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The bridge at Grant road station has cracked, hence the traffic has been diverted to Nana Chowk towards Kennedy bridge #TrafficUpdate, Mumbai Police tweeted.
Mumbai: A day after Andheri overbridge collapse, Mumbai Police on Wednesday warned about a crack in another bridge at the Grant Road Station. The traffic has, meanwhile, been diverted to Nana Chowk towards Kennedy bridge.
Taking to Twitter Mumbai police said, “The bridge at Grant road station has cracked, hence the traffic has been diverted to Nana Chowk towards Kennedy bridge #TrafficUpdate.”
While heavy rains hit Mumbai on Tuesday, part of a Road Over Bridge (ROB) collapsed on railway tracks near Andheri Station towards Vile Parle on the south end. The incident left at least six people injured, two of whom were rescued from under the debris.
Known as the Gokhale, the bridge connects Andheri East to West. The mishap severely affected the Dabba service as the Dabbawallas got stuck at various places on western line.
Following the mishap, an inquiry by the Commissioner of Rail Safety was ordered by Railways Minister Piyush Goyal. He visited the accident site on Tuesday itself and said sought the probe report within 15 days.
Goyal said that during the next six months, a joint safety audit will be conducted by the railways, the BMC and IIT at the 445 road overbridges, foot overbridges and bridges over the pipelines in Mumbai as part of efforts to improve safety for the commuters.
Mumbai has been reeling under heavy showers since Tuesday morning with reports of submerged roads and slow traffic movement from several parts of the city. Even though the BMC promises better preparedness for the rains every year, Mumbaikars continue to face hardships and this time it is no different.

A court here on Wednesday reserved its order on Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s anticipatory bail plea for Thursday in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s death.
New Delhi: A court here on Wednesday reserved its order on Congress leader Shashi Tharoor’s anticipatory bail plea for Thursday in a case related to his wife Sunanda Pushkar’s death.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP has already been summoned as an accused in the case.
Special Judge Arvind Kumar reserved the judgment after the Delhi Police opposed Tharoor’s anticipatory bail plea, saying he might flee the country. The Congress leader had moved the court yesterday, seeking anticipatory bail.
In his plea, Tharoor had submitted that the chargesheet in the case was filed and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had categorically stated that the probe was concluded and that his custodial interrogation was not required.
The court had summoned the Congress leader as an accused in the case on June 5, asking him to appear before it on July 7 and observing that there were sufficient grounds to proceed against him. Pushkar was found dead in a luxury hotel room in the city on the night of January 17, 2014.
Tharoor has been charged under sections 498A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), but has not been arrested in the case.
The Delhi Police, in its chargesheet filed in the case on May 14, had accused Tharoor of abetting Pushkar’s suicide and told the court that he should be summoned as an accused in the case, claiming that there was sufficient evidence against him.
In the nearly 3,000-page chargesheet, the police had named Tharoor as the only accused, while also alleging that he had subjected his wife to cruelty.

A flood alert had been issued for the region after the Jhelum crossed the danger mark. The area has also received heavy rainfall.
The Amarnath Yatra remains effectively suspended on Wednesday, with both the routes to the mountain shrine shut a day after a landslide that killed five and injured three. Security personnel are helping the pilgrims get to safe locations along the Baltal and Pahalgam routes. Leaders from across the political spectrum have expressed grief over the loss of lives in the landslide.
The Amarnath Yatra this year has seen multiple disruptions thanks to weather conditions and the threat of flooding in parts of Kashmir. On Tuesday, five were killed and three injured in a landslide between Railpatri and Brarimarg on the Baltal route to the mountain shrine.
Movement of pilgrims along the Pahalgam route has also been suspended for the time being. Officials have indicated that the routes may be opened only after the path has been cleared and safety inspections have been completed.
“Anguished beyond words on the loss of precious lives due to a landslide on the Baltal route of Shri Amarnathji Yatra. My thoughts are with the bereaved families and my prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured,” said Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was among the earliest to offer condolences. “Tragic news of the deaths of Amarnath pilgrims due to a landslide. Condolences to the families of the deceased & best wishes for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he tweeted.
BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha expressed hopes that the yatra would continue. “My heart goes out to the thousands of pilgrims of Amarnath Yatra which has been suspended due to heavy rainfall, flood alerts & nature creating havoc in the Valley.Happy that the pilgrims are being taken care of. Hope, wish & pray that they may complete their divine journey soon,” he said.
Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot too reflected a similar sentiment. “Deeply saddened to know about death of pilgrims due to landslide enroute to #Amarnath cave. My prayers with those injured. Wish and pray all complete the #AmarnathYatra safe n sound,” read his tweet.
This year’s Amarnath Yatra has been under threat of disruption along with the rest of South Kashmir. Only last week, authorities had issued a flood alert for the entire region after the water level in the Jhelum cross the danger mark. South Kashmir has also received heavy rain over the past week, making the Amarnath route slipper and dangerous.

