A Mumbai sessions court on Tuesday issued summons to Prithvi Shaw on a plea filed by social media influencer Sapna Gill, challenging orders of a magistrate in connection with her complaint against the cricketer. A metropolitan court in Andheri earlier this month ordered a police enquiry on Gill's plea seeking an FIR against Shaw for allegedly molesting her at a pub. It had, however, rejected another plea of Gill seeking action against police for failing to register a case on her complaint against Shaw and his friend. Aggrieved with both the orders, the social media influencer filed a review application before a sessions court in Malad here. The order passed by the metropolitan magistrate on April 3 is irregular and illegal and that court has "gravely erred" in passing it, claimed Gill's review application, filed through advocate Ali Kaashif Khan. On Tuesday, additional sessions judge D G Dhoble issued summons to Shaw. The court also issued summons to the airport police here, who did not register a case when Gill had first approached them. The matter will be next heard on June 6. Gill was arrested in February 2023 along with some others in connection with an attack on Shaw following an argument over clicking selfies at a suburban hotel.She is currently out on bail. After being granted bail in the case, Gill had approached the airport police station in Andheri with a complaint of molestation against Shaw, his friend Ashish Yadav and others. She later moved the magistrate court after the police did not register a case against the cricketer. In her complaint, Gill had sought registration of an FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 354 (molestation), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) against Shaw and his friend Ashish Yadav for allegedly assaulting her with a bat. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
30 April,2024 04:13 PM IST | Mumbai | PTIOn Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi renewed his criticism of NCP leader Sharad Pawar, accusing him of failing to do enough for farmers while serving as Union Agriculture Minister. Modi addressed a gathering in Malshiras, Solapur district, mentioning the challenges farmers experienced with sugarcane arrears during Pawar's tenure, the PTI report stated. According to the news agency report, Modi accused Pawar of being responsible for Maharashtra's political instability, claiming that the state suffered as a result of the former minister's ambitions, which resulted in incomplete terms for multiple chief ministers. "When a big Maharashtra leader was Union agriculture minister, farmers used to make rounds of sugarcane commission for their arrears," Modi said at a rally amid Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Malshiras of Solapur district. In a rally on Monday, hitting out at Sharad Pawar without naming him, PM Modi had said, "There is a 'bhatakti atma' (wandering soul) in Maharashtra. If it does not manage success it spoils others' good work. Maharashtra has been a victim of it. This game was started by the same leader 45 years ago. It was just for his own ambition that Maharashtra has always been an unstable state. As a result, several chief ministers could not complete their full term." Reportedly, PM Modi encouraged voters not to spend their votes on parties such as the Congress and other opposition groupings that do not contest the required number of seats for a majority in the Lok Sabha. The news agency report further stated that Modi emphasised the need of a strong government by comparing his administration's successes to the Congress's 60-year rule, highlighting his government's performance in pulling 25 crore people out of poverty and delivering free rations to 80 crore people. PM Modi told voters, "Why waste your vote by giving it to those who are not contesting even the minimum number of seats needed for a simple majority in Lok Sabha." The Prime Minister, per PTI report, asserted, "When there is a strong government in the country, its focus is on the present as well as the future."
