1. State Revokes Ban on Pan Masala
Four years after the state imposed a ban on sale, purchase and storage of pan masala, thereby becoming the first in the country to do so, it has revoked the landmark decision. A notification issued by the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on July 17 lifted the ban on sale of flavoured supari (without tobacco) in the state.
"Studies conducted by the WHO and others in India have proven beyond doubt that pan masala causes serious health hazards including mouth and throat cancer. We have been submitting these research materials to the FDA for the last 5 years. The sudden decision to revoke the ban is frankly shocking," said Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, head and neck department, Tata Memorial Hospital.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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2. Collector Admits to EVM Malfunction in RTI Reply
Despite claims to the contrary by the Election Commission of India (EC), a concrete instance of an electronic voting machine (EVM) "malfunction" in Maharashtra has been conclusively established, information obtained under RTI revealed on Saturday.
The EVM fraud concerns the recently held elections of Buldhana Zilla Parishad from Lonar, at a polling station in Sultanpur village of the district, said RTI activist Anil Galgali.
"Every time the voter pressed a symbol of Coconut, allotted to a candidate, the LED lamp of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Lotus used to flash. This was reported to the District Collector by the Returning Officer (RO) in his inquiry report and furnished under an RTI query," said Galgali.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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3. Freedom for 5,000 Undertrials in Jail for Petty Offences
The Maharashtra government has asked the police to make arrangements to get over 5000 undertrials, arrested for petty offences, out of jails, as the state makes its first concerted attempt to decongest prisons.
The state has also asked the police department to organise required help for around 700 undertrials who have been granted bail but continue to languish in jail because they are too poor to raise the surety amount.
The instructions come close on the heels of a riot at the Byculla women’s prison earlier this month that left six jail wardens injured. The violent protest was triggered by the death of a fellow prisoner who was allegedly beaten up by the staff, but had at its heart the inmates’ long-pending complaints over lack of basic amenities at the overcrowded jail.
The decision to release the undertrials was taken at a meeting called by Additional Chief Secretary (home) S K Shrivastava on Thursday. Top officers like Principal Secretary, jails, Shree Kant Singh; Additional Director General of Police, jails, B K Upadhyay; Additional Director General of Police Prabhat Kumar; and Additional Commissioner of Police SJayakumar were in attendance.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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4. Faced With Demolition, Mumbai Homeowners Prepare for Legal Battle
Seventy-four-year-old Ratnaprabha Joshi has been spending sleepless nights for a month now. Ever since she received a notice from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in June, informing her of an impending partial demolition of her building in 60 days’ time, the retired yoga teacher constantly fears she will lose her home.
We have not violated any rules. We have No Objection Certificates and our building comes under the permissible height. But even then we have received the notice. I can’t sleep thinking about losing our homes. Ours is a two-storey building, everyone is like a family member here. If an entire floor is demolished, what do we do?Ratnaprabha Joshi, Resident at Sadhna building in Santacruz
5. Raj Thackeray: 'Why Is the Centre Imposing Hindi?'
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray said that the centre was trying to impose Hindi in all the states and he did not understand why it was being done and for whom. Thackeray was speaking at a function organised by a television channel on Saturday.
Citing a state government decision to publish its mouthpiece in Hindi and Gujarati, he said that Hindi is not the country's national language and asked what the need was for every state to learn it.
Raj also said that his father could speak and write excellent Hindi and Urdu, and he is not opposed to the language. "I am not against Hindi, but against imposition of Hindi," he said.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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6. Powai Sodomy: 13-Year-Old Slips Into Coma, May Need a Liver Transplant
The 13-year-old boy from Powai who consumed rat poison on July 13 because he had been sodomised slipped into a coma on Saturday morning, shrinking the possibility of his statement being recorded by the police, who are trying to find out if his 11-year-old friend, who died the same night the teenager attempted suicide, was also assaulted.
The boy, admitted at the intensive care unit of KEM Hospital in Parel, is currently on life support and may needs a liver transplant, doctors treating him said.
The forensic expert who examined his case told the Powai police that he had been sexually assaulted several times over the span of many days, which has led to sepsis.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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7. Mumbai: 2-Year-Old Dies in Leopard Attack at Aarey Milk Colony
Two-year-old Vihan Nilesh Garuda, died after a leopard attacked the infant at Film City, Aarey Milk Colony on Saturday evening. The incident took place around 5.30 pm.
The deceased's family, which comprised of about 8-10 people had come from Palghar to visit their relatives at Aarey Milk Colony. The leopard suddenly attacked the child near the Film City helipad and carried the toddler into the jungle.
The child's kin began shouting for help and followed the leopard after which the beast dropped the baby and fled.
He was taken to the Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
A case has been registered with the Aarey police station, who will be conducting an investigation in the matter.
(Source: Mid-Day)
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8. Freedom Fighter, Ex-Minister Shivajirao Patil Dies at 92
Congress leader, freedom fighter and former Maharashtra Minister Shivajirao Girdhar Patil, who was father of late National Award winning actress Smita Patil, died at a private hospital in Mumbai on Saturday. He was 92.
A widower, Patil's wife had died in 2015 after 77 years of marriage. He is survived by two daughters, Anita Deshmukh and Manya Seth and grandson, Bollywood actor Pratiek Babbar - the son of Smita who had died in 1986.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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9. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Be Felicitated at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne Awards
Adding another glorious feather to her hat, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be honoured at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), Australia's biggest annual celebration of Indian cinema.
Celebrating 'India at 70!' as a part of the festival's celebration of Indian cinema, Aishwarya will be hoisting the Indian national flag at Melbourne's iconic Federation Square. She will be the first Indian woman to do so. In addition, the actress will also be felicitated by the government at the Westpac IFFM Awards night on August 11, for her contribution to global cinema.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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