Accusing the Uttar Pradesh of discriminating against Madrassas, Muslic cleric questioned the govt’s need to change the traditional attire worn by students at Muslim educational institutions.
New Delhi: Well-known Muslim cleric and scholar Sufiyan Nizami has objected to the Yogi Adityanath government’s plan to introduce a dress code for Madrassa students.
Questioning the need for bringing a change in the traditional attire worn by students in Madrassas, Sufiyan Nizami told ANI, “Dress code for all the Madrassas & colleges that are running in this country is not decided by the govt. It is decided by the managing committee of that institution. So, why such discrimination against the Madrassas?”
Earlier, a PTI report said that the Uttar Pradesh government has mooted a new dress code for Madrassa students to end their “demarcation” from other school pupils. The state government is yet to disclose the new dress code for Madrassa students.
“The aim of the UP government is to bring Madrassa at par with other educational institutions in every sense. Till now, students in Madrassa have been wearing ‘kurta-pyjamas’ but now this dress code will make it more formal… We might also try to meet the expenses,” said State Minister for Muslim Waqf and Haj Mohsin Raza
Stressing that it is only the BJP-led governments which have done justice with the minorities, the minister said the other political parties have been considering them as only a vote-bank. Raza said the current dressing style of Madrassa students reflects a clear demarcation between them and the students of other schools which will come to an end now.
The state government has already gone ahead with its plans to introduce NCERT books in the Madrassa of Uttar Pradesh in a bid to bring their students at par with their counterparts in other schools and to modernise the education in Madrassas affiliated to the State Madrassa Board.
“Till now, students in Madrassas wear white kurta-pyjama, which reflects a particular faith. We will very soon propose a new dress code for them,” the minister said.
He, however, refused to elaborate as to what the new dress code would be.
“Our intentions are absolutely clear as we work with transparency and believe in sabka saath, sabka vikas”, he said adding that Prime Minister wanted to integrate the Muslim society with the country’s mainstream with a Quran in one hand and a laptop in the other.
“Madrassas students are already availing religious education, we are not going to hamper it, we are only going to impart them social education to integrate them with the country’s mainstream and help them go to the IIMs or the IITs and clear competitive examinations,” he said.

The victim, 36-year-old, was assaulted by the man on late Tuesday night.
Muzaffarnagar: A 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing his step-mother in Sedpura village in the district, police said on Wednesday.
According to a complaint lodged by the woman (36), the accused entered into her room last night in a drunk state and sexually harassed her, SHO Sube Singh of Titawi police station said.

