1. Surat Police Fire Tear Gas on Agitating Workers
Surat Police had to resort to lathi charge and fired tear gas shells in the Pandesara area of Surat on Friday, 12 July, to control the agitating factory workers protesting the death of a colleague.
As per police officials, a labourer, identified as Dayaram Goda (45), died of electrocution while working in the factory in Bamroli industrial area on Thursday night (11 July). The family members of the deceased were kept in dark by the factory authorities till Friday morning.
Over 500 workers gathered outside the factory in protest and demanded compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the family of the deceased. The situation got worse when the protestors started vandalising the vehicle which was carrying the body and denied releasing the vehicle till the demand is fulfilled.
(Source: DNA)
2. Beggar Gang Busted: 17 Children Rescued by Ahmedabad Mahila Crime Branch
A beggar gang fleecing kind-hearted souls in the city was busted late on Wednesday night, (10 July). Mahila Crime Branch arrested a couple from the Vatva area for torturing and forcing children to beg and steal in different areas of the city. Seventeen children, including five boys and 12 girls, were rescued from their custody.
The arrested couple identified as Aanadi Salat and Sampat Mudaliyar were residents of Manavnagar society in Vatva. Three of Aanadi's sons — Unish Salat, Betab Salat and a minor — have also been booked in the case.
Late on Wednesday night, six teams of Mahila Crime Branch raided a house in Manavnagar society in Vatva and arrested the couple. While 17 children were rescued from the house, one managed to escape.
(Source: DNA)
2. Rahul Pleads Not Guilty in Defamation Case by Ahmedabad Bank, Gets Bail
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was Friday granted bail by a court here after he pleaded not guilty in a criminal defamation suit filed by Ahmedabad District Cooperative Bank, in which Union Home Minister Amit Shah is one of the directors, and its chairman Ajay Patel.
The defamation suit was filed by the bank against Gandhi after he alleged that it had swapped Rs 750 crore in scrapped currency with valid notes within five days of announcement of demonetisation on November 8, 2016.
Gandhi Friday appeared before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate N B Munshi and he pleaded not guilty for the charges levelled against him. The court granted him bail on a personal bond and surety of Rs 15,000 each. It will next hear the case on September 7.
The defamation suit was filed last year following a tweet by the Congress leader.
ADC Bank and Patel dragged Gandhi to court saying he had levelled "false and defamatory allegations".
(Source: Times of India)
4. Gujarat MLAs' Speech in House Goes Viral, Speaker Disapproves
The Gujarat Assembly Speaker Rajendra Trivedi on Friday, 12 July, took serious note of the fact that the speeches of the MLAs in the House were doing the rounds of the social media. The matter came to light after BJP MLA Naresh Patel made an oral complaint with the Speaker about the same.
Several videos of MLAs giving speech in the House had been allegedly recorded from the television in the Assembly building offices. They went viral on social media garnering both praises and criticism.
Patel made an oral complaint to Trivedi who asked him to give a written application. The Speaker also said that if true it was a breach of privilege and said that if needed a police complaint will also be made and action taken against those responsible for violating the privileges.
(Source: DNA)
5. Over 10,000 km of Narmada Canals yet to Be Built: Gujarat Govt
Canals with a cumulative length of 10,795.81 kms are yet to be constructed as part of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Project, the Gujarat government admitted in the Legislative Assembly on Friday.
Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel, who handles the Narmada portfolio, gave this information while replying to a set of written queries raised by Congress MLAs on the status of the canal network of the project during the Question Hour of the ongoing Budget session here.
In his written reply, Patel said that out of the total approved length of around 71,200 kms, canals with a cumulative length of 10,795.81 kms were yet to be built.
(Source: Business Standard)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)