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India has the largest number of child sexual abuse cases in the world

By
Vaidehi Taman
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Image: Reuters

India has become an online hosting hub for child sex material.  If we look at horrific figures we will find for every 155th minute a child, less than 16 years, is raped, for every 13th hour a child under 10. It can be three months to ten years; there is no barrier for perverts to choose from. Above all, the Covid-19 lockdown, children and their families were forced to be in the house, schools were shut, no going to play out or meet friends, some unease and irritation levels at peak. The only resort was mobile phones and social networks.

Here is the trap; many children got lured in tempting offers and thrills without knowing the repercussions. According to Interpol, an estimated 2.4 million instances of online child sexual abuse were reported from India from 2017 to 2020. Eighty per cent of these children were girls under the age of 14. The US-based National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported that more than 2.44 million children were abused in 2017 and by 2020 the cases will increase. When it comes to child sexual abuse material, they are getting much more proactive in India. There are many entities that upload these videos that have started moving their hosting to other countries, these syndicates are using children as a tool to their business of paedophilia, porn and pornography.

 The problem of child sexual abuse is deep-rooted. Rape is the fourth most common crime against females in India. Childhood sexual abuse proves our country is full of paedophiles that want nothing but to exploit every child they see. People who take advantage of someone’s innocence are nothing but pure monsters, some of which lie in their own house/school/neighbour or in their surroundings, most of them are very well known to the victim. Several rape cases in India received widespread media attention and triggered protests. This led the Government of India to reform its penal code for crimes of rape and sexual assault. The number of juveniles or minors, legally those under 18 years of age, taking up crime has seen an alarming high over the past decade. This should be a particular reason to worry about for a country where 47.21 crore i.e. almost 39% of the population is under 18.

Most children who are abused sexually, never recover. Child abuse occurs in every single society, irrespective of linguistic and religious differences. Child abuse is often perpetrated by someone the child knows/ trusts and these days so-called online virtual friends. The internet has increased the predation of children by facilitating contact between paedophiles and children. But the internet also provides relief to hundreds of kids in danger since they can now expose those who abuse them and seek help. Children are the most vulnerable when they’re young and adults can be the most vicious creatures walking the earth.

There are predators lurking around hooking their victims. The victim is typically a young adult. One that’s ready to be “groomed.” But it can also be an older adult who has something a predator can snatch. The parents and authorities are in the dark about the dynamics of these extremely abusive occurrences, children are left in limbo having to endure and develop resilience to the traumatic impact these aggressive adults cause in their lives. Children are abused, they are not believed, they have no voice, we have to be their voice, expect to be humiliated by those who could care less, little to nothing will be done, and the law does not protect them.

In most of the houses both the parents running for earning, children are left unattended, the vacuum that directs children towards the virtual world. When they express themselves to some so-called unknown people, taking advantage of their loneliness their hormones are taken on the drive. All it begins with conversations and irreparable damage to young minds. Child sex abuse is a crime and many abusers have a sexual preference for children. They are simply using children as opportunistic targets.

These days due to an increased media focus on sexual exploitation of children and mandatory reporting laws post the introduction of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act; one may notice how child sexual abuse is on the rise. What we read is all about the reported cases, these are millions of unreported cases. However still there is no deterrence, the crime is on rising and there is no much control on such occurrences.

We might speak about it, there can be reports and news about abuses but all is in a flash time. The child suffers for a long time; many children who have been abused in any form develop some sort of psychological problem. These problems include anxiety, depression, eating disorders, OCD, codependency, or even a lack of human connections. It can result in immediate adverse physical effects but it is also strongly associated with developmental problems and with many chronic physical and psychological effects, including subsequent ill-health, including higher rates of chronic conditions, high-risk health behaviours and shortened lifespan. Maltreated children may grow up to be maltreating adults. Child abuse can cause a range of emotional effects. Children who are constantly ignored, shamed, terrorized or humiliated suffer at least as much, if not more than if they are physically assaulted. Abused children can grow up experiencing insecurities, low self-esteem, and lack of development. Many abused children experience ongoing difficulties with trust, social withdrawal, trouble in school, and forming relationships. Imagine, this general as growing adults, maybe this is the reason the young lives are very much at risk with depression, suicidal tendencies, and mental illness. Children are abused in many ways in India, beyond rapes. We always see kids begging on the roadside, working in shops and being abused. Sensitize the society that a girl or a woman has free will. Be it through social media, discussion forums, candlelight marches, whatever it takes, we need to sensitize our society against these crimes.

