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PAAS members level graft allegations against Hardik Patel, misuse of platform

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Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener and former Gujarat Congress working president, Hardik Patel is under attack from his one time associates and fan followers. They have also accused him of indulging in corruption. Hardik is not reachable for comment.

The latest allegation has been made by Hardik Patel’s one time associate Bhavesh Somani from Bhavnagar, who said that he had hurled ‘Chappal’ on Hardik Patel’s instruction on the then Union Minister of State Mansukh Mandaviya.

Somani has also levelled serious allegations of corruption against Hardik Patel. He said that Hardik took Rs 23 lakh bribe to give ticket for the Gariyadhar assembly constituency election in 2017. “Rs 10 lakh cash was delivered to his father Bharatbhai at his Ahmedabad flat and the rest was paid through Angadia services in two instalments,” Somani said.

Hardik Patel is tight-lipped on the issue. When IANS contacted him over phone and through text message, he did not respond.

While Hardik is cornered with various allegations, his one time associate Vandana Patel has come out in his support. She has appealed Patidars and PAAS workers to stop making allegations against Hardik Patel in public. She cited the unwritten rule of the tribal community, where no one makes allegations against their leaders if they switch sides. She said Ashwin Kotawal and Keval Joshiyara joined BJP, but the tribal community did not criticise them.

“These allegations can’t be termed baseless,” said Rajendrasinh Gohil, president of the Bhavnagar District Congress Committee. Gohil said, “I know Bhavesh Somani was one of the trustworthy and confidant of Hardik Patel in Bhavnagar. I have heard about him demanding money to organise Hardik’s public meeting in Bhavnagar district, in the run up to the elections. Gariadhar Congress candidate Paresh Kheni was a party worker as well as the PAAS worker too.”

People will question and make such allegations, argues Dhanji Patidar, PAAS worker from Unava in the Mehsana district, and said, “why is Hardik Patel not disclosing his family’s annual income before and after he headed PAAS movement. What is his source of income? Does he do a job anywhere? Does he have investment in any industry? How is he meeting his expenses and living a lavish lifestyle?”

“Once a Patidar leader joins politics, such allegations will keep cropping up,” said Varun Patel, PAAS convener and now BJP leader, on specific corruption allegations against Hardik Patel. He said, “It is difficult to either call it baseless or true, but one thing is sure, where there is a smoke, there is a fire.”

General

Thane Tragedy: Environmentalist-Lawyer Sarita Khanchandani Dies By Suicide In Ulhasnagar, Family Alleges Harassment By Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader

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Thane: In connection with the death of environmentalist-activist-lawyer Sarita Khanchandani, who allegedly died by suicide on Thursday after jumping from the seventh floor of Roma Building where she lived in Ulhasnagar, her husband Purshottam Khanchandani has leveled serious allegations against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and his associate accusing them of harassing his wife and trying to implicate her in a fabricated case.

He claimed that the harassment drove her to suicide and demanded that the case be probed by a senior officer under judicial supervision.

Purshottam, along with other family members, addressed a press conference to present his side of the story. He said Sarita had been helping Jiya Goplani, a woman whose domestic case she was handling. After being ousted by her in-laws, Goplani had no shelter, and Sarita allowed her to live in one of her homes for six years, providing food and support.

Although the court awarded Goplani a monthly maintenance of Rs 15,000, Sarita eventually asked her to vacate the house. Goplani assured her that she was looking for a house in Badlapur and would leave within two months.

According to Purshottam, on Wednesday, Goplani called Sarita claiming she was unwell. When Sarita went to meet her around 11:45 p.m., she found nearly 20 people present. Purshottam alleged that this was a conspiracy to trap Sarita, and a video of the incident later surfaced on the social media.

Although the police were called to the spot, both Sarita and Goplani told officers they had no complaints, after which Sarita returned home.

However, Purshottam alleged that later the same night, Goplani, along with a politician and others, went to the police station and registered a case against Sarita. Shocked by the development, Sarita went to the police station on Thursday but later returned home and jumped to her death from the terrace.

