Thane: The Thane Sessions Court has granted bail to Kashimira resident Savlaram Smartharam Chaudhary, who was accused of allegedly raping a woman on the pretext of marriage. The court, in its order, observed that the woman was well aware of the fact that the accused was married and hence was equally responsible for the act.

The order stated: “It appears that the accused has not denied or disputed physical relations with the victim. However, he claims that these were consensual relations between adult persons, whereas the victim claims that she consented to such relations due to an assurance of marriage. The investigation papers show that the accused got married on July 23,2024and has a baby. The period of the alleged offence is between August 2023 and January 2025, which means the victim continued her relationship with the accused even after his marriage. She is 28 years old and deals with monetary transactions. She knows the consequences of physical relations with a married person prior to marriage. In these circumstances, the ingredients of Section 69 of BNS are prima facie not attracted against the accused.”

The prosecution alleged that the accused gave a false promise of marriage and maintained physical relations with the woman at various hotels and lodges. He also allegedly obtained Rs 8 lakh from her and committed the offence of cheating, which led to an FIR being lodged against the accused and a co-accused.

The accused, however, claimed innocence, stating that he was falsely implicated. He was arrested on July 27 and has been in judicial custody since July 31 after custodial interrogation. The accused and the victim were colleagues at an imitation jewellery shop, where their friendship eventually turned into a relationship.

The accused further argued that he did not have sexual relations with the victim under a false promise of marriage and that the allegation regarding the Rs 8 lakh was baseless. He maintained that the money was taken as a loan to start an imitation jewellery business and was subsequently repaid.

He also produced a bank statement before the investigating officer, showing that the amount had been returned. Additionally, on April 25, the accused and the victim entered into a compromise deed stating that the victim did not owe any amount to the accused.

Mumbai: Fourteen new judges were sworn in as additional judges of Bombay High Court on Tuesday. Acting Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar administered the oath to the 14 judges, including Raj Damodar Wakode, a relative of CJI Gavai.

Others appointed as HC judges are Siddheshwar Thombre, Mehroz Ashraf Khan Pathan, Ranjitsinha Bhonsale, Sandesh Patil, Shreeram Shirsat, Hiten Venegavkar, Rajnish Vyas, Nandesh Deshpande, Amit Jamsandekar, Ashish Chavan, Vaishali Patil-Jadhav, Abasaheb Shinde and Farhan Dubash.

Advocates Patil, Shirsat, Venegavkar and Chavan have represented central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in several profile cases. Currently, Venegavkar is the chief public prosecutor at the HC.

The Supreme Court collegium recommended their appointment on August 19. The Central government cleared the same on August 27.

On August 19, three judges were sworn in as HC judges, including Aarti Sathe, whose elevation drew political attention over her previous role as a BJP spokesperson. Other two sworn in as judges were Ajit Kadethankar and Sushil Ghodeswar.

Until yesterday, the High Court had a functioning strength of 68 judges against a sanctioned strength of 94. With the new appointments, the strength has come up to 82.

State-owned telecom company, Bhartiya Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), on Monday said that it has extended the deadline for its ‘Freedom Plan’ by 15 days to September 15.

“BSNL is extending its ‘Freedom Plan’ by 15 days, in view of the overwhelming customer response,” a Ministry of Communications statement said.

The plan was launched on August 1, offering complimentary 4G mobile services for 30 days at a token Re. 1 to new activations. Originally, the scheme was available for activations up to August 31; however, now, the offer window has been extended to September 15.

The schemes ‘ benefits include unlimited voice calls (as per terms and conditions), 2GB high-speed 4G data per day, 100 SMS per day, and a Free SIM card.

“BSNL has recently deployed a Make-in-India, state-of-the-art 4G mobile network across the country, advancing the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The Freedom Plan—absolutely free of service charges for the first 30 days—gives customers a proud opportunity to experience our indigenously developed 4G network,” BSNL Chairman and Managing Director A. Robert J. Ravi, said.

“We’re confident that the service quality, coverage, and the trust associated with the BSNL brand will encourage customers to stay with us well beyond the introductory period,” he added.

Customers can get the Freedom Plan by visiting the nearest BSNL customer service centre, carrying valid documents for KYC. You can request the Freedom Plan SIM with just Rs 1 activation, complete your KYC, and collect your free SIM. Once you insert the SIM and follow the activation process as guided, your 30-day complimentary benefits will begin from the date of activation.

Earlier this year, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia credited the PM Narendra Modi government’s strategic revival steps for bringing BSNL back from the brink, saying that the state-run telecom giant, once left on ‘ventilator support’ by the previous UPA government, has now firmly re-established itself in the hearts of Indian consumers.

Speaking exclusively to on BSNL’s remarkable turnaround, the minister said: “At one point, BSNL was not even on ventilator support but in a critically failing state.””Prime Minister Modi made a strong resolve to bring BSNL back into full service for the country. Today, we are seeing the result of that commitment,” the minister said.