The city of Mathura holds a profound spiritual aura, with its deep-rooted devotion to Radha-Krishna and the countless temples that dot its landscape. Vrindavan, nestled within Mathura, further amplifies this spiritual essence with its numerous temples and the constant influx of devotees seeking blessings. Vrindavan, spread across a 20 km stretch having around 5,884 temples, with 30 to 40 big temples including the ISKON temple and Premnagar temple, see maximum tourist visits in the region. mid-day visited the bylanes, interacting with locals, shopkeepers, auto-rickshaw drivers and tourists to know what issues they face. Devotees queue up to visit a temple, one of several in the city, where thousands visit daily Several locals highlighted two major issues including the cleanliness of the Yamuna River as it is heavily polluted by industrial waste and untreated sewage discharge. The second issue is the development of the Banke Bihari Temple Corridor, along the lines of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, which will offer devotees three convenient routes to reach the Krishna temple. Rohit Rajput, a hotel manager who moved from Agra to Vrindavan for work, said, “More than 60 per cent of the people staying in Vrindavan are from Madhya Pradesh, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and other parts. Devotion to the lord brings them here and they usually find work locally and continue to stay. Many have been staying here for decades. Even foreigners come to stay here.” Amit Bajpai and Ashish Bajpai who had come for darshan from Kanpur According to Rajput, there is a lack of planning and crowd management by the local administration and police who have put up barricades around 3 km before temples areas. “If barricades are being installed 3 km ahead, proper arrangements need to be made so that people can reach the temple without hassles. There should be government-run e-rickshaws plying. This will bring in revenue and also prevent people from being cheated by local e-rickshaw drivers who charge exorbitant amounts. There should also be fines imposed on rule violators. Also, there has to be public transport like Metro rail or other options to reach the temples,” he said. Pushkar Upadyay, an e-rickshaw driver who is also from another state and came to Vrindavan over his devotion, said, “Vrindavan has seen many changes and developments after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took charge. He used up a lot of funds in developing and beautifying the region.” Regarding actor Hema Malini being given a ticket to contest, Upadyay said, “A ticket should be only given to a local who has an idea about the city and is known to people in the city and villages. Giving celebrities a ticket is just to gain traction. Are they really on the ground, meeting people to know their problems or just campaigning during elections? Also, at times it is a major task to meet a celebrity and so, often locals can’t take up issues with them. The government must develop skills of the people and increase the number of jobs available. Also, the corridor issue has to be resolved to ease the movement of people.” Pushkar Upadyay, an-e-rickshaw driver who visited Vrindavan and decided to stay there with his family Mansi Arora from Haryana moved to Vrindavan five years ago. She says there are thousands who visit daily, and the crowd swells to lakhs of people during festivals. “There should be a queue system at temples here as many times senior citizens and kids get stuck in the crowd. Also, the authorities need to regularly clean the Yamuna River. This will enable local use the water and people would also be able to perform rituals,” she said. Yogita Boche from Maharashtra’s Akola runs a snack and lunch centre in Vrindavan, close to Hema Malini’s house. “Malini-madam has been seen here since Holi and is campaigning regularly. Usually, she visits the area once or twice a week. Many people feel that she is working for betterment,” said Boche. According to Boche, cleanliness is a major issue in Mathura. “Several areas are littered with garbage. The authorities should conduct more cleanliness drives. Visitors should be careful to not litter… to maintain the hygiene and take in the spiritually,” she added. Meanwhile, Advocate Ashish Kumar Bajpai, 42, a visitor from Kanpur, told mid-day that local transport is a major issue. “The complete Parikrama Puri in Vrindavan is almost 21 km long. We have come 2-3 times for darshan in Mathura and always found local transport to be an issue. The e-rickshaw drivers charge too much. There is also a lack of proper toilets and refreshment centres. Metro rail connectivity is essential and due to the daily footfall, It will also be a good revenue generator,” Ashish said. Amit Bajpai, a teacher accompanying Ashish, said he had been coming to Mathura for darshan for decades. “There is an increase in the number of devotees and tourism and many things should have changed accordingly. In the last few years, a major problem is that the Rs 10 coin isn’t accepted here. It is accepted all over India but no one accepts it here. Is it banned in Mathura or is there some other reason?” 5,884Approx no of temples in Vrindavan