He also accused the Vithalwadi police station of facilitating the conspiracy to falsely implicate her. He clarified that Goplani was not a tenant but was staying at their residence purely on humanitarian grounds.

Purshottam linked the incident to an earlier dispute, alleging that the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and his associate had encroached upon a government toilet block. Sarita had filed a petition in the High Court against the encroachment, after which the Shiv Sena Shakha on the premises was shut down and the property handed back to the municipal corporation.

In response to Purshottam’s allegations, Jiya Gopalani refused all allegations and stated that she was his wife’s tenant and that Sarita forced her to work according to her instructions; otherwise, she would not fight her domestic case in court.

“On Wednesday, Sarita came to my home because I was not picking up her call. Sarita arrived at my home and assaulted me badly, after which I visited the police station and filed a case against her.”

DCP Sachin Gore of Ulhasnagar said “Based on Jiya Goplani’s complaint, we filed a case of trespass and assault against Sarita. In Sarita’s suicide matter, no note was found. So far, we have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) . We will record the statements of witnesses. Further investigation is underway, and if anyone’s role emerges, action will take accordingly.”

Sarita Khanchandani, a practicing lawyer, was known for her environmental activism and had played a significant role in getting DJs banned in Maharashtra.

She also ran the Heerali Foundation, an organization dedicated to cleaning up the Ulhas and Waldhuni rivers that flow through Ulhasnagar. She was a prominent figure in pollution activism in the city, petitioning police to act against violators and raising awareness of environmental issues affecting the rivers.

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Crime

Maloney arrested with 7.2 million worth of ganja and pistol, five others

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Mumbai Maloni Police has claimed to have arrested five accused including ganja worth Rs 72 lakhs and a country-made pistol and live cartridges. In Maloni, the police had arrested Ashiq Hussain Khan with 1 kg 60 grams of ganja. He said that he buys this drug from Nashik. After that, Santosh More of Nashik was arrested. After that, a total of four accused were arrested in this case and a case was registered against them under the NDPS Act. A car was searched in Maloni Madh in which a country-made pistol and ganja were recovered. This operation was carried out by DCP Sandeep Jadhav on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti. The police is investigating the matter further.

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National News

Kolkata Police arrest 3 for vandalism at Bengal Congress headquarters

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Kolkata, Aug 30: Kolkata Police on Saturday arrested three persons in connection with the attack on the West Bengal Congress headquarters in the city.

At the same time, the police have started a search for BJP leader Rakesh Singh, who is accused of masterminding the attack at Bidhan Bhawan. Police said the arrests have been made based on an FIR lodged by the Congress on Friday against the attack and defacing of posters of party leaders Rahul Gandhi and others.

“Three persons were arrested. Search is on for others, including Rakesh Singh, against whom the FIR was lodged,” said a senior officer of Kolkata Police.

A case has also been registered against the accused persons under the Arms Act. Sources said over 20 people have been named in the police complaint lodged at Entally Police Station in Central Kolkata.

After registering an FIR, police went to the house of Rakesh Singh on Friday night, but the BJP leader was not at his house.

On Friday, a group of BJP workers led by its leader Rakesh Singh went on a rampage at the state Congress headquarters at CIT Road in central Kolkata, burning party flags and defacing posters of party leaders Rahul Gandhi and others to mark their protest against alleged abuses hurled at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar.

The workers at first protested outside the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) office ‘Bidhan Bhawan’ in central Kolkata, then they burnt Congress party flags and tyres. Thereafter, they went inside the party office premises, tore up posters and banners and defaced photographs of senior party leaders.

Following the incident, Congress party’s West Bengal unit President Subhankar Sarkar demanded the immediate arrest of those who were involved in the attack. Led by him, Congress workers also put up a road blockade at Moulali crossing to mark their protest against the vandalism.

The BJP has been criticising senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, after a purported video showed an unidentified person using a Hindi expletive against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother from a dais during the Voter Adhikar Yatra in Darbhanga town of Bihar, from where Gandhi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Vadra and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had left for Muzaffarpur on motorcycles on Wednesday.

The Bihar Police on Friday arrested the person who allegedly used abusive language against the PM.

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