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Raj Thackeray once again echoed demand for uniform civil code

By
Afternoon Voice
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raj thackeray, thackeray, uniform, uniform civil code, mns, ayodhya
Raj Thackeray once again echoed demand for uniform civil code 2

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray addressed a rally in Pune day after he all of sudden cancelled his visit to Ayodhya. He echoed his demand for uniform civil code and also launched a scornful attack on chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray over ‘our hindutva real-their hindutva fake’ remark.

Speaking about cancelling his June 5 visit to Ayodhya, Raj Thackeray said that he had announced the date of Ayodhya but he got to know about Opposition to his visit and he understood it was a trap, therefore he decided not to fall into this controversy. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh had openly swore to block Raj Thackeray’s entry in the state till he apologised for the treatment meted out to North Indians in 2008.

The MNS chief also took a jibe at Shiv Sena after party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut was seen having lunch together with Ravi Rana who wanted to recite Hanuman Chalisa outside Matoshree along with his MP wife Navneet Rana. Further, Raj Thackeray also slammed Uddhav Thackeray over – ‘our hindutva, your hindutva’ remark and asked if they were selling washing powder.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said, “I request the prime minister to bring Uniform Civil Code at the earliest, also bring a law on population control and change the name of Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar. I shall be undergoing hip bone surgery on June 1… I have been in pain for some time in the legs and now also in the back.” Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday reiterated his demand to bring uniform civil code and rename Aurangabad as Sambhaji Nagar. He also took a swipe at Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray for continuously raking ‘our hindutva, your hindutva remark’, asking if they were selling washing powder. Meanwhile, Thackeray said he would undergo a surgery for knee and back problems on June 1. Raj Thackeray criticises political parties for accusing him of leaving protests mid-way. He spoke about the success of removing the toll plaza.

The MNS chief said that protests against loudspeakers are not for a single day, but if it is not followed, volume will again start increasing. Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray informed party workers that he will be giving them a letter in the next 2-4 days and asked them to ensure that it reaches each and every house. He also told party members that protests will keep on happening and they should not worry as the legal team is ready for them.

“I had asked to play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeaker if speakers from mosques are not removed. Later, the Rana couple wanted to go to Matoshree and recite Hanuman Chalisa? Is Matoshree a mosque? Recently, the same couple was seen eating together in Ladakh,” said Raj Thackeray.

Raj Thackeray’s postponement of his Ayodhya visit relieved the ruling party

By
Vaidehi Taman
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raj thackeray, ayodhya, raj, thackeray, mns, maharashtra navnirman sena, mns chief, ayodhya rally, brij bhushan singh, uttar pradesh, up, bjp up
Raj Thackeray's postponement of his Ayodhya visit relieved the ruling party 4

The MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s Ayodhya visit had run into a controversy after BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh Brij Bhushan Singh had intensely opposed it, demanding an apology from Raj Thackeray for the assault on people from Uttar Pradesh and other North Indians in Mumbai in 2008. The much-talked-about Ayodhya visit of Raj Thackeray on June 5 has been cancelled, for now. There was social media outrage about his visit and its consequences. Some think tanks questioned him about the safety of commoners. Many believed that the son of Raj Thackeray should lead those youth who are used for creating violence and unrest.

BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh Brij Bhushan demanded an apology from Raj Thackeray for the assault on people from Uttar Pradesh and other North Indians in Mumbai in 2008. Raj Thackrey has different targets, first North Indians and during Modi’s second term it was Gujarati population. Gujarati communities in cities of Western & Northern Maharashtra are very successful. Thackeray thought that this hate movement against Gujarati speaking community can fetch him some votes in the 2019 elections. When he flopped, he conveniently joined hands with BJP and picked up Muslim hate.

The Shiv Sena, on the other hand, announced that the Maha Vikas Aghadi minister Aditya Thackeray will visit Ayodhya on June 15 and also visit the ISKCON temple. Hundreds of Shiv Sainiks will be going to Ayodhya on June 15 with Aditya Thackeray. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has also visited Ayodhya in the past. Shiv Sena shares a special bond with Ayodhya. During recent parliamentary elections, Sanjay Raut was a frequent visitor to Uttar Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray will hold a rally at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch in Pune city at 10 am on Sunday. An earlier rally which was scheduled to be held on Saturday along the Mutha river bed in the Deccan area has been cancelled due to the possibility of rain. I know his rallies send ripples to ruling party leaders but his speeches are diluting his individuality.