24 April,2024 07:15 AM IST | Mathura | Faisal TandelThe city’s South Central seat has been the turf of undivided Shiv Sena since the 90s when it sent the late Mohan Rawale to Parliament, holding the seat for five terms until Indian National Congress (INC) leader Eknath Gaikwad took over in 2009. However, the seat returned to Sena in 2014 when first-time Lok Sabha candidate Rahul Shewale won; he has held it for the past decade. In 2019, Shewale garnered 4,23,743 votes in Mumbai’s South Central constituency, defeating Gaikwad, who stood second with 2,72,774 votes. With areas like Anushakti Nagar, Chembur, Dharavi, Sion Koliwada, Wadala, and Mahim, Shewale describes this seat as the birthplace of Sena. However, this time around, the battle is not between Sena and the INC; it is the battle of Sena vs. Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) after the split in the party in 2022. An interview with Shewale: Do you believe you can still win over the masses without the Thackeray family and with the ‘traitor’ tag?I am Balasaheb Thackeray's follower, and people will vote for that. In a previous election, it was the voters’ attachment to Balasaheb’s name that secured my seat in Parliament. The people in my constituency have a strong affinity for Shiv Sena and Balasaheb, given the party’s deep roots here. Additionally, the Modi wave contributed to my victory last time. I am also a follower of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s ideology.It is also worth remembering that the Shiv Sena name and the party symbol are behind me. I am also backed by the party that made Ram Mandir possible and scrapped Article 370. Regarding being labelled a traitor, I was elected to Parliament through the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, not with the Congress. The actions taken by some MLAs do not reflect our approach. My constituents are aware of this. We engaged in a month-long discussion with Uddhav Saheb and tried to convince him to strike another alliance with the BJP. Candidates have yet to be declared in some Shiv Sena strongholds such as Thane. Do you think this will harm the party’s prospects in this election?The elections are scheduled for May 20, and as of now, there has been no notification. Typically, we announce all the candidates a few days before the notification, so the list will be released soon. This won’t give the Opposition any advantage because some of these candidates are already campaigning in their constituencies, even though we haven’t officially announced them. How do you view Anil Desai, your primary opponent from the Thackeray Sena?He is a gentleman, and I have respect for him. We are friends. However, he has spent most of his political career sitting at Shiv Sena Bhavan and not on the field. Uddhav Sahab’s move to put him as the Lok Sabha candidate from South Central is meant to destroy his political career. Do you see any signs of anti-incumbency in your constituency?My performance over the past 10 years speaks volumes. I’ve addressed numerous infrastructure-related issues, improved public transport, and enhanced amenities through collaboration with the state government and municipal corporation. The main issue here revolves around redevelopment. Numerous projects have been stalled due to developer-related issues or other reasons. Over the past five years, I’ve ensured progress on several fronts. Dharavi redevelopment, BDD chawl redevelopment and the improvement of refugee colonies in Sion Koliwada and Chembur are among them. Given the prevalence of slums, SRA projects are of utmost importance. My goal is to complete all significant redevelopment initiatives in the next term. How do you address the concerns raised by residents of Dharavi?People want development in Dharavi. There are two different populations there, one which fits the eligibility criteria as they were able to furnish documents and the other are those who are not as they do not have documents. The project will be providing housing even to the ineligible population only that they will be shifted elsewhere and not in the same area. Uddhav Thackeray’s Dharavi model for dealing with COVID-19 garnered significant praise. How do you reflect on that period?The management of COVID-19 in Dharavi was a success because of me, and I was sidelined by the Thackeray family. Not once was I credited for any work done, and instead, Uddhav-ji praised ward officers like Kiran Dighavkar. This was one of the main reasons for leaving. I was the one who provided vaccine access to people there, brought in health education programmes, arranged for ration kits, and facilitated the journey of migrant labourers in Dharavi back to their homes. All this as the leadership was not venturing out. My anger towards Uddhav-ji is more because of this: no credit or not a single word of appreciation for all the efforts I took. All the credits were only taken by him and Aaditya Thackeray.
