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Maharashtra

Supreme Court to hear Mumbai’s Aarey colony tree felling matter on November 24

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 The Supreme Court said that it will hear on Thursday the matter pertaining to the felling of trees at Mumbai’s Aarey Colony, the site for a metro car shed project.

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices Hima Kohli and JB Pardiwala took note of the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) that there was a need to fell 84 trees.

The law officer said to let the tree felling committee decide on the request of MMRCL on cutting of the tree and the decision would be dependent on the order of this court.

A senior advocate appearing for those opposed to felling of trees said they have also filed an interim plea. “We will deal with these two IAs (interim applications) tomorrow,” the bench said.

The MMRCL had on August 5 this year told the apex court that no trees have been cut in Aarey colony since October 2019.

On August 24, the top court had directed the MMRCL to strictly abide by its undertaking that no trees will be cut there and warned that any violation would result in strict action.

The counsel had said the work for the metro car shed is continuing, and as a result, the court may be presented with a fate accompli.

SC takes suo moto cognisance on letter petition

The apex court had in 2019 taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a letter petition addressed to the Chief Justice of India by law student Rishav Ranjan seeking a stay on the felling of trees in the colony.

The apex court had restrained the authorities from felling any more trees after the Solicitor General submitted on behalf of the State of Maharashtra that no further trees will be cut.

The felling of trees in the colony has been opposed by green activists and residents.

MVA decision to shift car shed overturned

In their first cabinet meeting held hours after coming to power, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis had taken the first step towards overturning the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government’s decision of relocating the proposed car shed project from Aarey Colony.

Incidentally, Thackeray, immediately after becoming the chief minister in November 2019, had announced a stay on the construction of the proposed project and later ordered it be shifted to Kanjurmarg.

The Bombay High Court in October 2019 refused to declare Aarey Colony a forest and declined to quash the Mumbai municipal corporation’s decision to allow felling of over 2,600 trees in the green zone to set up the metro car shed.

Maharashtra

Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray group’s MLA Sunil Shinde’s car accident

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Mumbai: Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction MLA Sunil Shinde’s car met with an accident in Prabhadevi. A BEST bus hit his car. Fortunately, MLA Sunil Shinde did not get hurt in this accident, but his car has suffered heavy damage.

This incident happened when Sunil Shinde was going to a program in Prabhadevi. According to eyewitnesses, the bus driver lost control and hit the car. After the accident, there was chaos in the area for some time.

There was no loss of life or property in this accident. The MLA’s supporters and workers have heaved a sigh of relief. The police have registered the information about the incident and the investigation of the case is going on.

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Business

Mumbai: Social Activist Demands Action Against Police Officers For Negligence In Torres Multi-Crore Scam Investigation

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Mumbai: In a serious development concerning Torres massive financial fraud case, a Social Activist Shashikant Kawale has called for action against police officers who allegedly neglected their duty despite receiving prior warnings about fraudulent activities. 

Social Activist Shashikant Kawale wrote a letter addressed to senior law enforcement authorities, including the Commissioners of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai Police, the Maharashtra Cyber Crime Department, the Economic Offences Wing, and the Enforcement Directorate, has raised serious questions about the delay in action against fraudulent companies operating in Mumbai and surrounding areas. The letter highlights gross negligence by responsible officers despite early warnings regarding Torres Scam.

Whistle Blower Flags Concerns

The Whistle blower Shashikant Kawale had previously flagged concerns, urging the authorities to investigate the legality of these companies’ operations, government-issued licenses, mandates, board of directors, and operational documents. Specifically, the letter called for a detailed probe into the working methods and financial inflows/outflows of the company, Records of investors and agents involved and The suspiciously high monthly returns promised by the Torres Company.

About The Allegations

The letter alleges that had an inquiry been launched promptly, it would have prevented many investors from falling prey to false promises, sparing them from financial devastation. Despite explicit warnings that the companies were preparing to flee after defrauding investors, no significant action was taken.

The Social Activist Kawale has demanded an inquiry into officers who failed to act on the provided information, urging that those found guilty be held accountable under applicable regulations. The letter further appeals for systemic reforms to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.A social activist from Dharavi, Shashikant Kavale, first raised red flags in November last year and approached the Shivaji Park police and EOW, highlighting Torres’ dubious practices.

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Bollywood

Arjun Kapoor & Mudassar Aziz Injured After Ceiling Collapses On Mere Husband Ki Biwi Set In Mumbai, Crew Member Suffers Spinal Injury

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Arjun Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar were recently filming for a song for their upcoming film Mere Husband Ki Biwi at Imperial Palace, Royal Palms in Mumbai, when the ceiling collapsed, leaving Arjun, producer Jackky Bhagnani, and director Mudassir Aziz injured.

Ashok Dubey from the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) spoke to ETimes, explaining that since the location had been there for a long time, the vibrations from the sound caused the set to tremble, which led to further portions falling off.

Ashok revealed that he injured his elbow and head, and that Mudassar was hurt, along with other crew members. The DOP, Manu Anand, fractured his thumb, while the camera attendant suffered a spinal injury. Expressing gratitude, he stated that no one was critically hurt, which was a blessing. Even our camera attendant injured his spine.

Further, Choreographer Vijay Ganguly, who worked on the song, stated that the first day of shooting went well; however, things took a drastic turn on the second day.

“We were on the monitor when suddenly the ceiling collapsed. Luckily, it fell in parts, and we had a trough to protect us. Had the entire ceiling fallen on us, it could have been disastrous, but many people still got hurt. These old locations are often used for shoots, and as production companies, we are sure that the safety measures are checked. However, many times, the safety of the location isn’t properly verified before it’s offered for shooting,” Ganguly shared.

Dubey said that they have written to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and the BMC to highlight the safety concerns.

“We have written to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and the BMC to highlight the safety concerns. We also raised the issue with the Fire Department, which confirmed that Chitrakoot’s structure has permission only for 90 days, yet it remains standing,” Dubey said.

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