10082026-TTC-01.qxd 8/10/2026 DIDI’S CONVOY ATTACKED; TMC ACCUSES BJP NATION /thetribunechd 12:23 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 146 NO. 220 | 12 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 DISARM HAMAS FIRST: BIBI ON GAZA PLAN WORLD monday | 10 august 2026 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Four key Bills on House agenda Jharkhand to scrap three JPSC exams, students continue stir as Oppn looks to corner Shah 3 PSC members resign, protesters’ House march today Manikant Mishra Uncertainty looms over tabling of delimitation, FCRA Bills in Parl Rinku Behera Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 9 The Lok Sabha is likely to take up four important Bills on Monday, with Home Minister Amit Shah scheduled to move two of them. However, uncertainty looms over the delimitation and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) Bills amid the ongoing logjam. The Opposition has been demanding an explanation from the Home Minister on the alleged police action on demonstrating students at Jantar Mantar on July 20 and has sought accountability. It is likely to corner Shah on the issue in Parliament. The issue has already triggered protests both inside and outside Parliament, with members of the Opposition demanding that the govern- BUSINESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEET TODAY ■ LS Business Advisory Com- mittee to meet on Monday amid uncertainty over the pending delimitation and women’s reservation Bill ■ It will finalise the agenda for the remainder of the session with the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill also pending INSIDE BILLS TO BE MOVED IN LOWER HOUSE ■ THE TRIBUNALS REFORMS ■ THE KERALA (ALTERATION OF BILL, 2026: Seeks to ensure transparency in appointment of tribunal chairpersons, members ■ THE MINES AND MINERALS (DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATION) AMENDMENT BILL, 2026: Seeks to amend 1957 Act NAME) BILL, 2026: Seeks to change ‘Kerala’ to ‘Keralam’ ■ THE NATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2026: Aims to provide greater financial strength to co-op sector ment address their concerns. The government, meanwhile, is scheduled to advance its legislative agenda, with the Tribunal Reforms Bill, 2026, among the key Bills listed for consideration in the Lok Sabha. Shah will move two Bills for consideration — the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026, and the National Co-operative Development Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The Union Cabinet had approved a proposal to change the name of Kerala to Keralam. The Kerala Leg- SC Collegium clears Justice Mishra as CJ of Punjab & Hry HC Punjab and Haryana High Tribune News Service Court, to the Supreme Court. Chandigarh, August 9 His brief tenure as Acting The Supreme Court Col- Chief Justice has been legium has recommended marked by a focus on judicial the appointment of Justice infrastructure, access to jusAshwani Kumar tice and environmenMishra as the Chief tal issues. Two major Justice of the Punprojects — the Tower jab and Haryana of Justice, a new High Court, a little court complex at two months after he Gurugram, and a assumed charge as multi-level parking the Acting Chief facility at the District Justice. The recom- Justice Ashwani Courts Complex in mendation was Kumar Mishra Sector 43, Chandimade by the Colgarh — were inaugulegium headed by Chief Jus- rated in quick succession tice of India Surya Kant at after he took charge. its meeting on August 6. Justice Mishra has also conA judge of the Allahabad stituted a committee to identiHigh Court, Justice Mishra fy measures for strengthening was transferred to the Pun- infrastructure, particularly jab and Haryana High Court, court buildings, as part of where he took oath on July efforts to modernise the jus21, 2025. He assumed charge tice delivery system and as Acting Chief Justice on improve public access to June 1, following the eleva- courts. His tenure has also tion of Justice Sheel Nagu, been marked by a series of continued on page 9 the then Chief Justice of the islative Assembly had earlier, on July 1, 2026, unanimously endorsed the President’s reference seeking the state legislature’s views on the proposed change. Following the Assembly’s approval, the state government’s views have been conveyed to the Centre. The Centre will now proceed with the legislative process and, upon the recommendation of the President, introduce a Bill in Parliament to formally effect the change of the state’s name from Kerala to Keralam. The Tribunal Reforms Bill is also expected to be a significant piece of legislative business. The proposed legislation seeks to provide a new framework for the functioning of tribunals and includes provisions for setting up a national continued on page 9 Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 9 Jharkhand’s student protest over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations