Speed up appointments to Police Complaints Authority: HC

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March 6, 2014

The Bombay High Court asked Maharashtra government to expedite the process to fill up vacancies in the Police Complaints Authority, set up at the state and district level, and make it functional.

A division bench of Justices N H Patil and Anuja Prabhudesai was hearing a public interest litigation by one Makarand Mahadik seeking implementation of a 2006 Supreme Court order directing all states to constitute a police complaints authority to redress grievance of citizens about abuse of power by police including that of corruption and negligence.

According to the petition, a government resolution (GR) has also been issued directing for constitution of the authority but no further steps have been taken.

Additional public prosecutor Aruna Kamat-Pai informed the court that on February 1, an ordinance was passed making amendments in the Maharashtra Police Act and setting up of the Police Complaints Authority.

“Appointments to the panel and other steps towards its set up will be done shortly,” she said.

“You (state government) cannot simply say an ordinance has been issued. The main question is when will the authority start functioning? When will you fill up the vacancies and make the panel functional? The state has to take effective steps towards arranging infrastructure and appointing officers and other staff in the authority,” the court said.

The court has posted the petition for hearing after four weeks.

Nawab Malik ridicules Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra

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Afternoon Voice

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March 6, 2014

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) took potshots at Maharashtra’s opposition here on Thursday, claiming that “infighting and chaos” prevailed in the ‘grand alliance’ of Shiv Sena, BJP and RPI (Athawale), which had come together purely for power, despite their differing ideologies.

Addressing a press conference, NCP spokesman Nawab Malik said that infighting between the Gadkari and Munde camps is at its peak, while BJP’s ally Shiv Sena calls it a party of traders.

“Munde says he stopped Sharad Pawar from entering the NDA fold, but when he was upset with the BJP, Munde was at the doorstep of 10 Janpath (Sonia Gandhi residence). However, some of his close friends opposed his entry to the Congress,” Malik said.

“The BJP is indeed a party of traders. Even Narendra Modi had insulted defence forces by saying that traders take more risks than soldiers. The BJP has nothing to do with issues of the common man and farmers. We want to ask Uddhav Thackeray that if Shiv Sena feels BJP is a party of traders, then why is he still a BJP ally,” Malik said.

Replying to questions regarding controversies about its Amravati candidate Navneet Kaur Rana’s caste certificate, Malik said that Rana was a former movie actress and is being maligned by her opponents. “She has submitted her caste certificate and is eligible to contest as per rules,” he said.

Can’t imagine Anuhya went with a stranger on bike: Father

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Afternoon Voice

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March 6, 2014

Two days after the arrest a thief for the murder of software professional Esther Anuhya, an officer from Mumbai Police met her father in Andhra Pradesh and apprised him about the probe.

Anuhya’s father S J S Prasad, however, appeared unconvinced by sequence of events narrated by police after the arrest of Chandrabhan Sanap (28), a history-sheeter who allegedly murdered the 23-year-old techie after attempting to rape her in early January.

A Crime Branch Inspector met Prasad at Machilipatnam in Krishna district this afternoon. During the hour-long meeting, the Inspector gave details about the case and how they zeroed in on Sanap, a taxi driver from Nashik who once worked as a porter in Kurla station from where Anuhya went missing, police said.
Prasad was not convinced by certain claims made by the police, who said Anuhya went with Sanap after he offered to drop her at hostel in suburban Andheri in early hours of January 5 following her arrival from AP by train.

“I still can’t believe my daughter went with an unknown person when he offered to drop her at Andheri for Rs. 300 and that too on a bike. She was very protective about herself,” said Prasad.

He suspected that more than one person might have been involved in the crime.
Anuhya’s decomposed body was found off the Eastern Express Highway in Bhandup on January 16 and Sanap was nabbed a few days ago. Sanap was spotted with Anuhya in a CCTV footage at the Kurla railway terminus.

The 23-year-old was employed as assistant system engineer with IT major TCS in suburban Goregaon.

According to the police, Sanap banged Anuhya’s head to the ground and strangled her with a stole when she tried to resist sexual assault.