Delhi priest rapes and kills minor; victim’s family was suspicious as her body was hurriedly cremated

By
Afternoon Voice
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Delhi priest rapes and kills minor; victim's family was suspicious as her body was hurriedly cremated 3

A 9-year-old girl was allegedly raped, murdered and then cremated by her attackers in Delhi on Sunday evening. The minor girl lived with her parents in front of the crematorium near the Delhi cantonment area. On Sunday evening she went to get cold water from a water cooler installed at the crematorium. This was her daily routine and the staff of the crematorium is known to the girl’s mother.  Following which, the accused called her mother to show her dead body and told her that she died of electrocution.

DCP Ingit Pratap Singh told Afternoon Voice, “At around 5.30 pm Sunday, she went to get cold water from the cooler in the crematorium after informing her mother. At around 6 pm the crematorium’s priest Radhey Shyam and three others are known to the girl’s mother called her to the crematorium and showed the girl’s body stating that she got electrocuted while having water from the cooler. They also pointed out the burn marks between her left wrist and elbow, and the blue colouring of her lips. Radhey Shyam, the priest called the victim’s mother and asked her not to inform the police about the demise of the girl. They scared her, stating that the police will register a case and the body will be sent for an autopsy, during which doctors will remove her vital organs and sell them. The four then cremated the body hurriedly.”

However, according to the police, the girl’s parents later alleged she was cremated without their consent. Subsequently, villagers gathered at the spot soon after the news spread, the villagers protest demanding the arrest of the accused on Sunday night. The accused are identified as Radhey Shyam, Salim, Laxmi Narayan and Kuldeep.

A case has been reportedly filed against the accused under POCSO Act and SC/ST Act. In addition, they have also been charged for murder, rape and criminal intimidation under sections 302, 376 and 506 of the IPC respectively.

DCP South West Ingit Pratap Singh, further said, “They received a PCR call on Sunday at around 10.30 pm at Delhi Cantonment police station regarding rape and death of a minor girl and her body being cremated. The caller also informed that around 200 villagers have gathered at the crematorium in Old Nangal.” “Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

FSL team and crime team were called to collect any evidence from the spot,” the DCP added. Police said the girl lived with her parents in a rented house near the crematorium.

Highway police to approach Lok Adalat; 81% traffic defaulters yet to pay e-challan dues

By
Afternoon Voice
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e-challan, highway police, police, lok adalat, e challan, mumbai traffic challan, traffic police
Highway police to approach Lok Adalat; 81% traffic defaulters yet to pay e-challan dues 5

Nearly Rs 98 crore due in e-challans issued in 10.31 lakh cases between 2019 and July 25 this year, the Highway Traffic Police have now determined to approach the Lok Adalat to recover the amount. The Highway Safety Patrol (HSP), also known as Highway Traffic.

Since 2019, when the force began the e-challan system, until July 25 this year, the HSP has used the e-challan system to book a total of 12,77,694 (or 12.77 lakh) motorists for violating traffic norms and 2,46,272 (or 2.46 lakh) motorists have paid their dues, that is 19 per cent people have paid their dues collectively, worth Rs 24.51 crore. The remaining 10.31 lakh motorists, which are 81 per cent, are yet to pay their dues, collectively worth Rs 98.52 crore.

Motorist Sandeep Sanke told Afternoon Voice ” most of the times these challans were falsely imposed because these collectors are not cops, but they want to throw their weight on people. Their approach towards people is like assigned extortionists.”

Police in Maharashtra, has 63 Traffic Aid Posts (TAP) across the state to regulate, monitor and control traffic on the highways. All the taps, consisting of officers and men, are empowered to enforce traffic rules and book the motorists for violating traffic norms.

Bhushankumar Upadhyay, additional director general (traffic), said “In order to recover the dues, we have the messages to defaulters on their registered mobile number. Police constables are also going to their residences to recover the dues. We will ask them to pay the fine else we will approach the court. We will send the report to the RTO as well, and the latter may take action like cancelling their licences”.

Patrolling officials said, “If the HSP comes across any motorists whose dues are pending, they initiate action against them. “We are also getting in touch with insurance companies requesting them to tell the motorists to pay their dues when they come for renewal of insurance,” the official said.