Once he rightly took up the cause against hawkers who were stocky anywhere. There was no place to walk on Mumbai footpaths. On a daily basis there were thousands of migrants from UP Bihar, imagine the encroachment and burden on the city. If the UP Bihar government had created employment opportunities, then the other 4 metropolitan citizens would not be burdened. But now Raj Thackeray praises Yogi Adityanath and his good administration. Once he praised Modi for the Gujarat Model and then he criticized calling it a fake model.

He rightly spoke against bullet trains because the city needed basic infrastructure which is not there. This opinion is also supported by all citizens. Earlier all those topics he picked were for public welfare, but now he is against particular people, religions and politicians. In fact, he has huge Muslim supporters within Maharashtra. Now they all have distanced themselves from MNS. Raj has become a tool in BJP’s hands and this is what people have not liked.

He also spoke against the bullying behaviour of Gujarati people. Gujarati people have a lot of money because they have been Business communities/ traders from the beginning due to their Ahimsa philosophy and not participating in a war culture. Gujaratis buy land or redevelop buildings and make them into only veg and only for Gujarati societies. They don’t sell the flats to anyone other than Gujaratis. When Marathi people are not biased against Gujaratis it is totally wrong for Gujaratis to do this. If they do this in Gujarat it is ok, but why in Maharashtra.

Just because non-development of states of UP and Bihar is costing a compromise and a loss of livelihood and lifestyle to many Maharashtrians and other states. I personally supported his stand once but now he has changed. His politics has become more of hate-mongering and less of public concerns. Last month, Raj Thackeray had hailed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath amid the UP-government’s action on loudspeakers.

The Sena, allied to the ideologically opposed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress, has been targeted by the BJP for forsaking Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s militant Hindutva ideals. The MNS, accused by the Sena of acting like the BJP’s ‘B-team’, has upped the ‘Hindutva’ ante by demanding the Uddhav Thackeray-led tripartite MVA government to remove loudspeakers from mosques.

Who sent Raj Thackeray on the back foot?

By
Afternoon Voice
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raj thackeray, ayodhya, raj, thackeray, mns, maharashtra navnirman sena, mns chief, ayodhya rally
Who sent Raj Thackeray on the back foot? 6

Baggage of past karma and hate politics has compelled Raj Thackeray to go on the back foot. He might have changed his loyalties from Marathi Manoos to the Hindutva flag bearer but the people of North India have not forgotten the atrocities done by him to them. Raj Thackeray today announced that his visit to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, scheduled for June 5, has been put off.

Taking to Twitter, Raj Thackeray said his tour to Ayodhya has been put off for the time being and that he would speak about it during his rally in Pune on May 22. Raj Thackeray’s tweet came amid reports that he is unwell. At the same time, there is a protest against him by BJP leaders in Uttar Pradesh. Raj Thackeray has also been an open critic of migrant workers from north India, especially UP and Bihar.

Recently, BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, had opposed Raj Thackeray’s proposed visit to Ayodhya and warned that he will not be allowed to enter Ayodhya till he publicly apologised for his “mortifying” north Indians in the past.

The MNS chief had recently made controversial remarks demanding that loudspeakers atop mosques be removed or else his party workers would recite Hanuman Chalisa outside these places at a higher volume. Maharashtra government smartly handled the situation by countering Raj’s aims.

Mumbai Police helped Chartered accountant to retrieve Rs 11 lakh in cyber fraud case

By
Afternoon Voice
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cyber crime, cyberbullying, ca, chartered accountant, fraud, online fraud, mumbai police, thane police, police, Bank frauds, banking fraud, city coporation bank
Mumbai Police helped Chartered accountant to retrieve Rs 11 lakh in cyber fraud case 8

An impostor lured the 49-year-old CA with a job offer and asked him to come to Thane for an interview. After meeting him, while one of the accused remained on a call with the CA, the other appeared at the given spot in person.

The accused on the call asked the CA to hand over the phone to the other accused under the pretext of discussing something important. The victim was called near Majiwada junction bridge in Thane, where someone met him. In the meantime, another person pretending to be a senior official called up the victim and spoke to him.

