Dhule Sessions Court Additional Sessions Judge Jayshree R. Platte acquitted ten accused, including two women, in the Holi riot case that took place at a place called Sakri near Dhule recently due to the complainant and other government witnesses’ deviation from their previous statements. The court acquitted accused Sumiya Zakir Sheikh, Shabana Farooq Sheikh, Meraj Ibrahim Syed, Nasir Sapro Sheikh, Irfan Sapro Sheikh, Mohiuddin Sheikh, Nisar Naseeb Khan Pathan, Samad Saleem Sheikh, Zakir Sapro Sheikh and Saleem Sheikh of serious charges like attempt to murder. The case of the accused was pursued by the Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra (Arshad Madani) Legal Aid Committee on the request of Jamiat Ulema Dhule. Advocate Ashfaq Sheikh appeared in defense of the accused while Advocate NB Kalal followed the prosecution. On March 18, 2022, communal riots broke out in Sakri on the occasion of Holi, after which the police took unilateral action and registered a case against ten Muslims, including two women, under sections 147, 148, 307, 353, 332, 336, 337, 295 of the Indian Penal Code. The police applied Section 4/25 of the Arms Act on the accused and accused them of assault with weapons. Initially, the case was heard in the Sakri Magistrate Court and then the case was transferred to the Dhule Sessions Court because the police had also applied serious sections like 307/ along with the Arms Act on the accused. During the final hearing, Advocate Ashfaq Sheikh told the court that during the trial, the complainant and his wife did not support the police and deviated from their previous statements. Therefore, the accused should be acquitted from the case.

Additional Sessions Judge Jayshree R. Plate of the Dhule Sessions Court said in his decision that the accused cannot be punished on the basis of deviation from the statements of important witnesses and mere suspicion, therefore all the accused are acquitted from the case. On the instructions of President Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra Maulana Haleemullah Qasmi, Mushtaq Sufi (General Secretary, Dhule District) and his colleagues prosecuted the case.

Thane, December 9: After Mumbai witnessed a 15 percent water cut earlier this week, residents of Thane are set to face an even steeper reduction in supply. The Thane Municipal Corporation has announced a 30 percent water cut across the city with effect from Tuesday, placing lakhs of citizens under severe water stress.

The major disruption follows a breakdown in the 1000 mm diameter water pipeline that supplies water to Thane from Pise Dam to the Temghar Water Treatment Plant. The pipeline reportedly burst at Kalyan Phata on the morning of Saturday, December 6, during ongoing work being carried out by Mahanagar Gas.

Officials from the water supply department said that repair work has been underway on a war footing for the last two days. However, restoring full supply is expected to take at least three more days as the damaged pipeline is old and made of pre stressed concrete.

Due to the scale of the damage, water supply to Thane has already been significantly reduced. Civic officials stated that the fragile condition of the pipeline has further complicated the repair process.

To ensure that the available water is distributed as evenly as possible, the civic body will now supply water on a zoning basis till December 11. As a result, residents in many areas will experience intermittent water supply and low pressure at different times of the day.

The municipal corporation has advised citizens to store sufficient water for essential use over the next few days and to use water sparingly to avoid further hardship.

The sudden and sharp reduction in water supply is expected to impact daily activities across households, residential societies, eateries and commercial establishments. From cooking and cleaning to drinking water needs, citizens are likely to face significant inconvenience.

Meanwhile, parts of Mumbai also faced an eight hour water cut on Sunday following major pipeline repairs. A 15 percent cut has been implemented there since December 8, affecting supply in 14 sections of the city. However, officials acknowledged that the situation in Thane is more critical due to the higher percentage of reduction across the entire city.

Mumbai: Bhojpuri actor Pawan Singh has been threatened by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang not to join Bigg Boss and not to work with Salman Khan, after which Pawan Singh has filed a complaint with the Anti-Money Laundering Squad of the Mumbai Crime Branch here. The police have also started an investigation into Pawan Singh’s case. The Bhojpuri actor received a phone call in which he was threatened with bad consequences including not joining Salman Khan’s Bigg Boss and not working with him. At the same time, the addressee has said that he belongs to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The police have started an investigation in this matter and it is being found out who is the threatening caller and whether he really belongs to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang or is he trying to scare the film industry in the name of Lawrence Bishnoi. Earlier, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang also threatened actor Kapil Sharma not to do a film with Salman Khan and not to invite him to host their program, after which the Mumbai police have arrested Kapil Sharma. Security had also been increased. Now again, Lawrence Bishnoi gang has threatened the Bhojpuri actor with dire consequences. Despite the threat, the Bhojpuri actor has decided to participate in Bigg Boss with Salman Khan, after which his security has been increased. The Mumbai Crime Branch is investigating the matter to see if Lawrence Bishnoi himself gave this threat or not. Efforts have also been made to trace the threat along with its recording.