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Maharashtra

Thane Court Rejects Central Railway’s Plea To Ban Shoeshine Workers At Thane, Mumbra Stations, Cites Livelihood Concerns

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Thane: The Principal District Judge of the Thane court has rejected the appeal filed by the Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) of Central Railway, which sought to prevent nine shoeshine boys from working at Thane and Mumbra railway stations. This appeal was filed in the absence of any shoeshine societies successfully securing tenders for performing shoe polishing on railway platforms.

The court held that since the livelihoods of the shoeshine boys depend on this work, it would not interfere with the trial court’s order. However, it granted the railways the option of approaching the trial court for a modification of the order if a new tender is floated and approved.

Principal District Judge S.B. Agarwal, in a six-page order, stated: “No doubt, the arrangement (of allowing nine shoeshine boys to work on the railway platform without any tender) was temporary in nature until the tender was issued and granted. As per the order of 2007, these nine were permitted to work. The trial court observed that the tender awarded to Bhima Shoeshine was rejected and that no new tender had been invited by the railways. The situation remains unchanged to this day. In view of this, a strong prima facie case for continuation is clearly made out since the livelihood of the plaintiffs is involved, and no interference is warranted in the impugned order.”

However, the court granted the railways the liberty to approach the trial court for a modification of the order as and when a fresh tender is allotted, regarding the continuation of the nine shoeshine boys working without tenders.

These shoeshine boys, who are the plaintiffs in this case, had filed the suit arguing that they had been carrying out shoe polishing and repair work at Thane and Mumbra railway stations for 20 years with railway permission.

However, by way of a letter dated November 1, 2023, they were directed to surrender their ID cards and badges, despite having paid their license fees. This development occurred after the railways invited tenders in 2023.

However, the societies that submitted tenders failed to comply with the required terms—including Bhima Shoeshine, which had initially been selected but later failed to meet the criteria. A few of the nine shoeshine boys were members of Bhima shoeshine society, and hence Bhima shoeshine society is also one among the plaintiffs who has been fighting against the mighty railways.

In these circumstances, the railways filed a suit along with an application for a temporary injunction. The railways, i.e., the appellant-defendant in the suit, contended that tenders were invited through a press notification dated October 21, 2001, and were awarded to M/s. Shramik Leather Equipment and Handgloves Industrial Co-op. Society Ltd. for three years. The contract was later extended but eventually canceled in 2007.

Subsequently, M/s. Magasvargiya Boot Polish Workers Society was given the option to operate at Thane and Mumbra until a new tender was finalized. This arrangement included some of the plaintiffs who had previously worked with M/s. Shramik Leather Equipment and Handgloves Industrial Co-op. Society Ltd., allowing them to continue their work at the railway stations. However, this was always subject to the finalization of a tender and was considered a temporary arrangement.

Umesh Dularchand Ram, president of Bhima Shoeshine Workers Co-operative Society, while speaking on the matter, said, “I was the one who secured the tender and immediately deposited ₹15 lakh with the railway office in 2023. Now, the railways have canceled my tender, claiming it failed to meet some criteria, while these nine men are allowed to work in the absence of any tenders. In such a situation, where do I go to get my deposited money back?”

A new policy was framed on February 27, 2018, and further tenders were invited. However, these tenders were later canceled as Bhima Shoeshine did not have the required workers. On a second occasion, the tender was again awarded to Bhima Shoeshine Society, but the temporary arrangement was discontinued. As a result, the railways sought the rejection of the temporary arrangement for the ten shoeshine workers.

Maharashtra

Case registered against Bajrang Dal workers for bringing pigs to create ruckus in Mira Bhayander, two FIRs registered for disturbing the environment

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The police have registered a case against the miscreants for creating a ruckus and disturbing the environment in Poonam Coaster Society, two cases of interference in the communal and government work. On the other hand, the police have registered a case under the Maharashtra Police Act against 50 to 60 volunteers including Bajrang Dal’s Nagnath Kamble for disturbing the order. In Poonam Coaster, two cases of rioting and one case of assault and injury to a Bajrang Dal volunteer have been registered in this case. The accused has been arrested, while the investigation of the other two cases is underway. All three cases have been registered at Kashi Mira Police Station.