After some time, the so-called senior fellow asked the CA to hand over the phone to the person with him. Once the complainant gave them his mobile, the other man started talking over the phone and vanished with the mobile. The complainant then went to a Thane police station and lodged a complaint of mobile theft. On April 17, when the complainant went to an ATM, he learnt that Rs 2.84 lakh was deducted from his two bank accounts. This is when he lodged an FIR.

Investigators spoke to the nodal officer of a bank and managed to retrieve Rs 85,000. Money from another account had already been siphoned by the accused, said police. On April 27, the complainant again went to the police station and told cops that Rs 9.97 lakh was also transferred from his credit card. The money was transferred to a payment gateway valet.

D B Marg police said, “The Victim told us he had received a call in March and the caller told him he was speaking from the national academy of banking and finance. The caller asked the complainant to send Rs 100 via online mode for bio-data screening for a job. Later, on April 13, the complainant received another call and the caller asked him to come for an interview at a bank in Thane on April 16.”

Senior inspector Pradip Khude said, “The accused were trying to send the money to a catering service in Ghaziabad. We spoke to the payment gateway and stopped the transaction. This money is being returned to the complainant’s credit card. Our team is working on the case and further probe is on.”

Cooperative Bank frauds can never stop in India?

By
Vaidehi Taman
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Bank frauds, banking fraud, city coporation bank
Image: BusinessToday

In a City Cooperative Bank fraud case the former CEO of City Cooperative Bank Ramesh Shirgaonkar (79), and a businessman Rajan Sawant (41) who allegedly connived with him were arrested by police. The former chief executive officer (CEO) of City Cooperative Bank allegedly caused a loss of around Rs 96 crore to the bank by sanctioning credit to ineligible people and companies. Police suspect Shirgaonkar to have fraudulently disbursed loans to 56 people without having followed due procedure in allotting these.

In the case of Sawant, Shirgaonkar allegedly did not conduct a proper inspection of his outstanding loans before providing the credit facility. Apart from this, the loan file submitted by Sawant did not include several necessary documents like the share certificates of the cooperative society, no-objection certificate (NOC) for a mortgage and sanctioned building plans among other things. During an investigation, it came to light that Shirgaonkar approved loans of Sawant and 55 others without proper documents.

The number of frauds in urban and state cooperative banks dropped in FY21 from a year ago with tighter oversight by the central bank. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the urban cooperative banks reported 323 frauds in FY21 as against 568 in the previous year and 1,193 in FY19. Similarly, state cooperative banks witnessed 482 frauds in FY21, down from 508 in the previous fiscal but much higher than the FY19 level of 290, she said in a written reply to a question. While Maharashtra, home to the highest number of cooperatives, accounted for 67% of the fraud cases in urban cooperative banks in FY21, Kerala made up for 44% of the fraud in-state cooperative banks.

The finances of cooperative banks came under heightened scrutiny recently after the government carved out the department of cooperation from the agriculture ministry to make it a full-fledged ministry under Amit Shah. Before that, affairs of the cooperative sector came under focus following the crisis at the Punjab Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank in 2019. This prompted the government to amend the Banking Regulation Act to empower the RBI for more effective regulation of cooperative banks. The idea was to better protect the interests of depositors and avoid a PMC Bank-like crisis in future.

The amendment was also aimed to ensure that the affairs of the cooperative banks are conducted in a manner that protects the interest of depositors by increasing professionalism, enabling access to capital, improving governance and ensuring sound banking through RBI. Sitaraman also told the Rajya Sabha that gross bad loans of district central cooperative banks (DCCBs) were among the highest in the banking system, at 12.6% (Rs 35,298 crore) of their advances as of March 2020.

The gross non-performing assets (NPAs) of urban cooperative banks (UCBs), too, remained elevated at 11.3% (Rs 35,528 crore) at the end of March 2021. However, the gross NPAs of state cooperative banks were 6.7% (Rs 13,477 crore) as of March 2020, Sitharaman had said in a statement in the Upper House.

In contrast, the bad loan ratio of scheduled commercial banks stood at 7.5% as of March 2021, having eased from 8.4% a year before, the RBI said in its latest report in July. There are 34 state cooperative banks, 351 DCCBs and 1,534 UCBs in the country. Many of the cooperatives, thanks to their opaque structure and severe governance issues, have been allegedly used to funnel black money for a long.

