisical approach by authorities led to the contamination, resulting in several casualties. The court recalled that on HC snubs TN, allows hilltop temple lamp n Supply safe drinking water STATEWIDE IMPLICATIONS Observing that water contamination is not confined to Indore alone, the HC directed the chief secretary to personally address the court via video conferencing on the next date of hearing. CHIEF SECRETARY has been asked to inform the court about state-level measures being taken to prevent similar incidents across Madhya Pradesh. The court FIXED RESPONSIBILITY on senior officials, including the Indore commissioner, district collector, municipal commissioner, health officer, chief medical and health officer, PHE chief engineer and joint director (urban development), to ensure strict compliance with interim directions before the next hearing. Respondents have been directed to PRODUCE FILES related to tenders for fresh drinking water pipelines and the MPCB water quality reports of 2017–18. IN COURT, GOVT ADMITS TO 8 DEATHS TILL JAN 5: While news reports claim around 20 deaths in Bhagirathpura, the government told HC that 8 deaths were reported till January 5. December 31, 2025, it had already directed the State and the IMC to ensure the supply of clean drinking water and provide the best possible medical treatment to affected persons. However, petitioners argued that contaminated FP News Service NEW DELHI The right to a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution is not eclipsed by the gravity of the offence, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday, observing that prolonged incarceration of an undertrial without commencement or reasonable progress of trial effectively converts pre-trial detention into a form of punishment. The court made these observations while granting bail to former Amtek Auto promoter Arvind Dham in a money-laundering case registered by ED under the PMLA, Live Law reported. Allowing Dham’s appeal and setting aside the Delhi HC’s order denying him bail, The right to speedy trial, enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution, is not eclipsed by the nature of the offence. SC judges Alok Aradhe and Sanjay Kumar a Bench of Justices Alok Aradhe and Sanjay Kumar ordered his release on bail, subject to conditions to be fixed by the trial court, including surrender of passport and restrictions on travel. Dham has been in custody since July 9, 2024. 4Continued on | P8 HC orders school to add biological father’s name in child’s records Our Staff Reporter INDORE Gwalior bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed a private school in Gwalior to include the biological father’s name in the academic records of his minor son, ruling that schools governed by the Right to Education (RTE) Act perform public duties and are subject to writ jurisdiction. Division bench comprising Justice Anand Pathak and Justice Anil Verma allowed a writ dia informed the court that despite a Mayor-in-Council decision in 2022 to lay new water pipelines, the work did not commence due to non-disbursement of funds by erring officials. 4Continued on | P8 4Continued on | P8 Court emphasised that accurate school records form foundation for future public documents such as Aadhaar appeal filed by Vickramh Kalmady, setting aside an earlier order of the writ court which had dismissed his petition on grounds of maintainability. The petitioner is the biological father of an eight-year-old child studying at Little Angels High School, Gwalior. He approached the High Court after the school allegedly refused to record his name as the father in school documents and denied him access to his child’s academic records and school application login credentials. Earlier schools in Bengaluru had recorded his name as the father. The petitioner submitted that he is involved in ongoing matrimonial and custody proceedings, 4Continued on | P8 FP News Service MUMBAI US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said PM Narendra Modi is not that happy with him because of the tariffs imposed by Washington on Indian goods over purchases of Russian oil, reported PTI. Trump, speaking at the House GOP Member Retreat, also claimed that the PM had approached him saying, “Sir, may I see you please?” to which he responded, “Yes.” “I have a very good relationship with him. He’s not that happy with me because they’re paying a lot of tariffs now as they are not doing the oil trade with Russia, and they have reduced it very substantially,” Trump said. His remarks came a day after he warned that the US could further raise tariffs if India failed to address American concerns over continued Russian oil imports. “They wanted to make me happy, basically. PM Modi is a very good man. He is a good guy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy,” Trump said earlier. He further threatened: “India does trade with us, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly.” On