Statements of accused in Shakti Mills gangrape case recorded

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Afternoon Voice

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March 6, 2014

The sessions court conducting the Shakti Mills photojournalist gangrape case trial, completed recording statements of the accused on Thursday.

The Shakti Mills case pertains to the alleged gangrape of a 22-year-old magazine photojournalist who had gone out on an official assignment with her male colleague, to the deserted Shakti Mills compound in Central Mumbai, on August 22 last year.

“The court has completed recording statements of the four accused under Section 313 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC),” said special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam. Under Section 313 of the CrPC, the accused is given a chance to explain the circumstances and allegations against them, through their statements.

The accused, namely Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Bengali, Salim Ansari and Siraj Rehman as well as a minor boy, were charged with rape, conspiracy, common intention, unnatural sex and other sections under the Information Technology Act. On September 19, 2013, the Mumbai police crime branch had filed a 600-page chargesheet against the four accused.

Allegedly, the five accused, (including a juvenile, whose case has been separated) gangraped her at the abandoned Shakti Mills compound, after assaulting her male colleague. Defence advocate Prakash Salsingikar said that the court had asked about 970 questions to the accused.

Meanwhile, Nikam began his final arguments in the related Shakti Mills telephone operator gangrape case and it will continue tomorrow. This case is of an 18-year-old telephone operator also allegedly gangraped by five accused (including three of those who were charged for raping the photojournalist).
On July 31 last year, the police had arrested Mohammed Ashfaq Sheikh, Mohammed Kasim Hafiz Sheikh alias Kasim Bengali, Salim Ansari, Vijay Jadhav and a minor for the alleged gangrape of the telephone operator.

The police had filed a 362-page chargesheet on October 8 last year, against the four accused, in connection with the telephone operator’s gangrape case. Later on, the minor’s case was separated.

HC transfers 2012 case of missing baby to Mumbai Crime Branch

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Afternoon Voice

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March 6, 2014

In response to a habeas corpus petition filed by a woman whose one-day-old baby boy went missing from the Wadia Hospital here in 2012, the Bombay High Court transferred the case to Mumbai Crime Branch.

The division bench headed by Justice P V Hardas asked the Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) to assign the case to a senior officer of the Crime Branch, unit 4.

The case was earlier being probed by Bhoiwada police.

The child went missing from the hospital on October 25, 2012, from the maternity ward when his mother, Jasmin Devdas Naik, was away.

Eye witnesses said that an unknown woman was seen leaving the ward with the boy in her arms.

As the police failed to trace the child, Naik moved the High Court, seeking probe by a senior officer of the crime branch.

Police told the court that despite best efforts, the child as well as the woman remained untraceable.

The High Court observed that this was a serious matter and local police had enough opportunity to find the child, but they failed, hence the court had no other option but to transfer the case to the Crime Branch.

Court orders probe into complaint against NCP candidate Navneet Kaur

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Afternoon Voice

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March 6, 2014

A metropolitan magistrate’s court on Wednesday directed the Mumbai police to investigate and register a First Information Report on a complaint that city-based actor Navneet Kaur submitted false documents to obtain a caste certificate.

Kaur has got NCP ticket from Amravati Lok Sabha constituency in Vidarbha.
“The concerned police station officer is hereby directed to make an investigation and register an FIR as per the law,” said magistrate S H Bhagade.

Activist Jayant Wanjari had moved the metropolitan court on February 15 alleging Kaur submitted false and forged documents to get a certificate declaring her as a Scheduled Caste person.

According to Wanjari?s complaint, Kaur’s father submitted an affidavit in her name to Kurla tehsildar to get the SC certificate, along with her school leaving certificate.

However, Wanjari said, the RTI reply from the education department showed the certificate was fake.

Meeting with Raj aimed at checking Congress-NCP: Gadkari

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Afternoon Voice

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March 6, 2014

Former BJP national president Nitin Gadkari defended his meeting with MNS chief Raj Thackeray in Mumbai, saying it was aimed at preventing splitting of anti-Congress-NCP votes in the state.

“I met Raj Thackeray as an NDA member and not as a BJP leader, just to ensure that anti-Congress and anti-NCP votes in Maharashtra do not split,” he said.

