Srinagar, July 8 (IANS) The Mughal Road connecting Kashmir valley with the Jammu region was blocked by landslides on Monday.

The Mughal Road connects the Valley with Poonch and Rajouri districts of the Jammu division and serves as an alternate road to Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Authorities said that landslides occurring at Panar on the highway have blocked it.

“Efforts are on to clear the debris. Given the weather in the area, the debris clearance operation is likely to take some time.”

“Commuters are advised to find out the latest status of the road before they undertake journey,” officials said.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 8 (IANS) After a record 300 mm rain was reported in Mumbai, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is personally supervising the situation, on Monday said that he has directed the emergency agencies to be on high alert.

“Citizens should go out only if necessary. I am also appealing to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Police Administration and Emergency Services to cooperate,” he said.

“Life has been disrupted in Mumbai due to heavy rains everywhere. There is a traffic jam on the road and the traffic on the railway line has also been affected. The work of removing water from the track is going on by the railway administration and efforts are on to restore the traffic soon. I have directed all emergency agencies to be on high alert, said Shinde.

The CM added that he has been in constant touch with the state Disaster Management Cell and other agencies. He hoped that normalcy would be restored soon.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in his reaction after Mumbai received 300 mm of rain in six hours on Sunday night, said this is 10 per cent of Mumbai’s annual rainfall.

“Like cities in India and around the world, Mumbai is also suffering from climate change. We should build infrastructure in Mumbai and Maharashtra keeping in view the future environmental problems due to climate change. We should take appropriate steps to face drought, flood, and storms 365 days a year. Along with that, we should also try to avoid such problems,’’ he added.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar adjourned the House till 1 p.m. due to lack of adequate quorum as many ministers and legislators were stuck in trains due to waterlogging on railway tracks. Narwekar made this announcement after the House assembled at 11 a.m. on Monday.

Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar tried to raise the issue. He took a swipe at Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s green carpet visit to the water-logged areas in Mumbai recently. He blamed the state government for flooding in Mumbai in the first heavy rains during the present monsoon season.

However, Narwekar intervened and asked Wadettiwar whether he would like to make his argument in full quorum or not. Thereafter, the Speaker announced that the House would reassemble at 1 p.m. for want of adequate quorum citing that several ministers and legislators could not reach the House due to trains running late because of water logging on the railway tracks.

Earlier, a video of Minister of Relief and Rehabilitation Anil Patil and NCP legislator Amol Mitkari walking on the railway track went viral. Mitkari in the same video was explaining how they along with several legislators were stuck in the Mumbai-bound train due to waterlogging on the railway track. He hoped that the situation would soon become normal.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) With growing viewership, investment, player base, and appearances at major international tournaments, esports in India is becoming a mainstream sport, with future ambitions to compete in the Olympics Esports Games, industry experts said on Monday.

With state support and advocacy from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, esports has cemented its place as a new-age sport after gaining official recognition as a ‘multi-sport’ event by the government, they added.

“More than a decade back, gaming was nothing but a hobby of a few passionate gamers. Looking at the scenario today, we can indeed say India has come a long way. The industry has gained immense popularity and legitimacy among the masses,” said Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and MD of NODWIN Gaming.

“In the near future, we envision esports getting the same mantle as traditional sports, especially with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announcing plans to create Olympic Esports Games,” he added.

According to a FICCI-EY report, total esports tournament participation is projected to reach 2.5 million participants across various titles, compared to 1.79 million in 2023.

Additionally, airtime for esports broadcasts is set to increase to 8,000 hours from 6,500 in 2023, with a rising average minute audience.

“The surge in mobile gaming, fueled by the high number of smartphone users in the country, has made gaming more accessible to a wider audience, driving the industry’s growth,” said Roby John, CEO and Co-Founder of SuperGaming.

Despite India being largely a mobile-first gaming nation due to high data penetration and affordable smartphones, there has been a noticeable surge in interest in PC gaming.

Recent data from the video game developer Valve highlighted that Asia, including India, is one of the fastest-growing regions for Steam users, with a more than 150 per cent increase in new users from 2019 to 2024.