Regarding the above-mentioned cases, tension had arisen due to the tethering of goats in the premises of the Poonam Cluster One building society in Kashmira police station limits. Three crimes have been registered in Kashi Mira police station limits.

A case under Section 118(1), 115(2) of the IPC has been registered at Kashi Mira Police Station. According to the details, at 12.50 pm, on the footpath in front of the cake shop near the gate of Poonam Cluster 01, Mira Road East District Police Station, Poonam Cluster 01 Society Bajrang Dal worker Nath Kamble along with some residents of the society were present here and were talking to Nagnath. An attacker, aged around 40 to 45 years, dressed in a white full-length shirt and blue jeans, tried to stab Nagnath Kamble from behind with a knife. At that time, the plaintiff brought his left hand into the bag to save him. When 16-year-old Karan Jain, who was standing behind the plaintiff, tried to catch her, she punched Karan Jain on the right cheek and then the attacker attacked and fled. In this case, the police have arrested the accused after registering a case. Now, along with this, the police have registered a case under sections 132, 196, 3(5) of the BNS. In this case, the police have arrested Bajrang Dal worker Durgesh Jaiswal, aged 30 to 35 years, 2. Harsh Singh, 22 to 25 years 3. Mohit Chaurasia, aged 35 years, a resident of Mira Bhayander, a 25 to 30-year-old young man wearing a blue half-t-shirt and black pants, long hair, raised religious slogans here. In addition, by bringing the white pig to this location and trying to forcefully take it into the premises of the society, they raised provocative slogans that promoted enmity between classes on the basis of religion and caste, incited hatred, disrupted harmony and disrupted public order, tried to take the pig into the premises of the society, protested against the government and tried to incite violence among Muslims. When the police intervened in this matter, they obstructed the performance of official duties. The police have registered a case in this matter. Similarly, the police have also registered a case against the Bajrang Dal activists who spread unrest here. The police have registered a case under the Maharashtra Police Act against them. They include Bajrang Dal activists Nagnath Kamble aged 50 to 55 years, Rupesh Dubey aged 40 to 45 years, Ankit Mishra aged 25 to 30 years, Rakesh Kotian, Suraj Sahu aged 25 to 30 years, Pawan Thakur, Bhajayal Rashyal, and others aged 50 to 60 years. All of them had created a ruckus in the society here along with destroying the peace of the society and trying to spoil the situation, after which the police took this action. Now peace has been established here but tension also persists.

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Maharashtra

Fugitive accused arrested in Mumbai Powai murder case, anger over dispute a week ago was the motive for the murder, police investigation after the murder concluded

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Mumbai: Crime Branch Unit 10 has claimed to have arrested the absconding accused involved in the murder from Surat Gujarat. According to the details, on May 24, the body of a 55-year-old man named Yusuf was found in Powai Tanga village, Saki Vihar. Someone had stabbed him to death with a sharp weapon and stabbed him on the chest. The police registered a murder case in this matter and started investigation. Then they examined about 100 CCTV footage in this matter and it was found that the accused had fled after the murder in Gujarat. After that, the police arrested the accused from here and handed him over to Powai police for further action. The accused, Deepak alias Deepa Nathu Prasad Verma, 26, had an argument with Yusuf over something a week ago, which angered him and he killed Yusuf and fled. The police have taken action in this matter and claimed to have arrested the accused and solved the case. This action was taken by DCP Detection Nonath Dhole on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti. .

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Maharashtra

Mumbai ANC Action Drug trafficker Haroon sent to Yeru Da Jail for one year

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Mumbai: Anti-Narcotics Cell ANC has sent drug smuggler Haroon Farooq Khan (41) to Pune Yerwada Jail for one year. A case has been registered against him under the NDPS Act. The accused was found involved in drug trafficking even after being released on bail, so while taking action against him, ANC proposed action against him under the PIT NDPS Act, 1988 and after approval from the Home Ministry, he has been sent to Yerwada Jail for one year. Haroon is active in drug trafficking. There are 8 NDPS cases registered against him in different police stations.

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