Build more jails to avoid overcrowding, says HC

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October 1, 2015

The Bombay High Court today suggested setting up of more jails in Maharashtra to accommodate rising number of prisoners and called for framing guidelines on lodging convicts and undertrials separately.

The HC said the central and Maharashtra governments should consider constructing more prisons given the rise in population and rued that there was a lack of research and planning on the issue.

“Since India got Independence in 1947, no new prisons have come up. The population has now increased so much. The government should consider setting up new prisons. It is very unfortunate that no research or planning is being done on this issue,” a division bench headed by Justice V M Kanade said.

The bench made the observation while hearing a petition filed by one Shaikh Ibrahim Abdul, currently lodged in Yerwada Central Prison, who raised the issue of poor conditions in the British-era jail.

Advocate Uday Warunjikar, appearing for the petitioner, told the HC that there are at present over 4,000 inmates in Yerwada prison, much above its capacity.

“For interviews (meetings) of the inmates with their family members and lawyers, there are only 15 windows, five of which are reserved for lawyers. The jail authorities have also laid down a condition that lawyers should come in uniform if they want to meet their clients,” he said.

Defending the rule, government counsel Jayesh Yagnik told the HC that several times people come to meet the inmates claiming to be their lawyers and smuggle SIM cards and mobile phones inside and hence precautionary measures have to be taken.

The HC directed the Principal District Judge of Pune to appoint a judicial officer to conduct inspection of Yerwada prison and submit, in two weeks, a report on prevailing conditions in the facility.

It also suggested housing undertrials separately to avoid overcrowding. Also, those convicted of serious offences should be lodged in separate jails and prisoners serving sentence for petty crimes may be kept in open prisons.

Two held for possessing narcotics worth Rs. 12 lakh

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Afternoon Voice

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October 1, 2015

Two persons including a school teacher were arrested for allegedly possessing narcotics worth Rs. 12 lakh in the district, police said.

The duo was apprehended last evening from an open ground near Thakurli railway station, Senior Police Inspector of Anti Narcotics Cell, Thane Police Mandar Dharmadhikari said.

Acting on a tip-off, police conducted a raid and nabbed Ashok Dongre, a teacher in a private school in Shahapur and his friend Sanjay Patil, the officer said.

An identity card purportedly issued by the state government was found with Patil, he added.

Dongre was arrested in 2012 by Mumbai police for possessing narcotics. He was convicted and had served his sentence.

A case under relevant sections of IPC and Narcotics Act has been registered and investigations are underway, police said.

They were produced before a Magistrate who remanded them in police custody till October 10.

Man kills father-in-law over family dispute in Thane

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Afternoon Voice

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October 1, 2015

A 60-year-old villager from Sahapur taluka was brutally killed allegedly by his son-in-law over a petty family dispute, police said.

PI Sanjay Dhumal of Sahapur police station said the incident took place at Kalamb village when accused Bhagwan attacked the victim– Dagdu Rama Waghe–with a sharp and blunt object following which he died on the spot.

Bhagwan was the second husband of Waghe’s daughter. She had divorced her first husband. The problem began after Bhagwan came to take his wife, who was staying at her parents’ house for long. She had allegedly refused to go to the place of her in-laws.

When Bhagwan arrived yesterday to fetch her, she was not present at home which infuriated him following which a quarrel ensued with the father-in-law over the matter.

In a fit of rage, the accused attacked Waghe. His son filed a complaint after which the local police registered an offence under section 302 of the IPC.

The body of the victim has been sent for postmortem and a hunt is on for the accused.

Editor receives threat from Naxalites, files complaint

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Afternoon Voice

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October 1, 2015

An editor of a regional newspaper has registered a complaint with Mumbai police alleging that he received a threat from Naxalites, police said.

Sanjay Malme, an editor of regional newspaper received a threat letter on Tuesday claimed to be penned by Naxalites.

It was written that he should not use the word ‘destroyed’ (in Marathi) if a Naxal is killed in an encounter, Senior Inspector of Kalachowki police station Dilip Ugale said.

He has filled a compliant with us, the officer said, adding Malme’s statement will be recorded soon and a probe has been initiated in this regard.

Malme said, “I received the letter, through post, in my office at Kalachowkie and I have filed a complaint with police.

Chemists call for nationwide strike on Oct 14

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Afternoon Voice

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October 1, 2015

Apex body of chemists and drugists AIOCD, which has more than 7 lakh members in the country, today called for a nationwide strike on October 14 to protest against online pharmacy.

“We have decided to go for nationwide chemists strike on October 14 to protect health of general public as well as interest of our members,” All India Organisation of Chemists & Druggists (AIOCD) President J S Shinde said in a statement here.