30 April,2024 01:03 PM IST | Malshiras | mid-day online correspondentThe Mumbai police have filed a case against the Maharashtra Youth Congress' social media handle and 16 people for allegedly disseminating a deepfake video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, officials said on Tuesday. The bogus video alleged to show BJP leader Amit Shah announcing the decrease of quota privileges for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), reported PTI. On Monday, Mumbai BJP functionary Pratik Karpe filed a complaint with the Bandra Kurla Complex cyber police station in Amit Shah deepfake video case. According to Karpe's complaint, the Amit Shah deepfake video was developed and widely distributed online with the malicious goal to slander Shah. The video shows Shah fraudulently proclaiming the suspension of quota rights for SCs, STs, and OBCs, the PTI report further stated. According to the report, the original film, however, contained different content, including Shah's remark of abolishing unconstitutional Muslim reservations and providing similar rights to SCs, STs, and OBCs in Telangana. Karpe claimed that the accused individuals made a deepfake video of Shah's speech and disseminated it on numerous social media platforms, the PTI report stated. The complaint demanded the police to remove the deepfake video immediately and take legal action against individuals who spread it for allegedly inciting dissension, anger, and hatred among various castes, the news agency report stated. Following the complaint against Amit Shah deepfake video case, a case has been filed at the BKC cyber police station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act against the Maharashtra Youth Congress' social media handle, as well as 16 others who allegedly shared the deepfake video on various platforms. An investigation is underway on the situation. The Delhi Police on Monday had filed a case in the Amit Shah deepfake video and furthering the probe into the case, they contacted social media networks, including X, to learn more about the source of the modified video featuring Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The probe is being led by the Special Cell's Intelligence Fusion and Strategic Operations (IFSO) section, which has approached social media networks to identify the individuals responsible for spreading the video, stated another PTI report.
30 April,2024 01:03 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Shiv Sena has named Ravindra Waikar as its candidate for the Mumbai North West constituency for Lok Sabha Elections 2024, a party official announced on Tuesday. Before joining the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Waikar was a close associate of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray. Waikar is currently serving as an MLA from Jogeshwari in Mumbai, reported PTI. The report further stated that party secretary Sanjay More verified Waikar's candidature for Mumbai North West for Lok Sabha Elections 2024. He will be up against Shiv Sena member Amol Kirtikar (UBT). In the 2019 elections, the BJP and its then-ally Shiv Sena (undivided) each won three of the six seats in Mumbai, the PTI report stated. According to the report, this time around, the BJP has decided not to renominate its three incumbent MPs in Mumbai for Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Gopal Shetty has been replaced by Piyush Goyal in Mumbai North, Manoj Kotak by Mihir Kotecha in Mumbai North East, and Poonam Mahajan by lawyer Ujjwal Nikam in Mumbai North Central. The Sena has already secured victories in Mumbai South, Mumbai South Central, and Mumbai North West. Following the party's split in 2022, Mumbai South Central MP Rahul Shewale and Mumbai North West parliamentarian Gajanan Kirtikar joined the Shiv Sena side led by CM Shinde, the PTI report further stated. The Shiv Sena has reaffirmed Shewale's candidature, and the Shiv Sena (UBT) has nominated Arvind Sawant for Mumbai South. The ruling BJP-Shiv Sena combination in the state is yet to nominate candidates for the Mumbai South seat. The opposition Congress party has yet to pick a candidate for the Mumbai North seat. The voting for all six seats for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Mumbai is set for May 20. Anil Desai, Arvind Sawant & Rahul Shewale file their nominations Sena (UBT) leaders Anil Desai and Arvind Sawant filed their nominations for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in the presence of Aaditya Thackeray. They filed their nominations after paying floral tributes to Balasaheb Thackeray's statue in Colaba. Meanwhile, Shinde Sena candidate Rahul Shewale too organised a roadshow before filing his nominations. He was accompanied by CM Shinde and Deepak Kesarkar.