24 April,2024 07:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Eshan KalyanikarIn a fiery address at a rally in Parbhani Constituency, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray launched scathing criticism against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over recent developments concerning the Election Commission’s directive of omitting the word ‘Bhawani’ from their campaign song. Amidst a downpour, Thackeray remained undeterred, delivering a speech that highlighted his resolve and determination. Without directly naming the Prime Minister, Thackeray addressed the crowd, highlighting what he perceives as the detrimental impact of the Modi-led government’s policies, particularly on Maharashtra’s industrial landscape. “I am not afraid of challenges. I overcame all of them. So, why are you afraid of this rain?” he told those who had congregated at the rally venue. He then started his speech. Throughout his speech, Thackeray criticized the prime minister without mentioning his name once. He said, “Now, the third series of jumla is on its way. In the first two series, we thought that the country would be developed. But, they destroyed the country, especially Maharashtra. Stop this series now. No one is going to get three meals a day by watching this series. Maharashtra’s industries are being snatched away.” Furthermore, he criticised the PM over EC’s order, asking why there was a grudge against Bhavani. Rally for Sanjay Patil Sanjay Patil is a two-time MP of Parbhani. Thackeray came to Parbhani for Sanjay Patil’s campaign. Thackeray also attacked BJP leader Sudhir Mangutiwar over his statement about women. He said, “In Maharashtra, we respect women. But this man insulted a woman. He insulted brother-sister relations in the prime minister’s rally. Modi, you should speak on this. He insulted women even before; he used bad words for Supriya Sule over the camera.”
24 April,2024 07:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Sameer SurveChief Minister Eknath Shinde responded to Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray’s below-the-belt comment on Tuesday. Addressing a rally in Pathri, Parbhani, Shinde said, “The UBT Chiranjeevi insulted me yesterday. But, I will not answer him. People will answer them by voting. This is not the culture of Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, but the language of Congress.” While talking with the media at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad), Aaditya said, “I have never seen such a shameless and despicable person like him (Shinde). He stabbed the back of the person who gave him everything. He cheated Maharashtra and ran to Gujarat. Now all industries are going to Gujarat while farmers in the state are committing suicide” In the Pathri rally organised for Rashtriya Samaj Paksha candidate Mahadev Jankar, Shinde further stated, “This is not an insult to me. It is an insult to Shiv Sainiks who believe in Balasaheb Thackeray. This is an insult to the farmer… they can't see that a farmer's son became the chief minister. This is an insult to the common man. He (Aaditya) was born with a golden spoon. This is not Balasaheb’s culture, but that of the Congress and with the language of Mani Shankar Aiyar. They have become crazy since they left the state government. I will not say anything about it. Now the people will speak through the ballot box.” The CM further slammed the Congress and UBT saying that they only look for “cuts, commission and collection”. “For them, corruption comes first, but for us, it’s nation first. Before 2014, India was witnessing bomb blasts and riots, but after that, there haven’t been any. Every community suffered due to these issues. The government can't sit at home and run Facebook live campaigns. We are ground-level workers,” Shinde said. Taking a dig at UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, Shinde said, “He is dreaming of becoming the prime minister but it is not easy… one needs to work day and night… one can’t run the government online while sitting at home.” According to Shinde, development work in Parbhani was started but was opposed by the local MP. “Will you vote for the person who opposes development? Parbhani MP Sanjay Jadhav of UBT is contesting the election now. Meanwhile, we are working on the Jalna Nanded Expressway and have planned the Shaktipeeth Expressway. We are also planning an Industrial colony in the surrounding area,” Shinde assured voters. 2014Year Modi came to power
24 April,2024 07:08 AM IST | Parbhani | Sameer SurveA 12-year-old lost her life, while two others suffered minor injuries when a balcony of a slum dwelling collapsed at Malvani on Thursday night. It is being alleged that the resident of the upper storey dwelling kicked the balcony in a fit of rage resulting in the crash on those sitting below. The deceased has been identified as Chandani Roshan Siddiqui. According to the police sources, the incident had occurred on Thursday night in New Collector Compound behind Elia Sarwat School near Eidgah Maidan gate number 6 in Malvani at around 1.15 am on Friday. Chandani was sitting in front of the house with her nephew Aryan and her neighbors when the wall of the first-floor balcony house collapsed on them. Speaking with mid-day Bushra Siddiqui, the elder sister of the deceased, said, “The balcony wall did not fall on its own but was brought down. The person living on the first floor