Dalit Protest: Ambedkar Gives CM 7 Days To Arrest Bhide
Prakash Ambedkar on Monday issued an ultimatum to the Devendra Fadnavis government that controversial right-wing leader Sambhaji Bhide should be arrested for the Koregaon Bhima violence within a week, as hundreds of Dalits marched in south Mumbai and thousands protested at Azad Maidan.
The march, which began from Byculla zoo and ended at Azad Maidan, and the police’s security measures affected traffic for over two hours and many schoolchildren were seen walking on the road as their buses remained stuck in gridlock. Students who live in societies near Lalbaug flyover had to walk up to 4 km to reach their schools in Byculla.
The main protest, Elgar Morcha, took place at Azad Maidan. While the police said around 15,000 protesters assembled there, the organisers claimed the figure was around 40,000. Addressing the rally, Ambedkar, who heads the Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, claimed the government was treating Bhide like its sonin-law and dragged Narendra Modi into the row by alleging the prime minister was shielding him.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
Abducted From Nalasopara, 5-Year-Old Found Dead In Gujarat
A 5-year-old girl, who was kidnapped from Nalasopara on Saturday night, was found dead in a toilet at Navsari railway station in Gujarat on Sunday. Prima facie, the police believe the girl was strangled to death but they are awaiting the post-mortem report to determine cause of death. Based on CCTV footage, a sketch of the accused woman has been prepared.
On Saturday, at around 8 pm, the child, a Sr KG student, was playing with her friends near her house. Her father, an autorickshaw driver, was at work while her mother was in the kitchen making dinner. After a while when the girl didn’t return home, her parents got worried. They launched a manhunt along with their neighbours to search for her. After a few hours of searching in vain, they lodged a missing complaint with the Tulinj police. Initially, the cops registered a case under IPC Section 363 (kidnapping) against unknown persons but later added additional sections including that of murder.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
‘Anti-Homeless’ Spikes Outside Bank Evoke Sharp Criticism
Metal spikes installed outside HDFC Bank’s Fort branch, to stop the homeless from sitting or sleeping there, drew a barrage of criticism yesterday. After being lambasted on social media, the bank admitted that it was insensitive and promised to remove the spikes.
According to local residents, the sharp metal spikes, over three inches tall, which pose a danger to passers-by as well, were installed last week soon after the bank on Nanik Motwani Marg was renovated.
While the BMC claimed that the spikes were not entirely illegal since they were not installed on the footpath, officials said that they could pose a danger to the public at large. “We will conduct a site inspection and if the spikes are posing a danger to people, then we will issue a notice to the bank. They have not taken any specific permission from us to install the spikes since it is fitted on their building and not on the footpath,” said Kiran Dighavkar, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, A Ward.
Photographs posted on Twitter by Simon Mundy, a journalist with Financial Times, led to outrage on social media with many accusing the bank of being insensitive to homeless people who sleep on pavements and open spaces. Mundy said that he first noticed the spikes on Sunday afternoon.
“It reminded me of ‘defensive architecture’ installed in London to prevent homeless people from sleeping outside commercial premises, which attracted a great deal of public controversy. I noted however that the spikes outside this HDFC Bank branch were far longer and sharper than those I had seen photographed in the UK, and could cause grave injury to anyone who fell on them – there appeared a particular risk of this happening since the passageway outside the branch is narrow and crowded,” Mundy said.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
Thane Crime: Three Persons Kill 25-Year-Old Man Over Love Affair, Arrested
Three persons were arrested for allegedly killing a 25-year-old man as he was in a relationship with the sister of the one of the accused, police saidon Monday.
The body of Rashid Fakir Khan, a resident of Nalpada locality in Thane, was found on Sunday afternoon with police also recovering a PAN card and a woman's photograph from his person, officials said. The woman was traced and it was found that the victim was in love with her but the relationship was opposed by her family, officials said.
"Her brother, and two others, killed Khan. We have registered a case of murder against the three at Chitalsar police station. They have been remanded in police custody till March 31. Investigations are underway," said Sunil Lokhande, Deputy Commissioner of Police. Zone V. Police identified the three accused as Arshad Abdul Hasan Khan (21), Vivek Yadav (22) and Ratanlal Sonuraj Yadav (26).
(Source: Mid-Day)
Fire Breaks Out At Mumbai’s Deonar Dumping Ground, As Temperature Soars
As Mumbai reeled under a heat wave, fire broke out in the city’s largest landfill site at Deonar on Monday afternoon.
After smoke was spotted inside the dumping ground at 3.30pm, six fire tenders and three water tankers were rushed to the spot. Officials from the civic body’s disaster management cell called it a level two fire, which means it is not a major blaze. The fire is not spreading, officials said, adding that fire-fighting operations are underway.
This is not the first time that Deonar dumping ground, which holds 12 million tonnes of waste, has caught fire. A major fire broke out in February 2015, which was put out only after 10 days of fire-fighting operations. Since then every year, between January and March, several incidents of fire have been reported on the site. In 2016, the January-February period saw 11 fire incidents.
(Source: Indian Express)
Mumbai Crime: Professor Allegedly Demands Kiss From Student For Extra Marks, Detained
In a shocking incident, a professor working in a junior college is alleged to have demanded a kiss from a 17-year-old female student, in exchange for giving her extra marks. Based on a complaint filed against the incident, Ghatkopar police detained the accused on Saturday.
The teenage student narrated the incident to her family members, who in turn lodged a protest at the Pant Nagar police station. A report in the Hindustan Times quotes senior police inspector of Pant Nagar police station, Rohini Kale, as having stated, "The accused demanded a kiss from the girl to increase her marks in an exam. We have registered a case against the professor, and he is being questioned further."
While the incident is reported to have occured on March 8th, the complaint was registered only on 24th March. A case has been registered against the professor under sections of the Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Act, as well as, under section 354 A of the Indian Penal Code.
(Source: Mid-Day)
Mumbai: HC Raps Police, Officials Over Endangering Lives Of Tenants
Two days after upbraiding landlords of a south Mumbai building on Princess Street for endangering the lives of 50 residential tenants through unauthorised work, the Bombay high court on Monday lashed out at police and housing board officials for their tardy approach despite receiving complaints from tenants.
“Despite a first information report (FIR) being registered days ago, why has there been no probe? No statements have been recorded either,’’ said Justice S J Kathawalla who had sought the presence of senior inspector, LT Marg police station, and deputy police commissioner, Zone II, and other high ranking officials from the housing and civic authority, in court.
Rusi Postwalla, 82, Bapsy Davierwala, 78 and 16 other tenants of Bhatia Society building - also known as Sitaram Sadan - had moved the HC against Shailesh Agarwal and three other landlords, as well as Mumbai Repair Board after cracks appeared in the building on March 16.
On March 22, the Repair Board expressed its inability to help the tenants and asked them to vacate the premises as safety precaution. On March 23, “virtually dishoused” tenants lodged a criminal case with LT Marg police station over the damage and risk caused.
(Source: Times of India)
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