30 April,2024 01:01 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, on Tuesday, said that he joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) due to its focus on development. In a conversation with ANI, Pawar said that his decision was driven by compulsion or compromise but by a "genuine commitment to development". Deputy CM Ajit Pawar also praised Prime Minister Modi for his efforts in developing the country, highlighting the comparison made by him between the achievements of his government in one year and those of the previous decade under Manmohan Singh's leadership. Pawar also commended PM Modi's dedication to uplifting the poor, noting the absence of allegations against him over the past decade, the news agency stated. "This is not a compulsion or compromise. I always think about development. Who is developing the country today? It is PM Modi. I have worked against him in 2014 and 2019 but if you see today, PM Modi also said yesterday that we have done the same amount of work in one year as was done in the 10 years of Manmohan Singh. He also worked for the upliftment of the poor people...In the last 10 years, no one has made even a single allegation against PM Modi," Deputy CM Ajit Pawar told ANI. Regarding the formation of the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, Pawar stressed that the decision was made collectively, with development as the central objective. He reiterated that every member of the alliance is dedicated to advancing the state's development agenda, the report added. "Everyone has taken this decision together and it was taken not to make themselves ministers but for development. I am saying again and again that everyone has taken this decision for development..." He also spoke about the Prime Minister candidate of oppositions INDIA bloc and said that over 65 per cent of the public across India said that they want PM Modi to be the PM. "Everyone was taking the name of Nitish Kumar in 2019. But Nitish Kumar is now with PM Modi. Right now no such name is there. You cannot compare Rahul Gandhi with PM Modi," he said. Further speaking about Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar told the news agency, "People are responding well and PM Modi is telling everyone why they should vote for us (NDA). The atmosphere is good; people have decided to make PM Modi the PM for the third time." He also spoke about his uncle Sharad Pawar during the conversation with ANI. He said, "In 2014, we were against the BJP but we supported the BJP from outside that you should form the government. We had asked about this, after which he (Sharad Pawar) said that this is a strategy to keep Shiv Sena away… In 2017, once again an attempt was made to go with BJP but BJP's people said that we both (Shiv Sena and BJP) have been working together for many years, we will not leave anyone. If you (NCP) want to come then come. He (Sharad Pawar) said Shiv Sena does not work well for us and you should remove Shiv Sena from the government then we will come with you. They said we would not remove them and then came the elections of 2019, then also we supported BJP from outside. We were told that after a few days of outside support, we would have to go with the BJP but it did not happen… Then he (Sharad Pawar) said that we would have to go with Congress and Shiv Sena, I asked him, you had said that we would not go with Shiv Sena and now how will we form the government with them? He said all these things happen in the politics."
30 April,2024 11:52 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPrime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold a much-awaited public rally in the Dharashiv district on Tuesday afternoon amid a flurry of political activities. This is a momentous occasion as the countdown to the third phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 begins. As the much-awaited Prime Minister's campaign rally in Dharashiv is set to kick off at 1:30 pm, excitement reaches a fever pitch. He will address the people here and declare that the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) nominee Archana Patil has the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Patil is up against Omraje Nimbalkar, a nominee for the Shiv Sena (UBT), in a tough race in Lok Sabha Elections 2024. According to the PTI report, this marks start of Prime Minister Modi's busy schedule with three consecutive rallies lined up across Maharashtra. His first stop is Malshiras at 11:45 am, where he will support BJP candidate Ranjeetsingh Naik Nimbalkar in the Madha Lok Sabha constituency. NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar's nominee, Dhairyasheel Mohite Patil, is the opponent of Nimbalkar. Subsequently, at 1:30 pm, Prime Minister Modi will hold his second rally in Dharashiv, supporting NCP candidate Archana Patil. He will end the day's campaigning in Maharashtra at 3 p.m. in Latur, where he will support BJP nominee Sudhakar Shringare, who is against Congressman Shivaji Kalge. Elections for Dharashiv and