chennai l tuesday l august 04, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 20 l late CITY EDITION Encroachment-free footpath must on every road: SC to govt The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Centre to ensure every road has an encroachment-free space for pedestrians Ensure proper demarcation, govt told ‘space must make pedestrians feel safe’ “Without any big investment and construction, just ensure that proper demarcation is done of walkers’ space. Wherever there is a road, there should be a walkers’ space. Do it with a rope or anything and ensure it is not encroached,” a bench of justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe told Additional Solicitor General K M Nararaj, who appeared for the Centre ■ ■ The bench said pedestrians should have confidence that the space is meant for them and they can walk freely without fear of vehicles. It was hearing a suo motu case concerning the right to safe footpath The direction comes weeks after the top court on June 19 held that the right to walk on a demarcated footpath is a fundamental right 2 weeks later is when the supreme court will hear the matter again 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 Court acquits Brij Bhushan, appalled Phogat to fight on ‘We haven’t lost hope’ UDAYAN K ISHOR E & H a r p r ee t B a j w a @ New Delhi/Chandigarh A Delhi court on Monday acquitted ex-BJP MP and former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a 2023 sexual harassment case filed by six women wrestlers, including celebrated grappler Vinesh Phogat, citing lack of evidence. The court also granted relief to former WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar in the case. “Both accused stand acquitted,” Chief Judicial Magistrate Ashwini Panwar said in a verdict pronounced in-camera. A separate FIR lodged by a minor wrestler was closed by court in May 2025 following a police investigation. The court had accepted a closure report filed by police in the case. In the present case, Phogat revealed she was one of the six victims in a video message posted on X on May 3, 2026. In the verdict passed on Monday, the court accepted the defence counsel’s arguments about inconsistencies and contradictions in witness testimonies, improbability and ground of ‘alibi’ and acquitted , the accused, said advocate Rajiv Mohan, who represented both Singh and Tomar. Reacting to the verdict, wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia said they were “deeply saddened” but will continue the legal fight. In a joint statement, they said the complainants have instructed lawyers to appeal the verdict. The police filed a chargesheet against Singh and Tomar in June 2023 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. In May 2024, the court framed charges of sexual harassment, intimidation and outraging women’s modesty against Singh, and criminal intimidation against Tomar. 5 of Chennai family killed in Madurai crash E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ Madurai Five members of a family were killed after the car they were travelling in collided with several vehicles and flipped over multiple times on the Thumbaipatti highway near Melur in Madurai early on Monday Four others sustained . injuries in the collision and are undergoing treatment at government hospitals. The deceased were identified as K Sriram (32), his wife Ranchana (27), their one-and-a-halfyear-old daughter Kiruthika, Sriram’s brother K Balaji (28) and their mother K Rajamery (50), all hailing from Chennai. Sriram’s father, V Kanagaraj (55), who was also in the car, two bike riders, R Murugan (40) and C Murugan (55) of Sivaganga, and the driver of another car, J Prakash (40) from Madurai, sustained injuries. Police said the incident occurred around 6.30am when Sriram and his family were on their way to attend a family function in Thoothukudi. Sriram, who was at the wheel, lost control of the car and hit a twowheeler, driven by R Murugan, from behind. To avoid further collision, he diverted the car to the right, but crossed over the median and hit another car — driven by Prakash — coming from the opposite direction.  P7 Mangled remains of the cars | Express Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia said they were “deeply saddened” by the court’s decision but will continue the legal fight. “We have not lost hope and the wrestlers will continue their fight.” Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh shows victory sign after his acquittal | PTI I said on the very first day that if the allegations are true, I will hang myself. I am very happy that I have been acquitted today Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh Wake-up call for Bihar CM as PK grabs BJP safe seat Cong holds on to Datia in bypoll, BJP retains Manjalpur in Gujarat ramashankar, Anuraag singh & D i l i p S i n g h K s h at r i ya @ Patna/Bhopal/Ahmedabad SHATTERING BJP’s more than three-decade winning streak in the Bankipur assembly by-election in Bihar, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Monday emerged victor, defeating his BJP opponent by a margin of 19,324 votes. In two other assembly bypolls, the Congress retained Datia in Madhya Pradesh while BJP retained Manjalpur seat in Gujarat. While Kishor polled 64,151 votes, his closest rival Neeraj