Connect with us
Monday,07-April-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Bombay High Court seeks BMC’s reply on contempt plea for failing to remove cycle & jogging tracks around Powai lake

Published

on

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Thursday directed the BMC to file its reply to a contempt petition for “wilful breach / disobedience” of May 2022 HC order with regard to removal of cycle and jogging tracks around Powai lake and its catchment areas. The HC, on May 6, 2022, had ruled that the BMC’s ambitious project is “illegal” and directed to remove it.

The HC had passed the direction while hearing two different public interest litigations (PILs) – one by two PhD researchers from IIT-Bombay (Omkar Supekar and Abhishek Tripathi), and the second one by NGO Vanashakti. The pleas had sought stay on the construction and sought directions to restore the site to its original form immediately.

During the hearing on Thursday, BMC advocate Joel Carlos said that the removal is taking time due to technical reasons and will end by June. “It’s a dedicated zone where we are removing it stage by stage,” said Carlos, adding that they had “no intention of disobeying the orders of the court”. 

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala and Justice Sandeep Marne suggested that the same should be removed by the end of May since monsoon season will begin in June, which could further delay the work. Carlos said that the corporation will file an affidavit clarifying its stand. 

The contempt petition by Vanaskahti states that apart from causing pressure on the valuable yet deteriorating environment surrounding the lake, it is causing further disruption in the ecosystem by affecting the biological and ecological practices of the wildlife. Also, it is causing disturbances to the crocodiles in the lake, which is a documented marsh crocodile habitat. The HC has kept the matter for hearing on March 16.

Maharashtra

Mumbai Police equipped with modern laboratories and technology: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

Published

on

Mumbai: Mumbai Police has equipped itself with modern technology to curb cyber crime and cyber fraud. Accordingly, Mumbai Police inaugurated three cyber labs including a forensic lab, a special van, an intercept van and other modern equipment at the hands of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Speaking on the occasion, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the police has been modernized to curb cyber fraud and online fraud and the police will use these modern equipment to solve crimes ranging from cyber fraud to other crimes.

Fadnavis said that the way incidents like digital arrests are happening today by fooling people online, the police has brought significant revolution in the investigation methods and other things to curb these incidents. He said that special help rooms have also been set up in police stations to help women, in which women will get immediate help. He said that a special van has also been prepared for women so that they can get immediate help. Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Pansalkar, Special Police Commissioner Devin Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Satyanarayan Chaudhary and senior officers were present at the event.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Bir Mecca Masjid bomb blast implementation of UAPA

Published

on

Mumbai: Police has implemented UAPA Act in the Bir Ard Masla Mecca Masjid blast case. On the midnight of March 30, Vijay Agon and Shri Ram Ashok placed a bomb in the mosque and exploded it. This explosion was done with the help of jetliner and detonator. In this case, the police had earlier registered a case under Arms Act and other sections, but after that Muslim organizations had demanded to prosecute the accused under UAPA Act and NSA.
The Beed blast was investigated by the local crime branch, in which the crime branch found that the explosion was very powerful and detonators were also used along with jetliner rods. On this basis, UAPA Act has been implemented on the recommendation of the Crime Branch. Police have registered a case against both the terrorists under sections 16 and 18 of UAPA. Since the Beed blast, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is investigating it along with the police. The ATS is investigating the connection and financing of terrorists in this case, including how jetliner rods were made available to the accused and who provided them jetliner rods without license or permit. Along with this, investigation is also going on to find out how many more people and conspirators are involved in this case. ATS said that investigation is going on every aspect and point of the Beed bomb blast, however, ATS has so far questioned many people in this case, including family members and well-wishers of the accused as well as their friends and acquaintances. ATS is trying to uncover the conspiracy before the blast in the Beed Mecca Masjid blast case because before the blast, accused Vijay Agon had released a video and uploaded it on the status threatening Muslims to remove the mosque and only after that the blast took place here. The local police had also registered a case of spreading religious hatred against the accused a day earlier and the mosque was blown up the next day.

Continue Reading

Crime

Actor Ajaz Khan’s Wife Fallon Guliwala Granted Bail in Drugs Case

Published

on

Mumbai: Fallon Guliwala, wife of actor Ajaz Khan, who was arrested in November 2024 after narcotics were recovered from her residence, has been granted bail by a special court in Mumbai.

Guliwala had been in custody for over four months. The court has imposed certain conditions for her bail, including the submission of her passport, a restriction on travel, and mandatory attendance before the investigating officer three times a week until the chargesheet is filed.

Her lawyer, Ayaz Khan, argued that she was unaware of the recovered items and that she was not the only occupant of the premises. He also mentioned that the CCTV system was turned off during the raid, and no videography or photography was conducted.

Special Public Prosecutor Vibhavari Pathak opposed the bail plea, stating that a prima facie case existed against Guliwala.

Considering that the seizure process had already been completed, the court granted bail but with strict conditions.

Continue Reading

Trending