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‘How Can A Handcuffed Man Snatch…’Opposition Raises Doubts Over Badlapur Encounter

September 24, 2024, 4:55 pm

The Maharashtra government has decided to hand over the investigation into the encounter killing of Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case, to the Crime Investigation Department (CID). Shinde, 24, who was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls at a school in Badlapur, was shot dead by police on Monday night under controversial circumstances.

The Encounter Incident

According to the police, Shinde was shot after he allegedly snatched a pistol from one of the officers and fired at them while being transported in a police vehicle. He was reportedly being moved as part of an investigation into another case, filed by his ex-wife. The encounter took place at the Mumbra bypass, where Shinde was killed in what the police claim was an act of self-defense.

However, the police’s version of events has been met with skepticism from opposition leaders and Shinde’s family.

Opposition Questions Police Version

NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad was among the first to challenge the police narrative, calling it “baseless.” He questioned how a handcuffed man could overpower several police officers, snatch a weapon, and fire at them.

“How can a handcuffed accused snatch a policeman’s revolver and fire at him when five more officers were present?” Awhad asked.

Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh echoed similar concerns, also highlighting the fact that the school where the sexual assault occurred is owned by a BJP leader. He called for a thorough investigation into the matter, suggesting that a retired High Court judge should lead the probe.

“When both hands of Akshay Shinde were tied, how could he fire the bullet? There have been efforts from the beginning to cover up the case, and this encounter seems like a convenient conclusion,” Deshmukh stated.

Family Raises Doubts

Shinde’s family has also expressed doubts about the police’s account. His mother and uncle claim that the police coerced him into signing a “confessional statement” and that he was beaten while in custody. Shinde’s mother questioned the possibility of her son firing at the police, saying, “He was scared of bursting crackers and crossing roads. How could he shoot at anyone?”

The family maintains that Shinde was framed and that the police’s version of the incident is fabricated to justify the encounter.

CID Probe Launched

Following the public outrage and the questions raised by opposition leaders, the state government has announced that a CID team will investigate the encounter. A team of CID officials will visit the site of the incident at Mumbra bypass and will record statements from the police officers involved.

The investigation is expected to cover the circumstances leading to the encounter and whether due process was followed by the police. The state government is under pressure to ensure transparency, as the case has garnered significant public and political attention.

As the probe begins, opposition leaders continue to push for an impartial investigation. Deshmukh has called for the involvement of a retired High Court judge to ensure an unbiased inquiry. Meanwhile, the family of Akshay Shinde hopes for a fair investigation to uncover the truth behind the controversial encounter.

The incident has sparked widespread discussions on police encounters and accountability in Maharashtra, with many questioning the legitimacy of such actions, especially in sensitive cases like

Watch: Ganpati Bappa Aagman Procession Hits Roadblock, Stuck At Signal Pole

September 8, 2024, 11:20 am

In an unusual turn of events during the Aagman procession, a signal pole unexpectedly obstructed the path, causing a delay in the holy event organized to welcome Lord Ganesha. A viral video on social media shows workers attempting to loosen the traffic light and adjust it to allow the large Ganesh idol to pass through.

WATCH THE VIRAL VIDEO:

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A post shared by Mumbai Ganesh Utsav (@ganeshotsavmumbai)

As the joyous festival of Ganesh Chaturthi kicks off, social media has been flooded with heartwarming and festive moments. Among the countless posts, one video has stood out and captured the hearts of many—a stray dog named Sheru, who became an unexpected star of the Ganpati Aagman celebrations in 2024.

Sheru: The Festival’s Surprise Star

Sheru, a lovable stray dog living with the Shree Sai Seva Mitra Mandal in Bandra East, Mumbai, made waves online for his enthusiastic participation in the Ganpati Aagman procession. Dressed in vibrant festive attire, Sheru joined devotees as they welcomed Lord Ganpati, adding an extra touch of joy and spirit to the occasion. His adorable presence and involvement made him an instant favorite, as the video of him marching alongside devotees quickly went viral.

A Symbol of Community Spirit

The heartwarming video of Sheru has not only showcased the inclusivity of the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities but also highlighted the deep bond that animals share with humans in moments of celebration. Sheru’s participation reminded many of the warmth and love that festivals bring, uniting all beings—human and animal alike—in joyous spirit.

Sheru has now become a symbol of the collective spirit and energy of the festival, reminding everyone that love and celebration are for all, regardless of species.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2024: Meet The Kambli Clan, Sculptors Of Lalbaugcha Raja For 90 Years

September 8, 2024, 9:19 am

As the vibrant festival of Ganesh Chaturthi approaches, the first look of Mumbai’s most iconic Ganesha idol, Lalbaugcha Raja, was unveiled on Thursday, September 5, ahead of the celebrations on Saturday, September 7. Known as the “Navasacha Ganpati” or “The One Who Fulfills All Wishes,” the idol draws millions of devotees from around the world each year, making it a highlight of the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities.

