Korba: Two women teachers were killed and ten other persons injured after a van in which they were travelling collided with a trailer truck in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district on Thursday, police said.

About The Accident

The accident occurred in the morning near Tanakhar village when 11 staffers and two students of Eklavya Model Residential School, run by the tribal development department, in Pondi Uproda village were heading to their institute from Katghora town, a police official said.

As per preliminary information, the van driver attempted to overtake another vehicle and ended up colliding with a truck, coming from the opposite direction.

A total of 12 occupants of the van sustained injuries, he said.

The victims were taken to the Community Health Centre Katghora, from where the seriously injured persons were referred to different hospitals, he said.

Two teachers, identified as Anjana Sharma (30), a resident of Delhi, and Manju Sharma (32) of Haryana, succumbed to their wounds during treatment at a hospital, he said.

The two deceased were staying in rented houses in Katghora.

Five injured persons have been admitted to a hospital in Korba, two in Bilaspur, and three others, who sustained minor injuries, in Katghora, he said.

A case has been registered and a probe is underway, he added.

New Delhi, July 24, 2025 — The Supreme Court of India has issued a stay on the Bombay High Court’s recent decision to acquit 12 men previously convicted in the 2006 Mumbai suburban train bombings. The apex court, however, clarified that the accused will not need to return to jail while the legal process continues.

The move comes days after the Maharashtra government filed a challenge against the High Court’s ruling, expressing serious concern over the acquittal of all 12 individuals who had been found guilty nearly a decade earlier. The Supreme Court agreed to examine the appeal and put the acquittal order on hold until further notice.

Background of the Case

On July 11, 2006, a series of coordinated bomb blasts targeted local trains on Mumbai’s Western Railway line during evening rush hour. The attacks resulted in the deaths of around 190 people and left over 800 injured. It was one of the deadliest terror strikes in India’s history.

In 2015, a special court convicted 12 men under anti-terror laws, sentencing five to death and the remaining to life imprisonment. However, the Bombay High Court overturned these convictions in July 2025, citing weak and unreliable evidence, inconsistencies in witness testimonies, and procedural lapses in the investigation.

Supreme Court’s Intervention

Responding to the state’s petition, the Supreme Court noted the seriousness of the matter and temporarily suspended the High Court’s decision. The court stated that although the acquittal order is stayed, the accused who had already been released will not be required to surrender at this stage.

Government’s Stand

The Maharashtra government described the High Court’s judgment as deeply concerning, arguing that the earlier trial had followed due process and that crucial evidence—such as confessions and material recovered—was improperly dismissed. The government urged the Supreme Court to uphold the original convictions in the interest of justice for the victims and their families.

What Lies Ahead

The Supreme Court is expected to conduct a detailed review of the High Court’s findings and the prosecution’s evidence. The final verdict could have a significant impact on how terrorism-related cases are investigated and prosecuted in the future, especially with respect to the handling of confessional statements, forensic evidence, and procedural safeguards.

The case continues to be a matter of national attention due to its historical gravity and implications for the justice system. Families of the victims, legal experts, and civil rights advocates are all watching closely as the country’s top court re-evaluates one of India’s most complex terror cases.

New Delhi: The Gujarat portion of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project between Vapi and Sabarmati is planned to be completed by December 2027, while the entire 508 km project is expected to be completed by December 2029, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Wednesday.

However, the bullet train project is a very complex and technology-intensive and the exact timelines for its completion can only be reasonably ascertained after the completion of all associated works of civil structures, track, electrical, signalling & telecommunication and supply of trainsets, the minister added.

MAHSR is under execution with technical and financial assistance from the Japanese government. The project is passing through Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli with 12 stations planned at Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati, the minister said.

A cumulative financial expenditure of Rs 78,839 crore has been incurred on the project till June 30, 2025, he said.

The total estimated cost of the MAHSR project is approximately Rs 1,08,000 crore, out of which Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding 81 per cent of the project cost which works out to Rs 88,000 crore while the balance 19 per cent cost amounting to Rs 20,000 crore will be funded through equity contribution from Ministry of Railways (50 per cent) and Maharashtra and Gujarat state governments (25 per cent each).

The delay in land acquisition in Maharashtra impacted the project till 2021. However, currently, the entire land (1389.5 hectares) for the MAHSR project has been acquired. The Final Location Survey and Geotechnical investigation has also been completed, and alignment finalised. All Statutory Clearances relating to wildlife, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and Forest clearance have been obtained, and all the civil contracts of the project have been awarded, Vaishnaw said.

Till now, 392 km of pier construction, 329 km of girder casting and 308 km of girder launching have been completed. The work on the undersea tunnel (21 km approx.) has also started. In order to expand the high-speed rail (HSR) network in India beyond the MAHSR corridor and to meet the growing passenger demand between major cities of commercial and tourist importance, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are being prepared by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), he added.

HSR projects are highly capital-intensive, and any decision to take up a new project is based on many factors such as technical feasibility, financial & economic viability, traffic demand and availability of funds & financing options. The commercial operation of the MAHSR project involves an affordable fare structure for the services, taking into account the socio-economic conditions of the clientele for optimum patronage of the HSR sectors, the minister added.