DAILY FROM: AHMEDABAD, CHANDIGARH, DELHI, JAIPUR, KOLKATA, LUCKNOW, MUMBAI, NAGPUR, PATNA, PUNE, VADODARA JOURNALISM OF COURAGE THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2025, AHMEDABAD, LATE CITY, 18 PAGES BUSINESS AS USUAL BY UNNY `5.00 WWW.INDIANEXPRESS.COM SINCE 1932 SECTION OF BRIDGE OVER MAHISAGAR RIVER GIVES WAY 12 killed as vehicles fall into river after bridge collapses in Vadodara Inquiry ordered by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel as rescue teams search river for the missing ADITI RAJA ‘JANAKI v/s STATE OF KERALA’ CASE Protagonist named after Sita, questioned by man of another faith: Censor to HC SHAJU PHILIP THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JULY 9 AMONG THE objections the Censor Board had to the Malayalam film Janaki v/s State of Kerala was that the protagonist Janaki, who was fighting for justice in a rape case, was crossexaminedincourtbyapersonof another faith, the Board’s affidavit filed in the court shows. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) had denied the film certification on the grounds that Janaki is also a name associated with Goddess Sita. This had prompted the producers of the Suresh Gopi-starrer to approach the High Court. The counter-affidavit, submitted by CBFC CEO (Mumbai) Rajendra Singh, states, “In the film, when the lead character, who is named after Goddess Sita/Janaki, is raped, she is aided by a man belonging to a particular religious community and is cross-examined and asked harrowing questions by a person belonging to another religious community. This religious dichotomy in the treatment of the character bearing Goddess Sita’s sacred name has the potential to VADODARA, JULY 9 AT LEAST 12 people, including three of a family, were killed and nine injured after multiple vehicles fell into the Mahisagar River and a tanker hung precariously on the edge, when a 43-year-old bridgeinGujarat’sVadodaradistrict collapsed around 7.30 am Wednesday. Around 8 pm, Vadodara Superintendent of Police Rohan Anandputthedeathtollat11.An hour later, rescue teams recovered one more body —of one of the three feared drowned, officials said. The personnel of the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force are scouting the river for survivors, officials added. Acaseof accidentaldeathhas been registered, and police will begin a probe after rescue operations are over. “We will also seek an inquiry report from the District Collector,” Anand said, addingthatthebodieshavebeen taken to Padra Referral Hospital for autopsy. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel also directed an inquiry by the Roads and Buildings Department, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the loss of lives “deeply saddening”. Located in Mujpur, in Padra taluka of the Vadodara district, the one-kilometre bridge connected Mujpur to Gambhira in Anand district, serving as a convenientmeansof commutingfor people seeking to avoid city traffic between Central Gujarat and Saurashtra. So far, the dead have been identified as family members Ramesh Padhiyar, Vedika Padhiyar and Naitaik Padhiyar CONTINUEDONPAGE2 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Rescuers search for survivors at the site of the bridge collapse in Vadodara. Bhupendra Rana P4 Nine of a family had set out on Guru Purnima pilgrimage, only one survived ADITI RAJA VADODARA, JULY 9 “Maro dikro doobi gayo, Maro gharwalo doobi gayo... (My son has drowned, my husband has drowned... Save us...)” The heartrending cries for help of a woman in a pink saree, standing in chest-deep water as overturned vehicles lay around her, were among the first visuals from the site of the MujpurGambhira bridge collapse in Vadodara district early on Wednesday morning. The woman is 46-year-old SonalbenRameshPadhiyarwho wastravellinginanEecocarwith “I was calling out to people to help my family...” says Sonalben who lost eight of her family members. eight other family members, including her two minor grandchildren, when tragedy struck. Sonalben was the only one who survived. At SSG hospital in Vadodara, where she was wheeled in with three other survivors, a distraughtSonalbenrecallshowthe daystartedonacheerfulnotefor the family. They had set out on an outing to a place of worship to mark Guru Purnima. “We had set out from Dariyapura to Bagdana (Saurashtra) for Guru Purnima pilgrimage around 7am. We could see a few motorcycles and a truck around us when, suddenly, the bridge collapsed. We just fell in a matter of seconds...” Whenaskedaboutthevideo, Sonalben says, “I was calling out to people to help my family... I was the only one who managed to come out as I was in the rear of the vehicle. My husband, son, daughter,son-in-lawandgrandchildren as well as two other relatives were in the vehicle. It had fallen head first so there was no waytheycouldhavecomeout...” Sonalbensaysitwasaboutan hour after the accident that help arrived. “No one came to help me... My entire family remained