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Congress MP Rahul Gandhi Pleads Not Guilty In VD Savarkar Defamation Case Filed By Grandnephew In Pune Court

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Pune: Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Friday pleaded not guilty before a Pune court in connection with a defamation case filed against him over his remarks on Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.

The plea was submitted before Judicial Magistrate (First Class) and Special Judge for MP/MLA cases, Amol Sriram Shinde, at the Pune District Court. Advocate Milind Pawar appeared on behalf of Rahul Gandhi, as the Congress leader was not personally present during the proceedings.

The defamation complaint was filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of V D Savarkar, alleging that Rahul Gandhi made defamatory and derogatory statements about the freedom fighter during an event organised by the Overseas Congress in the United Kingdom in 2023. The remarks were subsequently circulated on social media, allegedly damaging Savarkar’s legacy and public image.

During the proceedings, Judge Shinde read out the defamation charge under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code. Advocate Pawar confirmed that his client had received copies of the complaint and all relevant documents. When asked by the court whether Gandhi understood the nature of the allegations, Pawar responded affirmatively. Asked if he wished to plead guilty, Advocate Milind Pawar on behalf of Rahul Gandhi clearly stated, “No. I do not plead guilty.”

With the plea officially recorded, the court has now set July 29 as the date to begin recording evidence in the case, marking likely the commencement of a full trial, hearing on other applications related to the case also to be conducted on the same date.

Following the statement made by Rahul Gandhi, in April 2023, Satyaki Savarkar, the grandson of one of Vinayak Savarkar’s brothers, filed a complaint with a Pune magistrate regarding alleged defamatory comments made by Rahul Gandhi.

These remarks were reportedly made during an Overseas Congress gathering in London on March 5, 2023. According to the complaint, Gandhi intentionally made false and damaging accusations against Savarkar to tarnish his reputation, causing mental distress to him and his family.

Maharashtra

Navi Mumbai International Airport: 94% Work Completed, Target Set For Launch On September 30, Says Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited and inspected the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on Saturday, July 12. He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Forest Minister Ganesh Naik during the site visit. The inspection aimed to assess the overall progress of the airport’s construction.

Addressing the media following the inspection, Fadnavis stated, “Today, we came here to review the progress of the airport. We saw a detailed presentation on the work’s advancement from the runway to the terminal building, and got all the information regarding it. Approximately 94 per cent of the physical progress is complete,”

The chief minister mentioned that the runway is fully constructed, while interior work inside the terminal is still in progress. Work on the terminal’s exterior, including the façade and ceiling, is being expedited, with all other construction activities continuing at a steady pace.

He also observed the advanced baggage-handling system at the airport. “We saw the baggage-handling system, which is the most efficient, in which the barcode of the baggage can be read through 360-degree scanning systems, ensuring it reaches the right place. We have asked the authorities that the baggage claim system in this airport should be the fastest not only in the country but in the entire world, and efforts are being made in that direction,” Fadnavis said, as reported.

The airport, once operational with two runways, will have the capacity to handle nine crore passengers annually. Highlighting the scale of the project, Fadnavis mentioned that NMIA will be many times bigger than the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai.

CM also mentioned that, “This will be the most modern airport in the country. As we have to seek the appointment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (for the project launch), we have set the target of September 30 before them. It is an ambitious target.”

He added, “Currently, 13,000 to 14,000 workers are involved in the work daily, and we have asked the authorities to increase their strength by one-and-a-half times or double by September 30, because other licences are complete, but for commercial operations, all work has to be finished.”

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Maharashtra

Demand for apology from Sanjay Raut, otherwise defamation case will be filed, Sanjay Shirsat called the viral video a morphed video

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Mumbai: Mumbai Shiv Sena UBT leader and MP had shared a video of Shiv Sena Shinde Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat on social media. Now Sanjay Shirsat has announced to file a defamation case against Sanjay Raut. Along with this, a criminal case will also be registered. Sanjay Shirsat has claimed that the video that has been released has been tampered with and it is an attempt to defame him. Therefore, now he will not sit silent in this matter. He will teach Sanjay Raut a lesson. Therefore, along with sending a notice to Minister Sanjay Raut, an apology has also been demanded. If an apology is not made, a criminal and defamation case will be registered. Sanjay Shirsat had clarified in this regard that the video that has been released is of his residence and he is resting sitting on his bed, but there is no bag full of money. Bag who is He told the journalists that his residence is open to everyone and no permission or leave is required to meet me, according to the principle of Matoshree, I am a common worker and servant of the people, so anyone can come to my house. He said that someone must have made the video viral, he is unaware of how the video went viral. Sanjay Shirsat has now decided to file a defamation case against Sanjay Raut. After Sanjay Shirsat’s video went viral, there was a political uproar and after that Sanjay Shirsat also gave clarification on it. Now the minister has claimed to file a case.

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Crime

Maloni resident youth arrested for selling pistol in Mumbai

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Police in Maloni area of Mumbai have claimed to have arrested a person with an illegal revolver. The said person was roaming around with an unlicensed weapon and had a pistol pointed at his back. On receiving information, the police found a man aged between 32 and 37 years near Desai Maidan, who had a pistol pointed at his back. Police have recovered a black pistol made in India and four live cartridges from him. He had brought the pistol here from the village with the intention of selling it. The price of the pistol is said to be Rs 75,000 and the price of four cartridges is Rs 4,000. Police have arrested the accused, identified as 35-year-old Arif Ismail Shah. He is a resident of Ratnagiri. Police have registered a case against him under the Arms Act and are investigating further. During investigation, it was found that he had brought this pistol from Goa and had come here to sell it. This information was given by ACP Neeta Padvi of Mumbai Police.

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