Tuesday, he noted India had been waiting for five years to receive Apache helicopters. “We’re changing it. India has now ordered 68 Apaches.” No mention of Trump mediation in lobbying firm filings NEW DELHI An American lobbying firm hired by the Indian embassy in Washington has disclosed in a public filing that it helped the mission engage with the Trump administration on a range of issues, including the proposed trade deal and the "media coverage" of Operation Sindoor. The firm SHW Partners LLC submitted the details to the US Department of Justice (DoJ) under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA). In its reaction, the Indian embassy said it is a standard practice for foreign missions and business organisations in the US to hire the services of lobbyists and consultants. The filings made by the SHW Partners LLC, available on FARA website, mentioned assistance rendered to the In- FP News Service DHAR/BADNAWAR The severe cold wave in Dhar district claimed the lives of two young girls on Tuesday, exposing glaring gaps in school safety and emergency healthcare. At 7:15 am, 13-year-old Nisha Suryavanshi, a class VI student of Navodaya Vidyalaya, Multhan, collapsed during morning PT. Teachers and classmates rushed her to Badnawar Civil Hospital, but with no doctor on duty, she could not receive timely treatment and died of a silent heart attack. Attempts to reach CMHO Anita Singare reportedly failed. In a related tragedy, 10year-old Lakshmi of Jamuniya Naka fell ill after prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures. She developed a high fever and was referred from Badnawar Hospital to Ratlam Medical College, but later died at a private hospital. Villagers alleged delays and inadequate treatment contributed to her death. through tankers or packaged water at government cost in affected areas n Stop the use of contaminated sources, including specific pipelines, overhead tanks, borewells and rivers n Organise health camps and medical screening for residents n Provide free treatment in government as well as empanelled private hospitals n Conduct water quality testing at multiple points through NABL-accredited laboratories n Repair or replace pipelines, especially where sewer and water lines run parallel n Implement chlorination and disinfection protocols n Install online water quality monitoring systems n Prepare a long-term water safety plan for Indore city op sindoor Agencies Amendment in MP Motor Vehicle Taxation act to allow plying of city buses till suburban areas Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL Under the e-cabinet concept, tablets were distributed among ministers during the cabinet meeting here on Tuesday. The proceedings of the next cabinet will be carried out through electronic medium. CM Mohan Yadav himself gave tablets to his cabinet colleagues, saying that e-governance was being promoted in the state and the e-cabinet application could be used anywhere by the ministers. Tablets were also provided to in-charge secretaries of the cabinet. The e-cabinet application will not only provide information pertaining to cabinet agenda but also about decisions taken previously. Amend. in MP Vehicle Taxation Act 1991 The cabinet approved the necessary amendments under section 23 of the first and second schedule of the MP Vehicle Taxation Act 1991. These STRAY DOGS MATTER N Chithra 4Continued on | P8 Ministers get tablets under e-cabinet concept 2 girls die in Dhar amid neglect, inadequate emergency care ‘Long detention sans Modi not that trial is punishment’ happy with So many applications me: Trump CHENNAI The Tamil Nadu government suffered a setback on Tuesday as a division bench of the Madras HC (Madurai Bench) dismissed its appeal and upheld a single judge’s order directing that the Karthigai Deepam be lit atop the stone lamp pillar (Deepathoon) on the Thirupparankundram hill in Madurai. It noted that the state's apprehension of communal conflict was unfounded. The bench comprising Justices G Jayachandran and KK Ramakrishnan disposed of a batch of 26 writ appeals, clearing the way for the Thirupparankundram Devasthanam to light the festival lamp at the hilltop pillar. water was still being supplied and that affected residents were not receiving proper medical care. It was also pointed out that complaints about water quality had been made much before the incident, but were ignored. Senior advocate Ajay Baga- E-paper Edit Liberty on deferred trial P.6 BHAGIRATHPURA TRAGEDY | Article 21 includes right to clean drinking water, says Indore bench of MP High Court TOLL 20? MUMBAI dian Mission for the period between April and December 2025. The details showed the firm helped the embassy in reaching out to four Trump administration officials -- White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Ricky Gill (National Security Council) on May 10 -- to "discuss media coverage of Operation Sindoor". India