The meeting had triggered off speculation that the BJP tried to win over MNS chief Raj Thackeray into the NDA for an electoral alliance before the Lok Sabha elections.

“Our aim is to keep anti-Cong and anti-NCP votes intact to favour NDA. If MNS fields candidates across Maharashtra for Lok Sabha polls, it would benefit the Congress and the NCP,” he said, justifying his meeting with the MNS leader.

Speaking about yesterday’s incidents with AAP workers in Delhi and some other parts of the country after Arvind Kejriwal’s detention in Gujarat, Gadkari alleged that the AAP is an “anarchist” party.

“They have no knowledge about the model code of conduct since it’s a new party,” he said.

Nitish Kumar is respectable and a mass leader

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Vaidehi Taman

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March 6, 2014

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar came out straight with his logical argument and passed a statement in a media interview thrashing Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi without taking their name saying that “while one does not have the experience of Parliament another has no experience of running a State. I have both the experience. Am I less qualified than them? He claimed of being more qualified and experienced than those “roaming around” for the top job.

He categorically ruled out siding either with the Congress or the BJP after the polls. He also commented on third front saying, new grouping which you call Third Front will be the First Front. The non-Congress and non-BJP parties will have the largest numbers after the polls, referring to the alliance of 11 non-Congress and non-BJP parties for which he has been a prime mover. No doubt, Nitish is respectable and a mass leader. When common people get fed up with our political representatives, here is one gentleman who can really care for people’s aspirations. Few years back, the image of Bihar state in the mind of other Indians was very bad. Nitish tried hard to reform Bihar and bring about its socio-economic development. The state which was once known for citizens migrating from it is pulling them back to grab opportunities within the state. Number of job opportunities are being created in the state through various policies and programmes. And the credit goes to dynamic Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He deserves all praises. His biography can inspire many aspiring politicians who want to work for the development of their respective regions. Nitish Kumar has been in public life from nearly 40 years and his political fortunes are witnessing a northward movement. In the 2010 Assembly election, he led the JD (U)-BJP coalition to a spectacular victory. Nitish Kumar, who has been Chief Minister for over nine years and is serving his second term, enjoys a positive image — an effective administrator, making sincere efforts to put back his State on the development track. There are no major political controversies concerning him. His track record as Chief Minister has so far been free of scandals. The JD (U) leader, known for personal integrity, allowed persons with criminal antecedents contest in the 2010 elections on his party ticket. Needless to say, most of them won.

Nitish Kumar’s political life — the circumstances under which he entered politics are the deep involvement of his father, Ramlakhan Singh, in the Congress and his relationship with Jayaprakash Narayan and ties with Karpoor Thakur and his role in the success of Lalu Prasad’s political career. He was temporarily separated from his mother in his formative years and his wife Manju Kumari, who did not join her Chief Minister-husband Nitish Kumar but had planned to join him only after her retirement from government service as a school teacher, died untimely. Bihar had to wait almost for 30 years to undergo changes. Though the towering Socialist leader and political thinker, Ram Manohar Lohia, suddenly died in 1967, his political approach has become a permanent feature in Indian politics. His strategies of anti-Congressism, forming coalitions suitably and the promotion of Backward Classes in politics, over a period of time, gathered strength. Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar are not the direct disciples of Lohia. But, they have all reaped benefits of the political seeds sown by Lohia.

What you may not know about him is that Nitish Kumar had drawn up a scheme of his own even then. The purpose of the scheme was to see to it that upper castes were not left out of the quota system. According to it, the creamy layer among the backward classes should not be given reservation. The poor among upper castes should be covered under the quota scheme. The Nitish scheme did not receive popular support then. The book does not throw much light about the present position of Nitish Kumar on the subject of reforms in reservation. There may be several weaknesses in Nitish Kumar. But, here is a political leader who has a steadfast faith in democracy. His frequent direct interactions with people including regular state-wide Yatras represent his democratic temper. He is really one of the deserving prime ministerial candidates India can look forward to. Nitish Kumar has been the Chief Minister of Bihar since 2005. In the seventies, in his youth, he was an activist of the Janata Party movement initiated by Jayprakash Narain and was detained in 1974 under the MISA and also during the emergency in 1975. He has also served as a Union Minister in the VP Singh ministry in 1991 and later as part of the National Democratic Alliance in 2001, before becoming the Chief Minister of Bihar. He was chosen as the Best Chief Minister in India according to the CNN IBN and HT State of the Nation Poll in 2007. Economic times awarded him the title of the ‘Business reformer of the year ‘in 2009 and Forbes India awarded him the’ India person of the year’ title in 2010. We need such visionary in the ruling party of India.

