DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 2025, NEW DELHI, LATE CITY, 20 PAGES `7.00 (`8 BIHAR & RAIPUR, `15 SRINAGAR) WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 Justice Gavai set CJI-LED BENCH SAYS WILL PASS INTERIM ORDER TODAY to be next Chief Justice of India EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, APRIL 16 CHIEF JUSTICE of India Sanjiv Khanna on Wednesday recommended Justice B R Gavai, the second most senior Judge in the Supreme Court, as his successor. CJI Khanna, who is set to retire on May 13, sent his recommendation to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice. On confirmation, Justice GavaiwillbethesecondCJIfrom theScheduledCastecommunity, afterformerCJIKGBalakrishnan. Asthe52ndChief Justiceof India, JusticeGavaiwillhaveatenureof Waqf-by-user, non-Muslims on Waqf boards, Collector powers up for review ANANTHAKRISHNAN G NEW DELHI, APRIL 16 THE SUPREME Court on Wednesday indicated it is considering staying the operation of certain parts of the contentious Waqf Act, 2025, which include the concept of ‘waqf-by-user’, representation of non-Muslims on waqf boards, and the powers of the Collector to change the status of disputed waqf land. “We do not stay a legislation normallyatthisstageof thechallenge unless in exceptional circumstances. This appears to be anexception.Ourconcernisthat if waqf-by-user is de-notified, there could be huge consequences,” Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna said in an oral observation. The bench also comprised Justices P V Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan. The 2025 waqf law does away with the concept of waqfby-user for future transactions BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY CJI pushes Govt for answers, draws some lines for petitioners APURVA VISHWANATH NEW DELHI, APRIL 16 AS HE winds down his sixmonth tenure, Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna,hearing the contentious challenge to the validity of the Waqf Act, 2025, struck a balance: pushing the Centre to address some key CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 questions even as he drew a line for the petitioners. “There are some good aspects too, which neither side is mentioning,” Justice Khanna observed at the end of the two● hour hearing. The CJI asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta E EXPLAINED Justice Gavai is the second most senior Judge in SC SC flags 3 aspects of Waqf law: ‘We do not normally stay... this an exception’ CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 NEW DELHI, APRIL 16 A LUXURY apartment in Gurgaon’s ultra-exclusive The Camellias — overlooking an expansive golf course — for Rs 43 crore; a premium TaylorMade golf set for Rs 26 lakh; transfers of over Rs 11 crore to their mother and spouses. And, hundreds of kilometres away, a mostly deserted manufacturing plant that was supposed to produce tens of thousands of electric vehicles (EVs). These are among the revelations made by the Securities and Anmol Singh Jaggi and Puneet Singh Jaggi. Linkedin Exchange Board of India (Sebi), in an interim order on Tuesday, on how brothers Anmol and Puneet Singh Jaggi, promoters of EPC firmGensol EngineeringLtd and EV cab service BluSmart, diverted substantialloanamounts through complex transactions for personal use — including the acquisition of luxury real estate — and misled investors. In all, the Jaggi brothers are alleged to have diverted Rs 262 crore — loaned by governmentowned lending agencies to procure 1,700 electric cars — towards personalindulgences and related-party entities. Queries sent to Gensol and Anmol Jaggi did not elicit a response. Findings from the securities market regulator show that this could be one of the biggest recorded frauds in India’s startupecosystem.Sebihasbarredthe duo from the securities market CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 SHUBHAJIT ROY NEW DELHI, APRIL 16 USVICEPresidentJDVance,who is going to be in India next week, is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi over dinner on April 21. Thatistheonlyconfirmedofficial programme so far, as Vance — accompanied by wife Usha Vance, who is of Indian-origin, andtheirchildren—willcontinue with private engagements, including a wedding in Jaipur, according to sources. During their four-dayofficialvisitstartingfrom April 21, they will also go to Agra toseetheTajMahal,sourcessaid. Announcing the visit, the White House said in a statement on Wednesday: “Vice President J The US Vice President will be accompanied by wife Usha Vance, their children D Vance and the Second Family will travel to Italy and India from April 18 to 24. The VP will discuss sharedeconomicandgeopolitical priorities with leaders in each country... In India, the Vice President will visit New Delhi, Jaipur and Agra. The CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Odisha to Maharashtra, via Lanka: 4,500-km journey of Turtle 03233 How BluSmart promoters ‘diverted’ funds: Luxury flat, crores for family AGGAM WALIA & SOUMYARENDRA BARIK Vance in India next week: PM meeting, visits to Jaipur, Agra NAYONIKA BOSE & SUJIT BISOYI RECORDING A MIGRATORY FEAT MUMBAI, BHUBANESWAR, APRIL 16 BREAKTHROUGH AT SILKYARA ■ Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami at an event to mark the breakthrough — meeting of two ends — of the 4.531-km Silkyara Tunnel. ■ Themilestonecomesmore thanayearafteraportionof thetunnelcollapsed in November2023,trapping 41workersfor17days. PTI P6 EARLIER THIS year, volunteers of the Maharashtra forest departmentfoundasolitaryturtlenestingatRatnagiri’sGuhagarbeach. On closer examination, they found two glistening metal tags, one on each of its front flippers. Almost immediately, the Olive Ridley turtle had an identity — 03233 — and a back story. Theturtle,researchersfound, had made a long, arduous journeyofnearly4,500km—starting CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Odisha’s Gahirmatha Mumbai Ratnagiri’s Guhagar beach Route taken by the Olive Ridley turtle Jaffna SRI LANKA At Guhagar beach, the turtle laid 125 eggs, of which 107 hatched