Online pharmacies in India have significantly increased due to growing e-commerce in the country. An online pharmacy is an Internet-based vendor of prescription drugs and has been increasing with the rise attributed to little regulation of the industry.

“We strongly oppose the move of the government to regularise sale of medicines through internet i.e. E-Pharmacy in the larger public interest. It is illegal to sell medicines on internet under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940,” Shinde said.

We should thoroughly study the risk and threats observed by the advanced countries who have allowed internet pharmacy, (despite) having necessary infrastructure and manpower, he said.

The introduction of E-Pharmacy, to protect the interest of a handful of players, would hamper the interest of eight lakh chemists and 80 lakh workers and their families, Shinde said.

Presently, online pharmacy business is going on illegally and authorities are not taking any action against them on the complaints made by us, he said.

He alleged that online pharmacies are supplying all the goods like I-pill, MTP kits, anti-depression, codeine cough syrups without confirming the authenticity of prescription and patients.

The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) had recently raided 27 online pharmacies located in Mumbai, Thane and Pune and seized drugs worth crores of rupees.

ED attaches assets of ex-IAF chief SP Tyagi’s family in VVIP chopper deal case

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Afternoon Voice

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October 1, 2015

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached five expensive flats in and around the national capital in the name of cousins of former IAF chief S P Tyagi in connection with its money laundering probe into the Rs. 3,600 crore VVIP choppers deal.

The agency, in its order issued against the Tyagi brothers– Sanjeev, Sandeep and Rajeev, said its investigations found that the “proceeds of crime” of this deal were allegedly used by them in the acquisition of these properties which have now been seized under law.

“Following painstaking investigations, five immovable properties of Tyagi brothers worth Rs. 6.20 crore have been provisionally attached,” the ED said in a statement here.

The attached assets include a flat in phase-V in Gurgaon, two others in Sector-50 of Noida, one such property in the upmarket K G Marg area of Delhi and a 5th-floor flat in a business centre in Kaushambi in adjoining Ghaziabad.

Sources said the stated value of these posh dwellings is just the book price and the actual market value could be many times more than this amount.

The agency had registered a criminal case in this deal last year under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and has said that about Rs. 423 crore (58 million Euro) was allegedly paid by European businessmen Christian Michel, Carlo Gerosa and Guido Haschke to swing the deal in favour of AgustaWestland in UK, a subsidiary of Ms Finmeccanica, Italy.

The deal, which was scrapped by the government following allegations of corruption, was inked to purchase 12 advanced helicopters for use by Indian VVIPs and the procurement amount was Rs. 3,600 crore.

The agency alleged that a bribe money of 10.50 lakh Euro (about Rs. 7.68 crore) was paid by the alleged middlemen to Tyagi brothers in two tranches, first by way of bank transfer and then in cash.

The investigation, the ED said, revealed that “out of the aforesaid kickbacks, payment of Euro 10,50,000 was made to Sanjeev Tyagi, Sandeep Tyagi and Rajeev Tyagi and their companies by Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa through their companies Ms Gordian Services Sarl, Tunisia and Ms IDS Tunisia.

“The payment of Euro 4,05,625 (about to Rs. 2.49 cr) to Tyagi brothers was made through the banking channel between 2004-2011 and remaining payment of Euro 6,44,975 (equivalent to about Rs. 4.50 cr) was made in cash during April-December 2011 following signing of contract on February 2, 2010 for supply of 12 VVIP helicopters,” it said.

SC asks Somnath Bharti’s wife if she wants to resolve issues

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Afternoon Voice

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October 1, 2015

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked Lipika Mitra, the estranged wife of former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti whether she was inclined to join mediation efforts as offered by her husband to resolve all issues between them.

An apex court bench of Chief Justice HL Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy issued notice, asking Lipika to respond by Monday as it fixed the next hearing for 10.30 am on October 5.

Issuing notice to Lipika Mitra, the court declined, for now, the plea by Somnath Bharti for interim bail. However, the court indicated that it may consider the plea for interim bail on Monday.

“We always keep our mind open. Not only mind, but even the heart,” Chief Justice Dattu said as senior counsel Gopal Subramanium appearing for Bharti told the court to keep their mind “open to consider the plea at a later stage on Monday”.

“We have other powers. Under Article 142, we can grant bail here itself,” Chief Justice Dattu told Subramanium as he recounted the sequence of events from September 28 when the court asked Aam Aadmi Party legislator Somnath Bharti to first surrender as police were seeking his custody.

Subramanium wondered if such a course on part of police was warranted when the apex court was seized of the matter and the same was listed for hearing today (Thursday). He said that contrary to the apex court guidelines, Bharti was not allowed to access his lawyer and was shifted from one police station to another after he surrendered.