The History and Significance of Lalbaugcha Raja

Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, the organizing body behind the famous pandal, has been celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi since 1934. The festival originally began as a community celebration by fishermen from the Koli community at Lalbaug Market. Over the decades, it has grown into a significant cultural and religious event, with the idol symbolizing hope and faith for millions.

The Kambli Family’s Artistic Legacy

For over 80 years, the idol of Lalbaugcha Raja has been crafted by the Kambli family, renowned sculptors who have dedicated their lives to preserving this artistic tradition. The idol is created at Kambli Arts, located in Chinchpokli, a studio founded in 1920 by the legendary sculptor Ratnakar Kambli. Ratnakar was commissioned by the mandal in 1935 to create the first Lalbaugcha Raja idol, a responsibility his family has carried on for generations.

After Ratnakar’s death in 1952, his son Venkatesh Kambli took over the mantle of crafting the iconic idol. In 2002, Ratnakar Madhusudan Kambli succeeded him, and today, his eldest son, Santosh Ratnakar Kambli, oversees the making of the Lalbaugcha Raja idol, continuing the family’s rich legacy.

The Craftsmanship Behind Lalbaugcha Raja

The creation of the Lalbaugcha Raja idol is a meticulous process that involves all members of the Kambli family. Most of them are graduates of Mumbai’s prestigious Sir J.J. School of Art, though Santosh Kambli, the current head of the family, is a marketing graduate who inherited his sculpting skills from his ancestors without any formal training. Instead, Santosh learned the art on the job, continuing the family tradition of creating Ganesha idols.

Santosh has previously emphasized the importance of research and careful theme selection for each year’s idol, as the themes and design elements change annually. The various parts of the Ganesha idol are crafted at the Kambli Arts workshop, after which they are transported to the pandal, assembled, and painted. One of the most revered traditions is the drawing of the idol’s eyes, a task entrusted to the head of the Kambli family, signifying the final and most sacred step in the idol’s creation.

As Ganesh Chaturthi approaches, Lalbaugcha Raja remains a symbol of Mumbai’s deep-rooted cultural and religious traditions. With the unveiling of the idol, devotees eagerly await the chance to offer their prayers and seek blessings from the beloved “Navasacha Ganpati.” The legacy of the Kambli family continues to shine through their dedicated craftsmanship, ensuring that Lalbaugcha Raja remains an enduring icon of faith and devotion.

Warning Ignored: Rust and Rain Cause Shivaji Statue Collapse in Maharashtra

August 27, 2024, 2:19 pm

Just days before the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at Rajkot Fort in Malvan, Sindhudurg, a local assistant engineer from the state public works department (SPWD) had sent a letter warning about the statue’s deteriorating condition. The letter, addressed to the Coastal Security Officer of the area, highlighted concerns about the statue’s fragile state due to rusted nuts and bolts that held it together.

The letter explained, “On Navy Day, December 4, 2023, a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was installed at Rajkot Fort in Malvan. The sculptor, Jaydeep Apte, had repaired the statue in June. However, the structure is now in poor condition due to rusting of the nuts and bolts caused by rain and salty sea winds.” This warning was issued on August 20.

The statue, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had drawn complaints from tourists, locals, and public representatives who were unhappy with its deteriorating state.

The letter urged immediate action, stating, “Therefore, we request you to instruct the sculptor to implement permanent solutions to resolve this issue.”

Maharashtra: Teacher Arrested For Molesting And Showing Obscene Videos To Students

August 21, 2024, 11:52 am

In a disturbing incident, a school teacher in Maharashtra’s Akola district has been arrested for allegedly molesting six girl students and showing them inappropriate videos.

The accused, Pramod Manohar Sardar, who taught at the Zilla Parishad School in Kazikhed village, was taken into custody on Tuesday evening. Superintendent of Police (SP) Bachchan Singh confirmed the arrest and the charges against Sardar.

“A complaint was filed regarding the Molesting of six schoolgirls by their teacher,” said SP Singh. “The accused, Pramod Manohar Sardar, was immediately arrested. We have recorded statements from the victims and a case has been registered against Sardar under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.”

This incident comes on the heels of another shocking case in Thane, where two four-year-old girls were allegedly sexually assaulted by a cleaning staff at their school. That incident sparked massive protests, with residents blocking the Mumbai rail route at Badlapur railway station, disrupting train services on Tuesday.

