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By:

Dr. Abhilash Dawre

19 March 2025 at 5:18:41 pm

Nine killed as car plunges into open well

Deceased belong to same family, six children included Nashik: Nine members of a family, including six children, were killed after their car fell into an open well in Nashik district, police said on Saturday. The accident occurred in the Shivaji Nagar area of Dindori town around 10 pm on Friday, an official said. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the deaths of children in the tragic incident, and said that he has ordered an immediate safety audit of open wells in public...

Nine killed as car plunges into open well

Deceased belong to same family, six children included Nashik: Nine members of a family, including six children, were killed after their car fell into an open well in Nashik district, police said on Saturday. The accident occurred in the Shivaji Nagar area of Dindori town around 10 pm on Friday, an official said. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed grief over the deaths of children in the tragic incident, and said that he has ordered an immediate safety audit of open wells in public areas. According to the police, the victims were returning home after attending a function at a banquet hall in the area when their car fell into a well on the roadside near the venue. Personnel from the local police and emergency services arrived at the scene and retrieved the car and its occupants with the help of two cranes and swimmers around midnight. The victims were members of the Dargode family from Indore village in Dindori taluka, the official said. The bodies were brought to the government hospital in Dindori, the official said, adding that a case has been registered. No Escape According to information, the victims had attended a function organised by Wadje Classes and were returning home to Indore village (Dindori taluka) when the accident took place. The car went out of control and fell into an open well located along the roadside, which was completely filled with water, leaving no chance for escape. After receiving information about the incident, Dindori Police, local administration, fire brigade personnel, and disaster management teams rushed to the spot. Rescue operations were challenging as the well was filled with water. The vehicle was eventually pulled out using two cranes around midnight. A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also reached the location, and the rescue operation continued late into the night. The incident has raised serious concerns over administrative negligence. Local residents have alleged that the well, located dangerously close to the road, had no safety measures such as fencing or protective barriers. While speaking to ‘The Perfect Voice’ , Inspector Bhagwan Mathure of Dindori Police Station stated that the well belongs to accused Rajendra Parvatrav Raje. Despite being aware that the well, located adjacent to a public road, posed a serious risk of accidents and possible loss of life, no necessary safety measures were taken. “There was no fencing, barricading, or protective structure around the well,” Mathure said. Probe Ordered State Disaster Management Minister Girish Mahajan visited the accident spot. He said that the administration has been directed to close the well, and that the government will provide assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased persons. The Nashik collector has been asked to probe the incident and submit an inquiry report, he said. Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Fadnavis termed the accident "extremely unfortunate". Preliminary information indicated that the well had a low boundary wall and was in the middle of a frequently accessed area, he said. The state government has announced financial assistance for the affected family, he said, adding that instructions have been issued to identify and review all wells situated on roads or in areas with public movement. "Such locations must be audited to assess whether these wells are necessary and what safety measures can be implemented," he said, noting that a higher protective wall could have prevented the tragedy. The deceased Sunil Dattatray Dargode (32) Reshma Sunil Dargode (27) Asha Anil Dargode (32) Gunvanti Sunil Dargode (11) Shreyash Anil Dargode (11) Shravani Anil Dargode (11) Srushti Anil Dargode (14) Samruddhi Rajendra Dargode (7) Shraddha Anil Dargode (13)

Why the Jan Vishwas Bill Could Make Life Easier

  • VNS
  • 3 hours ago
  • 3 min read

The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 aims to remove criminal penalties from many laws and replace them with civil penalties to make governance more trust-based and business-friendly. The Bill changes 784 provisions across 80 Central laws and introduces a uniform administrative system for enforcement. Its goal is to improve regulatory efficiency, ease of living, and ease of doing business.


The Bill was developed through a detailed and evidence-based consultation process.A 24-member Select Committee held 49 meetings.Inputs were taken from different ministries, industry stakeholders, and experts.This ensured a balanced and credible approach to decriminalisation.


Removed criminal penalties from 183 provisions in 42 central laws. The new Bill proposes changes to 784 provisions across 80 Central Acts. Out of these, 717 provisions will be decriminalised. The remaining 67 provisions are aimed at improving ease of living for citizens.


The Bill provides relief to different sectors of the economy. In the pharmaceutical sector, changes to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940, removed criminal penalties for minor procedural mistakes like not submitting returns or statements, which will help companies comply faster and reduce legal cases.


Minor Violations

The Bill removes imprisonment for minor civic violations under the Delhi Development Act, 1957 and the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994, making it easier for urban residents to comply with rules.


Changes to the National Highways Act, 1956 also simplify and rationalise penalties in the infrastructure and logistics sector. These reforms will reduce court cases, lower compliance costs, and create a more transparent and predictable regulatory system. This will support economic growth and improve ease of living.


The Bill also proposes changes to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 to improve clarity and make compliance easier, such as allowing state-wide vehicle registration. The Bill clearly separates minor procedural violations from serious road safety offences. Only minor offences are decriminalised, and imprisonment is replaced with graded monetary penalties and administrative action. The law will still keep criminal punishment for offences that affect road safety and public welfare.


Less Compliance

The Jan Vishwas Bill, 2026 supports the Make in India and Startup India initiatives by reducing compliance burden on businesses. India has over 2.12 lakh DPIIT-recognized startups, and the Bill will provide relief to this growing ecosystem. The government is allowing businesses to correct minor compliance mistakes instead of facing long legal cases. This will help businesses operate and grow more easily.


These reforms are especially important under the Legal Metrology Act, where small labelling or packaging mistakes earlier could lead to up to one year of imprisonment. Under the new system, these are treated as civil violations and businesses will be given a chance to correct them. With thousands of compliances already reduced and the number of companies increasing in recent years, these reforms will help entrepreneurs grow and innovate without fear of unnecessary legal action.


Less Pressure

India has improved its position in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business rankings and achieved record exports of $790.86 billion in FY 2025–26. These developments reflect India’s growing economic strength and global presence.


The Jan Vishwas framework creates an administrative adjudication system to reduce pressure on courts. With over 4.8 crore cases pending in courts, minor violations will be handled by Adjudicating Officers instead of courts. This could reduce the judicial workload by 25–30 per cent. It will allow courts to focus on serious crimes, while business disputes are resolved faster, reducing compliance costs and improving ease of doing business.


The Bill removes more than 700 criminal offences related to minor lapses, reducing imprisonment provisions and legal burden on citizens and businesses. It will also reduce pressure on the criminal justice system and allow regulatory bodies to handle such issues through administrative processes.


The previous Congress Government followed a license-quota system with complex regulations, which often led to corruption and middlemen interference. Over the last decade, the Modi Government has tried to remove this control-based regulatory system and simplify laws. One major example from the past was the 2012 retrospective tax amendment, which affected global companies like Vodafone and Cairn Energy, damaging India’s image as a reliable investment destination.


The Jan Vishwas 2026 reforms aim to end the era of regulatory harassment. The government is shifting from a system that treated minor mistakes as crimes to a trust-based governance model. The focus is now on correcting minor mistakes instead of punishing people with criminal charges. This approach supports honest entrepreneurs and citizens while promoting the idea of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.”

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