A youth and his woman friend have been arrested by city police for allegedly assaulting and abusing an on-duty traffic constable.

The duo was arrested last night for the alleged attack that had taken place on Tuesday.

The accused identified as Umang Shah and his friend Lavina Amisar, both residents of Mulund (W), were arrested by Mulund police around 10.30 pm, DCP (Detection) Dhananjay Kulkarni said.

According to Kulkarni, the accused attacked the traffic police in Mulund after getting into an argument with him. “The duo disobeyed the instructions of the traffic policeman and subsequently abused and assaulted him before fleeing from the spot,” he said.

The accused were arrested under relevant sections of the IPC and Motor Vehicles Act, said police.

Both of them were produced in a local court that remanded them in police custody.

An ‘administrator’ of a WhatsApp group in Latur district has been arrested for objectionable content posted on the group.

Police in Chakur tehsil of Latur district in Marathwada arrested the admin and three other members of the WhatsApp group after noticing objectionable content, including video clips posted on the group.

A police officer from Chakur police station told that those arrested – Shivaji Barche, Rajkumar Telange, Amol Somwanshi and Manoj Lavhrale – will be produced before a court.

The four have been arrested and cases under sections 153, 34 and section 67 of IT Act, 2000 have been registered, he said.

The medical fraternity in Maharashtra is mulling to move the State Human Rights Commission over the reports that doctors at J J hospital here were allegedly made to taste the food before serving it to Indrani Mukerjea, prime accused in Sheena Bora murder case, during her recent hospitalisation.

According to Dr. Lalit Kapoor, a medico-legal expert of the Association of Medical Consultants, the medical fraternity has taken a serious note of such practices, which it considers as “inhuman and insulting.”

“It is very inhuman and insulting…such practices should be stopped not only with regard to doctors but no human being should be told to carry out such acts. In this regard, a complaint will be filed in a day or two with the State Human Rights Commission,” said Kapoor.

The issue came to light after a section of media reported about the “humiliating” practice the doctors allegedly underwent while Indrani was hospitalised at the state-run hospital for suspected drug overdose about a week back.

According to reports, before Indrani had her first morsel, a resident medical officer tasted the food. Indrani was then allowed to eat after a gap of 10 minutes, when there was no adverse reaction.

Generally, food-tasters are appointed when heads of state are travelling, given the threat perception and the watertight security cover that has to be provided to them.

Indrani and the two other accused — her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai — were arrested in August-end on the charge of murdering her 24-year-old daughter Sheena in April 2012 and disposing of the body in a forest in Raigad district, about 84 kms from here.

The case is now being investigated by the CBI.

When asked about the response, J J Hospital Dean Dr T P Lahane said he had three times in the past asked the government that the food tasting should be entrusted with Food and Drug Administration and it is not the job of doctors.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Bhalchandra Mungekar demanded a CBI probe supervised by a Supreme Court judge into the Dadri lynching where a man was killed over rumours that he ate beef.

He also demanded sacking of BJP leader and Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma for his “dubious” role in the incident.

Mungekar, a former Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University, told reporters here, “PM (Narendra) Modi must sack Sharma for his dubious and suspicious role in the entire episode.”

“I demand a probe by CBI to be supervised by a Supreme Court judge for a fair and impartial inquiry into the incident,” he said.

“BJP local leaders are making provocative statements to prove that the lynching of Mohammed Akhalaq was an accident.

Modi must warn his colleague ministers and MPs to see reason and refrain from spreading communal venom,” the Congress MP said.

He questioned silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the case.

“Silence of the Prime Minister in this case is deafening and calculated. Modi is otherwise enthusiastic to talk to the people of the country through ‘Maan ki Baat’. Fast decline in his personal popularity due to failure to fulfil election promises to bring ‘acche din’ (good days) may be prompting him to remain silent towards such communally polarising tactics,” Mungekar said.

Veteran actress Shabana Azmi, music composers Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani have criticised the cancellation of Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali’s concert here following Shiv Sena’s threat to disrupt it.

The 74-year-old singer was scheduled to perform tomorrow but Shiv Sena warned that no artiste from Pakistan will be allowed to perform in the city till terror emanating from across the border is stopped.

The organisers announced the cancellation yesterday after a meeting with Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray at ‘Matoshree’, the Thackeray residence in suburban Bandra.

“Are we at war with Pakistan? Have we severed diplomatic relations? Have we closed down our Embassies? Then what justification is there to ban Ghulam Ali?

“Ghulam Ali was 2 perform in commemoration of Indias beloved Jasjit Singh in gesture of goodwill. Ok to talk tough with Pak Govt not its artists,” Azmi wrote on her Twitter page.

Vishal posted, “Ghulam Ali saab and his music are above and beyond politics. If he can’t perform it will be our loss, not his. #Shame.”

His composing partner Shekhar wrote, “Ghulam Ali Saab is our guest. Honour his presence. Music knows no boundaries.

The Office of the Maharashtra Lokayukta is all set to initiate the process of accelerated grievance redressal by making the registration online, Lokayukta of Maharashtra, M L Tahiliyani, said.

Addressing a meeting of Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC) here recently, Tahilyani, a retired Bombay High Court Judge, said his office was working on a more efficient grievance redressal mechanism that would be characterised by three features, namely, quick access to redressal, making redressal less expensive and less time-consuming.

Grievance registration would be made online soon, the Lokayukta said.

He regretted that people, especially honest citizens, suffer due to deficient services of various government agencies.

The Lokayukta while describing how delay and corruption feed on each other, said, “Delay (in rendering services) causes corruption and corruption causes delay.”

Tahilyani wanted prosecution and punishment to happen on time and highlighted that any inordinate delay would defeat the ends of justice.

“The Lokayukta has adequate powers to act,” he asserted.

Flagging two issues — allegations (that are corruption prone) and grievances (that reflect deficiency in service) — Tahiliyani remarked that corruption can be reduced if those involved are made more accountable.

Welcoming the Lokayukta of Maharashtra, president of IMC Dilip Piramal said the Chamber was instituted a century ago to promote trade, commerce and industry.

IMC’s theme for the current year is “job creation through skill development,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, J F Rebeiro, former Mumbai Police Commissioner and Head of IMC’s Anti-Corruption cell, said corruption in public life had reached such depths that ordinary citizens find it hard to tolerate.

Maharashtra government is in the process of formulating a “de-radicalisation” strategy in the minority pockets of the state under which various minority welfare schemes will be integrated into a single unit to expedite their implementation.

A Home department official said that a Government Resolution (GR) to this effect will be issued soon.

Minority welfare schemes run by different ministries under Ministries of Urban Development, Health, Education, Minority Welfare, Social Justice, Skilled entrepreneurship will be integrated.

The official said the government’s endeavour is to ensure that minorities have a sense of belonging and not alienation.

“We want them to be part of the mainstream,” the official added.