Every seventh suicide in the country last year took place in Maharashtra

By
Vaidehi Taman
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suicide cases, suicide, maharashtra suicide, suicide cases in maharashtra, children health, child mentality, mental health of children, child suicide, child suicide maharashtra
Every seventh suicide in the country last year took place in Maharashtra 7

Many mental health experts feel that underlying mental health issues are often sidelined when the cause of the death is being assessed. The capability and worthiness of a child are judged solely based on academic achievements and society, in general, is not open-minded enough to respect non-scholastic achievements. Such highly polarized judgmental opinions within the family can lead to dejection and the situation may appear to be insurmountable for some children, causing them to take the extreme step of committing suicide.

Every seventh suicide in the country last year took place in Maharashtra, which saw an over a 5% increase to 18,916 deaths from 17,972 in 2018. The number of suicides rose 4.7% in Mumbai, which is placed fourth among cities with 1,229 cases, according to NCRB’s 2019 report on ‘Accidental Deaths & Suicides in India’. Overall, suicides in India— often called the world’s suicide capital —increased 3.4% from 1.34 lakh in 2018 to 1.39 lakh, with Maharashtra reporting the most deaths (13.6%). Farmer suicides accounted for one-fifth of Maharashtra’s suicide tally. Last year, the state had the highest share (38.2%) in India’s farmer suicides, which marginally declined to 10,281 from 10,349 in 2018.

India is a vast country with a population of 1.37 billion. A remarkable observation to be made about suicide studies in India is that suicide rates and patterns differ a lot between different States and territories. Possible explanations for these differences may point to factors relevant to the causation of suicide. Of the total 1.39 lakh suicides recorded in the year 2019, roughly 93,016 or 67 per cent were committed by youngsters (aged 18+ and below 45). Of these, 31,725 (34 per cent) suicides happened because of family problems; marriage related issues drove 7,293 (7.3 per cent) people to suicide. Mental illness was a cause of suicide for 6,491 people or 7 per cent of the total suicide committed by youngsters. Drug abuse/alcoholic addiction drove 5,257 (5.6 per cent) to die by suicide and love affairs drove 4,919 (5.2 per cent) people to kill themselves.

 Most importantly, the incidence of suicide due to family problems and mental illness is quite high in males. During the COVID-19 lockdown, reports are pointing to an increase in alleged suicides. Lockdown reported 164 stories talking about around 140 suicides and about 24 attempted suicides.

A teen’s brain is rapidly growing connections that can have certain side effects and that is why a big number of mental disorders like anxiety and eating disorders all kick in during teen years. Teens go through an identity crisis as both the mind and body are changing. They are confused and trying to come to grips with who they are mentally as well as physically. And teens who do not have a healthy support system and coping skills often succumb to suicidal thoughts.

Children during their teen years develop a new sense of identity, new ideas regarding what they want to achieve in their lives. By the time the child reaches his teens, parents have formed solid notions of what the child’s day to day behaviour should be and what the child should achieve in his or her life. This is where disappointments kick in. India accounts for 17.8 per cent of all reported suicide cases. According to the National Crime Bureau, India reported 381 suicides daily for the year 2019.

Some of the most common risk factors include depression, being the victim of sexual abuse, physical abuse, addiction, bullying, marginalization due to sexual orientation, and a family history of suicide. Parents need to watch out for obvious signs of suicidal tendencies, including talk of suicide, social withdrawal, mood swings, drug use, changes in routine, self-destructive behaviour, severe anxiety, and personality changes. As a parent, it is always important to be aware of what is going on. They should have a non-judgmental attitude so the child can talk to them about issues freely. Be extremely aware of their changes and have empathy. Guide them and let them know that it is OK to not be OK. It is OK to feel down. Give them ample space to deal with their issues, while extending support throughout. There are times when the child may not be able to confide in parents, so take them to an expert.

 The purpose should be to help them wade through difficult situations and times. Parents have the constant urge to protect their kids from any pain or failure but these should ideally be seen as opportunities for learning. The parental role should be restricted to providing support and love, and the teen should be allowed to use his ability to resolve the issue. Suicide was the leading cause for over 300 “non-corona virus deaths” reported in India due to distress triggered by the nationwide lockdown, revealed a new set of data compiled by a group of researchers. The ongoing pandemic has affected people’s mental health majorly. This year’s theme is ‘Working together to prevent suicide.’

