1. No Casualty in Scindia House Fire, Crucial Files May Be Lost
Fire brigade takes over three hours to tame the blaze at Income Tax office, where sensitive documents related to several high-profile tax evasion cases are stored.
A fire broke out at Scindia House, where the offices of the investigation wing of Income Tax (I-T) department and the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) are located, in Fort area on Friday evening, sparking fears that crucial documents in high-profile tax evasion cases could be lost. The department is also probing the Nirav Modi tax evasion case.
Fortunately enough, there was no casualty in the incident, even though no less than 400 people work in the building at Ballard Estate. Five DRT employees, who tried to salvage some important documents and got stuck, took refuge on the terrace and were rescued by the fire brigade. They were taken to St George’s hospital and discharged soon thereafter.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
2. WR Drive to Check Passengers Travelling With Excess Baggage
To keep a check on rising instances of passengers carrying excess luggage in trains, especially in reserved coaches, the Western Railway will conduct a special drive from June 8 to 22.
As a precursor, the Railways have already started an education and awareness drive among passengers about the maximum permissible quantity of luggage they may carry in trains, and the rules regarding excess or uncooked luggage.
A WR officer said each passenger is allowed a free allowance of luggage that may be carried in compartments. The allowance varies for different classes. There is a maximum ceiling on the luggage that can be carried in each class.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
3. Sheena Bora Murder Case: Indrani’s Ex-secretary Admits She Created Deceased’s Email ID
Indrani Mukerjea’s ex-secretary Kajal Sharma, on Thursday, confessed before a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court that in 2012, she had created an email ID in Sheena Bora’s name, much after Sheena was purportedly killed and her body disposed of in forest areas of Raigad district.
Sharma was being cross-examined by former media baron Peter Mukerjea’s lawyer, Shrikant Shivde.
Sharma said that although she did not recollect the dates, “it was sometime between June and July 2012” when she had created the ID.
She had initially refused to practice forging Sheena’s signature because she did not know her. Sharma also said that had not met Sheena, but had learnt of her existence while working at INX Media as Indrani’s secretary.
Source: Hindustan Times
4. Mumbai Transgender Assaulted by Thane MNS Workers Attempts Suicide
A 23-year-old transgender, who was assaulted in Thane on Sunday by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers, is in hospital after she attempted suicide by consuming some medicines and a cleaning agent.
The Govandi resident, who was hospitalised on Tuesday night, said she got upset and depressed after watching photos and videos of the assault, which went viral on social media.
MNS workers said they had assaulted three transgenders as they were involved in prostitution. The 23-year-old refuted the allegations, and said that she was, in fact, a social worker attached to Akhil Kinnar Association, a group that represents transgenders and eunuchs. “I didn’t go there as a sex worker, I work as a social activist and had gone there to hand out condoms to those who work there.”
Source: Hindustan Times
5. In Byculla, 10 Hurt As Drug Peddlers Attack Residents: Cops
Mumbai police on Friday registered a case against 10 unknown Nigerian drug peddlers for allegedly attacking residents of Ekta Nagar in Byculla.
Irked with police inaction against the drug peddlers, residents in the area decided to take on themselves to stop the ongoing menace, sources said. On Thursday, around 50 to 60 residents blocked the foot overbridge leading to the railway tracks, where the peddlers would usually wait for the buyers.
Owing to the vigil, the buyers allegedly refrained from approaching the peddlers, sources said. In the wee hours on Friday, sensing something amiss, the peddlers came out in the area to check, only to find the residents had blocked the overbridge. They then allegedly attacked the residents by hurling stones at them, the police said.
Source: The Indian Express
6. Teacher Arrested for Sodomising 12-year-old Student, Say Police
A 32-year-old teacher from a Mumbra coaching centre was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly sodomising a 12-year-old student. He has been booked under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) 2012.
The victim’s mother in her complaint has alleged that two more people are involved in the crime and that two other students were victimised by the accused. Police are investigating the allegations.
The coaching centre is run by the wife of the accused. Senior inspector of Mumbra police station Kishor Pasalkar said, “We have arrested the teacher on allegations of sodomising a 12-year-old boy who came to study at the coaching classes. He was arrested on the charges of unnatural offences and those under POCSO.”
Source: The Indian Express
7. Work on Mumbai Pipelines to Go on Through the Monsoon
While the civic body’s unfilled potholes and dirty stormwater drains lead to trouble every monsoon, there’s one more cause this year – work on the 24x7 water supply project. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plans to continue work on water pipelines in Bandra, Santacruz, Khar (West) and Mulund through the monsoon to complete the delayed project.
Past several deadlines, the civic body is pushing to complete its water distribution and improvement project (WDIP) in H/West (Bandra and adjoining areas) and T (Mulund) wards since 2014. According to BMC’s special engineering department, the project is expected to be completed around August 15.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
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