in water for that time. I knew I had lost them, who would surviveacarfallingintoMahisagar? CONTINUEDONPAGE2 Alarm rang three years ago; 7th incident since ’21 ADITI RAJA & PARIMAL A DABHI VADODARA, AHMEDABAD, JULY 9 NEARLY THREE years ago, officials from the Vadodara division of Gujarat's Roads & Buildings (R&B) department were alerted in a letter about “unusual vibrations” being felt on the MujpurGambhira bridge and that it was in a “dangerous” condition. On Wednesday, the 43-year-old bridge collapsed, killing at least 12 people. “Despite our warnings, the R&B department did not act on the matter,” Harshadsinh Parmar, a Vadodara District panchayat member from Mujpur who had sent that letter to local officials on August 4, 2022, told The Indian Express. The paper trail, reviewed by The Indian Express, shows that the Additional Chitnis (Revenue Officer) to the District Collector directed Parmar's letter to the then Executive Engineer in the R&B department. When contacted, the current Executive Engineer Nainish Nayakawala said, “In our (inspection) report of thebridge,therewasnomajor damage indicated. It was not dilapidated. The bearing coat was damaged and the repair had been carried out last year, accordingly.” The letter from Parmar, who EXPLAINED JAY MAZOOMDAAR NEW DELHI, JULY 9 THE SHARES of Vedanta Ltd plunged by as much 8.7 per cent to Rs 421 intraday, and that of Hindustan Zinc by 5 per cent to Rs 415, after Viceroy Research, a short-sellerandUS-registeredfinancial research group, flagged the Vedanta Group for carrying “unsustainabledebt”. Theshares recoupednearlyhalf of thelosses by the time the market closed. The research group claimed thattheVedantaholdingcompanies — Vedanta Resources Limited (VRL) along with intermediate holding companies aboveVedantaLimited(VEDL)— ● VICEROY RESEARCH’S report on the Vedanta Group comes two years after Hindenburg Research, also a US-based short seller, targeted the Adani Group, wiping out billions in market value from the Group’s stocks. Its report sparked a debate on corporate governance and regulatory oversight in India. In January this year, Hindenburg announced its disbandment. resemble “a financial zombie” with “approximately $4.9 billion CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 RITIKA CHOPRA on ground NEW DELHI, JULY 9 THE ONGOING Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar that comes up in the Supreme Court Thursday amid widespread apprehension across the state marks a sharp departure from previous such drives in two key aspects. One,forthefirsttime,theSIR, essentially a fresh preparation through door-to-door enumeration, places the burden of proof on already-enrolled voters (on the question of citizenship) at the draft roll stage. And, two, it disregards the “sanctity”of theexistingelectoral roll — something the Election Commission (EC) had consistently instructed its officers to WHAT WILL NOT COUNTINBIHAR AN EXPRESS SERIES PART 7 uphold in all earlier revisions, an analysisof pastECrecordsbyThe Indian Express reveals. This despite a High Court order — it was upheld by the Supreme Court — that CONTINUEDONPAGE2 SANTOSH SINGH PATNA, JULY 9 BIHAR’S 77,895 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are the footsoldiers in the Election Commission’s unprecedented Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls that has set off widespread confusion and apprehensionacrossthestate.They have a deadline of July 25 to uploadvoterenumerationformsin theirrespectivejurisdictions.But tonight, like most nights, the internet is in no hurry. To get a sense of the formidable challenge of the task and to CONTINUEDONPAGE2 Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav share the stage with other Opposition leaders at the protest in Patna. Rahul Sharma SANTOSH SINGH PATNA, JULY 9 LEADER OF Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the Bridge after bridge fails The Gambhira bridge collapse marked the latest in a string of such incidents in Gujarat, with at least four occurring since 2021, including the Morbi suspension bridge collapse in 2022, which killed 135 people. Following recurring complaints of poor construction, the state government declared that it had blacklisted several firms, suspended officials and registered criminal cases in cases of fatalities. In March 2023, during the hearing of a suo motu PIL before CONTINUEDONPAGE2 Rescue personnel at work Wednesday night. Bhupendra Rana BIHAR REVISION OF ROLLS: HEARING IN SUPREME COURT TODAY Vedanta shares plunge Election Commission doesn’t follow own practice, after US short-seller Viceroy Research flags puts onus on the voters, ignores existing rolls Records show in earlier revisions, EC Long hours, ‘unsustainable debt’ Bihar won’t allow put primacy on self-declaration; it was slow Internet Vedanta:Selective for ‘objector’ to prove non-citizenship and few papers: Maharashtra model to misinformation, 2 yrs after BLOs scramble work: Rahul Gandhi Hindenburg