had fought with his wife. In a fit of rage, he first closed the door of the house with immense force and kicked the wall of the balcony. The portion of the balcony broke and fell on Chandani and others sitting below.” Chandani suffered serious injuries while Aryan and a woman suffered minor injuries. With the help of neighbors, Bushra first took Chandani to the government general hospital, Jankalyan Nagar, but the doctor sent her to Shatabdi Hospital. Bushra alleged that Shatabdi Hospital did not take the matter seriously. While serious wounds were visible on Chandani’s body, especially on her hand, the doctors also got a CT scan and two X-rays, in which a fracture was visible, she said. The doctors, while appearing casual, bandaged Chandani’s wounds, gave her a one-time medicine and sent her home saying that the girl was fine, she said. “After bringing Chandani home, I changed her clothes and examined her right leg. The right side of her stomach had blackened. At about 8 am when I tried to wake her up for breakfast, her breathing had stopped. Bushra again rushed Chandani to Shatabdi Hospital, where the doctor told her after an hour that Chandani had passed away. The girl had died three hours after being discharged. “While I told them a million times that Chandani had serious injuries, please admit her. If only she had been treated, she would probably be alive today,” said Bushra. The Malvani cops have recorded Bushra’s statement and registered a case but no arrest has been made yet. Bushra had left her husband and resided with her siblings and 3-year-old son Aryan in a rented house earning her livelihood as a real estate broker. She further told mid-day that the family who were responsible for the death of her sister had allegedly asked her to not report the incident to the police, issued threats and told them they could get away scot free by spending some money. “We have registered a case under section 304(a) of IPC against the house owner. Information given to mid-day was not revealed at the time of recording the statement. If it so, we will record a supplementary statement and act accordingly. The accused has been summoned to the police station,” said an officer from Malvani police station. 12 yrsAge of the victim
24 April,2024 07:05 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThe Maharashtra Mangrove Cell has mandated a fresh survey of tidal plants along the state’s coastal area, amid concerns by environmentalists over the rising threats to the existence of mangroves. The development comes as environmental groups have been raising alarm over the inordinate delay in transferring the mangroves to the forest department for conservation, as per orders of the Bombay Court’s order. The Maharashtra Remote Sensing Application Centre (MRSAC) is currently studying coasts across seven districts of the state, including Sindhdurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Thane, Mumbai, Mumbai Suburban and Palghar. Mangrove cell chief S V Ramarao has told the NGO NatConnect Foundation that “the study will help understand the growth of mangroves and assess their destruction as well”. MRSAC is recognised as one of the best state centres for natural resource monitoring and management, offering innovative, effective and optimal solutions by blending remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) technologies, the centre’s website says. Meanwhile, official records indicate that as much as 2,011.36 hectares of mangrove land is yet to be handed over to the forest department, as per the Bombay High Court order. Palghar district leads the list as it is yet to hand over 1,277.58 hectares of mangrove land, as per the minutes of the latest meeting of the HC-appointed mangrove committee. NatConnect director B N Kumar said the 2,011 hectares is equivalent to the size of about 200 Azad Maidans put together, and conservation of the mangroves is extremely important. “The minutes of the mangrove committee meeting, however, remained silent on the sea forest area pending transfer from CIDCO,” Kumar pointed out. Over 1,200 hectares of mangrove land is still with CIDCO, as per a response from the mangrove cell to NatConnect, following the NGO’s complaint to the prime minister. NatConnect drew the PM’s attention to the fact that sea forests are being ignored despite his ambitious Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats & Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) that envisages comprehensively exploring the possible area for development of mangroves covering approximately 540 sq km, across 11 states and two union territories. The PMO had referred the complaint to the state government which in turn asked the mangrove cell to respond. Nandakumar Pawar, head of NGO Sagar Shakti, expressed his regret over the lacklustre attitude towards mangrove conservation. “Despite the mangrove committee’s repeated directives, local authorities remain inattentive. Shockingly, CIDCO has been allowed to go scot-free despite the city planner holding onto hundreds of hectares of mangrove land,” he said. According to Pawar, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority too holds 70 hectares of mangroves citing future requirement of land for its projects which is “utter nonsense”. “JNPA should immediately hand over the mangrove land to the forest department and seek the Bombay High Court’s permission if at all it needs the area,” he said.