I’ll join politics if people want it: Hardik Patel

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Afternoon Voice

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October 1, 2015

Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) leader Hardik Patel, who announced the formation of a new organisation, Akhil Bharatiya Patel Navnirman Sena (ABPNS), said that he would join politics “if people want” it.

“When time comes, then we can think about political steps. I cannot decide this alone. The decision will be taken by all of us,” Patel said.

Any such decision would take time, Patel said when asked if he would join politics given the fact that even Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal finally took the plunge after trudging the agitational path.

The 22-year-old has been spearheading protests in Gujarat to demand reservations for the Patel community. He announced the formation of his new organisation that is aimed at working for unifying Kurmis, Marathas, Patidar and Gujjar communities and for the “cause of farmers, labourers, women and youth”.

Akhilesh Katiyar, who was earlier with the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) led by Upendra Kushwaha, will be the general secretary of ABPNS, Patel said. Katiyar was expelled from the RLSP after he organised Patel’s first public meeting in Delhi. The RLSP is a member of the BJP-led NDA and shares power at the Centre.

Patel said that in October a rally of Kurmis, Patidars, Gujjars and Marathas from Delhi, Rajasthan and neighbouring states would be held at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi. “We will create awareness among Kurmi brothers and involve them in this organisation,” said Patel.

Asked what was the need for a second organisation when his first outfit was already functioning well in Gujarat, Patel said PAAS was in Gujarat to fight for reservation for the Patel community.

“The Akhil Bhartiya Patel Navnirman Sena has been formed to unite the 27 crore Kurmis, Marathas, Patidar and Gujjars across the country. This is a non-political organisation.”

On the issue of supporting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United during Bihar assembly elections, he said: “We’ll not hold rallies in Bihar favouring any political party. Since Nitish Kumar belongs to our community, we’ll support him. We’ll not support Janata Dal-United.”

BJP ‘vision document’ for Bihar promises free laptops, two-wheelers, scooties, colour TVs to voters

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Afternoon Voice

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October 1, 2015

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday released the BJP’s ‘vision document’ for the Bihar assembly elections in the presence of two union ministers and senior party leaders.

“Jaitley released the vision document a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Banka,” Bharatiya Janata Party leader Bhupender Yadav, who is in charge of the party affairs in Bihar, said.

Yadav said the document focuses on women’s empowerment, education, jobs for youth and infrastructure development.

“The vision document has a clear-cut plan to develop Bihar in the next five years if the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance wins the polls and forms the next government,” he said.

The party’s main plank is “development in Bihar”, he said.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, in his vision document for the next five years, spoke of his seven-point agenda to develop Bihar. This included free Wi-Fi in college and university campuses, a student credit card scheme for loans to pursue higher and professional education, and an unemployment allowance.

The Nitish Kumar document also promised electricity and toilets in every home, and piped water that would benefit 16 lakh families.

Blame game continues, Home Ministry seeks report from UP govt. in Dadri lynching case

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Afternoon Voice

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October 1, 2015

Amid a blame game over lynching of a 50-year-old man in Dadri by a mob, allegedly over consumption of beef, the Home Ministry on Thursday sought a detailed report from the Uttar Pradesh government over the incident.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) also asked the Samajwadi Party government in UP to ensure that no such incident occurs in future.

The Home Ministry intervened in the matter shortly after Union Minister Mahesh Sharma termed the lynching of a 50-year-old man Iqlakh in Dadri by a mob three days ago as an “accident” and cautioned that no “communal colour” should be given to it.

“Two other families live with the affected family in the middle of the village and their walls adjoin with others. About 10-12 houses of other community are in the outlying part of the village but no incident concerning them has happened,” he said.

“I feel this incident occurred due to some misunderstanding and the law should truthfully act against whoever is responsible for it,” Sharma said.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh’s Urban Development Minister Azam Khan also blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the incident.

Taking on Narendra Modi, Khan said, “Prime Minister, please rein in your volunteers. Life, politics and posts are not forever but infamy remains forever. You have not been able to wipe out Gujarat taint and until this world lives, it will never be wiped out. Don’t make your volunteers do these things. Where are you taking the country to?”.

The victim’s family, meanwhile, is planning to move out of the village fearing that it may happen again.

Iqlakh was beaten to death and his 22-year-old son Danish was critically injured by a mob which barged into their house following rumours that the family had consumed beef on Monday night.

Iqlakh’s other son, Sartaj, who serves in the Indian Army, demanded punishment for the murderers of his father.

“Those arrested murdered my father. I want to know the reason for which they did this to him. They should be punished so that none from the village would dare to such deed in future,” he said.