Last year Kerala police’s economic offences wing arrested four functionaries of a CPI(M)-controlled co-operative bank in Thrissur district, where a loan scam of at least Rs 104 crore was detected last week. The arrested include the secretary, manager, chief accountant and a commission agent of Karuvannur Co-operative Bank. The police also conducted searches at the premises of those arrested as well as at the properties of two absconding staff of the Karuvannur-based bank and seized documents pertaining to the illegal loans.

All the accused are CPI (M) members, who were sacked from the party after the scam was unearthed on July 19. The opposition Congress and BJP, which have targeted the ruling party in the state over the issue, have alleged that the loan scam is to the tune of Rs 300 crore. State Cooperation Minister V N Vasavan, however, said that an internal inquiry has revealed financial fraud of Rs 104.37 crore. But since then, there is no follow up on this issue and now another cooperative bank scam has made the news. In the recent past, there have been several scams but investors have no relief or life.

Maharashtra politics is once again in a warzone with the Rajya Sabha elections

By
Vaidehi Taman
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mva, maha vikas aghadi, nana patole, pawar, uddhav, thackeray, sanjay raut, raut, sambhaji raje, rajya sabha seat
Maharashtra politics is once again in a warzone with the Rajya Sabha elections 11

Congress leader Nana Patole is fuming because NCP chief Sharad Pawar extended his support to Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati, an independent candidate and former BJP leader. Here Shiv Sena has decided to renominate the sitting MP and chief spokesman Sanjay Raut while it proposes to contest another seat banking on its own surplus votes and transfer of excess votes by ruling partners NCP and Congress. Congress, NCP and Sena could win one seat each. The question is who will win the fourth seat. There are six Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra.

The terms of BJP’s Piyush Goyal, Vikas Mahatme and Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, NCP’s Praful Patel, Congress’ P Chidambaram and Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut will end on July 7. While the notification will be issued on May 24, polling will be held on June 10, and results will be declared the same day. Based on the strength of parties in the state legislature, BJP is sure to win two seats, while Congress, NCP and Sena together may win four seats, a gain of one seat. The BJP is set to retain Piyush Goyal, while for the second seat, there are many contenders, including BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde and women’s front head Vijaya Rajatkar. It is also likely that BJP may retain Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.

So far, there was consensus on a leading social worker, but his name has been dropped. Now a Pune based builder is a contender. The fourth candidate will have to secure the support of independents and will be decided by NCP. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut suspects horse-trading by BJP for the sixth seat. However, Sanjay Raut has also expressed confidence that no matter how many efforts are made by the opposition, Shiv Sena will win. Neither the BJP nor the Mahavikas Aghadi has enough strength to field a candidate for the sixth Rajya Sabha seat. Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati had announced that he would fight for this seat as an independent.

However, Shiv Sena has started preparations to field its own candidate for the sixth seat. It is learned that if Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati wants support for the sixth Rajya Sabha seat, he should join Shiv Sena. Therefore, the current situation in political circles is very tricky. Looking at Sanjay Raut’s confidence, Sambhaji Raje is in dilemma. Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati wrote an open letter to the MLAs of the state. In this letter, he has appealed to all political parties and independent MLAs to give me a chance as an independent for the sixth seat in the Rajya Sabha. “Looking at my career and honest work ethic, I would like to express my sincere hope that all of you will definitely support me for this sixth seat in the Rajya Sabha,” Sambhaji Raje stated in the letter.

Sharad Pawar may extend support to Sambhaji Raje to avoid backlash for the Maratha community but still, Maha Vikas Aghadi has not forgotten the agitation by Sambhaji against the government. Sabhaji might be independent like Navneet Rana but all these independent MLAs are working for BJP against the ruling alliance.

As per the present party-wise strength, the Maha Vikas Aghadi has the support of 168 of the 288 legislators comprising Shiv Sena 55, NCP 53, Congress 44, other parties 8 and independents 8. Based on their individual strengths, Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress are confident of victory of one seat each with a quota of 42 required for the election of one seat. Maha Vikas Aghadi government together expects to win four of the six seats from Maharashtra and BJP might win two seats.

In the case of the BJP with 106 legislators, it has the support of one legislator each of Jan Surajya and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha and five independents. Together, BJP has a strength of 113 legislators. With this BJP is confident of the victory of two nominees. If BJP decides to field one more seat, then the MVA faces an acid test to keep its flock together as observers hint at horse-trading.