baselesscharges E is a Congress member, raised concerns about the “dilapidated structure” of the bridge and sought a site inspection, structural scrutiny and tests, and for the report to be made public. “In 2021, the bridge showed signs of distress with the surface developing gaps at many places -- so much so that one could see theriverbelowfromthegapsbetween the slabs. However, the R&Bdepartmentundertooksurface repairs and closed the gaps. Since 2022, we have observed unusual vibrations in the bridge, such that one would be overcome with fear if heavy vehicles were passing through,” Parmar said. MaharashtraAssemblyelections last year were “rigged” in the BJP’s favour and that the people of Bihar would not allow that to happen in the Assembly elections later in the year. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Canteen staff assaulted by Shinde Sena MLA, then licence suspended VALLABH OZARKAR MUMBAI, JULY 9 EVEN AS a ruling Shiv Sena MLA, SanjayGaikwad,cameunderfire after a purported video clip of him assaulting an employee at the MLAs' Hostel canteen in Mumbai surfaced on social media, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended the canteen operator's licence on Wednesday. With the MLA alleging that he was served stale food, the State FDA collected samples from the canteen and sent them fortestingearlierintheday.“The team collected samples of food likepaneer,saucesanddal.These willbesenttothelaboratory;the reports are expected in 14 days,” an FDA official said. By evening, the FDA issued CONTINUEDONPAGE13 Why yatris are hurrying: ‘Weather unpredictable, Shivling melting faster’ EXPRESSAT AMARNATHYATRA ANAND MOHAN J AMARNATH TEMPLE (PAHALGAM), JULY 9 SANKET YADAV from Jaipur and his group of 12 make their way to the inner sanctum, towards the rapidly shrinking ice stalagmite shielded by a silver trident and encircled by steel railings. After their brief “darshan”, they exitquickly,retrievetheirmobile phonesandbags,andpreparefor the descent. Speaking to his relatives on the phone, Yadav warns that the ice inside is melting fast. “Aap dekh lijiye aana hai toh (Please see if you want to come),” he said. At the Amarnath Yatra this year, the ice Shivling at the pinnacle of the pilgrim's journey — formed naturally by dripping water freezing in layers — has been receding amid a blistering heatwavescorchingtheKashmir Valley. And, it is this shifting climate that has stunned pilgrims, localworkersandevenseasoned security personnel in a season markedbytheloomingmemory of the Pahalgam terror attack. OfficialsattheShriAmarnath Shrine Board say they no longer attempt to predict how long the Shivlingwilllast.“Everyyear,the Shivling melts faster,” a senior board member said. “Years ago, it would remain till August. The climateisunpredictable—heavy rain, sudden spikes in temperature. We can’t forecast what will happen. This will impact the Yatra in the future. We can only improvefacilities,notchangethe weather,” the member said. The Shivling usually begins formingduringtheHindumonth of Shravan (July-August). But in recent years, its disappearance has become a barometer of the Pilgrims trek to the Amarnath shrine in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. Anand Mohan J region’sclimatedistress.In2018, it melted by July 27, just 29 days after forming. In 2019, the yatra was canceled due to terror threats. In 2020, it formed by mid-Juneandhadmelted80per cent by July 23, lasting 38 days. The pandemic forced another cancellation in 2021. In 2022, it lasted only till July 18 — 28 days. In2023,itendured47days,melting by August 17. But in 2024, it vanishedinjustaweek,byJuly6. In2022,formerBSFInspector General (Kashmir) Raja Babu Singh oversaw security on both the Pahalgam and Baltal routes.“During my stint, I saw that snowfall had gone down in that region. The yatra route used to be a virgin land. Now there is heavy footfall of the armed forces,movementof helicopters, and footfall of lakhs of pilgrims. This has had an impact on the surrounding environment, coupled with the impact of global warming,” he said. One of the highest points on the route, Mahagunas Top (14,000 feet), lies beyond Sheshnag.Accordingtopilgrims, this is where Lord Shiva left his sonGaneshabeforeascendingto the cave. Now, it looks nothing like the myths. Asha Singh and her husband Anil scan the bare mountains with quiet grief. “Inner,fullsleeveclothes,thermal jacket,boots,capandgloves.This whole landscape used to be covered in snow,” Asha said, recalling her gear a decade ago. “Now I am doing this trek in a saree.” ThedescentfromMahagunas Top to Panchtarni was once a vistaof shimmeringsnowpeaks. Nowitisatrailof barrenmounds. “Our mountains are now naked, there is no snow. It hasn't rained here in two months, we have only dust,” said Riyaz, astride a tall black horse named Sultan. Prof Irfan Rashid of Kashmir University’sDepartmentof Geoinformatics has been studying CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Ahmedabad