24 April,2024 07:03 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentThe Mumbai Crime Branch Unit-9 has recovered the two pistols used in the Salman Khan firing incident, along with four magazines and 13 live rounds from the Tapi River in Surat, Gujarat. The two pistols recovered by the crime branch are suspected to be foreign-made weapons, possibly of Chinese or Pakistani origin. The crime branch deployed skilled divers from Mumbai who used magnetic equipment to locate the firearms in the Tapi River. The first pistol was recovered on Monday from the same spot. Senior Inspector Daya Nayak, leading Crime Branch Unit-9, accompanied one of the accused, Vicky Gupta, to the Tapi River to pinpoint the location where they disposed of the pistol. Gupta identified the pistol and confirmed its use in the firing incident. The Tapi River in Surat flows through Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. It has a depth ranging from 20 feet to 30 feet during high tide and a variable flow speed of 2-15 kmph, depending on winds. Strong undercurrents in the river made it challenging for divers to retrieve the objects in a stretch spanning approximately 1.2 km. The crime branch launched a search operation to recover the firearms from the river after Gupta revealed during interrogation how they had escaped and discarded the firearms. According to a police officer, the brother of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol who claimed responsibility for the attack, had instructed the shooters to fire at least 10 rounds at Khan’s residence. Anmol had also planned their escape. An officer stated that the Bishnoi gang, with over 700 operatives across five Indian states, is known for its distinctive firing patterns. The gang operates primarily from Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab, with international networks extending to countries such as Italy, Armenia, Canada, Dubai, the Philippines, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey. The duo, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal used the same firing pattern the gang is known for, including in the assassination of Punjab singer Sidhu Moose Wala and others. April 14Day firing incident took place
24 April,2024 07:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaThe male leopard, which was first sighted at the remains of the Indo-Portuguese fort in Vasai on March 29, which triggered panic among residents, has been caught. Joint efforts of the Maharashtra forest department, wildlife NGOs, and researchers helped nab the big cat in the wee hours of Tuesday. The officials had installed multiple trap cameras to monitor the movement of the leopard, which initially survived on the stray dogs but, later, it is believed that the big cat was surviving on rodents that are found in abundance at the fort. The big cat being carried into the truck after being captured. Pics/Hanif Patel Local residents and social activists claimed that over a dozen stray dogs had gone missing in the area after the leopard was sighted, but sources in the forest department told mid-day that no carcasses of any animal were found in the fort area. Of late, the leopard was mostly seen near the creek side of the fort and the wildlife researchers believe that it might be eating crabs, fish, and other aquatic animals found near the thick mangrove forest. The Range Forest Officer, Mandvi Shweta Ade, and Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF), Dahanu Madhumita S. remained unavailable for comment over the development. Camera trap image of the leopard Sources told mid-day, “The authorities concerned had installed two cages at different locations in the Vasai fort area to trap the wild cat. We had to realign the cages that they had installed and this helped us catch the leopard on the 25th day.” After the wild cat was captured at around 3 pm, it was taken to the range forest office (RFO) in Mandvi, Virar East, where its medical tests were conducted. Thousands of local fishing communities had been facing difficulties after the first leopard sighting near Vasai fort, as the authorities concerned had barricaded all the exits to restrict public movement for 12 hours after 7 pm. The recently launched RoRo boat services, connecting Vasai and Bhayandar via sea were also impacted as the Vasai fort road leading to Vasai jetty was barricaded in the evening. Yogesh Mokal, Director of Suvarndurg Shipping and Marine Services Private Limited said, “The barricades were installed at the entry and exit gates of Vasai fort road, so the passengers were unable to come. Joint efforts of the Maharashtra Forest Department, wildlife NGOs, and researchers helped nab the big cat. Pics/Hanif patel Our business was hampered by 50 per cent. Now, since the leopard has been captured, we have requested the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) to allow us to ferry RoRo boats. In the last 25 days, the last boat from Vasai jetty was 3.45 pm, but now the passengers can travel beyond this limited time.” A social worker Kuldeep Vartak said, “The local residents are very happy that the leopard has been caught as the area was barricaded and the fishermen had been incurring losses in their business.” “We are thankful to the forest officials, wildlife NGOs, and researchers, especially the wildlife warden group that had come from Dahanu as they worked hard to trap the leopard,” said Vartak, who was one among the social workers who remained present throughout 25 nights when the rescue operations were at its peak. Additionally, sources have said a leopard has been spotted in the Uttan area in Bhayandar.