entered its 16th day even as the state government agreed to cancel three examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC). However, it refused to accede to the students’ demand for a CBI probe. The disagreement has left the agitation deadlocked despite a third round of talks in Ranchi on Sunday. Students said the cancellation of the examinations was an important demand, but the issue had now shifted to a larger question: who should investigate the alleged irregularities and how independent that investigation should be. The students have announced a march to the Jharkhand Assembly on continued on page 9 CLOSE SHAVE Jharkhand ministerial committee members with student leaders after a meeting on JPSC and JSSC exam concerns in Ranchi on Sunday. PTI Gen Z was misled: Pradhan breaks silence over ouster Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 9 Speaking on his resignation for the first time, former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Gen Z was misled during the protests over the NEET Shekhar Singh Tribune News Service A trainer aircraft suffered damage after veering off the runway at the Baramati airfield on Sunday. Both occupants escaped unhurt. A DGCA team will probe the incident. On January 28, a chartered plane had crashed near the airfield, killing all five on board, including Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. ANI Parliamentary panel pitches integrated security grid for J&K’s tourist hotspots Animesh Singh Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 9 The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has recommended an integrated security and surveillance framework for major tourist and pilgrimage destinations in Jammu and Kashmir, including Sonmarg, Gulmarg, the Vaishno Devi shrine and the Amarnath cave, amid growing concerns over securi- Calls for security audits, CCTV coverage & unified command structure ty at high-footfall locations. It proposed comprehensive CCTV coverage, centralised monitoring facilities, regular vulnerability assessments and periodic security audits at all such destinations. In May, members of the parliamentary committee visited all major tourist destinations in J&K and Ladakh as well as high-altitude military posts in Drass and Kargil. The panel suggested that, given the rapidly evolving nature of security threats, sustained investment be made in integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, counter-drone systems, continued on page 9 New Delhi, August 9 A drug screening of the pilotin-command of an Air India Phuket-Delhi flight that suddenly lost around 300 ft in altitude during cruise on August 4 has returned a result requiring confirmatory testing, with the sample sent to a designated laboratory even as the DGCA has taken both pilots off the roster pending the outcome. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Sunday that the screening was conducted as part of the prescribed procedure after the incident involving Air India’s A320 aircraft VT-EXO, operating flight AI2379 from Phuket to Delhi. The aircraft, carrying 137 passengers, including three infants, and eight crew members — two pilots and six cabin crew — subsequently stabilised and landed safely in Delhi. The development comes amid reports that the pilot had failed a post-flight drug test. However, the ministry continued on page 9 Charges false, witnesses ‘tutored’: Delhi court in Brij Bhushan order Vinayak Padmadeo Tribune News Service New Delhi, August 9 The Rouse Avenue Court, which had acquitted former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) assistant secretary Vinod Tomar, has stated that the sexual harassment accusations were false, fabricated and politically motivated. The detailed judgment by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Ashwini Panwar, a copy of which is with The Tribune, said the allegations were a result of a deep conspiracy and that witnesses appeared tutored. “…The court also observed that the entire allegations against the accused are false and fabricated, made collectively at the instance of the prosecution witness (PW) 5, PW 10 and coaches of Mahadev Academy, in a deep conspiracy, which seems politically motivated,” the order said. “The allegations are strikingly similar, made at the same time and at a common place, which shows prior meticulous planning against the accused,” the court said. It further observed that “only reason which appears to mind is that they were tutored, and it was ensured that whatever they were to say, the same was said in the Former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh presence of PW 10 and the like-minded”. Acquitting both accused, the court held that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. “Accordingly, upon an overall appreciation of the evidence and the surrounding circumstances, the trial court concluded that after considering all documentary and