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Ahmedabad:

At least 14 persons have died in rain-related incidents as thunderstorms, along with strong winds and dust storms, battered several parts of Gujarat, officials said on Tuesday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast thunderstorms with lightning and strong winds of up to 50-60 kmph across the state for the next few days.

As many as 168 out of 253 talukas in the state received unseasonal rains in the last 24 hours, with Kheda, Gandhinagar, Mehsana and Vadodara districts getting 25 to 40 mm rains, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said in its update.

Officials said strong winds uprooted trees, hoardings, and pillars, and parts of houses collapsed in several districts, leaving many injured.

According to the SEOC, thirteen persons died in rain-related incidents such as lightning, electrocution, and collapse of trees, houses and hoardings in Ahmedabad, Anand, Kheda, Dahod, Aravalli and Vadodara districts of Gujarat on Monday, and one person died in lightning strike in Ahmedabad’s Viramgam on Sunday.

Four deaths were reported in Kheda district, three in Vadodara, two each in Ahmedabad, Dahod and Aravalli, and one in Anand district, it stated.

Four persons died as trees fell on them, while two were killed after coming under hoardings. Two died due to electrocution, three due to lightning, and three others after parts of houses fell on them, the SEOC said.

More than a dozen huts were destroyed in a fire as strong winds caused it to spread rapidly at Limkheda in Dahod district, officials said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast thunderstorms with lightning and strong winds of up to 50-60 kmph across many parts of the state over the next few days.

Isolated parts of Banaskantha, Kutch, Sabarkantha, Aravalli and Anand districts are likely to receive heavy rainfall in the next three days, it said.

Daytime temperatures dropped in parts of Gujarat due to unseasonal showers.

Temperatures are likely to fall by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next few days, the IMD said.

Ahmedabad:

The Gujarat High Court on Monday allowed the termination of 33-week pregnancy of a 13-year-old rape survivor, nearly a week after a special POCSO court rejected her plea for the same.

Justice Nirzar Desai noted that the medical opinion indicated that termination of pregnancy is possible though the procedure carries high risk of complication as the girl suffers from anemia.

The survivor, who hailed from Rajkot, was allegedly repeatedly raped by her neighbour when her mother and step-father were away at work.

A First Information Report was registered on May 3, 2025.

But the special court for the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) cases rejected her plea for permission to terminate the unwanted pregnancy.

Under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, abortion after 20 weeks of gestation period is generally prohibited, but a court can allow it in certain cases such as the foetus suffering from abnormality, health risk to the expecting mother, or she being a survivor of sexual assault.

The high court noted that it considered the fact that the survivor is only 13 years old and has a long life before her.

As MTP (medical termination of pregnancy) is possible, it should be carried out after obtaining written consent from her parents stating that they understand the risk, the court said.

The court directed the in-charge Medical Officer and Medical Superintendent, PDU General Hospital, Rajkot, to perform the procedure while ensuring that all possible care is taken and arrangements are made for necessary medical facilities such as blood supply, possibly on Monday itself.

In the midst of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor counter-terror operation, both countries have taken a strategic approach to influence policy in their favour by hiring prominent figures from US President Donald Trump’s inner circle as lobbyists in Washington DC.

India has enlisted Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump, to represent its interests in the US capital. Miller’s firm, SHW Partners LLC, will receive $1.8 million annually to provide strategic counsel, tactical planning, and government relations assistance. 

Miller’s role extends beyond traditional lobbying, having served as an informal liaison briefing Trump and members of Congress on India’s counter-terrorism strategy. Notably, Miller understands how Trump’s brain functions, which could help India’s diplomacy significantly. “This is not a new practice,” said Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs. “This has been in place for several decades and under successive governments since the 1950s.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan has hired Keith Schiller, Trump’s former bodyguard and close aide, to build “long-term economic partnerships” in the US. Schiller’s role involves strengthening Pakistan’s ties with the US government and private sector. 

Schiller, a former NYPD officer, rose through Trump’s ranks to become Director of Oval Office Operations during the Trump presidency. He has been described as “one of Trump’s most loyal and trusted aides” and “a constant presence at Trump’s side for nearly two decades”. Schiller is joined by Georges Sorel, former compliance chief at the Trump Organisation, who co-founded Javelin Advisors. Their firm will help Pakistan communicate its perspective to America’s executive branch, Congress, and the general public.

The hiring of these lobbyists comes after Trump’s unexpected announcement of an India-Pakistan ceasefire on May 10, and his offer to mediate the Kashmir issue, which New Delhi promptly rejected. With the US historically financing Pakistan as a strategic buffer against the Soviet Union and for its war on terror, both India and Pakistan recognise the importance of having their own representative in Washington DC.

