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Arvind Kejriwal Skips ED Summon In Excise Policy Case; Delhi CM Calls Notice ‘Illegal And Politically Motivated’

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New Delhi: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will not appear for questioning before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday (November 2) as he skipped the ED summon in the Excise Policy Case. He will instead hold a road show, along with Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, in Singrauli, in the poll bound state of Madhya Pradesh, reported. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday in connection to the excise policy case, also responded to the ED’s notice to appear before the agency for questioning.

Delhi CM’s response to notice

The Delhi CM in his response called the summon notice as “illegal and politically motivated.”

The Delhi CM also accused that the notice was sent at the behest of the BJP, alleging political vendetta.

Kejriwal said that the notice was sent to ensure that he is “unable to go for election campaigning in four states.” The states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Telangana and Chhatisgarh will see voting this month and the counting for the same will be on December 3.

“ED should withdraw the notice immediately.”

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal demanded that the notice issued to him should be withdrawn immediately.

What is the Excise Policy Case?

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate are probing the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 that was later scrapped. The policy allegedly favoured certain liquor dealers, accused the opposition BJP in Delhi, a charge that has denied.

Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe

Based on a report of the chief secretary of the Delhi government, Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena recommended a CBI probe in July, 2022, into alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the policy.

Alleged irregularities

The report cited various alleged irregularities including a waiver of Rs 144 crore to the retail licensees under the policy in the name of COVID-19-impacted sales and a refund of Rs 30 crore to a successful bidder for the airport zone who failed to obtain a no objection certificate for opening liquor stores there, officials said.

Another allegation was that the commission of wholesale licensees was raised from five per cent to 12 per cent in an instance of “quid pro quo.”

Mumbai Press Exclusive News

Controversy and tension over removal of ‘I Love Muhammad’ banner in Mumbai’s Kurla VB Nagar, ‘I Love Muhammad’ banners and widespread protests in Maharashtra

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Mumbai: After an FIR was registered in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, UP, after peaceful protests across the country and the world, banners of Maharashtra and Mumbai ‘I Love Muhammad’ were displayed, after which last night the Kurla VB Nagar Police along with the BMC issued an order to remove the banners of ‘I Love Muhammad’, after which Muslim youth protested against it and the youth said that they are ready to take a case in this matter but will not remove the banners. The ‘I Love Muhammad’ movement has intensified in Maharashtra and Mumbai. In this matter, Senior Inspector Popat Ahwad of Kurla VB Nagar confirmed this and said that the situation is peaceful and there was some mistrust, which has been resolved. At present, the police in Mumbai and Maharashtra have temporarily stopped the process of removing the banners, this has been confirmed by a senior police officer. Similarly, at 8:30 pm last night, an ‘I Love Muhammad’ banner was placed by unknown persons near the Bhiwandi ACP office. Mumbai And now in Maharashtra, communal elements are trying to spoil the atmosphere under the guise of the banner of I Love Muhammad. A senior police officer has emphasized the need to be alert. The I Love Muhammad movement intensified in Maharashtra and Mumbai on Friday. In such a situation, communal elements are conspiring to spoil the atmosphere on this issue. In Mumbai and Maharashtra, there was a huge protest against the registration of an FIR against Muslim youth in Kanpur for writing I Love Muhammad. In Mumbai, Muslims protested carrying placards of I Love Muhammad. The streets echoed with the name of I Love Muhammad. Mumbai Police has now started monitoring the situation after this controversy, along with this, monitoring is also going on on social media.

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National News

Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway Tragedy: 16-Month-Old Toddler Dies After Ambulance Carrying Him To Hospital Gets Stuck In Traffic On Thane’s Ghodbunder Road

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Palghar: A 16-month-old boy lost his life on Thursday after the ambulance carrying him to a Mumbai hospital was trapped in a prolonged traffic jam on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Thane district, according to people close to his family.

The child, had been staying at his grandmother’s home in Pelhar, Palghar district, when he accidentally fell from the fourth-floor balcony while playing. He sustained serious abdominal injuries in the fall.

Neighbours said that the child was initially rushed on a motorbike to a private hospital in Naigaon, where doctors managed to stabilise him briefly before advising urgent transfer to a specialised hospital in Mumbai. His family arranged for an ambulance, but the vehicle became stranded in gridlock on the highway due to repair work on the Thane-Ghodbunder Road, which had forced closure of a key stretch from 6 am to 9 pm.

Unable to move further, the ambulance diverted to a hospital in Sasoon Navghar, between Thane and Vasai, where doctors declared the toddler dead on arrival. Hospital officials later confirmed that he had passed away before admission.

The tragedy has triggered widespread anger among residents, who blamed civic and traffic authorities for poor planning and lack of emergency measures. Citizens have demanded immediate implementation of green corridors for ambulances, stricter restrictions on heavy vehicles during peak hours, and accountability for lives lost due to prolonged congestion.

Traffic snarls have paralysed commuters for several days on both the Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Mumbai-Nashik highways, with vehicles reportedly stranded for up to six hours. In another incident on Thursday, a woman recently discharged from Bhaktivedanta Hospital had to wait for more than five hours on the roadside near Fountain Hotel as her father’s car remained stuck in traffic at Vasai.

On July 30, a 49-year-old woman, Chhaya Kaushik Purav, a resident of Madhukar Nagar in the Saphala area who suffered severe injuries in a tree fall incident, died when the ambulance ferrying her got stuck in a massive traffic jam on a highway in Palghar.

The authorities are yet to issue a formal statement on the condition of the highway, leaving commuters uncertain about when relief can be expected.

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National News

Delhi Court Adjourns Bail Plea Of BMW Crash Accused Gaganpreet Kaur To September 24 As Police Cite Pending Probe

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New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday put off till September 24 the hearing on the bail application of Gaganpreet Kaur, the main accused in the Delhi BMW fatal accident case, accepting the police plea that they were yet to seize her mobile phone and driving licence.

Judicial Magistrate Ankit Garg was told by investigators that they were not in favour of granting bail to her at this stage as the probe was still at a nascent stage.

Opposing Kaur’s plea, the police said that the mobile phone used by her to contact family members after the accident was a crucial piece of evidence.

“We have not yet recovered the mobile phone and driving licence of the accused,” said the prosecution lawyer.

The defence counsel informed the court that Kaur’s phone is with her husband and it will be handed over to the police by Saturday evening.

He claimed that Kaur’s driving licence was earlier given to investigators but if it is still not on record the family shall resubmit it to the police.

Kaur has been arrested in connection with the death of Navjot Singh, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, and serious injuries to his wife, Sandeep Kaur, in an accident on September 14 near Dhaula Kuan.

The fatal accident occurred around 1 P.M. on September 14, near the Delhi Cantt Metro Station. The victim couple was returning from Bangla Sahib Gurdwara on a motorcycle when they were hit by a BMW car, allegedly driven by Gaganpreet Kaur. Her husband, Parikshit, was seated in the passenger seat at the time of the crash.

In a parallel development, the court issued notice to the police on a separate application filed by the accused, requesting preservation of CCTV footage from the accident site.

On Thursday, the court indicated that there was no legal provision allowing sharing of CCTV footage with the accused in a criminal case.

After the accident, the police registered a case under various penal provisions, including culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and rash and negligent driving. The police is also probing possible attempts to tamper with evidence.

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