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Maharashtra

RTI reply: ‘No commonly delineated’ LAC between India-China

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 As India and China with increasing frequency grunt and growl at each over their territorial rights, an RTI reply has said that there is actually no ‘Line of Actual Control’ between the world’s two most populous nations.

The RTI revelations were in response to a query filed by Pune businessman Prafful Sarda to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which was later transferred to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) seeking details of the LAC.

The reply was an eye-popper: “There is no commonly delineated Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the border areas between India and China.”

The government admitted in its April 2018 reply that from time to time, on account of the difference in the perception of the LAC, “situations have arisen on the ground that could have been avoided if we had a common perception of the LAC”.

The government said that it regularly takes up an transgression along the LAC with China through established mechanisms like border personnel meetings, flag meetings, meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs, and of course the diplomatic channels.

“The Bharatiya Janata Party government has been claiming that it has protected the country from Chinese incursions in Arunachal Pradesh and in Ladakh region. However, since by its own admission, there is no mutually-accepted LAC, then which areas it has actually secured and what is the real ground situation currently,” Sarda urged.

Interestingly, much later, the Army Headquarters had declined to give details on ceasefire violations along the LAC and the June 2017 Doklam (Donglang, as referred by China) skirmishes, on grounds of exemption under the RTI Act 2005, Sec. 8(1)(a).

This Section reads that the government is not obliged to give to citizens any “information, disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence”.

“As far as the Line of Control (LoC — between India-Pakistan) is concerned, the government has admitted to around 320 ceasefire violations (2004-2013, during the UPA tenure), which shot up to more than 11,625 from 2014 – February 2021. Why can’t it enlighten the people and Parliament similarly on the figures of LAC ceasefire violations on the India-China borders,” demanded Sarda.

The Indo-Chinese border has been a cause of concern in the past over five years with several stand-offs with casualties and alleged fatalities that the world is watching anxiously amid apprehensions of a major flare-up between the two most-populous nuclear-powered nations.

Among the recent border disturbances along the LAC include: Doklam (June 2017), Galwan Valley skirmishes (June 2020) with reports of fatalities, clashes near Sikkim (January 2021), allegations of cross-firing in the air (September 2021), and the Tawang fisticuffs (December 2022) with injuries.

The much-vexed India-China border is around 3,500 kms long on the frontline Union Territories of Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, comprising the undisputed McMahon Line.

Maharashtra

Mumbai Police equipped with modern laboratories and technology: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis

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Mumbai: Mumbai Police has equipped itself with modern technology to curb cyber crime and cyber fraud. Accordingly, Mumbai Police inaugurated three cyber labs including a forensic lab, a special van, an intercept van and other modern equipment at the hands of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Speaking on the occasion, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the police has been modernized to curb cyber fraud and online fraud and the police will use these modern equipment to solve crimes ranging from cyber fraud to other crimes.

Fadnavis said that the way incidents like digital arrests are happening today by fooling people online, the police has brought significant revolution in the investigation methods and other things to curb these incidents. He said that special help rooms have also been set up in police stations to help women, in which women will get immediate help. He said that a special van has also been prepared for women so that they can get immediate help. Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Pansalkar, Special Police Commissioner Devin Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Satyanarayan Chaudhary and senior officers were present at the event.

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Maharashtra

Bir Mecca Masjid bomb blast implementation of UAPA

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Mumbai: Police has implemented UAPA Act in the Bir Ard Masla Mecca Masjid blast case. On the midnight of March 30, Vijay Agon and Shri Ram Ashok placed a bomb in the mosque and exploded it. This explosion was done with the help of jetliner and detonator. In this case, the police had earlier registered a case under Arms Act and other sections, but after that Muslim organizations had demanded to prosecute the accused under UAPA Act and NSA.
The Beed blast was investigated by the local crime branch, in which the crime branch found that the explosion was very powerful and detonators were also used along with jetliner rods. On this basis, UAPA Act has been implemented on the recommendation of the Crime Branch. Police have registered a case against both the terrorists under sections 16 and 18 of UAPA. Since the Beed blast, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is investigating it along with the police. The ATS is investigating the connection and financing of terrorists in this case, including how jetliner rods were made available to the accused and who provided them jetliner rods without license or permit. Along with this, investigation is also going on to find out how many more people and conspirators are involved in this case. ATS said that investigation is going on every aspect and point of the Beed bomb blast, however, ATS has so far questioned many people in this case, including family members and well-wishers of the accused as well as their friends and acquaintances. ATS is trying to uncover the conspiracy before the blast in the Beed Mecca Masjid blast case because before the blast, accused Vijay Agon had released a video and uploaded it on the status threatening Muslims to remove the mosque and only after that the blast took place here. The local police had also registered a case of spreading religious hatred against the accused a day earlier and the mosque was blown up the next day.

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Crime

Actor Ajaz Khan’s Wife Fallon Guliwala Granted Bail in Drugs Case

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Mumbai: Fallon Guliwala, wife of actor Ajaz Khan, who was arrested in November 2024 after narcotics were recovered from her residence, has been granted bail by a special court in Mumbai.

Guliwala had been in custody for over four months. The court has imposed certain conditions for her bail, including the submission of her passport, a restriction on travel, and mandatory attendance before the investigating officer three times a week until the chargesheet is filed.

Her lawyer, Ayaz Khan, argued that she was unaware of the recovered items and that she was not the only occupant of the premises. He also mentioned that the CCTV system was turned off during the raid, and no videography or photography was conducted.

Special Public Prosecutor Vibhavari Pathak opposed the bail plea, stating that a prima facie case existed against Guliwala.

Considering that the seizure process had already been completed, the court granted bail but with strict conditions.

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