Latur, along with nine other Maharashtra Lok Sabha seats, are scheduled on May 7. Today is an important day since it is the third round of the Maharashtra general elections. There are eleven constituencies in all: Baramati, Raigad, Osmanabad (which is now called Dharashiv), Latur (SC), Solapur (SC), Madha, Sangli, Satara, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Kolhapur, and Hatkanangle, according to the PTI report. At three election rallies on Monday in Maharashtra—Solapur, Karad, and Pune—Prime Minister Modi made a vow to "guarantee development for the next five years" and criticised the opposition for accusing their leaders of dragging the nation into an "abyss of corruption, terrorism, and misrule before 2014." During the third round of general elections, 94 Lok Sabha seats from 12 states and Union Territories will be up for grabs, stated the PTI report. With PTI inputs
30 April,2024 11:50 AM IST | Dharashiv | mid-day online correspondentA fire broke out in one of the shops on a roadside in Thane city, Maharashtra, early Tuesday morning, destroying three shops. The incident fortunately resulted in no injuries, according to Yasin Tadvi, the chief of Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell. The fire began at 12:50 am in a shop in the Kolshet neighbourhood and swiftly spread to two adjoining companies, including a tea stand, a salon and a shop selling bedding items, reported PTI. According to the PTI report, local firefighters and the regional emergency management cell team responded quickly to the event. They were able to extinguish the fire by about 2 am. Although the cause of the fire is still being investigated, it is important to note that two cooking gas cylinders were safely removed from the tea stand, preventing any potential explosions. Meanwhile, in another incident, on Saturday, a fire broke out at a private hospital in neighbouring Mumbai's Kandivali. According to Mumbai Fire Brigade authorities, a fire broke out today at Wins Hospital in Ashish Kesar CHS on New Link Road in Kandivali West. Officials said they responded quickly to the call, and additional emergency services were also dispatched. When the fire was originally reported at 1:48 PM, it was contained to the electric wiring, installation, and compressor of the central air conditioning unit at the hospital's rear. The facility is a multi-story structure with 30 floors, three podiums, and one stilt. Adani Electricity, 108 ambulance services, MFB, and law enforcement swiftly arrived at the scene. By 2:05 PM, the fire was successfully extinguished, limiting further damage. However, four persons were injured in the event, according to Dr. Trupti of New Wins Hospital in Borivali. Sunil (35), Rajdeo (35), Narendra Murya (45), and Swadhin Mukhi (56), who had varied degrees of burns, were immediately admitted to the hospital. While Mukhi and Rajdeo had burns ranging from 15% to 40%, Murya and Sunil only had minor burns. The two were in stable condition, the doctor continued, stated the reports. The cause of the fire is still being investigated by the authorities, the report added.
30 April,2024 10:57 AM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentNational Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) General Secretary M Raghavaiah on Monday demanded the abolition of the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). Raghavaiah, who was in Mumbai, said the union will continue their fight for railway land in Dharavi. Part of the railway land will be taken over for the Dharavi redevelopment project. Raghavaiah was speaking at the 239th Central Working Committee meeting of the federation which was held at YMCA Hall in Mumbai Central. Top railway leaders were in attendance at the congregation. Prime railway property in Matunga and Mahim, sprawling across 47.5 acres will reportedly be a part of the Dharavi redevelopment project. On the land parcel in Matunga stood residential quarters which will be shifted and a railway siding and a scrapyard in Mahim. "It is deplorable that the government has introduced a contributory Pension Scheme presently named National Pension System (NPS) with no guarantee of 50 per cent of last pay drawn as minimum pension while there is no provision for family pension, commutation etc. Railway employees are extremely agitated against it terming it as No Pension Scheme. It has resulted in disappointment and frustration among railway employees," Raghavaiah said. Raghavaiah said employees belonging to hundreds of categories in the Indian Railways have been performing their duties with dedication which led to smooth passenger movement of passenger trains the way for record freight movement. Trade unions and associations representing 28 lakh government employees, including those in the Railways and Central Public Sector Undertakings, and more than three crore state government employees and teachers. The unions are demanding the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which would be replaced by the New Pension Scheme (NPS).
