Mumbai, Dec 23: Upset over his exclusion from the cabinet, a veteran NCP leader and Samata Parishad founder Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and discussed the growing resentment in the OBCs especially after he was denied a ministerial berth.

Bhujbal had earlier created a stir by making a statement — “Jaha Nahi Chaina, Vahan Nahi Rehna (There is no point in staying where there is no comfort)”. On Monday, he said, “I have told Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis everything that has been happening after December 15. He has asked me for 8 to 10 days. The Chief Minister has said he is aware that the OBC community is upset and that he would definitely think about addressing their resentment and dissatisfaction.”

“Sameer Bhujbal (his nephew) and I both met the Chief Minister. We discussed many issues, including social and political issues with him. We discussed everything that happened and what was going on. The CM told me that he saw and heard many things in the media. He further stated that the OBC community has a big role in the victory of the Mahayuti in the recently held Assembly election and we should thank everyone for that. Keeping this in mind, he said I am also concerned that the OBCs will not be harmed under any circumstances,” said Bhujbal.

“Currently, there are holidays due to festivals, there is a different atmosphere in the state. Therefore, the CM has assured me to discuss later and find a way out,” said Bhujbal who has repeatedly questioned the decision by Ajit Pawar and Tatkare to deny him a ministerial berth without taking him into confidence.

“The CM told me to give him 8 to 10 days and after that, we will meet again. He also asked me to tell the OBC leaders to discuss the pros and cons of the present situation and meet again,” said Bhujbal. He reiterated that “I have told the Chief Minister everything. He has understood the entire issue saying that OBCs are upset and he is also worried about it.”

To a question whether he would leave the NCP and join the BJP, he said, “I have said everything I wanted to say to the chief minister. I will not say anything more on this.”

Meanwhile, in his reaction after Bhujbal’s exclusion from the cabinet and his latest meeting with CM Fadnavis, NCP chief and Dy CM Ajit Pawar in Pune, said, “It is our internal issue, we will address it internally.”

Bhujbal meeting the CM, the first after he was dropped from the cabinet expansion held on December 15, is important especially as the OBC organisations, including Samata Parishad, have started organising protests and meetings across the state against his exclusion. The meeting is also to send a strong signal to NCP president and Dy CM Ajit Pawar that he may be down but certainly out. After his exclusion from the cabinet, Bhujbal has not met Ajit Pawar neither the latter nor the state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare had interacted with him in person or through phone.

Bhujbal has already denied the party’s offer to go to Rajya Sabha after resigning from the Assembly citing that it would be a betrayal of the Yevala constituency. He also claimed that the party neglected his request to field him in the Lok Sabha elections from Nashik constituency and for the Rajya Sabha elections.

Further, Bhujbal said he decided to contest the Assembly election after the party leadership told him that he was needed in the state. Bhujbal, who took on the pro-Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange, was expecting his induction into the cabinet.

New Delhi, Dec 23: The Delhi High Court is slated to deliver on Monday its judgment on anticipatory bail plea of sacked Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly submitted false OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) certificates and fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limits provided for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) by faking her identity.

As per the causelist published on the website of the Delhi HC, a bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh will pronounce its verdict on December 23.

Earlier on November 28, Justice Singh-led Bench reserved its decision after hearing both sides. It was then clarified that till the judgment is delivered, the interim relief granted earlier to Puja Khedkar shielding her from arrest will continue.

Asking Khedkar to cooperate with the investigation, the Delhi High Court, in an interim order passed on August 12, granted her protection from arrest.

Earlier, a court here had turned down her anticipatory bail plea and asked the investigating agency to find out if anyone from inside the UPSC had helped Khedkar.

Widening the scope of the probe, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala had asked Delhi Police to investigate if other people recommended by the UPSC have availed quota benefits without entitlement.

The Centre, on September 7, sacked Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, a month after the UPSC cancelled her selection in government service. Khedkar has been found guilty of faking and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits.

After cancelling her selection, the UPSC also barred her for life from taking the entrance exam after finding her guilty of faking her identity to take the exam multiple times.

In a status report submitted to the Delhi High Court, Delhi Police had contended that former Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Khedkar had submitted two separate disability certificates for her UPSC exam. The disability certificates dated 2018 and 2021 citing ‘multiple disabilities’ were purportedly issued by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital for her UPSC attempts made in 2022 and 2023.

However, as per Delhi Police’s status report, the hospital authorities had denied that the certificates claiming ‘multiple disabilities’ were issued to her by them. It was found that Khedkar availed relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities.

It then came to light that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, had property to the tune of Rs 40 crore and that she did not qualify for the non-creamy layer OBC quota.

The UPSC had said that its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) “could not detect her number of attempts primarily because she changed not only her name but also her parents’ names”.

The Delhi High Court also issued notice to Khedkar on an application filed by the UPSC alleging that she committed perjury by swearing a false affidavit and making a false statement in relation to her anticipatory bail plea.

In its application, the UPSC disputed that it did not collect any biometrics (eyes and fingerprints) during Khedkar’s personality test and she made a “false statement” regarding the collection of her biometrics for obtaining favourable orders.

Pune (Maharashtra), Dec 23: In a horrific incident, two toddlers and a man were crushed to death when a speeding dumper mowed nine pavement dwellers here on Monday.

The police said the incident happened around 1 a.m. at Wagholi near the Kesnand Phata when a dumper of a private company from Pune veered onto the footpath and ran over the people, all labourers sleeping in shanties there.

At least three persons, including two minors and another man, were killed instantly while six others were seriously injured in the mishap.

According to preliminary information, the dumper driver was allegedly in an inebriated state and lost control of the heavy vehicle, said to be owned by Buildwell Enterprises, while going from Pune to Wagholi.

The victims are identified as: One-year-old Vaibhavi Ritesh Pawar, her two-year-old brother Vaibhav Ritest Pawar, and a man named Rinesh N. Pawar, 30. They were all sleeping beside each other when the tragedy hit them.

The condition of the six others injured has been described as critical. They have been admitted to the Sassoon Hospital.

According to locals, around a dozen workers had arrived here from Amravati on Sunday to work as labourers in different construction sites in the region.

Local police and officials have launched a probe into the exact causes of the disaster as initial reports suggest that the driver was purportedly in a drunken state, said locals who rushed there to help the victims.

The accident site was an eerie scene with bodies of the victims and injured, blood splattered all around, and the bare belongings, clothes or utensils of the labourers strewn in the vicinity, resembling a war zone.

Later, the police arranged to move the dumper, completed the relevant formalities and cleared the footpath, said the locals, as people vented their angst on social media.