Kumar Sinha of BJP secured 44,827 votes. RJD’s Rekha Gupta stood third with 14,273 votes. Kishor was ahead of the BJP candidate throughout the counting process. The defeat is a significant blow to BJP national president Nitin Nabin, who had held the Bankipur seat for five consecutive terms, and to Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, who faced his first electoral test after taking the baton from JD(U) boss Nitish Kumar. Kishor had cast the bypoll as a referendum on Choudhary’s leadership, accusing the BJP of “arrogance” in treating Bankipur as an unassailable bastion. A political analyst said that there was a feeling among a large section of the electorate that BJP should taste defeat this time. He claimed that the Gen Z demonstrations at Jantar Mantar and later in Patna over Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor with supporters in Patna on Monday | Express No alliance with any party: jan Suraaj Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Monday ruled out the possibility of joining any political alliance. “We shall have no alliance. Our alliance shall be with the people of Bihar. People of Bankipur have voted for us, giving up on established parties,” said Kishor when asked about a rethink on his earlier stance of going it alone in elections leak of NEET question paper had affected the Bankipur election even as the controversial Bhojpur police encounter, that claimed the life of Bharat Bhushan Tiwari, not only rattled upper castes and supporters of BJP but also other social groups, who do not generally vote for the party . Campaigning on jobs, education and governance rather than caste or religion, Kishor forged a connect that delivered Jan Suraaj its first-ever electoral win. Kishor also dented both BJP and RJD’s traditional vote banks. While upper-caste Kayasthas largely stuck with BJP, other upper-caste and OBC voters appeared to have drifted to- ward Kishor, as did sections of RJD’s Muslim-Yadav base, with some Muslim voters backing him as the candidate best placed to defeat the BJP . In Madhya Pradesh, Congress retained the prestigious Datia seat, winning the by-election by 6,016 votes. Congress candidate Kunwar Ghanshyam Singh defeated first-time BJP contestant Ashutosh Tiwari by polling 66,757 votes against Tiwari’s 60,741. BJP’s saving grace was Gujarat, where it retained the Manjalpur assembly seat in Vadodara. Its candidate Satish Govindbhai Patel won the bypoll, defeating Congress’ former minister Bhikhabhai Rabari by 30,630 votes. TN scraps guv’s nod for appointing chief secy, DGP C S h i v a k u m a r @ Chennai In a significant move to strengthen Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s control over the administration, the state government has scrapped the practice of seeking prior approval of the Tamil Nadu governor in the appointments of Chief Secretary and Head of Police Force (HoPF)/Director General of Police. Appointment orders for both these key posts can now be issued without gubernatorial clearance. The changes, which are part of a new standing order issued by the Human Resources Management Department dated July 29, almost rewrite the rule-35 delegation framework of the state and end the practice hitherto mandated under TN Government Business Rules, 1978. The order issued by Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar supersedes all standing orders issued between 2022 and 2025, including one issued as recently as January . The changes in the framework make CM’s endorsement mandatory in every crucial administrative decision. It recentralises au- thority over appointments, transfers and disciplinary action, with all files concerning Secretaries to Gover nment, Heads of Department, All India Service officers, Additional Secretaries, District Revenue Officers and Superintendents of Police mandated to be brought to the notice of the CM rather than being disposed of at the ministerial level. Disciplinary proceedings against IAS, IPS and IFS officers require CM’s approval at every stage, from initiation, issuance of show-cause notices to final or- paper leak protests State govts can close or withdraw FIRs: SC S u c h i t r a K a lya n m o h a n t y @ New Delhi The Supreme Court on Monday said state governments are at liberty to withdraw or close FIRs registered against students who participated in the NEET paper leak protests. A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana also clarified that the expression “crimi- Meta tells Parl nal antecedents” in its July 28 order on panel it’s ready releasing student protesters referred to apologise only to those involved in grave and hei- Meta told a nous offences. parliamentary panel On July 28, the court ordered the re- on Monday that it is lease of all student protesters, except ready to apologise for those with “criminal antecedents”. Mon- the brief restriction on day’s clarification came after petitioners a post by Prime Minister raised concerns that the expression Narendra Modi recently “criminal antecedents” could impede the on Facebook | P10 withdrawal of FIRs. “It is clarified for the July 28 order that NCT of Delhi and any other State shall be at liberty to close/withdraw FIRs against protesters. The word criminal antecedent is to be read as grave and heinous offences,” the court said. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said FIRs against more than 2,700 people with antecedents involving grave and heinous offences would not be withdrawn. During the hearing, the CJI observed that police officers who indulged in brutalities should not be protected. ders. Financial sanctions above `2 crore for recurring expenditure and `5 crore for non-recurring expenditure now require the CM’s approval, with the Minister for Finance, Planning and Development retaining authority over smaller sums and for most centrally-sponsored schemes. Disputes between finance and administrative departments are to be escalated to the CM. Land acquisition above 1 hectare for infrastructure projects and land transfers between state and central governments require joint clearance by the CM and Revenue Minister.  P7 Cauvery water from K’taka: TN moves SC E x p r e s s Ne w s Se r v i c e @ New Delhi/Chennai The Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking directions to Karnataka for immediate release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. As per a source in the top court registry the plea may be tak, en up for hearing in a few days as Udhaya’s remark the matter is sensitive in nature. draws backlash Tamil Nadu told the court that Opposition Leader there is no practical hurdle for Udhayanidhi Stalin Karnataka to release the TN’s pro- landed in controversy portional due share of water. Cit- on Monday after he ing heavy rain in KRS and Kabini allegedly made a catchment areas that has in- suggestive innuendo creased inflows into the dams in against a Tamil Karnataka, the state said the up- actress while per riparian state has failed even criticising CM to release 3,500 cusecs of water for C Joseph Vijay at a 15 days as ordered by the Cauvery farmers’ protest over Water Regulation Committee the Cauvery water (CWRC) and the Cauvery Water row in Thanjavur | P4 Management Authority (CWMA). An official release from the state government said that the CWRC, at its 139th meeting held on July 28, directed Karnataka to release 3,500 cusecs from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini reservoirs from July 29 for a period of 15 days ending August 12.  P7 Water gushing out of the Kabini Dam after the reservoir neared its full storage capacity following heavy rain in Mysuru on Monday | PTI Genuine synergy Military-civilian integration a must: Rajnath j a v a r i a r a n a @ New Delhi TAKING the government’s integrated agenda beyond the three armed forces, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday called for integration between the military and civilian wings of the defence establishment, arguing that the two can no longer operate in silos. Addressing the AFHQ Civilian Services Day here, Singh said deeper institutional integration between the uniformed services and civilian officials was critical to creating genu- ine synergy, improving decision making and responding more effectively to rapidly evolving security and technological challenges. The interface between the military and the civilian bureaucracy has long been regarded as one of the weak links in India’s higher defence management. To narrow that gap, the defence minister advocated structured cross-exposure through joint training pro- grammes and developmental assignments, allowing officers from both sides to gain a better understanding of each other’s roles, expertise and institutional strengths. “Military and administrative integration cannot advance on separate tracks,” he said, adding that as India moves towards joint and integrated military structures, closer coordination will be required across policy formulation, HR, and institutional knowledge. Express Read Deepam row: SC refuses to stay Madras HC order TN retains top spot in cadaver organ donation Comments against CM: DMK MLA gets bail New Delhi: The SC on Monday agreed to hear a plea filed by TN govt challenging the Madras HC’s permission to light a lamp on a pillar atop Thiruparankundram hill. The bench, however, turned down the state’s plea to stay the HC order ex-parte, and issued notice on the stay application | P7 Chennai: TN has retained its position as the country’s bestperforming state in cadaveric organ donation for the third consecutive year. Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel presented the honour to TN Health Minister KG Arunraj in New Delhi on Monday | P2 Chennai: The Madras HC on Monday granted conditional bail to DMK MLA GV Markandayan, who was arrested for allegedly making derogatory remarks against CM Vijay. It directed him to give an undertaking before judicial magistrate that he will not make such statements | P4 “Military officers bring operational experience, command perspective and an understanding of warfare, while civilian officers contribute administrative continuity policy , expertise, knowledge of government processes and institutional memory. Together, these strengths lead to more informed and effective decision making,” he said. Singh also urged the AFHQ Civilian Services to evolve beyond a purely administrative role and emerge as the “strategic brain” of defence domain. 6.5% LIC stake to be sold by govt at `382/share Govt to sell up to 6.5% stake in LIC through a twoday offer for sale, expects to add `31,000 crore to its disinvestment kitty | P14