other evidences and deposition of the witnesses as well as other material on record, this court has no hitch in holding that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove the allegations against the accused beyond reasonable doubt. Accordingly, the accused no.1, Brij Bhushan, stands acquitted of all charges under Sections 354/354A/506 (Part-I) of the IPC and the accused no. 2, Tomar, is acquitted of the charge under Section 506 of the IPC. Two of the original victims, identified as PW 7 and PW 8, c m y b turned hostile during the trial. PW 7 said she filed the complaint under pressure from PW 5 and PW 10. “The court further observed that during her testimony in the court, on a court query: as to whether Brij Bhushan had committed any act of sexual harassment or molestation against her or had behaved in a manner that is sexually inappropriate or outrages her modesty, she answered in the negative. (She) said ‘Brij Bhushan ne mere saath aisa kuch nahi kiya’,” the order said. “It was told to them at that flat that they had to reiterate same version before the KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday announced a fresh probe into the 2024 rape and murder of the doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital that shook the country. INSIDE One-year extension forEDDirectorNavin AI pilot to undergo confirmatory drug testpost-screening Saurabh Malik Fresh probe ordered into RG Karrapecase judge as had been mentioned in the complaint before the police. They also stated that they were called to the flat of PW 10 wherein different versions were being explained to different people. They further said a false story had been cooked up to implicate Brij Bhushan. They said the complaint was in English language, which was translated to them in Hindi. They were supposed to memorise it,” the order added. Brij Bhushan’s lead counsel Rajiv Mohan said defence had sought to demonstrate that the allegations were continued on page 9 paper leak controversy. Addressing a felicitation ceremony for Padma awardees in his Lok Sabha constituency Sambalpur, Pradhan said he had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his continued on page 9 NEW DELHI: The Centre on Sunday approved a one-year extension in the tenure of Enforcement Directorate (ED) Director Rahul Navin beyond August 13, 2026. Navin, a 1993batch IRS officer, has been heading the agency since September 2023. INSIDE Nepal PM to meet Indian envoy today KATHMANDU: PM Balendra Shah is set to hold separate bilateral meetings with the Indian and Chinese ambassadors to Nepal on Monday, the first such one-on-one diplomatic engagements after more than 100 days in office. INSIDE Bogus GST bills from Himachal fuel illegal mining trade in Punjab Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Ropar, August 9 The alleged use of fake GST bills sourced from Himachal Pradesh to show illegally mined sand from the Swan and Sutlej rivers as legally procured has come under the scanner of the Punjab Mining Department. Sources said the department had tightened billing norms after suspected irregularities surfaced. The sources told The Tribune that the issue came to light following complaints from operators of legal mining sites in Ropar district, who alleged that illegally mined material was flooding the market at lower prices and severely affecting their sales. According to the complaints, stone crusher units in the district were purchasing illegally mined material from Punjab and adjoining areas of Himachal Pradesh. They were subsequently using fake GST bills issued by firms registered across the border to show the material as legally procured. In many cases, a single bill showed the transportation of nearly 5,000 cubic feet of sand and gravel in one vehicle, which the sources said was practically impossible. Some bills even showed small vehi- AAP govt caps material sold on single bill at 2,000 cubic feet SCOOTERS SHOWN CARRYING 1K CUBIC FT ■ Stone crushers allegedly pur- chased illegally mined material and used fake GST bills to show lawful procurement ■ Several bills showed impossible loads, including 5,000 cubic feet in one vehicle and 1,000 cubic feet on scooters cles and scooters transporting up to 1,000 cubic feet of material, raising suspicion over their authenticity. Following these findings, the Punjab Mining Department imposed a cap of 2,000 cubic feet of mining material that could be sold against a single bill. Bhavuk Sharma, Executive Engineer (Mining), Anandpur Sahib region, confirmed that the department had introduced the cap. Asked about the matter, Sharma said he had learnt that the Himachal Pradesh GST authorities had initiated investigations into certain cases in the Nalagarh region, but nothing of this kind had come to his notice in the continued on page 9 Defying the monsoon ban, trucks laden with illegally mined material from Himachal lined up along the Punjab border in Nangal, Ropar.