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Meitei body urge Manipur Governor to install new govt soon to resolve ethnic crisis

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Imphal, Feb 17: The Meitei community’s apex body, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), which earlier strongly opposed the promulgation of the President’s Rule in Manipur, on Monday urged the Governor to install a new government to resolve the ethnic crisis at the earliest.

A seven-member delegation of the COCOMI on Monday met Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla and urged him to establish a duly elected government within this month to ensure democratic governance and effective decision-making.

“Once the new government is formed, a full-fledged Assembly session must be convened to deliberate on the crisis and formulate necessary legal and administrative measures for resolution. Immediate measures should be taken to provide security and necessary amnesty for all affected villages and their civilian village defence forces to safeguard them from continued violence,” the memorandum, submitted to the Governor at the Raj Bhavan, said.

The COCOMI delegation, led by its Convenor Khuraijam Athoubam, told the Governor that when the Manipur government launched the “War on Drugs,” undertook anti-poppy drives, and the identification and eviction of illegal villages and immigrants, the majority of whom originate from Myanmar, it faced steep resistance from the affected community, creating conflict situations that circumstantially lead to demands for separate administration in the form of Union Territory with a legislature.

“It is evident that in the ongoing law and order crisis in Manipur, the Meetei group has no specific agenda or objective in engaging with this conflict. Rather, the crisis appears to be driven by those pursuing the demand for separate administration,” the COCOMI memorandum said.

It highlighted 13-point demands, which include a comprehensive initiative must be undertaken to identify, dismantle, and evict all illegal villages that have sprung up across the state, threatening its demographic and environmental integrity, and all violent activities and unauthorised movement of armed groups must be brought to a complete halt to ensure peace and stability.

According to the COCOMI memorandum, the ongoing crisis since May 3, 2023, is deeply linked to narco-terrorism.

“Massive illegal opium poppy plantations in Manipur’s open hills are protected by armed Chin-Kuki-Zomi factions. The Indian Army, particularly the Assam Rifles, has failed to act against this organised crime. A strong declaration of narco-terrorism as a primary threat to Manipur’s stability is crucial. Establishing a dedicated anti-narco terrorism unit for the northeast is imperative.”

The COCOMI demanded the immediate reestablishment of law and order across both hills and plains, immediate relief and financial assistance for those affected, reconstruction of destroyed villages with adequate security measures, rehabilitation of displaced people, ensuring their safe return to their respective homes and villages, and free and secure access to healthcare, education, and transport facilities, including uninterrupted and safe movement along national highways.

The apex Meitei community body also demanded systematic initiatives be undertaken to identify and deport illegal immigrants residing in both hills and plains. The National Register of Citizens (NRC), fully endorsed by the indigenous population represented by COCOMI and UNC, must be implemented to prevent further demographic exploitation, the memorandum said.

Maharashtra

Mumbai: 32-Year-Old Woman Dies By Suicide In Santacruz; Partner Takes Body To Parents’ Home

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Mumbai: A 32-year-old woman, identified as Farhana Khan, allegedly died by suicide after hanging herself from a ceiling fan at her residence in the Davri Nagar locality of Vakola, Santacruz East, on Monday afternoon, police said.

According to officials, following the incident, Khan’s live-in partner did not inform the police or seek medical help. Instead, he transported her body to her parents’ home, as reported by news agency PTI. The Vakola police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Further details are awaited.

In another tragic incident of suicide in the city, a 34-year-old man was found hanging at his residence in Andheri West on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Manish Thombare, who worked with a private company and lived in Sai Baba Society, Gaondevi Dongari.

According to DN Nagar police, the incident occurred between 11:30 pm. on Sunday and 11:30 am on Monday. Thombare lived with his brother and sister-in-law. He had gone to sleep in an upstairs room, and when he failed to come downstairs the next morning, his brother went to check on him and found him hanging from the ceiling fan with a saree.

He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. His body was later sent to Cooper Hospital in Vile Parle (West) for a post-mortem examination. Preliminary investigations suggest that Thombare was suffering from depression due to family issues. He was married in 2022 but got divorced four months ago. He had no children. An Accidental Death Report (ADR) has been registered, and further investigation is underway.

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National News

Supreme Court Cancels Bail Of Chhota Rajan In 2001 Mumbai Hotelier Murder Case

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail of mafia don Rajendra S. Nikalje, alias Chhota Rajan, in the 2001 sensational murder of Mumbai hotelier Jaya Shetty.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta allowed the special leave petition (SLP) filed by CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) challenging a Bombay High Court’s order granting bail to Chhota Rajan and suspended his life sentence.

The Justice Nath-led Bench noted the submission of Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, who appeared on CBI’s behalf, that Chhota Rajan stood convicted in four other cases and remained absconding for around 27 years.

After a Special MCOCA Court convicted Rajan and others in the sensational murder case and handed him his second life sentence in nearly nine years, Rajan filed an appeal before the Bombay High Court.

In October last year, a Bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Prithviraj K. Chavan suspended the sentence pending disposal of the criminal appeal and ordered his release on bail. However, Rajan could not avail the benefit of bail as he is already serving a life sentence in New Delhi’s Tihar Central Jail for the 2011 daylight murder of crime journalist Jyotirmoy Dey at Powai.

The Shetty murder case was among the dossier of 71 major offences that were handed over by the CBI to the Indonesian government after Rajan was nabbed in the tourist haven of Bali and subsequently deported to India in November 2015.

Shetty, the owner of the Golden Crown Hotel in south Mumbai, was shot dead by two gunmen on May 4, 2001, with the hit ordered by Rajan, a bitter rival of the absconder terrorist don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, triggering a huge sensation in the hospitality and political circles.

After the long trial, the Special MCOCA Court Special Judge A. M. Patil found Rajan guilty and sentenced him to life in jail, along with the other accused, Rahul Pansare, Ajay Mohite, and Pramod Dhonde.

Shetty had become a victim in an alleged extortion case and had been provided with police security, which was withdrawn a couple of months before he was targeted and killed.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Red Paint Thrown At Meenatai Thackeray’s Statue At Shivaji Park; Raj Thackeray Visits Site, Uddhav Expected Soon

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Mumbai: Political tensions emerged at Dadar’s Shivaji Park on Wednesday after miscreants threw red paint on bust of Meenatai Thackeray’s- Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s wife. The bust is located at the entrance of the park. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) workers reached the spot and removed the paint. The incident took place early morning. By afternoon, Sena UBT workers put garlands on the Meenatai’s bust after cleaning it.

As per locals, there is a security guard always deployed 24/7 at the park and expressed surprise at the incident. MNS Chief Raj Thackeray, who resides in Dadar’s Shivaji Park, went to the site of the desecration after being made aware of the incident and took stock of the situation. As per locals, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will also visit Shivaji Park later in the afternoon.

As per reports, CCTV footage from the area shows a person near the statue around the time of the incident. Investigations are underway to establish the identity of the individual. No formal complaint with the police has been registered so far.

The iconic Shivaji Park ground holds historic importance, socially as well as politically. The park also houses late Balasaheb Thackeray’s memorial next to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue inside the ground.

As per the tradition, the ground will hold Shiv Sena UBT’s Dussehra melave next month.

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