The arrest of Sardar in Akola has caused outrage in the community, raising concerns about child safety in educational institutions. The investigation into this case is ongoing.

Who Is Lalita Kayi? Key Details About The American Woman Found Chained In Indian Forest

July 30, 2024, 12:09 pm

A 50-year-old American woman, identified as Lalita Kayi Kumar, was discovered tied to a tree in a remote forest in Vasturli, Sindhudurg district, Maharashtra, on Saturday. Authorities were alerted after a shepherd heard her cries for help.

Upon her rescue, officials found several documents on Kumar, including a photocopy of her US passport and an Aadhaar card with a Tamil Nadu address. Preliminary investigations reveal that Kumar has been living in India for the past decade.

Kumar, who was severely weakened and malnourished, was first taken to a hospital in Sawantwadi before being transferred to Goa Medical College for advanced care. Doctors have reported that she is out of immediate danger but is suffering from psychiatric issues.

Police suspect that Kumar’s husband, who is from Tamil Nadu, may be involved in her distress. Her Aadhaar card and expired visa suggest a complex background. Authorities are working to verify her documents and are in contact with the Foreigners Regional Registration office to determine her current status.

The case is under investigation as police work to trace American woman relatives and uncover more details about the circumstances leading to her ordeal.

Maharashtra Congress Chief Nana Patole Condemns Govt Over Rs 94,000 Cr Budget

July 11, 2024, 12:14 pm

Nana Patole, the Maharashtra Congress Chief, has sharply criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government for passing supplementary demands worth Rs 94,000 crore in the state assembly without discussions, alleging it as an assault on democracy.

The criticism came after the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led government tabled a budget exceeding Rs 6 lakh crore, alongside the supplementary demands, amidst opposition uproar and slogans in the assembly. Patole accused the government of prioritizing debt waivers for industrialists over essential welfare schemes for women.

“Maharashtra govt murdering democracy in House”: Nana Patole over passage of supplementary demands worth Rs 94,000 cr

Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/rOxD5ivq21 #Maharashtra #NanaPatole #SupplementaryDemands #EknathShinde pic.twitter.com/R0JLDcmCuZ

— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) July 11, 2024

“The government is murdering democracy in the House by passing Rs 94,000 crore in supplementary demands without debate. They prioritize debt waivers for industrialists over our sisters’ welfare,” Nana Patole stated during a media address in Mumbai.

Patole further accused the government of arbitrary actions and pledged to raise these concerns in the assembly.

Regarding the Mumbai hit-and-run case involving accused Mihir Shah, son of Shiv Sena leader Rajesh Shah, Patole alleged that the state government is siding with the accused rather than supporting the victim.

“The government is not standing with the victim but is trying to save the accused. They received a call from Delhi to protect Mihir Shah,” Patole claimed.

Mihir Shah was apprehended on Tuesday after being on the run since the incident on July 7, which resulted in the tragic death of 45-year-old Kaveri Nakhwa. Mumbai police formed multiple teams to apprehend him, and he has been remanded to police custody until July 16 by a Mumbai court.

In response to the incident, Rajesh Shah was removed from his position as Deputy Leader of Shiv Sena, following directives from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The developments have sparked political controversy in Maharashtra, with Patole’s allegations adding to the ongoing scrutiny of the state government’s handling of legislative processes and criminal cases.

Gravolite Partnered with Maharashtra State Wrestling Championship 2023

November 28, 2023, 7:15 pm

Gravolite, one of the leading sports mat manufacturers in India, became the official supplier of wrestling rolling mats for the Maharashtra State Wrestling Championship which was held in Pune from November 7^thto 10^th this year. These rolling mats are one of a kind and domestically produced wrestling mats and Gravolite is the only Indian manufacturer producing rolling mats.

Gravolite wrestling rolling mats were used throughout the tournament, considering the infrastructural requirements recommended by the Federation as per international standards and keeping in mind the safety and well-being of the athletes.

The 66th Senior State Championship and Maharashtra Kesari Wrestling Tournament were organized in collaboration with Pradipdada Kand, Pune District Kustigir Sangh, Indian Wrestling Federation, and Maharashtra State Wrestling Federation.