There has been a widespread surge in partner violence during the lockdown. Frontline workers like doctors, nurses, police officials are in dire need of psychological support. 47% of health workers expressed their need for psychological help in a study conducted by Pot loc Many health workers have already complained of a shortage of masks, PPE from various corners of India throughout the lockdown. Many have also reported cases of mistreatment encountered in their communities. Coping with this psychological stress has been quite hard, and many in India have chosen suicide as a way out of their grim reality. Later into the lockdown, there was a spike in the number of suicide cases due to financial distress (misemployment’s and income loss included). The initial phases of the lockdown saw a higher number of suicides from fear.

BDD chawls: Tenements of Mumbaikar for 117 years

By
Vaidehi Taman
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bdd chawl, bdd
BDD chawls: Tenements of Mumbaikar for 117 years 9

A large part of Mumbai’s outlook adds to its chawls, which could soon become history with the state government’s push for a revamp of these iconic structures of BDD chawls. These were in fact jails in the British era but later transformed into housing tenements for the working class. These chawls are spread over 92 acres of prime land in Mumbai and 195 chawls are spread over Worli, Naigaon, NM Joshi Marg plus a few in Sewree.

Chawls were first built in 1900, when the then British government encouraged many traders to set up textile mills here. These mills needed labour and the workers — mostly from the coastal Konkan region made to queue up for jobs here. In order to ensure houses for these labourers close to their mills, these residences were constructed in 100-200 square-feet areas by mill owners. Taking advantage of this situation, many landlords also constructed chawls as rent was a source of productive income for them.

 As Mumbai grew, the workers then started bringing their families to the city and lived with them in these chawls. The children were sent to municipal schools. Freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak started the Ganeshotsav festival from Keshavji Naik chawl in Girgaum with the whole aim of bringing people together. In the freedom movement, chawls played a vital role with many youngsters jumping into it.

BDD chawls are famous mostly in the area of Lower Parel. BDD is the “Bombay Development Department”. As of 2016, total 195 BDD Chawls located at Worli, Naigaon and N M Joshi (Parel) cover an area of 86.98 acre, with the Worli BDD chawls occupying the maximum area of 59.69 acre. Out of the 195 BDD chawls, the maximum of 121 chawls are in Worli. In all, there are 16203 tenements of which 2901 tenements have been earmarked for police housing.

These chawls had a large verandah as well as a big ground where children could play. In the night, adults would take a stroll in the compound, which also served as a meeting point for the residents. In these chawls, various festivals like Ganpati, Dahi Handi and Diwali were celebrated with enthusiasm. In case of weddings and functions, as people could not afford halls, a pandal used to be erected at the ground and the whole function used to take place there.

In case of a celebration at someone’s house, all the women in the chawls would come together and cook for the guests. The exchange of commodities like sugar, milk and other eatables is commonplace in these chawls. The chawl culture also played its role in Marathi literature and theatre. The ‘workers theatre’ also gifted a number of playwrights and actors to Marathi theatre. The ‘chawl culture’ has been portrayed in the works of several Marathi litterateurs like P L Deshpande. Socialist and leftist parties also got tremendous support from the tenants of these chawls for a few decades since the 1940s and 50s.

Few decades ago, Underworld mafias too had their control over these chawls. From freedom fighters to commoners and criminals everyone had room here. Currently more than 16,000 families stay here in 160-square-feet cramped houses with issues like ventilation and water. The Bombay Development Directorate Chawls were built by the British. After the British left, the chawls came under the jurisdiction of the state government and were handed over to the PWD department for maintenance.

When Shiv Sena was founded in 1966, the party attracted many youths from these chawls. Top leaders like Manohar Joshi, Vithal Chavan, Dattaji Nalawade, Wamanrao Mahadik and Suryakant Desai all trace their origins to these chawls. But, on January 18, 1982, the entire textile sector went on strike, which proved to be a death knell and the strike’s direct effect was borne by chawls. As the strike lingered on, many mill workers sold their houses and returned to their villages or went to the distant suburbs. Many unemployed youths began to get attracted to the underworld. Chawls like Dagdi Chawl at Byculla and 144 tenements at Chinchpokli gained notoriety as it became a recruitment place for gangsters.