AAP-BJP clashes: 14 party members get bail, Ashutosh, Ilmi quizzed

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Afternoon Voice

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March 6, 2014

While the 14 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers arrested overnight for protests in the national capital were granted bail by the Patiala House Court on Thursday, party leaders Ashutosh and Shazia Ilmi were taken for interrogation at the Parliament Street police station. The two leaders have been served a notice under Section 160 of the CRPC and have been asked to join the police investigation into the protests outside the BJP office in Delhi.

Ashutosh has assured that as a ‘law abiding citizen’, he will cooperate with the police in its investigation. He also appealed the party supporters not to resort to violence.

Stepping out after her interrogation, Ilmi claimed that she told the police that she was not involved in any rioting. “I questioned police on what basis they have registered FIR against me. Have they seen me pelting stone there,” Ilmi said. She also accused the Delhi Police of targeting the AAP and wondered why no action was being taken against BJP activists.

Ashutosh and Shazia have been served a notice under Section 160 of the CRPC and have been asked to join the police investigation in the case.

“Yesterday, we got to see the discrimination of Delhi Police, which joined BJP to disperse AAP supporters staging silent protest. Police could not see bricks, stones and chairs being thrown from the inside of BJP Headquarter. They could only see people much later retaliating. Police were protecting BJP supporters,” Ilmi claimed.

Alarmed by the attack, the Delhi Election Commission has served a notice to the AAP for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct, asking whether it took permission for the protest outside the BJP headquarters in the national capital.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police, in its report submitted to the EC, has stated that the AAP workers incited violence and BJP workers retaliated. They have also stated that the AAP members did not take permission to stage a protest.

The FIR against Ilmi and Ashutosh and other AAP volunteers, was lodged at the Parliament Street Police station on Wednesday night. Police had initially detained 33 people out of which 14 were arrested late in the night while others were allowed to go.

“All those identifiable and present at the protest site have been named in the FIR,” a senior Delhi Police official said.

Arvind Kejriwal’s Gujarat tour violates code of conduct, says Election Commission

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Afternoon Voice

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March 6, 2014

Arvind Kejriwal violated the poll code of conduct in Gujarat, the Election Commission said, a day after the Aam Aadmi Party leader’s brief detention during a roadshow triggered clashes between the AAP and BJP.

“If you go strictly by law, Mr. Kejriwal violated the model code of conduct. The whole world knew that the code was in place after the announcement of the national election dates in the morning,” Election Commissioner HS Brahma said.

Mr. Kejriwal was detained at the city of Radhanpur in Patan, 170 km from Ahmedabad, on Wednesday. He was accused by officers of violating rules that make prior police permission necessary for political rallies. But the AAP leader insisted that his convoy consisted largely of media cars and did not amount to a political procession.

The Election Commissioner said the Patan district commissioner had said in his report that Mr. Kejriwal had been asked to seek permission for travelling with more than three cars on his road tour.

“We are going by that report. We will ensure that such incidents don’t recur. We will implement the law harshly and we appeal to pol parties not to use harsh language and action,” Mr. Brahma said.

Mr. Kejriwal is on a four-day tour of Gujarat for what he calls an assessment of Narendra Modi’s claims of exceptional development in the state that he has governed since 2001. The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate has held up Gujarat as an example of what he can do for the country.

Since, the AAP leader has faced black flag protests on the road and also an attack on his car while driving through Kutch.

His detention led to street battles in Delhi and Lucknow between workers of AAP and BJP.