30 April,2024 09:47 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarThe Air Intelligence Unit (AIU) of the customs has arrested an individual attempting to smuggle gold dust packaged in oval shaped capsules hidden in the rectum. This incident comes as part of a larger crackdown by the AIU, which, in the past week alone, has seized a total of 20.95 kg of gold worth Rs 13.57 crore in 27 cases. Additionally, the AIU also confiscated electronics, tobacco, and cigarettes valued at Rs 0.23 crore, bringing the total value of seized items to Rs 10.80 crore, as disclosed by AIU officials. According to a senior official from the AIU familiar with the incident, “Eight Indian nationals travelling from various parts of the world like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Jeddah were apprehended by the AIU. One of the passengers among the eight apprehended was trying to smuggle gold dust concealed in oval shaped capsules hidden inside the rectum.” AIU has not disclosed details of the passenger found with concealed gold dust, but another source said, “We had received a specific tip-off about passenger who was going to land at Mumbai airport and was going to attempt smuggling dust concealed in rectum. We immediately responded to the tip-off, leading to the apprehension of the said passenger.” The source added that the passenger was presented to the court and was granted judicial custody. 20.95 KGGold seized by AIU in 27 cases during past week
30 April,2024 06:34 AM IST | Mumbai | Prasun ChoudhariA 27-year-old taxi driver has been arrested for killing his female partner and disposing of her body near Uran. Preliminary investigations suggest that the deceased used to board the share taxi of the accused to her workplace. Due to regular meetings, the two developed feelings for each other and got into a relationship. Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha met the victim’s family on Monday and consoled them. He also assured that they would do their best to punish the guilty. Interacting with the media, Lodha said, “This is the third such incident in Mumbai. So the police will not ignore it. The issue of Rohingyas and Bangladeshis living illegally in Mumbai will have to be settled. Otherwise, a young Hindu woman will not be able to get out of the house safely. The guardian minister, as a component of the state government, will try to bring justice to Poonam Shirsagar. If strict action is not taken against the accused within 24 hours, there will be a violent agitation,” he said. According to the police, the deceased Poonam Chandrakant Shirsagar was a resident of Sathe Nagar in Mankhurd. She lived with her mother and brother and has two sisters who are married. Poonam used to work as a domestic help at Sandhurst Road. “My husband was a BMC employee and died 11 years ago. After his death, my daughter started working and used to run the house. She used to leave the house around 9 am and return by 5 pm. On April 18, she left for work but didn’t return. As she used to work overtime, we thought she would be late. We started looking for her later. On April 19, we went to the workplace where they told us that she had come in the previous day and left on time,” Poonam’s mother Laxmi said. According to Poonam’s brother Vinayak, he had called her at 3.30 pm on April 18 and she informed him that she would be late. “We called her at 6 pm but she didn’t respond. At 7 pm her phone was switched off. We approached the Nagpada police to file a missing complaint on April 19, but they asked us to approach the Mankhurd police as we reside in their jurisdiction,” he said. The Mankhurd police filed a missing report on April 19 and started the investigation. “As the cell phone was switched off we first got the call data record of the woman. We found that she was in continuous contact with Nizamuddin Rafiq Ali, 27, a taxi driver. Also, some locals informed us that Nizamuddin was in touch with Poonam. We detained Nizamuddin and found that he drove a share taxi from Shivaji Nagar, Mankhurd, to Nagpada. Poonam would travel in his taxi daily. They had been in a relationship for the past four years. We were questioning him but he wasn’t ready to reveal anything and claimed that he didn’t know the woman,” said a police officer. Meanwhile, the Uran police station found an unidentified body and contacted the Mankhurd police on April 25. “The body was completely decomposed and was half covered using a sack and blanket. Her family identified her through her clothes and the ring she was wearing. Subsequently, the Uran police registered a murder case and sent the body for a post-mortem. The body was then handed over to the family who performed the last rites,” said a police officer from Uran police station. The police, during the investigation, found that Nizamuddin first took the woman to Khadavli and later to Uran where the body was covered with a sack and blanket and disposed of. “It is believed that he had strangled the woman near Khadavli and later dumped her body. The reason behind the killing is still unclear and we are currently interrogating the accused,” said an officer. Meanwhile, the police said Nizamuddin was married and had a child. His family is staying in Uttar Pradesh and he is living in the Nagpada area in Mumbai. “Poonam and he had some disputes over the past few days and hence he decided to kill her,” said an officer. April 18Day woman went missing