Pakistan aims to secure investments for its mining sector, including from US companies, while India seeks to bolster its diplomatic outreach to the Trump administration.

New Delhi:

What’s the difference between ‘Aamchi Mumbai’ and ‘Tyanchi Mumbai’? The two popular Marathi epithets are commonly used in Mumbai, but have a difference in their meaning. A debate on their meanings came up in the Supreme Court during a hearing on a petition against the passenger jetty and terminal facilities project near the Gateway of India.

In Marathi, ‘Aamchi’ means ours, and ‘Tyanchi’ means theirs. But for Mumbai, it’s called ‘Aamchi’, meaning where common people live, and ‘Tyanchi’ means where the elite live.

The Chief Justice of India, BR Gavai, who was on the Supreme Court bench that was hearing the petition, gave his take and said, “‘Aamchi Mumbai’ does not live in Colaba. It is only ‘Tyanchi Mumbai’ that lives in Colaba. ‘Aamchi Mumbai’ lives in Malad, Thane, Ghatkopar.”

The senior lawyer appearing on behalf of the petitioner against the passenger jetty project said, “It is between ‘Aamchi Mumbai’ and ‘Tyanchi Mumbai’ – sometimes that is where the difference lies.”

The Chief Justice-led bench rejected the petition and said, “It is like this – everyone wants a sewage treatment plant, but not behind my house. In the city, when something good is happening, everybody approaches the Supreme Court.”

“You can see what the benefits of the coastal road are? A person from South Mumbai reaches Versova in 40 minutes, and earlier it used to take three hours,” the CJI said.

CJI Gavai responded that such projects are implemented globally. There are such places all over the world. “If you go to Miami, there are so many,” he said.

The counsel appearing for the petitioners said the project is slated to be completed within two years.

“This huge project is going to come up for the benefit of only a particular section of society, and this is coming up without any public hearing, without any clearances,” the counsel claimed.

The petition was filed by the Clean and Heritage Colaba Residents Association, an association of over 400 residents of Colaba, along with the petitioner.

The bench said the Bombay High Court is already considering the issue and requested that the High Court decide the matter before the monsoon ends.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the Uttar Pradesh government for “hijacking” the litigation between two private parties in a plea pertaining to the management of the famous Shri Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan.

A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma said if the state government starts entering into a private dispute between parties it will result in breakdown of rule of law.

“Was a state a party to the proceedings? In what capacity has the state entered the dispute? If states start entering into a private dispute between parties, there will be a total breakdown of law. You can’t hijack the litigation. In a private litigation between two parties, state filing an impleadment application and hijacking it is not permissible,” the bench observed.

The top court was hearing a plea seeking the modification of its order approving the Uttar Pradesh government’s proposed redevelopment scheme for the Banke Bihari temple using temple funds

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for petitioner Devendra Nath Goswami – who said he belonged to the Raj Bhog branch of the Shebaits and claimed direct descent from Swami Sri Hari Das Ji Goswami, the temple’s 16th century founder – submitted that fund of Rs 300 crore has been given to the Uttar Pradesh government without making us the party.

“How can you by an order in another petition direct that earning of a private temple be handed over to the state,” Mr Sibal asked.

The counsel appearing for the UP government informed the top court that the state has formed a trust to manage the temple and oversee work on the proposed corridor.

Entire money would rest with the trust, not with the government by virtue of the enactment, said the UP government’s lawyer.

“People have died in temple,” said the UP government lawyer, spotlighting the pinched streets around the temple and underlining that building a corridor is essential.

The top court directed the counsel for the state government to give a copy of the ordinance passed with regard to the trust to the petitioner and directed the concerned principal secretary to file an affidavit by July 29.

Built in 1862, the Banke Bihari temple is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in northern India. It is managed by Shebaits, a hereditary priesthood that oversees daily rituals and temple administration.

The demand for redevelopment arose after a stampede-like incident occurred during Janmashtami celebrations in 2022, resulting in two deaths.

In September 2023, the Allahabad High Court directed the UP government to develop a corridor plan to manage crowd pressure and ensure safety.

Earlier this month, on May 15, the top court paved the way for the state government’s scheme to develop the temple corridor for the benefit of scores of devotees. It then allowed the state government’s plea to utilise the temple funds only for the purchase of 5-acre land around the temple to create a holding area.

On May 19, petitioner Goswami said unchecked development could “irreversibly” alter the religious and cultural fabric of the “temple precinct”.

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