24 April,2024 06:58 AM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar SharmaThe remote and underdeveloped area of Bhuj in Gujarat bordering Pakistan has become a convenient hideout for the shooters of a jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, whose henchmen fired at Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra earlier this month. The shooters of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala were also nabbed in Bhuj city in the westernmost district in the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. Sources have told mid-day that the henchmen of the gangster get arms and ammunition from the neighbouring country through drones. “Drug traffickers as well as human trafficking gangs are active in Bhuj city,” said a source. Salman at his farmhouse. File pic After firing indiscriminately at Galaxy Apartment in Bandra, Bishnoi’s motorcycle-borne shooters, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, abandoned their bike and reached the westernmost district in the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, where they had been waiting for the next instruction from jailed gangster Lawrence’s brother, Anmol Bishnoi, to cross the border illegally. According to sources, the Crime Branch is probing whether Anmol was in touch with local human traffickers who could have facilitated Gupta and Pal to illegally cross the border to reach a haven in Pakistan. The cops along with divers looking for the gun in Tapi River After firing five bullets in the wee hours in Bandra on April 14, the shooters, Sagar and Vicky, reached Gandhidham on April 15 afternoon, and later they headed to Nakhatrana, said a source from Kutchh police, who added, “The duo had street food in Nakhatrana, purchased some clothes, and reached Bhuj on the night of April 15.” A senior officer in Mumbai Police told mid-day, “After the firing incident, the shooter duo had been instructed to reach Bhuj by road and wait for the next instruction from Anmol. We are probing if Anmol had any plans to send them off to Pakistan illegally and was in touch with any human trafficking network.” The bike abandoned by the accused “Both these accused told us during interrogation that they were just following the instructions and did not know where they had to head next after reaching Bhuj. So, it will be cleared only when we arrest Anmol,” said the officer, requesting anonymity. Both the shooters were armed with two deadly foreign-made weapons and extra magazines. Anmol had instructed both of them to stop their motorcycle and empty all the cartridges from both the deadly weapons, “But Gupta became nervous after reaching Galaxy Apartment and did not stop the motorcycle to fire bullets,” said a source from the Crime Branch of Mumbai Police. Mumbai police and other security agencies at Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra on April 14 “Gupta’s pillion rider, Pal, fired five rounds while the motorcycle was in motion. One of his live bullets accidentally fell to the ground,” said the source. In a 2021 murder case, Pune police arrested Santosh Jadhav, a member of the Bishnoi gang. His involvement later surfaced in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala in May 2022. Jadhav was captured with another suspect, Navnath Suryavanshi, from Bhuj by Pune police in June 2022. The Pune police connected Jadhav and Suryavanshi after nabbing Siddhesh Kamble, also known as Mahakal, who was accused of hiding Jadhav, wanted for a murder case in Pune district’s Manchar police station. A retired IPS officer from Maharashtra police, speaking anonymously, stated that Bhuj is a haven for Bishnoi gang members, providing them with shelter and support from a local associate of the jailed gangster. Both the accused were produced at Esplanade court. Pic/PTI “First, we arrested Mahakal, and his interrogation led to the arrests of Jadhav and Suryavanshi. Suryavanshi, a native of Satara, has his father settled in Gujarat. The Bishnoi gang maintains a safe hideout in Bhuj city, where the mobile network is unreliable, and law enforcement agencies face difficulties in tracing an accused,” said the IPS officer. Mahakal’s involvement, in this case, is significant because, following his arrest by the Pune police, a team from their Mumbai counterparts interrogated him regarding a threat letter given to Bollywood scriptwriter Salim Khan, Salman Khan’s father. Sources in the Mumbai police confirmed that Mahakal was aware of the threat letter given to Khan in the Bandra Bandstand promenade. Despite increased security in and around Galaxy Apartment in Bandra after the threat letter in June 2022, a recent shooting incident by henchmen of Bishnoi exposed the Mumbai police’s failed attempts to apprehend the novice shooters, who managed to escape easily. The shooters of Lawrence are dispersed across India, said a source in Punjab police, and added, “More than 600-700 shooters are fanned in different cities across the country.” The city police and the Crime Branch of Mumbai police have intensified their search operations to arrest Anmol Bishnoi. April 15Day accused reached Bhuj