There was always political upper hand by one or the other leader but these chawls are dedicated to the vote bank of Shiv Sena. BDD chawls pose to be money-spinning real-estate for builders. From the government’s point of view, chawls offer a great opportunity to offer affordable houses after rehabilitating the existing tenants. The chawls owned by landlords are also on the revamp radar, but now the recession in the real-estate market has slowed down the entire process.

In 2018 the then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that families of the police personnel living in BDD chawls will be given houses constructed by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA). Around 2,950 police families would have benefited from this decision. The decision was taken during the review meeting of progress on the redevelopment of the BDD chawls in the city. Fadnavis then directed the MHADA that once the houses are ready it should hand them over to the home department. The home department will prepare a policy to ascertain the eligibility of the candidates and then allot the redeveloped houses.

The families will be given redeveloped houses at the location they are currently residing at. The redeveloped houses will be of 500 sq. ft. But somehow the announcement was not executed and the lethargic approach of authorities delayed it further. However, there is no timeline defined by the government to hand over the redeveloped houses.

Finally, the much-awaited BDD chawl redevelopment project was kickstarted on Sunday as Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar jointly laid the foundation stone of the project.

BDD chawl to be redeveloped: Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar laid the foundation stone

By
Afternoon Voice
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bdd chawls, bdd chawl, redevelopment, uddhav thackeray, thackeray, aaditya, jitendra awhad, sharad pawar, worli, chawls in mumbai, bdd development
BDD chawl to be redeveloped: Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar laid the foundation stone 11

On a very emotional note and with humble speech Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar have laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of BDD Chawls. Housing minister Jitendra Awhad said that BDD Chawl Project is to be completed at the Worli site in 36 months which has been assured by Tata.

Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad and Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray met the BDD chawls residents and discussed with them the proposed redevelopment. A plot of the same size, accessible by a public road, has been approved by the NGO for relocation of the police playground in the same vicinity. The Maharashtra Housing Area Development Authority is the nodal agency for the project.

Nayana Kathpalia, co-founder, Citispace (which is now integrated with NGO Nagar) said “We had a zoom meeting with Mhada officials and lawyers. We have agreed to shift the playground /recreation ground to the same locality where the open space is available across public roads. We have specifically said there must be no access from the buildings as it is a BMC open space. We have also said the fencing must be spatial and not rehab buildings, police playground a concrete wall; the BMC’s logo and signs must be prominently displayed. No one should feel inhibited in accessing the ground,”.

The last time the bhoomipujan was performed was in 2017 and since then the project has simply lapsed. The Worli BDD chawls are part of Shiv Sena leader and environment minister Aaditya Thackeray’s assembly constituency and with civic polls slated for February 2022, this is a prestigious project for the party.

Mhada officials said work to lay the foundation for two permanent buildings will begin soon. BMC does not allow excavation in rains, but Mhada officials said they’ll use borewell machines for piling work.

“At Worli, 1,120 tenements in 14 chawls have been surveyed and 958 declared as ‘eligible’. The eligibility process is underway for others. Once completed, they will be shifted to transit buildings in the vicinity,” said a senior Mhada official.

Aaditya  Thackrey posted a tweet stating, ‘’Today took a round in BDD chawls. The redevelopment of BDD chawl at Worli, Naigaum and NM Joshi Marg will kickstart from August 1 in the presence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP President Sharad Pawar.’’

The Federation President and the state Congress spokesman Raju Waghmare said every chawls resident should get the permanent housing agreement on the lines of a slum dweller, the Public Work Department should conduct a survey to decide the eligibility and the government must do away with the condition of requirement of proof prior to 1996. Waghmare said after the redevelopment the residents must get facilities including playgrounds, gyms, halls, swimming pools and clinics. “The government must meet our demands, which we have been raising since 2015, on paper and then only we will accept the redevelopment,” he noted.

Photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was ‘brutally murdered’ by the Taliban, an expert report reveals

By
Afternoon Voice
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Image: AP

Indian Photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was not merely killed in a crossfire in Afghanistan’s Kandahar but was ”brutally murdered” by the Taliban after verifying his identity, according to a report published in a US-based magazine.

Siddiqui a photojournalist working with Reuters was murdered while documenting confrontations between Afghan security forces and the Taliban in Kandahar’s Spin Boldak region.

According to the Washington Examiner report, Siddiqui travelled with an Afghan National Army team to the Spin Boldak region to cover fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban to control the lucrative border crossing with Pakistan.

When they got to within one-third of a mile of the customs post, a Taliban attack split the team, with the commander and a few men separated from Siddiqui, who remained with three other Afghan troops.

During this assault, the shrapnel hit Siddiqui, and so he and his team went to a local mosque where he received first aid. As word spread, however, that a journalist was in the mosque, the Taliban attacked.

According to Rubin, local research indicates that the Taliban assaulted the mosque solely because of Siddiqui’s presence there.

“Siddiqui was alive when the Taliban captured him. The Taliban verified Siddiqui’s identity and then executed him, as well as those with him. The commander and the remainder of his team died as they tried to rescue him,” he wrote.

“While a widely circulated public photograph shows Siddiqui’s face recognizable, I reviewed other photographs and a video of Siddiqui’s body provided to me by a source in the Indian government that show the Taliban beat Siddiqui around the head and then riddled his body with bullets,” wrote the writer Micheal Rubin, who is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

The Taliban’s decision to hunt down, execute Siddiqui, and then mutilate his corpse shows that they do not respect the rules of war or conventions that govern the behaviour of the global community, the report said.

Siddiqui was laid to rest at the Jamia Millia Islamia graveyard where a sea of mourners gathered to pay their last respects.

NAI general secretary Vipin Gaur meets Uttarakhand CM Dhami to demand provision for journalists

By
Web Team
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NAI general secretary Vipin Gaur meets Uttarakhand CM Dhami to demand provision for journalists 14

Vipin Gaur the General Secretary of Newspapers Association of India on Friday met Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Dhami to demand provisions for journalists working in the state.

Pushkar Dhami Chief Minister Uttarakhand has given full assurance that every effort will be made by the government for the interest of journalists in the state of Uttarakhand. Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami organized an immediate meeting with the Director-General of Information Ranveer Singh to Vipin Gaur. Ranveer Singh made some demands. Assured to implement it in the state at the earliest.

The demands were made that, State pension scheme should be implemented by the state government for the working journalists in the state of Uttarakhand. Accidental safety cover policy should be given to journalists in the state of Uttarakhand so that in case of any accident with a journalist, his family can be helped by the policy so that the injured journalist can be treated in any private hospital. Journalists Protection Act should be made in the state of Uttarakhand so that the incidents of atrocities on journalists can be stopped.

Advertisement policy should also be made for small and medium newspapers in the state of Uttarakhand so that all small and medium newspapers get advertisements and they should be helped by the government in running their newspapers.

(SIT) to probe Param Bir Singh and CBI raids Anil Deshmukh; Blame game still continues

By
Afternoon Voice
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anil deshmukh, param bir singh, param bir, deshmukh, cbi, mumbai police, high court, mansukh hiran, ed, ed raid
(SIT) to probe Param Bir Singh and CBI raids Anil Deshmukh; Blame game still continues 16

Mumbai Police have formed a special investigation team to probe the two first information reports linked to former Mumbai Police commissioner (CP) Param Bir Singh and others. The SIT will probe two FIRs, one of which is registered at the Marine Drive police station against Singh, a crime branch deputy commissioner of police (DCP) and five other policemen, by a Bhayander-based builder Shyamsunder Agrawal alleging Rs 15 crores, extortion by Singh and his subordinate officers.

Since senior police officers and some powerful and influential people are linked to the case, an SIT would ensure a transparent, fair and time-bound investigation. The SIT will directly report to CP Mumbai Hemant Nagrale and joint CP, law and order, Vishwas Nangre Patil, told police officers.

The other is the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) case registered by the Juhu police against Agrawal for his alleged links with the underworld gangster Chhota Shakeel. Agrawal had alleged that based on this false case, Singh and his subordinates extorted money from him at the behest of his former business partner Sanjay Punamiya, who is presently in the custody of Marine Drive police.

Meanwhile, in former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh’s case, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has conducted searches at 12 locations, including Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Sangli and Ahmednagar, in connection with the probe into the alleged corruption case against him.

The CBI raids have come three days before the Supreme Court is due to hear Deshmukh’s petition requesting a fair investigation in the case. The CBI, sources said, has also searched the premises of a few police officers, including ASP Sanjay Patil and DSP Raju Bhujbal and a few middlemen on July 27, in connection with its case against Deshmukh.

