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Maharashtra

Mumbai News: Report Exposes Rot In JJ Hospital

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Mumbai: The authorities of the biggest state-run Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy Hospital were aware or had turned a blind eye towards the clinical drug trial which was being conducted at its pharmacology department since 2018 under their nose. The recent final report of the five-member committee submitted to the dean, Dr Pallavi Saple, has suggested action against three doctors, including a former dean, as per the Maharashtra Civil Services Rules. The report is likely to be submitted to the medical education department authorities. 

A senior state official said, “As per the final report, former dean Dr Mukund Tayade illegally rented three rooms of 4,500 sqft on the hospital premises without paying rent. Disciplinary action should be taken against him and the extent of financial dealings over the past five years should be ascertained.”

90 lakh as fees from doctors who conducted the trials

The hospital, meanwhile, has so far received nearly ₹90 lakh as fees from doctors who conducted the trials. This institute fee is usually 10% of the payment received by the principal investigators. However, as per India’s clinical trial rules, a hospital has to be paid a sum by the doctor designated as principal investigator by the pharmaceutical company conducting the trial.

Dr Tayade has been named in the report for signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Parshwa Life Sciences and ₹2lakh was paid as rent to the hospital for using three rooms in the pharmacology department. As per PWD rules, commercial rent should be charged from private organisations renting out space in government bodies.

Doctor guilty of negligence

The findings also reveal that Dr Akash Khobragade, a former medical superintendent of JJ Hospital’s sister institute, St George’s Hospital, was the coordinator and guilty of negligence as he lacked knowledge of clinical trials underway.

The senior official said that it was Dr Khobragade’s responsibility to oversee the disbursement of funds and ensure rules were followed, but he failed to carry out his duty as the coordinator. 

Dr Khobragade and Dr Hemant Gupta, an honorary professor from the medicine department, conducted the maximum number of trials. “Dr Gupta turned up for the inquiry last week and paid the institute fees,” said another state official. Dr Gupta has also been named in the Enforcement Directorate’s investigations into an alleged scam involving the jumbo Covid centres. Sources said that Dr Gupta is associated with Parshwa as well. While Dr Gupta has deposited ₹26 lakh, Dr Khobragade has deposited ₹12 lakh as fees.

Committee set up by the JJ Hospital dean to investigate the matter

A committee was set up by the JJ Hospital dean on June 21 to investigate the matter. Nearly 28 doctors from the hospital involved in clinical drug trials with pharmaceutical companies have been questioned in the last month. The committee’s preliminary report was submitted to the Directorate of Medical Research and Education (DMER) on July 11.

“The committee has advised a financial audit of all the clinical drug trials conducted since 2018 and the rent paid. It has also suggested institution guidelines for such trials,” said the official.

Maharashtra

Pune Hospital Bomb Scare: ‘Suspect’s Face Identified Through CCTV,’ Says CM Devendra Fadnavis; Calls Incident ‘Act Of Sabotage’

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the face of the suspect linked to the bomb scare at a hospital in Pune’s Hadapsar area has been identified through CCTV footage, confirming that the suspicious object found at the facility was indeed a bomb and an act of sabotage.

“The object found at the Pune hospital was a bomb. It was an act of sabotage,” Fadnavis said. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Fadnavis stated that cops have identified the suspect’s face from CCTV footage captured at the hospital premises and efforts are underway to trace the individual. He added that multiple agencies are jointly probing the incident, including the terror angle.

The incident created panic on Wednesday evening after a bomb-like object was discovered inside a hospital in Hadapsar. Preliminary investigations revealed that the object was a low-intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fitted with a timer mechanism.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Arrives At Vidhan Bhavan On Bike; Rides Along With Minister Ashish Shelar

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis arrived at the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai on a motorcycle on Thursday morning, drawing attention from commuters and onlookers in south Mumbai. Videos of his bike ride with Minister Ashish Shelar have gone viral.

The Chief Minister was seen riding a black Royal Enfield Classic motorcycle, with Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar seated as the pillion rider. According to reports, Fadnavis rode the bike from his official residence, Varsha Bungalow in Malabar Hill, to Vidhan Bhavan in Nariman Point. The move reportedly came in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for fuel conservation and sustainable transportation practices.

Videos of the Chief Minister’s ride quickly surfaced on social media and went viral online. In the visuals, both Fadnavis and Shelar are seen wearing green helmets as they entered the Vidhan Bhavan premises. Other clips showed the Chief Minister comfortably navigating through Mumbai traffic while riding the motorcycle.

The unusual mode of transport by the Chief Minister sparked curiosity among motorists and pedestrians along the route, with several people stopping to capture the moment on their mobile phones.

The symbolic bike ride is being viewed as a gesture in support of the Prime Minister’s recent appeal urging people to conserve fuel, avoid unnecessary gold purchases and reduce overseas travel in view of ongoing global economic challenges and instability in international energy markets.

Backing the Prime Minister’s call, Fadnavis had earlier said several countries around the world are currently struggling with fuel shortages, inflation and supply-chain disruptions. He said citizens should cooperate during difficult times rather than mock such appeals.

The Chief Minister further stated that every citizen has a responsibility to contribute in their own way during periods of global crisis. He added that the Maharashtra government is also trying to implement the Prime Minister’s message responsibly.

“I believe it is the responsibility of every person to try and implement these measures in their own way. The Maharashtra government will also implement these measures in its own way. We are trying to do this,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s appeal comes amid rising global fuel prices and geopolitical tensions in West Asia, which have impacted energy markets and triggered concerns over inflation and economic stability in several countries.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Asif Dari’s son Sameer Khan opened fire in a money transaction dispute, two attackers arrested, claims Mumbai Crime Branch

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The Mumbai Crime Branch has claimed to have solved the case of the shooting of Sameer Khan, son of D and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel’s close aide Asif Dari, in the Mumbai Dockyard Road area. In this case, the Crime Branch has succeeded in recovering weapons, mobile phones and a motorcycle. Due to a money transaction and dispute, the accused targeted Asif Dari’s son Sameer Khan and attacked him. After that, the police reached the spot and conducted other investigations including forensic examination and started a parallel investigation in this case of the Mumbai Crime Branch and the Crime Branch found the trace of the accused attackers on technical grounds, after which the Crime Branch Unit 3 arrested both the shooters near Mahim Dargah on the outskirts of Mumbai in the middle of the night. On the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Lakshmi Gautam and DCP Raj Tilak Roshan carried out this operation. The accused have confessed to the crime in the initial investigation and said that they were involved in a money dispute. After the shooting incident, a case was registered in the Byculla police under the Arms Act and a case of murder was registered in this case. The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating the case from an angle. The two accused who have been arrested have been identified as Sadiq Sheikh Liaquat Sheikh, 30, and Zeeshan Anwar Sheikh, 30. Asif Dari has underworld connections, so the Crime Branch is also investigating this angle. It is said that Sameer Khan is also the owner of a construction company and has also obtained the contract for its construction. The Mumbai Crime Branch is also investigating this case. After this shooting, there was a sensation and tension in Mumbai, but the Mumbai Crime Branch solved the case within a few hours and the accused are in police custody. The Crime Branch is also investigating whether more people are involved in this or not and who had ordered the attack on Sameer. In the initial investigation, both the accused were found to be involved in this case.

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