1. Former Gujarat Minister Takes Swipe at New RBI Governor
A former minister in Narendra Modi’s government in Gujarat, Jaynarayan Vyas took a dig at the educational qualification of the newly appointed RBI Governor, Shaktikanta Das. Vyas took to Twitter where he said that the RBI Governor’s highest educational qualification is MA in History.
He said in his Tweet, “Hope and pray he doesn’t make RBI also history, May God bless the new arrival.” Vyas who lost the 2012 and 2017 Assembly elections in the present party in-charge of the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat.
Vyas further elaborated on his tweet and said that RBI has a rich tradition of appointing reputed economists such as C Rangarajan, Raghuram Rajan and Urjit Patel, and that the new role will be challenging for Shaktikanta Das.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. RDX for Blasts in Gujarat Was to Come Through Alang
The Gujarat Police is concerned about ships that are brought to Alang Ship-Breaking Yard without proper verification. Their fears became real during the interrogation of two suspected terrorists by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which revealed that a consignment of RDX was being sent to Alang in a ship meant to be broken into scrap.
The police have said that the arrested men – Faizal Hussain Mirza and Allarakha Mansuri – have confessed of planning blasts in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. In 2017, the Coast Guard apprehended the ship MV Hennry which was on route to Alang and was carrying 1.5 tonnes of Heroin.
According to police sources, it was mandatory for a ship owner to inform the Gujarat Maritime Board 30 days in advance before dismantling a ship, now the time period has been shortened to 7 days.
(Source: The Times of India)
3. Alleged Charas Supplier Arrested
Sleuths from the Gujarat Crime Branch arrested Mohammed Ashraf Reshi of Astan Mohalla Village in Shopian District of Jammu and Kashmir for allegedly supplying Charas to smugglers and peddlers in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.
Earlier in September a CBI team had seized 22kg of Charas worth Rs 3.29 from two drug mules. Their interrogation revealed the source of the Charas in Kashmir. According to Crime Branch ACP Bharatsinh Gohil, a team was sent to Kashmir to nab Ashraf with the help local police.
According to sources in the Crime Branch, Ashraf was previously booked twice by Chiloda police for drug trafficking.
(source: The Times of India)
4. SC Orders Release of Key Accused in Bijal Joshi Rape Case
The Supreme Court on Wednesday, 12 December, ordered the jail administration to release Delhi-based businessman, Sajal Jain a convict in the controversial gang rape case of 24-year-old Bijal Joshi on the New Year’s Eve of 2003.
Partly allowing Jain’s appeal against his conviction, the apex court ordered to consider his 14 years imprisonment as under going life term and set him free. Jain had challenged the Gujarat High Court verdict which upheld a sessions courts judgement.
On New Year’s Eve of 2003, Bijal met Sajan with who she was having an extra marital affair with, at Ashok Palace Hotel in Shahibaug. There Sajan and four of his friends spiked Bijal’s drink and raped her one by one in the hotel room.
They later abandoned her in a car and called her sister early next morning to pick her up. The HC upheld that the FIR lodged by Bijal can be considered as her dying declaration.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. Town Made Famous by Statue of Unity to Get a Railway Station
Kevadiya, a small town with a population of 6,788 people and just 3.5 km from the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, is all set to get its own railway station. President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are slated to lay the foundation stone for the same on 15 December.
The Statue of Unity of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel is located in Gujarat's Narmada district and to reach it, one has to reach Kevadiya first. Currently, there is no direct air or train connectivity to Kevadiya. The nearest stations to Kevadiya are Vadodara (71.94 km), Bharuch (75.36 km) and Ankleshwar (77.95 km).
"This area is plagued by connectivity issues and we needed to address that. This will be a modern railway station and will see huge footfall. Other than a boost in tourism, the project will lead to development in the area, create employment among other things," a source said.
(Source: PTI)
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