Jakhar says, no drug-tainted police officer should be allowed to continue and if the new Moga SSP also has a chequered past, he must go.
Chandigarh : A day after the Captain Amarinder Singh government transferred “drug-tainted” Moga senior superintendent of police (SSP) Raj Jit Singh and posted Kamaljit Singh Dhillon in his place, who is also facing similar charges, the Punjab Congress criticised its own government for the misadventure.
After fireworks at Monday’s cabinet meeting between ministers and Punjab Police chief Suresh Arora over “no action” against drug-tainted cops, the government did some quick damage control. It ordered the transfer of Raj Jit Singh, who is facing allegations in a drug case involving dismissed inspector Inderjit Singh, and suspended Ferozepur DSP Daljit Singh Dhillon, who was accused by two women of pushing them into drugs.
But the damage control has left the party red-faced as new Moga SSP Dhillon too is facing charges of cancelling drug cases against three cops after allegedly accepting Rs 40 lakh as “bribe”.
Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, who was also present in the informal meeting with officers and ministers after the cabinet meet, too had taken on the police saying the government has to show it means business. But after Dhillon replaced Raj Jit, Jakhar did not mince words to criticise the government. “No drug-tainted police officer should be allowed to continue. If the new Moga SSP too has a chequered past, he needs to go,” Jakhar told HT. He had also sought time to meet the CM on Tuesday but a meeting could not take place.
Other ministers and party MLAs too said they are baffled by the move. “Was the CM not briefed about Dhillon’s antecedents? Who advised his appointment? It is the credibility of the government which is at stake,” a minister said, requesting anonymity.
Discontent has been brewing among ministers and Congress legislators against their own government with police officials, who enjoyed proximity to the previous Akali regime, still occupying top positions.
In the cabinet meeting, jails minister Sukhjinder Randhawa was the first to question continuance of Raj Jit as Moga SSP despite being under the scanner of special task force (STF) set up by Amarinder soon after taking over in March last year. Jakhar had once left CM office in a huff after he could not meet Amarinder to voice anger of party MLAs over plum posting for “blue-eyed” cops of Akalis.
While the police are patting their back for choking the drug supply lines, the party leaders blame “police-dealer” nexus for bringing the government a bad name.
The turf war between DGP Arora and STF chief Harpreet Sidhu too has spilled over to the government and party. The latter enjoys support of some ministers and Congress MLAs who want action on his report on the alleged role of Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia in the Jagdish Bhola drug case.

A massive international rescue effort has been under way since, with rescue teams battling through thick mud and high water to try to reach the group.
Twelve boys and their assistant soccer coach have been found alive by rescuers inside a Thai cave complex nine days after they went missing, Chiang Rai province’s governor said on Monday. The boys, aged between 11 and 16, went missing with the 25-year-old after soccer practice on June 23 after they set out to explore the Tham Luang cave complex in Chiang Rai.
A massive international rescue effort has been under way since, with rescue teams battling through thick mud and high water to try to reach the group. “Thai Navy seals have found all 13 with signs of life,” Governor Narongsak Osottanakorn told reporters.
Rescuers had been working on Monday to clear a constricted passageway for divers deep inside the flooded cave complex in a search operation that has been hampered by heavy rain.
Divers from Thailand’s elite navy SEAL unit had been focusing on an elevated mound inside the cave which cavers have named “Pattaya Beach”, which could have provided the boys with a refuge when rains flooded the cave.
“The SEALs reported that … they reached Pattaya Beach which was flooded. So they went 400 metres further where we found the 13 … who were safe,” Narongsak told the cheering group of reporters.
The next challenge will be getting the group out of the cave, which some have dubbed a “labyrinth”. Rescuers had discussed waiting until water levels subsided to get the boys out. Other options included teaching the group to use diving gear to navigate the flooded cave.
Medical teams were seen preparing first aid kits after news of the group’s discovery broke outside the cave’s entrance.
Relatives of the boys took shelter from heavy rain on Monday and were seen cheering, smiling and receiving calls after receiving the news. Rescuers shook hands and congratulated each other as occasional cheers broke out.
It remains unclear whether any of the group are injured or in need of medical attention.
Narongsak said medical teams have been sent inside the cave and it would take them around four hours to assess the group’s health and how fit they are before coming up with a strategy to get them out.