30 April,2024 06:03 AM IST | Mumbai | Faisal TandelPolice personnel serving as assistant sub-inspectors (ASI) in Maharashtra want a change in their uniform. They are demanding that brown shoes, a brown belt, and a circular beret cap be made a part of their uniform, like their counterparts in other states. Maharashtra Police has one of the largest police departments in the country, with a 229,962-strong force comprising 21,291 officers and 208,671 personnel. It has 104 units, including 12 commissionerates and various divisions like the Crime Investigation Department (CID), State Intelligence Department, Railway Police districts, SRPF Groups, Motor Transport Section, Training Institutions, etc. There are 1,165 police stations across the state, including Mumbai. ASIs hold a non-gazetted position, ranking above a police head constable and below a sub-inspector. The rank insignia for an ASI is one star, with red and blue stripes at the outer edge of the shoulder straps. An ASI can be an investigating officer. Currently, there are 5,450 ASIs in Maharashtra Police, holding a Class-III rank. Speaking with mid-day, an ASI stated that especially in rural areas, an ASI can register and investigate cases like other officers. “In Mumbai, an ASI is in charge of many more responsibilities, but there isn’t much difference in the uniform as compared to that of the hawaldar and constable working under them, except for the star and red-blue stripes on their shoulder. If officers are entrusted with responsibilities, their uniform should reflect their status accordingly,” he said. Unlike other states, there is no direct recruitment of ASIs in the Maharashtra Police. They reach this rank after promotion from constable. Consequently, newly recruited PSIs may have less experience than ASIs. ASIs believe that if they are provided with the appropriate uniform, their seniors will also respect and honour them accordingly. Earlier, lower-level police personnel were categorised based on their years of service—constables with one to 10 years, hawaldars with 11 to 20 years, and those with 21 to 30 years were designated as ASIs. However, this changed in 2022, when the then police commissioner Sanjay Pandey eliminated the position of police naik for the three aforementioned categories. Previously, upon retirement, ASIs were promoted to the grade level of a soldier and were entitled to wear the police sub-inspector (PSI) uniform. While this practice was initially implemented, it has gradually diminished over time. Currently, there is inconsistency across regions regarding the application of this policy, as some areas are not adhering to the 10, 20, and 30-year service standards. Many individuals with 22-23 years of service have not been promoted to ASI rank nor receive the appropriate recognition and attire upon retirement. As a result, ASIs are now retiring in the uniform of a hawaldar, with only the star and red-blue stripes distinguishing them. “Our demand is straightforward. We want the dress code as ASIs in other states. This addition would not only ensure that ASIs feel respected while on duty but also eliminate the need for symbolic gestures such as a ‘Sainik PSI’ wearing the PSI uniform upon retirement,” said another ASI to mid-day. Discussing this matter with senior officers ranging from PSIs to ACPs, a mixed perspective emerged. Most officers said that an ASI who has served in the department for over 30 years deserves respect for their tenure and experience, and providing the appropriate dress code is essential. They believed that the ASIs should be provided with attire similar to other officers as a form of recognition for their service.However, some officers asserted that as per departmental protocol, every junior officer is expected to respect their senior counterparts respect is already being accorded. “During my tenure as DG, I received a request from the SRPF regarding their uniform lanyard colour. They had requested that their black lanyard be changed to brown to differentiate it from the Home Guard’s uniform, which also featured a black lanyard. We fulfilled this demand and changed the colour of the lanyard to brown,” said Sanjay Pandey, former Mumbai commissioner of police and Maharashtra director general of police. According to Pandey, during his tenure, there was a provision implemented where an ASI could be promoted to PSI rank after three years of service. “However, there was never a demand to change the colour of the shoes, belt, and cap in the uniform.” Joint Commissioner (Admin), Mumbai police, S Jayakumar told mid-day that the matter would be discussed further. 5,450No of ASIs in Maharashtra Police
30 April,2024 06:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanADVERTISEMENT
