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Maharashtra

Mumbai High Court Raps Govt, Police For Demolition, Violence Inside Vishalgadh Fort

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Mumbai: The Bombay High Court rapped the Maharashtra government and the police on Friday for demolition of alleged “illegal encroachments” around the Vishalgadh Fort in Kolhapur and the alleged violence on July 14.  The high court directed the senior inspector of the Shahuwadi Police station to remain present before it on July 29 to inform about the action taken by the police against those involved in the violence. 

The judges also warned that it would “come down heavily on authorities” if any residential or commercial structure was demolished in the Vishalgadh area from Friday. State advocate PP Kakade, on instructions from an officer, assured the bench that, as per the State government’s circular, no residential premises in the Vishalgad Fort area shall be demolished during the rainy season, whether they are petitioners or otherwise.

Asking for the police officer in-charge of the local police station, the bench asked Kakade to ask the officer to remain present on the next date of hearing. “Who is in charge of the law and order situation in Vishalgad? We would like the senior inspector of the said police station to come before us,” a bench of Justices BP Colabawalla and Firdosh Pooniwalla said. 

The court also said it was recording Kakade’s assurance that no further demolition would take place in monsoon. “We record your statement that you will not demolish till September, and if the same is breached, we will not hesitate to send the officer behind bars. We make it clear that if we find any structure demolished from today, commercial or household, we will come down heavily on your officers/ authorities,” the judges added. 

The HC was hearing a petition by some of the residents of Shahuwadi Taluka in Kolhapur urging the court to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by a former high court judge, to probe into the alleged violence by right-wing activists. Advocate for the petitioners Satish Talekar, showed a video to the court of the alleged violence  and the law and order situation at the Fort premises. 

Questions over law and order

“Where is the law and order? These are not your (state police) officers, right? So who are these men? Are you not responsible for maintaining law and order in the State? We want to know if any FIR is lodged in this matter,” the judges asked. The court then directed the senior police inspector to remain present in the court on July 29 and inform regarding the action taken against the persons in the video. 

Talekar has sought an urgent hearing alleging that “the right-wing activist led by Maratha Royal and former member of Rajya Sabha, Sambhaji Raje Chatrapati gathered at the base of Vishalgad Fort knowing fully well that prohibitory orders were issued by the Tehsildar, Shahuwadi”. They claimed the district administration had deployed police at the base of Fort to prevent ‘right-wing’ activists from going to Vishalgad so that Muslim residents and their properties would be protected.

Prohibitory orders violated?

Despite prohibitory orders proclaimed by the tehsildar of Shahuwadi, the police allowed at least 100 protesters to climb the fort leading to “an atmosphere of chaos and lawlessness prevailed in the village for almost two hours”, the plea alleged. The petitioners also sought to amend their earlier petition, filed in 2023, against the notices issued by the State Archaeology Department directing seven people to demolish their structures within the Vishalgad Fort area. They contended that the 300 acre Vishalgad Fort precinct was declared a protected monument only in 1999 while petitioners have been residing there since decades

They had sought stay on the demolition of the houses, shops or any other structures, including the Hazrat Peer Malik Rehan Dargah at Vishalgad. The HC, in February 2023, stayed the notices and directed no coercive or demolition action against the said petitioners. 

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Maharashtra Reports 205 Suspected Guillain-Barre Syndrome Cases, 8 Deaths Confirmed

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Pune: The Maharashtra Health Department reported that 205 suspected cases of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) have been detected in the state so far, with 177 patients diagnosed with GBS.

Further, as per officials, 8 deaths have occurred, and out of these, 4 deaths were confirmed as GBS.

Maharashtra Health Department said, “A total of 205 suspected patients have been detected till date. Of these, 177 patients were diagnosed with GBS. A total of 8 deaths have occurred. Of these, 4 deaths were confirmed as GBS and 4 suspected deaths were reported. 41 patients from Pune MC, 94 from newly added villages in PMC area, 29 from Pimpri Chinchwad MC, 32 from Pune Rural and 08 are from other districts. Out of these patients 113 have been discharged till now, 50 are in ICU and 20 are on ventilator.”

Maharashtra Health Department further said that 2 suspected new GBS cases were reported on Thursday, and the remaining 5 cases are from previous days.

The health department said that common symptoms of GBS include sudden weakness in hands or legs/ paralysis, trouble while walking, or weakness with sudden onset and diarrhoea (for sustained periods).

