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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Served 14 years in prison, says Arun Gawli seeking premature release

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Incarcerated gangster-turned-politician Arun Gulab Gawli, 71, has approached the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court seeking his premature release. He made the case on the ground that he has crossed the age of 65 years and completed 14 years of life imprisonment, which entitles him to such a relief as per a January 10, 2006 government circular and a December 31, 1999 government direction. His application was heard last week by the division bench of Justices Vinay Joshi and Valmiki SA Menezes. The bench asked the Maharashtra government to file a reply by March 15. The FPJ has accessed a copy of Gawli’s plea submitted to the court.

The plea of Gawli, who was convicted for his alleged role in the murder of Shiv Sena corporator Kamlakar Jamsandekar, argued that a subsequent government notification of December 1, 2015, which exempts those convicted under the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act), like him, from availing the benefit of remission under the 2006 notification, is not applicable in his case as he was convicted in 2012.

On March 2, 2007, Jamsandekar was shot dead at his residence in suburban Ghatkopar. According to the police’s charge-sheet, Rs30 lakh was allegedly paid to the Gawli gang for eliminating the Sena corporator over a land deal. Gawli had denied the allegations.

Gawli was arrested on May 21, 2008, while the charges against him were framed by the trial court in October 2008. On August 31, 2012, Gawli and others were convicted, inter alia, and awarded life imprisonment in the case. He has been lodged at the Nagpur central jail.

Talking to The FPJ, Gawli’s lawyer Mir Nagman Ali said, ‘‘With the petition, my client Arun Gawli is seeking his premature release on completion of his 14 years of sentence of imprisonment and 65 years of age as per the government policy of 1999 and 2006 that existed on the date of his conviction.” According to Ali, the State Government had on December 31, 1999, issued directions for release of prisoners who have completed the age of 65 years and undergone 14 years of life imprisonment. On January 10, 2006, the Home Department had further issued directions in the same regards.

Gawli’s plea read that as per his medical history, it was “clearly established that the petitioner is suffering from serious ailments” and that he is “weak and infirm”. It further said that “the petitioner’s wife” had preferred an application before the respondents seeking his premature release on the strength of the government orders and decisions pertaining to 1999 and 2006.

The plea stated that he was informed by the “Advisory Board” that his request for premature release was rejected. “However, the petitioner was not given the reason for rejection of his application,” read the plea. It said that Gawli had therefore applied under the Right To Information Act, seeking certified true copy of the decision taken by the Advisory Board. “However, the said information sought by the petitioner has not yet been supplied to the petitioner,” read the plea.

(Source: FPJ)

Maharashtra

Mega Block Alert: Local Trains to be Rerouted & Delayed On Feb 23 For Maintenance Work, Check Details

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Mumbai: Central Railway announced a major change in the UP and Down fast local trains in the Central route for February 23. Meanwhile, Western Railway also announced a major mega block on the line. The jumbo block is carried out for maintenance work on signals and tracks, which will lead to rerouting and delays in train schedules.

Central Railway Rerouting Details

On the Thane to Kalyan route, Down Fast and Semi-Fast local trains departing from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) Mumbai will be diverted to the Down Slow line between Thane and Kalyan stations. These trains will have additional halts at Kalva, Mumbra, and Diva stations, which will result in a delay of approximately 10 minutes in reaching their destinations.

Similarly, Up Fast and Semi-Fast trains departing from Kalyan towards CSMT will be rerouted onto the Up Slow line between Kalyan and Thane stations. They will also halt at Diva, Mumbra, and Kalva before merging onto the Up Fast line at Mulund station, causing a delay of around 10 minutes.

Western Railway’s Five-Hour Jumbo Block

On the Western line, a significant five-hour Jumbo Block has been scheduled on February 23, between Santacruz and Goregaon stations. From 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, both Up and Down Fast lines due to maintenance work of tracks, signalling systems, and overhead equipment.

Trans-Harbour Line

According to railway officials, there will be no block on the Uran and Harbour routes.

However, services on the Trans-Harbour line will be temporarily suspended. Up Trans-Harbour services from Panvel, Nerul, and Vashi towards Thane starting with the 10:25 AM departure from Vashi and the 4:09 PM departure from Nerul will remain non-operational. Likewise, Down Trans-Harbour services from Thane to Vashi, Nerul, and Panvel, running from 10:35 AM to 4:07 PM, will also be suspended during this period.

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Maharashtra

Maha minority panel to seek shorter working hours for Muslim staff during Ramzan

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Mumbai, Feb 22: After Telangana and Andhra Pradesh permitted Muslim government employees to leave offices early during the fasting month of Ramzan, similar demands are now being raised in Maharashtra and other states.

Maharashtra Minority Commission Chairman Pyare Khan confirmed that the commission has received multiple applications requesting the state government to allow Muslim employees to leave work an hour early during Ramzan.

“We have received several requests from people asking for permission to leave offices an hour early during Ramzan. India is a great example of ‘Ganga Jamuna Tehzeeb,’ where people from different communities live together in harmony,” Khan told media.

He added that he plans to present this demand to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis through an official letter.

The demand follows orders issued by the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments, allowing Muslim employees, including teachers and contract workers, to leave work at 4 p.m. instead of the usual 5 p.m. from March 2 to March 30 to perform religious rituals.

“The government hereby permits all the employees who profess Islam, including teachers and persons hired on contract, out-sourcing basis, and Village/Ward Secretaries, to leave their offices/schools early by an hour before closing time on all working days during the Holy month of ‘Ramzan’ to perform necessary rituals,” read the Andhra Pradesh government order.

Similarly, the Telangana government order stated: “Government hereby permits all Muslim government employees/teachers/contract/out-sourcing/boards/corporations and public sector employees working in the state to leave their offices/schools at 4 p.m. during the holy month of Ramzan, i.e., from March 2 to 31, to offer necessary prayers, except when their presence is required due to exigencies of services.”

The demand is also gaining traction in Karnataka, where Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Vice Presidents M.R.M. Hussain and Syed Ahmad recently wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging the state government to grant Muslim employees a one-hour exemption from duty to facilitate prayers and iftar.

However, the Karnataka government has yet to make a decision on the request.

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disaster

Massive Fire Breaks Out At Residential Building In Mumbai’s Marine Lines

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Mumbai: A massive fire broke out in Mumbai’s Marine Lines on Saturday. The blaze rupted on the top floor of a residential building, Marine Chambers. The building is located near Gol Masjid.

The fire broke out at around 12.30 pm on Saturday. After receiving information, several fire tenders reached the spot. Senior officials also rushed to the place where the blaze erupted.

Visuals of the fire also surfaced online. In the video, an envelope of black smoke could seen billowing out of the building. This led to panic among the locals.

A firefighting operation is currently underway.

The reason for the blaze is not yet known. There are no reports of any injuries.

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