24 April,2024 06:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish Vaktania | Diwakar SharmaThe Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation informed the Bombay High Court that a special compensation of Rs 10 lakh would be provided to the parents of two children who tragically drowned in an open water tank at Maharshi Karve Garden in Wadala. The parents, speaking to mid-day, expressed their intention to relocate to Baroda, Gujarat, once they receive the compensation, as they do not have a permanent residence in the city. We are relieved that the BMC will pay us the amount. We, as a family, have decided that we will first complete all the rituals. I have three more kids and we will go to Baroda for their better future as we have no permanent house in the city and we have been struggling to stay here,” said Manoj Vangri, the victim’s father. Children’s mother, Sonu. Pic/Shadab Khan “There is a special consideration and the BMC will pay Rs 10 lakh to the parents of the victims,” said Assistant Municipal Commissioner Chakrapani Alle. On March 18, the two brothers, aged four and five, were found dead in the water tank at Maharshi Karv Park in Wadala. The RAK Marg police had filed an accidental death report regarding the incident. According to authorities, the family resides on a footpath outside St Joseph’s High School. The situation came to light when the parents approached the Matunga police to report their missing sons, Arjun Vangri, 4, and Ankush Vangri, 5. During the court proceedings, the parents disclosed that they do not possess a bank account, prompting the court to instruct them to open one within the next 48 hours. After Ankush Vangri and Manoj Vangri’s bodies were found on March 18, the Bombay High Court took suo-moto cognisance of the matter and slammed the BMC for failing to cover the water tank. While the matter is in the High Court the BMC had raised down the illegal hutments on April 13, the BMC had also raised down the children’s homes along with other hutments on the bridge. The Matunga police registered an FIR and arrested the supervisor. “We registered an FIR and arrested the supervisor in this matter. We are investigating this matter,” said Matunga Senior PI Deepak Chavan.
24 April,2024 06:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheMNS chief Raj Thackeray’s bid to get even with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde may upset the odds of Shiv Sena in Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency. After Thackeray announced his support to Mahayuti, the coalition led by BJP, his party has thrown the proverbial spanner in the works, by expressing staunch opposition to the shortlisted candidates of Sena (Shinde). MNS has objected strongly to fielding Sanjay Nirupam, who recently quit the Congress or Ravindra Waikar, the candidates considered by Sena for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat. MNS support for the Shiv Sena may appear crucial in Mumbai North West as 37.2 per cent of its voters are Marathi speakers. Recently, during the Gudi Padwa rally, Thackeray had announced unconditional support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. At the rally, the MNS chief revealed that for nearly a year, Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were pursuing him to join hands with them. In fact, the Sena-BJP offered MNS one or two Lok Sabha seats. But, it is reliably learnt that Shinde’s offer came with a string attached—the candidate from MNS would have to contest the Mumbai South seat on the Sena’s bow and arrow symbol. This did not go well with Thackeray, who refused to take the offer. Raj Thackeray said that the dy CM had been pursuing him to ally with the Mahayuti. File Pic/Sameer Markande MNS leader Shalini Thackeray on Tuesday through a social media post warned the Mahayuti against fielding Waikar or Nirupam as their candidate from Mumbai North West. Speaking to the media, she said, “The MNS party workers and supporters will not work for these two (Waikar and Nirupam) candidates.” Shalini Thackeray, speaking to mid-day said, “The Shinde camp does not have enough candidates and is dependent on leaders from other parties to join them. Ideally, the Shinde faction should have agreed to the MNS fielding a candidate without any conditions rather than asking to fight the election on the Shiv Sena symbol, a proposal which will never be acceptable to party chief Raj Saheb or any other MNS leader, worker and supporter.” The MNS is objecting to Nirupam’s candidature on grounds that he is anti-Marathi, while it is opposed to Waikar being fielded as the politician is being subjected to a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for allegedly construction a luxury hotel on a Bombay Municipal Corporation plot reserved for sports and entertainment. In March, Waikar deserted Uddhav Thackeray’s camp and joined the Shiv Sena led by Shinde. While Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has announced Amol Kirtikar’s candidature for the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat, the Mahayuti is yet to finalise its candidate. Gajanan Kirtikar is the sitting MP from this seat. In 2019, Kirtikar Senior was elected on a Shiv Sena (undivided) ticket, but he shifted loyalties to Shinde. According to sources in the Shinde camp, the chief minister is not considering repeating Gajanan Kirtikar and instead contemplating Waikar and a few Marathi actors.
24 April,2024 06:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Sanjeev ShivadekarADVERTISEMENT