The state health authorities are closely monitoring the situation and have intensified surveillance efforts in affected areas.

Earlier, on February 6, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) sealed 30 private water supply plants in the Nanded village, Dhayari, and adjoining areas on Sinhgad Road in Pune City. These areas have been identified as the epicenter of the outbreak. The action was taken against these plants in the last two days, said a PMC official.

The PMC took action against these plants after collecting water samples that were found unfit for drinking. Some plants lacked proper permission to operate, while others were contaminated with Escherichia coli bacteria. Additionally, certain plants were not using disinfectants and chlorine to control contamination.

On February 3, the Union Health Minister held a high-level meeting with Maharashtra’s key health and medical ministers and reviewed the public health measures being undertaken by the state health authorities, including testing and treatment of patients affected by GBS.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome is an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nervous system, leading to symptoms such as muscle weakness and, in severe cases, paralysis.

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Maharashtra

Those afraid of ED have been set aside: Husain Dalwai on Maha Cong getting new chief

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New Delhi, Feb 14: The Congress high command has appointed former MLA Harshvardhan Sapkal as the new Maharashtra Congress Committee (MPCC) President, replacing Nana Patole.

Reacting to the decision, senior Congress leader and former MP Husain Dalwai welcomed the move, calling it a “much-needed step” at the right time and remarked that those who are afraid of the ED and other agencies have been set aside.

This leadership change comes two months after the party’s poor performance in the state Assembly elections.

Speaking to media Dalwai said, “It is a very good thing that a decision has finally been made on this long-pending matter. I believe that those who are afraid of the ED and other agencies have been set aside, and a true leader has been given the position. I welcome this decision.”

He further stated that leaders who fear central agencies cannot lead the party, emphasising that a strong and fearless leader like Harshvardhan Sapkal who follows Gandhian principles was needed to revive the Congress in Maharashtra.

“The central leadership has made the right decision. Maharashtra Congress is in bad shape, and we need to fight against this government,” he added.

Sapkal served as an MLA from 2014 to 2019, representing the Buldhana Assembly Constituency in Maharashtra.

Along with the state’s new party chief, the Congress President has also approved the appointment of Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar as the leader of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) in Maharashtra.

The Congress leadership aims to strengthen the party’s presence in Maharashtra, especially after its poor electoral performance. With Sapkal’s appointment, the party hopes to rebuild its base and counter the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP coalition more effectively.

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Maharashtra

‘Will Completely Roll Out The New Laws In Next 6 Months’: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis On New Criminal Laws

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New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced that the state will ‘completely’ roll out the new criminal laws within the next six months. This came following a review meeting in the North Block with Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the implementation process of the new provisions.

Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis shared that Maharashtra has already made significant strides in implementing the new laws and mentioned that 27 vans have been deployed to enhance forensic infrastructure for cases older than seven years.

Additionally, he stated that the state has established online systems for courts, but under the new provisions, dedicated and designated cubicles needed to be set up in courts and forensic labs.

Furthermore, Fadnavis said that 90 per cent of Maharashtra’s police force, which consists of 2 lakh personnel, has already been trained to implement the new laws.

“Today, Union HM Amit Shah called a review meeting regarding the three criminal laws… The HM reviewed how we are working on the new provisions in the laws. On behalf of the state of Maharashtra, we informed him we have deployed 27 vans for the forensic infrastructure for cases older than seven years… We have established online systems for courts, but according to the new law, we have to set up a designated, dedicated and notified cubicle in courts and forensic labs. We have started working on this, and it will be completed in the next 6 months,” the Maharashtra CM stated.

“Cases will be heard in court via videoconferencing, and the accused will not have to be presented in court time and again… It was a good meeting… We will completely roll out the new laws in the next 6 months,” he added.

The three new criminal laws come under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023.

These laws were conceptualised with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to replace colonial-era laws that persisted post-independence and to reform the judicial system by shifting the focus from punishment to justice.

The new criminal laws, which were implemented nationwide on July 1, 2024, aim to make India’s legal system more transparent, efficient, and adaptable to the needs of contemporary society. These landmark reforms represent a historic overhaul of India’s criminal justice system, bringing in new frameworks to tackle modern-day challenges such as cybercrime and organised crime and ensuring justice for victims of various offences.

According to the Union Home Minister, Chandigarh became the first city in the country to fully implement the new criminal laws.

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