As per Vishal Parekh, Chief Operating Officer, CyberPowerPC India, PC-based esports titles prominently featured in major sporting tournaments “highlight the importance of gaming PCs for grassroots development and achieving success in these events.”

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is behind bars in the alleged liquor policy scam for around 16 months, urged the Supreme Court on Monday to list his pleas seeking bail.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sisodia, submitted before a bench presided over by CJI DY Chandrachud that the top court last month had granted liberty to revive the special leave petitions challenging the denial of bail.

“The Supreme Court had granted liberty to list it after the 3rd of July. It is a revival because the court kept the matter in abeyance,” said Singhvi, adding that July 23 is shown as the tentative date of listing and an email seeking urgent listing of application seeking revival of bail pleas has also been sent to the registry.

At this, CJI Chandrachud said, “I will attend the email the moment we rise. It will not be deleted.”

Last month, the apex court had disposed of Sisodia’s plea seeking bail in corruption and money laundering cases after Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, the second highest law officer of the Centre, made an undertaking that the final charge sheet/complaint in the liquor policy case would be filed by July 3.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had denied bail to the senior AAP leader, saying that he failed to pass the triple test for grant of bail in the corruption case and the twin conditions required under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

A bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma of the High Court, however, clarified that he could continue to meet his ailing wife every week, on the same terms as set earlier by the trial court.

In March, the Supreme Court dismissed the curative petitions filed by Sisodia against the dismissal of his review pleas against its 2023 verdict denying him bail in connection with the liquor policy case.

In its judgment delivered on October 30, 2023, the top court denied bail to Sisodia but said that if the trial proceeds slowly in the next three months, he may apply for bail afresh.

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of Rouse Avenue Court had on April 30, refused to grant bail to Sisodia who was seeking regular bail a second time. During the trial court’s decision to deny bail, it was noted that delays in the case proceedings were largely due to actions attributable to Sisodia himself, dismissing his claims of undue delay.

Meanwhile, a Delhi court last week extended till July 15 the judicial custody of Sisodia in the excise policy case being probed by the ED.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea filed by the West Bengal government challenging the court-monitored CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe into land grabbing and extortion cases in Sandeshkhali.

A bench presided over by Justice BR Gavai declined to interfere with the order of the Calcutta High Court directing the CBI to commence its probe in the matter after creating a special investigation team (SIT) for that purpose.

In an earlier hearing, the top court had raised eyebrows on the filing of the special leave petition (SLP) by the state government and questioned it for protecting the “interests of some private individuals”.

Explaining the stance of the state government, senior advocate Jaideep Gupta said that the plea was filed against certain findings and “unfair comments” contained in the impugned order of the high court. At this, the top court had said, “You can go to the high court and ask for expunging of the remarks if you are aggrieved.”

It had adjourned the hearing till July, clarifying that the pendency of the petition before the Supreme Court will not be used for “any purposes”, including prolonging of proceedings pending before the Calcutta High Court.

In an order passed in the second week of April, a division bench of Chief Justice T. S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya had asked the investigative agency to submit a detailed report to the high court following which the latter will decide on the next course of action.

It had directed the CBI to open a separate portal and email through which the victims in Sandeshkhali can register their complaints relating to illegal land grabbing and extortion, adding that the Central agency will maintain absolute secrecy with regard to the identity of the complainants.

It had ordered the district administration in North 24 Parganas including the district magistrate and the district police superintendent to identify the sensitive pockets at Sandeshkhali and install CCTVs. The district administration was also directed by the high court to properly illuminate the streets at Sandeshkhali.

Several public interest litigations (PILs) were filed before the Calcutta High Court in connection with illegal land grabbing and extortion at Sandeshkhali, where the main accused was a section of the local Trinamool Congress leaders led by the now-suspended ruling party leader Sheikh Shahjahan.

Earlier in March, the Supreme Court had dismissed the plea filed by the state government challenging the CBI probe into the attack on ED and CAPF teams at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas District on January 5.

However, it had ordered to expunge the adverse observations made against the West Bengal Police and the state government in the impugned judgment of the Calcutta High Court.

–IANS

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