and Pakistan had ended their four-day military conflict on that day. The document, however, shows no instances in which the country sought US mediation. The assistance provided by the firm included arranging meetings, phone calls and emails between Indian and US officials. "It is a standard practice for embassies, private and business organisations in the USA to hire the services of lobbyists and consultants to augment outreach," the embassy said. don’t even come in cases of humans: SC 4Continued on | P8 2.89 cr names removed from UP draft voter list Biswajeet Banerjee LUCKNOW PTI NEW DELHI The Supreme Court on Tuesday took note of the number of interlocutory applications being filed before it in the stray dogs case and said that so many applications normally don't come even in cases of humans. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta made the observations when two lawyers mentioned the stray dogs matter before it. One of the lawyers said they have filed an interlocutory application in the case. "So many applications normally don't even come in cases of humans," Justice Mehta observed. The bench said the stray dogs matter is slated to come up for hearing before the apex court on Wednesday. When another lawyer mentioned a transfer petition in the matter, the top court said many pleas would be taken up amendments will help in operation of public buses. Now city buses plying in urban areas will be able to go to suburban areas and the transport department will be able to notify all such routes. The rate of vehicle tax has been reduced for city buses which will go to suburban areas. Instead of Rs 150 per seat, it will be Rs 150 per seat for every quarter. Put simply, now vehicle tax is Rs 50 per seat per month. Earlier, owing to high vehicle tax rate, city buses could not be operated till suburban areas. Now they can go to areas situated out of municipal corporation limits. for hearing on Wednesday, and the bench will hear all the lawyers. A three-judge special bench comprising Justices Nath, Mehta and N V Anjaria is slated to hear the matter on Wednesday. Taking note of the "alarming rise" in dog bite incidents within institutional areas such as educational institutions, hospitals and railway stations, the apex court on November 7 last year directed forthwith relocation of stray canines to designated shelters after due sterilisation and vaccination. The bench also said the stray dogs so picked up shall not be released back in the place they were picked up. 4Continued on | P8 The Election Commission on Tuesday released the draft electoral roll for Uttar Pradesh after completing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), revealing that 2.89 crore names, nearly 18 percent of the electorate, are missing from the draft list. Official data show that the deletions include 46.23 lakh deceased voters, around 2.17 crore voters who have shifted out of their constituencies, and 25.47 lakh duplicate entries. Uttar Pradesh earlier had about 15.44 crore registered voters. After the revision, the electorate stands at around 12.55 crore. State Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa said voters can directly check their names on the Election Commission’s website. He said the SIR process began on October 27, 2025, and the first phase of field work started on November 4, when the state had 15,30,92,000 registered voters. “Enumeration forms were printed for all voters and distributed door to door,” Rinwa said. Bhopal shivers at 3.8°C, dense fog hits air, train traffic Our Staff Reporter BHOPAL The state capital shivered at 3.8 degrees Celsius, the lowest temperature of the current winter season, on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. In previous years, the lowest temperature in the city had hit 3.6 degrees on January 8, 2025 and it was 0.6 degrees Celsius on January 18, 1935. Similarly, in December 2025, the lowest temperature had plummeted to 4.6 degrees Celsius. Bhopal recorded day temperature at 21.8 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, according to the meteorological department officials. Dense fog disrupted flight services and the Bhopal-Pune flight was cancelled while Hyderabad-Agra flight was diverted to Bhopal at 13:51 hrs and took off at 15:00 hrs. Due to poor visibility, landing was delayed in the morning. Visibility improved and first landing was at 8:55 AM. Similarly, Bhopalbound trains were also late due to dense fog. In Datia, visibility was less than 50 metres while in Rajgarh and Khajuraho, it was 50-200 metres. Indore recorded day temperature at 26.0 degrees Celsius and night temperature at 8.6 degrees Celsius. City 4Continued on | P8 Umaria Tikamgarh 6.8 Chill chart Mandla 4.9 Temp Malajkhand 5.3 Rajgarh 2.0 Pachmarhi 5.4 Shahdol 2.8 Chhindwara 5.4 Shajapur 3.7 Damoh 5.6 Mandsaur 3.8 Dhar 5.9 Bhopal 3.8 Shivpuri 6.0 Sehore 3.9 Raisen 6.4 Rewa 4.2 Datia 6.5 Khajuraho 4.4 Satna 6.7 4.6