Rajya Sabha elections will be held in June, which includes six seats in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena has already claimed the sixth position in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state which has the required strength for the sixth position. Sources said that considering the current strength of MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly, the BJP is likely to contest for the third seat in the Rajya Sabha. BJP is discussing the names of Piyush Goyal, Vinod Tawde, Harshvardhan Patil and Dhananjay Mahadik for this third Rajya Sabha seat. There is a quota of 42 votes to win the Rajya Sabha seat. BJP is 13 votes short of third place. The BJP has started forming a front for the votes required for the third seat.

The BJP currently has 113 MLAs. BJP has 106 MLAs, RSP 1, Jansurajya 1 and five independents with a total of 113 MLAs. One Rajya Sabha seat requires 42 votes. The BJP needs only 13 votes. Maha Vikas Aghadi has 169 MLAs and BJP has 113 MLAs. Depending on the strength of the party, two candidates from BJP, one from Shiv Sena Congress and one from NCP can easily get elected to Rajya Sabha.

Finland, and Sweden apply to join NATO, but face Turkish objections

By
Web Team
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finland, sweden, nato, nato alliance, us, turkey, turkish
Image: Agency

Finland and Sweden formally applied to join the NATO alliance on Wednesday at allied headquarters, a decision spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but face objections from Turkey to an accession process that is expected to take only a few weeks.

Neutral throughout the Cold War, Sweden’s and Finland’s decision to join NATO is one of the most significant changes in Europe’s security architecture for decades, reflecting a sweeping shift in public opinion in the Nordic region since Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion. “This is a historic moment, which we must seize,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said at a short ceremony in which the Swedish and Finnish ambassadors to the alliance handed over their application letters, each in a white folder embossed with their national flag.

“I warmly welcome requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners, and your membership in NATO will increase our shared security,” Stoltenberg said. The alliance considers that the accession of Finland and Sweden would hugely strengthen it in the Baltic Sea. With the applications formally submitted, the Nordic countries and their many backers now face uncertain months where any resistance to their bids needs to be overcome, with all 30 of NATO’s members needing to approve the enlargement.

Ratification by all allied parliaments could take up to a year, diplomats say. Turkey has surprised its allies in recent days by saying it had reservations about Finnish and Swedish membership, saying the two countries harbour individuals linked to groups it deems terrorists and hitting out at arms export embargoes imposed on it after its Syria incursion in 2019.

Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that he thought the issues could be resolved. “We are determined to work through all issues and reach rapid conclusions,” Stoltenberg said, noting strong support from all other allies.

Seeking to move the membership process along, Sweden’s defence minister has already headed to Washington and will be followed by Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto later this week. The countries hope speedy ratification by the United States, the alliance’s premier power, will help smooth their path to membership with the White House having said it is confident any obstacles can be overcome.

The decision to seek a place under the NATO umbrella represents a setback for Moscow, with the war in Ukraine triggering the very kind of enlargement of the alliance on Russia’s borders that it took to arms to prevent. So far, Moscow’s response has been unexpectedly muted, having previously warned of steps of a “military-technical” nature and that it could deploy nuclear weapons in its European exclave of Kaliningrad were the countries to join.

President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Swedish and Finnish NATO membership posed no threat to Russia, but cautioned that Moscow would respond if the Western alliance boosted military infrastructure in the new Nordic members.

Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: SC orders release of A G Perarivalan after 30-years in prison

By
PTI
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A G Perarivalan, Perarivalan, Rajiv Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi assassination, Rajiv, Supreme Court
Rajiv Gandhi assassination case: SC orders release of A G Perarivalan after 30-years in prison 14

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the release of A G Perarivalan, who has served over 30 years of a life term in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. A bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao invoked its extraordinary power under Article 142 to grant relief to Perarivalan.

”State cabinet had taken its decision based on relevant considerations. In exercise of Article 142, it is appropriate to release the convict,” the bench said.

Article 142 deals with the enforcement of decrees and orders of the Supreme Court and orders as to discovery, etc. On March 9, the top court granted bail to Perarivalan while taking note of his long incarceration and no history of complaints when out on parole. The top court was hearing the plea of the 47-year-old Perarivalan seeking suspension of his life sentence in the case till the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency probe is completed.

Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, at a poll rally.

In its May 1999 order, the top court had upheld the death sentence of four convicts — Perarivalan, Murugan, Santham, and Nalini.

On February 18, 2014, the top court commuted the death sentence of Perarivalan to life imprisonment, along with that of two other prisoners — Santhan and Murugan — on grounds of an 11-year delay in deciding their mercy pleas by the Centre.

Shiv Sena’s dilemma: Sambhaji Raje or Sena in sixth place?

By
Vaidehi Taman
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sanjay raut, raut, sambhaji raje, rajya sabha, sharad pawar, shiv sena, sena, uddhav, maratha, maratha community
Shiv Sena's dilemma: Sambhaji Raje or Sena in sixth place? 16

Sambhaji Raje, contesting as an independent, had sought votes from all political parties. Pawar and Thackeray discussed the candidature for the Rajya Sabha and decided that Thackeray would take the final call. Uddhav is interested in nominating a Shiv Sainik to the Upper House, rather than supporting an outsider. Sharad Pawar has cleverly expressed support to Sambhaji Raje so that there is no repercussion from a section of the Maratha community. Sena is open to giving him candidature if he joins the party.

Shiv Sena announced that the party would pitch two candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections which are slated to be held for six seats in Maharashtra on June 10. Shiv Sena is likely to renominate MP Sanjay Raut, whose term is ending on July 4, while the second candidate is not decided. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress – the two other partners in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) – will field one candidate each.

Shiv Sena’s dilemma is who will be in sixth position Sambhaji Raje or some Shiv Sainik. MVA leaders should strategies how to get the fourth candidate elected at a time when Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje, who is contesting as an independent, had sought votes from all political parties. Party insiders said the leadership was open to giving candidature to Sambhaji Raje, a descendant of Maratha King Chhatrapati Shivaji if he joined Shiv Sena.

Shiv Sena is not willing to support Sambhaji Raje as an independent candidate. NCP chief Sharad Pawar has, on the other hand, already indicated that MVA constituents have enough votes to elect one candidate each and the coalition’s surplus votes can be given to Sambhaji Raje. One thing is sure Sanjay Raut retains his seat in Rajya Sabha.

Sambhaji Raje, a member of the Kolhapur royal family and descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was earlier a President-nominated member of the Upper House of Parliament. He was earlier affiliated with the BJP. The BJP can win two RS seats with the number of MLAs it has, while the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP can win a seat each. The contest will, therefore, be for the sixth seat.

Notification for Rajya Sabha elections will be issued on May 24. The entire process will be completed on June 13.

Supreme Court grants bail to Indrani Mukerjea after 6.5 years in custody

By
PTI
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indrani, indrani mukherjea, sheena bora, supreme court, sc, indrani bail
Supreme Court grants bail to Indrani Mukerjea after 6.5 years in custody 18

The Supreme Court on Wednesday granted bail to Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the murder of her daughter Sheena Bora. A three-judge bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao said the trial is not going to be completed anytime soon.

”The allegation made against the petitioner is that she planned the murder in view of the live-in relationship of her daughter with Rahul Mukerjea, who was the son of Peter Mukerjea and his earlier wife,” the bench said.

”We are not making comments on the merits of the case. Even if 50 per cent of witnesses are given by the prosecution, the trial would not be over soon. She will be released on bail subject to satisfaction of the trial court. The same conditions imposed on Peter Mukerjea will also be imposed on her,” the bench also comprising Justices B R Gavai and A S Bopanna said.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appeared for Indrani Mukerjea, who is currently lodged at the Byculla women’s prison in Mumbai following her arrest in August 2015.

Rohatgi submitted that the trial is not going to complete anytime soon as a large number of witnesses are yet to be examined.

She had been denied bail on multiple occasions by a special CBI court, which is conducting the trial in the murder case.

Bora (24) was allegedly strangled to death in a car by Indrani Mukerjea, her then driver Shyamvar Rai and former husband Sanjeev Khanna in April 2012. The body was burnt in a forest in the neighbouring Raigad district.

Bora was Indrani’s daughter from her previous relationship.

Former media baron Peter Mukerjea was also arrested for allegedly being part of the conspiracy. He was granted bail by the high court in February 2020. His marriage to Indrani Mukerjea ended during the period of incarceration.

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