As many as 11 people have lost their lives and thousands of houses have been submerged in the water in plain lands.
KATHMANDU: Over 1500 Indian pilgrims, undertaking Kailash Mansarovar yatra, have been stranded in Nepal after heavy downpour triggered floods in several parts of the country. The Ministry of External Affairs has assured that all possible medical and lodging facilities will be provided to the stranded Indians.
“Indian pilgrims stranded in Nepal – There are about 525 pilgrims stranded in Simikot, 550 in Hilsa and another 500 in Tibet side. Indian Embassy in Nepal has deployed representatives in Nepalganj and Simikot. They are (in) touch with the pilgrims and ensuring that food and lodging facilities are available to all the pilgrims. In Simikot a health check up has been done on all the elderly pilgrims. They are being provided required medical help. In Hilsa we have requested police authorities for necessary assistance,” Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj said on Tuesday.
“We have requested Government of Nepal for army helicopters to evacuate stranded Indian nationals. We have set up hotlines for pilgrims and their family members who will provide information in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam languages,” she added.
As many as 11 people have lost their lives and thousands of houses have been submerged in the water in plain lands. Eight districts have been affected due to the incessant rainfall on Sunday and Monday and three people lost their lives in Rolpa and Banke districts on Monday. The rainfall has also flooded most of the Province number 2, with Birgunj and Janakpur cities among the most affected.
The flood has also displaced hundreds of villagers residing near rivers and other water sources in the low lying plains of Nepal.
The Indian Embassy in Nepal has said that the tour operators have been told to accord first priority in clearing up the situation in Hilsa which is the most infrastructure lean place in the area. The mission is also trying to press in services of Nepal Army choppers, which have superior abilities to operate in difficult terrain.
With around 290 pilgrims from Karnataka stranded in Nepal, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has directed the Resident Commissioner of Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi to take all necessary action immediately to ensure the safety of the pilgrims.
Indian Embassy in Nepal’s hotline number for pilgrims and their family members:
1. Pranav Ganesh, First Secretary (Consular) – +977-9851107006
2. Tashi Khampa, Second Secretary (Consular) – +977-9851155007
3. Tarun Raheja, Attache (Consular) – +977-9851107021
4. Rajesh Jha, Aso (Community Welfare) – +977-9818832398, +977-9851165140
Hotline to Contact Language Speaking Staff:
5. Yogananda (Hotline – Kannada) – +977-9823672371
6. Pindi Naresh (Hotline – Telugu) – +977-9808082292
7. R Murugan (Hotline – Tamil) – +977-9808500642
8. C Ranjith (Hotline – Malayalam) – +977-9808500644

The Supreme Court has sought the opinion of the Attorney General of India on whether prolonged sexual relationship should be treated at par with marriage. Seeking the opinion, the top court pointed that it had come across several such cases.
The Supreme Court has sought the opinion of the Attorney General of India on whether prolonged sexual relationship should be treated at par with marriage. Seeking the opinion, the top court pointed that it had come across several such cases.
The apex court noted that it has come across many cases where a man cannot be held liable for rape because of long periods of cohabitation during the relationship. It further said that such relationships could entail responsibilities that are usually part of a married relationship.
The observation was made by the court while hearing an appeal wherein a man, accused of rape, sought annulment of charges against him. He has cited that he was in a sexual relationship with the woman for a long time.
According to the charges against him, the man had been in relationship with the woman for a number of years but later refused to marry her.
Seeking the suggestion of the Attorney General, the court has stayed the trial against the accused for now, scheduling the next date of hearing on September 12.

Raising the banner of revolt against Mehbooba in the party, Ansari called for change in the leadership of the PDP.
Senior People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir minister Imran Ansari has hit out at former chief minister Mehboob Mufti, accusing her of destroying the party. He said that Mehbooba had termed the PDP into ‘family fiefdom’.
Lashing out at the PDP chief, Ansari said, “She introduced his own brother and assigned him a powerful portfolio. She also inducted his uncle and forgot to serve common masses.” Speaking to mediapersons, Ansari further said that “in real senses, we have left PDP long before but are only attached as MLAs”.
Raising the banner of revolt against Mehbooba in the party, Ansari called for change in the leadership of the PDP.
This comes after his uncle and another PDP leader, Abid Hussain Ansari, said that he has “always told her that she was surrounded by sycophants who are destroying the party and giving her wrong advice” but “she never listened to me because she was busy giving remote control of highly sensitive institutions like the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) to a relative who was running the institute from London”.
He said he has now decided to join a political party that would protect the interests of his workers and community members.
After the PDP-BJP coalition government fell in the state, this is the first public attack on Mehbooba Mufti by senior party leaders.
Ansari belongs to a powerful religious family of the Shia community and sitting MLA and former Education Minister Imran Ansari is his nephew. Imran Ansari represents the Pattan constituency in Baramulla district while Abid Ansari represents the Zadibal constituency.