BHUBANESWAR l tuesday l august 04, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 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 “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 ■ 2 weeks ‘space must make pedestrians feel safe’ ■ 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 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 CM announces `110 cr flood package; `24L ex gratia for deceased E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e aged huts and `3,000 for cattle sheds. Compensation of `8,500 per Chief Minister Mohan Cha- hectare will be provided to ran Majhi on Monday an- small and marginal farmers for nounced an initial package of crop/horticulture loss in non`110 crore for the flood-affected irrigated areas while the assistpeople in the state, based on ance per hectare in irrigated preliminary damage reports areas has been fixed at `17,000. received from the district Assistance for damage of percollectors. ennial crops per hectare has He also stated that `24 lakh been fixed at `22,000. ex gratia will be paid to While `37,500 will be the next of kin of the paid for each milch six persons who have buffalo or cow dead in lost their lives in the the flood, `4,000 will be floods as per State Disprovided per goat or aster Response Fund sheep. The assistance (SDRF) norms. for each bullock, bufAround 8,63,909 peofalo and horse has been ple in 22 districts have fixed at `32,000 and been affected by the `20,000 per calf, donfloods even as 2,67,301 key or mule. people were evacuated Majhi said the adas a precautionary Around 8,63,909 ministration is workmeasure. As per preing continuously to people in 22 liminary estimates, ensure immediate redistricts have around 3,567 houses been affected and lief and all necessary six persons lost have been damaged assistance reach every their lives due to and crops in around flood-affected family. 33,458.30 hectares land floods. Over 3,500 Senior officials are on houses and 33,458 inundated. the ground monitorha crop damaged Majhi said the graing the situation. ReGovt assessment tuitous relief will be lief, rehabilitation and provided to all eligible rescue work will confamilies in the flood-affected ar- tinue till normalcy is restored. As many as 529 relief camps eas and will continue till normalcy is restored. Up to `1.2 and 31 animal camps are operalakh will be provided for fully- tional in affected areas. To prodamaged pucca houses from vide immediate assistance to affected people, 41 quintals of the SDRF. Similarly, `6,500 will be pro- rice, 1,115 quintals of chuda, vided for partially-damaged 496 quintals of jaggery, 3,869 pucca houses while `4,000 will polythene sheets and other be paid for partially-damaged emergency relief materials kutcha houses. Besides, `8,000 have been distributed, he Continued on P5 will be provided for fully-dam- added.  @ Bhubaneswar Wake-up call for Bihar CM as PK grabs BJP safe seat Cong holds on to Datia in bypoll, BJP retains Manjalpur in Gujarat r a m a s hanka r , A nu r aa g s i n g h & D i l i p S i n g h K s hat 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 Court acquits Brij Bhushan, appalled Phogat to fight on ‘We haven’t lost hope’ U D AYA N K IS H O R 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 incamera. 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 argu- 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 ments 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. express read Prez inaugurates Jagadguru Kripalu University CB starts inquiry into ‘paper leak’ case in MKCG Cuttack: Knowledge acquired by the youth becomes truly meaningful when it is used for the service of humanity, the welfare of society and progress of the nation, said President Droupadi Murmu on Monday while inaugurating the Jagadguru Kripalu University | P3 Bhubaneswar: The CB has started its inquiry into the alleged question paper leak at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur. The controller of examinations of OUHS had earlier lodged a complaint with Capital police station. However, it subsequently approached the CB | P3 Live-in partners protected under Sec 498A: SC New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday clarified that Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code can also apply to live-in relationships that are in the nature of marriage, provided they involve consenting adults and carry an intrinsic intent to marry | P7 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. paper leak protests State govts can close or withdraw FIRs: SC after petitioners raised concer ns that the expression “criminal antecedents” could The Supreme Court on Mon- impede the withdrawal of day said state governments FIRs. are at liberty to withdraw or “It is clarified for the July 28 close FIRs registered against order that NCT of Delhi and students who parany other State Meta tells Parl ticipated in the shall be at liberty panel it’s ready NEET paper leak to close/withdraw to apologise protests. FIRs against proMeta told a parliamentary testers. The word A Bench of panel on Monday that it Chief Justice of criminal antecedis ready to apologise for India (CJI) Surya ent is to be read as the brief restriction on Kant and justices grave and heinous a post by Prime Minister Joymalya Bagchi offences,” the court Narendra Modi recently and V Mohana also said. on Facebook | P10 clarified that the During the hearexpression “crimiing, Solicitor Gennal antecedents” in its July 28 eral Tushar Mehta, appearing order on releasing student for the Centre, said FIRs protesters referred only to against more than 2,700 peothose involved in grave and ple with antecedents involvheinous offences. ing grave and heinous offencOn July 28, the court or- es would not be withdrawn. dered the release of all stuDuring the hearing, the CJI dent protesters, except those observed that police officers with “criminal antecedents”. who indulged in brutalities Monday’s clarification came should not be protected. Su c h i t r a K a lyan m ohan t y @ New Delhi Majhi urges Centre to back UNESCO heritage tag for Puri Rath Yatra E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Bhubaneswar Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has urged the Union Culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to expedite Odisha’s proposal for inscription of Rath Yatra of Shree Jagannath in Puri on UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity . In a letter to Shekhawat, Majhi said the proposal, prepared by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), had already been submitted along with the prescribed supporting documents. The chief minister requested the Union minister’s personal intervention to facilitate examination of the proposal and extend the ministry of culture’s support in forwarding India’s nomination to UNESCO at the earliest. “The Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath is not merely a religious festival but a time- File photo of Puri Rath Yatra less civilisational tradition that embodies India’s rich cultural diversity, inclusivity, spirituality, craftsmanship, music, dance and community participation. Celebrated for centuries, it attracts millions of devotees and visitors from across the globe,” the chief minister said. Describing the century-old festival as one of the most enduring symbols of India’s living heritage, Majhi said, “Its inscription on UNESCO’s list would further strengthen global recognition of India’s rich intangible cultural traditions while contributing significantly to their preservation and promotion for future generations.” The chief minister informed the minister that the SJTA had already submitted all the required supporting documents in the prescribed format for consideration. “Considering the outstanding cultural significance of the festival and its universal message of harmony and human values, I request your personal intervention to kindly facilitate the examination of the proposal and extend necessary support of the ministry of culture for taking the nomination forward with UNESCO,” Majhi said. Majhi also assured that the state government and the SJTA would provide any additional information or assistance required by the ministry during the nomination process. The annual Rath Yatra at Puri draws millions of devotees and visitors from India and abroad and is regarded as one of the world’s largest and oldest religious processions. “I shall be grateful for your kind intervention and support in taking this proposal forward on priority the chief min,” ister said. 6.5% LIC stake to be sold by govt at `382/share Govt to sell up to 6.5% stake in LIC through a two-day offer for sale, expects to add `31,000 crore to its disinvestment kitty | P10 Genuine synergy Military-civilian integration a must: Rajnath j a v a r i a r ana @ 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 advo c a t e d s t r u c t u r e d 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 i n t e g r at e d m i l i t a r y structures, closer coordination will be required across policy formulation, HR, and institutional knowledge. “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. To g ether, 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.