On March 20, Parambir Singh in an eight-page letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleged that Deshmukh had asked now-suspended API Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month, including Rs 40-50 crore, from 1,750 bars and restaurants in Mumbai. Waze is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in the Ambani house bomb scare and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

Basavaraj Bommai good choice as Karnataka Chief Minister

By
Vaidehi Taman
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Basavaraj Bommai, Bommai, Karnataka, CM, Chief Minister Karnataka, Yediyurappa, BJP
Basavaraj Bommai good choice as Karnataka Chief Minister 18

Basavaraj Bommai, senior citizen but fitter new Chief Minister a BE Mechanical Engineer, keeps a low profile. He fluently speaks three languages including Hindi and so far is non-controversial. A close aide of BS Yediyurappa and former state Home Minister, Bommai comes from a political family but he is trained as a mechanical engineer. Bommai belongs to the powerful Lingayat community, like his predecessor Yediyurappa. He was first elected to the Karnataka Legislative Council in 1998. Quit the Janata Dal and joined the BJP in 2008.

Basavraj’s father S.R. Bommai became Chief Minister of Karnataka on 13 August 1988 and his government was dismissed under Article 356 of the Indian Constitution where the President’s Rule was imposed on the grounds that the incumbent government does not have a majority due to the defection of a large number of MLAs.

SR Bommai sought the permission of the then Governor to prove his majority but the same was not provided to him and therefore, he moved to the High Court against the decision of the Governor. The High Court dismissed his petition and therefore he was compelled to approach the Supreme Court of India.

Article 356 of the Indian Constitution is one of the essential provisions of the Constitution which deals with centre-state relations. It allows the Central Government; to take control of the state if a situation has arisen in which the State government machinery cannot be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. In the above case, the court laid down the guideline for the use (alleged misuse) of Article 356 of the Indian Constitution.

The court said that the Proclamation of Emergency was subject to judicial review to the extent of examining whether the conditions precedent to the issuance of the Proclamation had been satisfied or not. The examination would necessarily involve the scrutiny as to whether there existed material for the satisfaction of the President that a situation had arisen in which the Government of the State could not be carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

Secondly, the court said that the Court had the power to overrule the Proclamation issued by the President whether it was approved by Parliament or not and which meant that the courts also had the power to restore the status quo.

In 1983, Sarkaria Commission was constituted to look into the Centre-State Relations and the Commission had suggested that Article 356 must be used only in extreme cases, as a measure of last resort where all other alternatives have been exhausted or fail to prevent or rectify a breakdown of constitutional machinery in the States, which was also what the intention of the Constitution framers all along.

The court supported the finding of the Sarkaria Commission and said that the warning must be issued to the errant State that it is not carrying on the government of the State in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. The court set aside the findings of the Karnataka High Court and restored the dismissed state government of Karnataka declaring that the proclamation issued in the state was unconstitutional.

He died on 10 October 2007 at the age of 84. His one son, M.S.Bommai was an industrialist in Bangalore, and the other son Basavaraj Bommai inherited his political legacy and went on to become the Chief Minister of Karnataka in 2021 at the age of 61. It is the second instance of a father-son duo becoming Chief Minister of Karnataka, after H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy.

Dealing with Yediyurappa is like walking on the rope. Remember what happened with D V Sadananda Gowda, who was also installed as CM by Yediyurappa. Bommai, who started his political career with the Janata Dal, was seen working as Yediyurappa’s shadow in the just-dissolved BJP government, following the outgoing Chief Minister at the meetings, events and press briefings, and assisting him.

With the resignation of B. S. Yediyurappa as the chief minister, there was a void in the BJP Karnataka. The central observers Dharmendra Pradhan and G. Kishan Reddy were sent by the union leaders to carry out the selection of the legislative party leader. On 27 July 2021, the former Home Minister in Yediyurappa’s cabinet, Basavaraj Bommai was elected the successor of Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa.

On 28 July 2021, he was sworn in as the 23rd Chief Minister of Karnataka, becoming the fourth chief minister from the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state. On his first-ever day as the Chief Minister, after the cabinet meeting, he announced scholarships for higher education to farmers’ children. He also increased the pensions of widows, physically challenged and senior citizens of the state. It was a good beginning but no one knows how long he will sustain in power.

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