Vaibhav Somani, Director of Gravolite, said, “It is always an honour to associate with recognised sports bodies and as the official supplier of wrestling rolling mats for Maharashtra State Wrestling Championship 2023, we were able to supply our technologically advanced mats for the benefit of the sportspersons. It has been our constant endeavour as an organisation to manufacture high-quality mats that offer undisputedsports infrastructure experience and also safeguard the health and well-being of the players. With Gravolite rolling mats, the athletes get the desired cushion base and floor padding which helps them to maneuver moves without having to sustain injury. When sportspeople practice and perform on international standard mats, they are able to compete easily in international games too. “

Maharashtra govt revokes suspension of ex-top cop Param Bir, drops charges

May 13, 2023, 4:25 am

The Maharashtra government has dropped all charges against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh brought during a departmental enquiry, and also revoked his suspension order issued in December 2021, an official said on Friday.
However, the CBI will continue to investigate five cases filed by it against Singh, he said.
The retired IPS officer is facing multiple cases of extortion, corruption and misconduct.
The order revoking the suspension of Singh and withdrawing all charges against him related to the departmental enquiry initiated in 2021 were issued by the state home department on Wednesday, he said.
According to the order, the period of the former IPS officer’s suspension should be treated as he was on duty. At least four cases of extortion were registered against.

Singh in Mumbai and adjoining Thane. During his long police career, he served as commissioner of Mumbai and also Thane.
Singh was transferred from the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner in March 2021 after the arrest of Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Waze by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the seizure of an explosives-laden SUV from near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence ‘Antilia’ in South Mumbai in February that year.
The 1988-batch IPS officer had written an explosive letter to then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, alleging home minister Anil Deshmukh of the NCP had asked police officers to collect Rs 100 crore a month from hotels in Mumbai. Deshmukh has denied the charge.
The then-Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government placed Singh under suspension and put his salary on hold.
The government had initiated a departmental enquiry against the senior police officer and eight serious charges were applied against him during the proceedings, the order mentioned.
Singh had submitted his statement of defence in December 2021 through an email and denied all charges levelled against him during the enquiry. He had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking quashing of enquiry initiated against him by the Maharashtra government, but the plea was rejected.
He had later moved the Supreme Court which had noted certain observations regarding the departmental enquiry and the suspension of Singh, the home department order stated.

SC says Governor erred, but court can’t restore Uddhav government.

May 12, 2023, 2:32 am

The Supreme Court on Thursday said that it cannot disqualify the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government and rejected the submission to reinstate Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister because the latter had chosen to resign instead of facing a test of strength in the assembly.
A five-member Constitution bench led by the Chief Justice of India, which had been hearing a batch of petitions filed by both the groups of the Shiv Sena from February this year, on Thursday ruled that the exercise of discretion by the then Maharashtra Governor B.S. Koshyari to conduct a Floor Test was not in accordance with the Constitution of India. The bench also said that the Speaker’s decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale a whip of the Eknath Shinde group was wrong.
The whip has to be appointed by a political party, the court observed.
The Supreme Court referred its 2016 judgment in the Nabam Rebia case to SC says Governor erred, but court can’t restore Uddhav govt a larger bench for judgment in the case of the defection of 16 MLAs in June 2022 from the then Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. The Thackeray faction had sought disqualification of the MLAs under the anti-defection law of the country.
The apex court said that the Speaker must decide on disqualification petitions within a reasonable time. The top court said there were no communications relied on by the Governor indicating that the dissatisfied MLAs wanted to withdraw support to the government. The Governor erred in relying on the resolution of a faction of MLAs of Shiv Sena to conclude that Uddhav Thackeray had lost the support of the majority of MLAs. It stated that the status quo cannot be restored as Uddhav Thackeray did not face the Floor Test and tendered his resignation. Hence, the Governor was justified in administering the oath to Eknath Shinde with the support of the largest party BJP. The Supreme Court said that a Floor Test cannot be used as a medium to settle inter and intra-party disputes.
The Nabam Rebia judgment had held that Speakers cannot issue disqualification notices when a notice seeking their removal is pending. The Supreme Court also said the Speaker if he finds that the motion for his removal is not as per procedure, then he could proceed with the petitions seeking disqualification of the MLAs. The apex court held that the Speaker’s decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale (Eknath Shinde) as the whip of the Shiv Sena party was illegal. The top court said that the Speaker should recognize only the whip appointed by the political party. The judgment was delivered by a five-judge bench of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices M.R. Shah, Justice Krishna Murari, Justice Hima Kohli, and P.S. Narasimha. The five-judge bench delivered the judgment on a batch of cross-petitions filed by Uddhav Thackeray and chief minister M Eknath Shinde factions on the Maharashtra political crisis. The then governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari’s decision to invite Shinde to form the government along with the Bharatiya Janata Party after Thackeray chose to resign.
The court had earlier reserved the order after all the parties concluded their arguments. After the verdict, Uddhav Thackeray said that people who had left his party had no right to ask him questions, and if Eknath Shinde has any morality he should submit his resignation.