New Delhi, Sep 23: Congress leader Abhishek Dutt on Wednesday reacted to Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) shifting classes online following the alleged gang rape of a minor in Delhi’s Aastha Kunj Park, saying the move sends a ‘big message’ about women’s safety in the national capital.

“When LSR College shifts classes online over women’s safety, it sends a clear message that women are not safe in Delhi,” Dutt said.

The remarks came as Lady Shri Ram College for Women cancelled regular classes on Tuesday and shifted them to online mode for Wednesday following the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl at a park nearby, with the college administration stating that the safety of its students remained its top priority.

Speaking to media, Dutt said, “There is a big message for the country. LSR College is one of the top colleges in the world and its alumni are spread across the country. When LSR College shifts classes online over women’s safety, it sends a clear message that women are not safe in Delhi.”

“Sadly, the people who raped the minor girl posed as police officers. The way several private individuals were seen carrying police batons at Jantar Mantar shows that the fear of the law has disappeared from the minds of criminals. Most Delhi Police officers are deployed for the security of VIPs, while the safety of ordinary people is being neglected,” he added.

Dutt also reacted to Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu’s direction to create a dedicated ‘Pink Force’ for women’s safety, questioning the existing deployment of women personnel and policing infrastructure in Delhi.

“The LG makes political statements. First, the LG should tell us how many women personnel are there in the Delhi Police. How many metro stations are there in Delhi, and do they have adequate policing? There is a shortage of around 12,000 security personnel in the Delhi Police. At least 50 police personnel remain deployed at the LG’s residence. Merely making statements will not achieve anything,” he said.

“The LG should immediately review the security provided to all MPs, MLAs, former MLAs and BJP leaders in Delhi, where anywhere between two and 50 police personnel have been deployed with them. If the Delhi Home Minister, the Union Home Minister, the Delhi Chief Minister, MLAs and MPs are not safe, then expecting the safety of ordinary people is a distant prospect,” Dutt added.

On Tuesday, Sandhu directed the police to draw up a dedicated force on the lines of the Goa Police’s Pink Force, with women personnel deployed at identified hotspots, particularly during vulnerable hours.

The move came amid four separate cases of alleged rape or sexual assault involving minors reported across Delhi in about 10 days.

Sagar, Sep 23: A key accused in the Sagar spurious liquor tragedy, which claimed 20 lives, was arrested along with his associate after a brief exchange of fire with police in the district early Wednesday, officials said.

Police intercepted Manish Lodhi alias Yashwant, who was carrying a reward of Rs 30,000, and his associate Ashish Sahu around 3 a.m. near the Nonia-Sesai Road valley under Malthoun police station limits.

Police said the two accused opened fire when the team tried to apprehend them. The personnel retaliated, injuring Lodhi in the leg, while Sahu sustained injuries while allegedly attempting to flee. Two country-made pistols, five rounds of ammunition and a baseball bat were recovered from the spot, police said.

The injured accused were taken to hospital for treatment and subsequently arrested. “The accused opened fire at the police team during the operation. The police returned fire in self-defence, and both the accused were apprehended,” a police official said.

Lodhi was the licensed contractor of the Barethi liquor shop, and police have alleged that he was involved in the supply of illicit liquor to villages. The administration cancelled the liquor shop contract after the tragedy.

Police said Lodhi had 11 criminal cases registered against him and had allegedly obtained the liquor contract by using the alias Yashwant Singh Thakur. He claimed that Yashwant was his brother. Police said a separate fraud case was registered after his identity came to light.

The arrest comes against the backdrop of the spurious liquor tragedy in Banda and Shahgarh areas of Sagar district earlier this month. Police have alleged that a network involving the manufacture, supply and distribution of illicit liquor was operating in the affected villages. So far, 52 people have been named as accused in the case, of whom 39 have been arrested, while 11 remain absconding, according to police.

Two accused, Ramsingh and Dinesh Shivhare, also died after allegedly consuming the spurious liquor. The Madhya Pradesh government has constituted a judicial commission headed by retired Justice V.P.S. Chauhan to inquire into the tragedy and has submitted details of the action taken before the High Court.

On Tuesday, the state government told the High Court that 20 people died in the incident and compensation was provided to the affected families. It also reported arrests, sealing of liquor shops, collection of samples, and medical screening of people in the affected areas.

Investigation is continuing into the entire chain, from manufacture to supply and distribution of the spurious liquor.

Further action will be taken on the basis of the evidence collected. The arrested accused are being questioned to establish the source of the liquor and identify others involved in the supply network, according to police.

Mumbai, Sep 22: The Bombay High Court warned “Fugitive Economic Offender” UK-based businessman Vijay Mallya against posting court documents on social media while the money laundering matter being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is still being heard, a lawyer said on Tuesday.

Advocate Ashish Mehta said that High Court’s direction to the fugitive businessman, allegedly present in the UK, followed the ED’s objection to Mallya uploading the probe agency’s affidavit on social media platform X even before the court had considered its contents.

Posting the matter for hearing on October 13, the High Court directed the State Bank of India (SBI) to file a fresh affidavit taking into account the disclosures made by the ED.

Earlier, Mallya had told the High Court in February that he was not in a position to specify when he would return to India.

He cited restrictions imposed by courts in England that he said prevented him from leaving the country.

The High Court was hearing two petitions filed by Mallya.

One petition challenges his designation as a “Fugitive Economic Offender” under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA), while the other contests a court order formally declaring him a fugitive.

Senior advocate Amit Desai, appearing for Mallya, had referred to Supreme Court judgments where writ petitions were heard even in the absence of petitioners.

He had submitted that extradition proceedings against Mallya are ongoing in the UK and that his client is aware of them but is unable to leave the English jurisdiction due to binding court orders.

The High Court, however, questioned Mallya’s intent to appear before the court, saying that he appeared to be relying on UK court orders without clarifying whether those orders had been challenged.

The Bench indicated that such reliance could not be treated as a blanket justification.

The court had directed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to file a response to Mallya’s affidavit.

It also asked Desai to submit a detailed affidavit placing on record all statements made during the hearing so that the Union of India could respond accordingly.