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Maharashtra

The long hand of ED and the rise of Maha’s ED (Eknath-Devendra)

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At the special session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on July 3-4, during the voting the Opposition benches of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress reverberated with catcalls of ‘ED’, ‘ED’ to at least one MLA in the House.

The jeering and taunts were directed at the Shiv Sena MLAs group which had revolted on June 20, leading to the collapse of the 3-party 31-month-old MVA alliance — headed by ex-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray — on June 29.

Ten days later on June 30, a new Bharatiya Janata Party-supported government headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was sworn-in, making it one of the swiftest state political coups in recent decades, and the first of its kind in Maharashtra.

Sensing the �sour mood’ of the Opposition, the Deputy CM later �concurred’ with them, in a lighter vein stating that now, indeed – an �E’-�D’ government – comprising �E’knath Shinde and �D’evendra Fadnavis was in power here.

A harbinger of things to come in the future�?, as many legislators on both sides were left wondering� with central investigation agencies like the Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation, Narcotics Control Bureau, et al — once invisible lurking ghosts, but now common household names and the butt of many a joke and memes.

Back in September 2019, the ED had dropped its own IED by issuing a statement naming – of all persons, Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar in an alleged money-laundering scam cooked up in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank Ltd.

Unfazed, Pawar took what he termed �the ED’s love-message’ in his stride, and �self-summoned’ himself, dressing up to report suo-moto at the ED office, and perhaps, give the investigators a sharp �love-bite’, too!

Aware of a possible law-and-order situation as thousands of NCP workers prepared to join Pawar’s �ED yatra’, the then BJP-led government of CM Fadnavis panicked.

He immediately deputed the then Police Commissioner to meet and cajole the irked Pawar to abandon his plans – and since that �masterstroke’, the 81-year-old Maratha has not heard from the ED, but recently, the IT department has sent him a notice.

After the BJP-led NDA government took over at the Centre, the non-BJP ruled states, including Maharashtra post-Nevember 2019, are feeling the heat as many of their prominent leaders are being fried on the griddle of one or multiple central agencies.

In fact, Maharashtra had become a favourite hunting ground of the central snoops during the MVA government and the three alliance partners screamed from the rooftops at how the BJP has let loose the ED, IT, CBI, NCB to terrorise and silence them.

However, concealing a smile on a straight face, the BJP leaders airily dismissed all allegations and the central agencies remain freely on the prowl.

The past few years have seen over a dozen Sena-NCP-Congress leaders under microscopic scrutiny, playing havoc with the politicians, their political careers and parties, and lately, even an entire state government.

The targets so far: ex-CM Thackeray’s brother-in-law Shridhar M. Patankar, close associates of son and ex-Minister Aditya Thackeray, while ex-Minister Anil Parab was closeted inside the ED office and outside, his government was crumbling in late-June, Sena MPs Sanjay Raut and Bhavana Gawali – the latter, sacked as the party’s Chief Whip in the Lok Sabha, several legislators like Pratap Sarnaik, MLA Yamini Jadhav’s husband and BMC leader Yashwant Jadhav, Arjun Khotkar, and many more.

In the NCP, those in focus were the close relatives of ex-Deputy CM (new Leader of Opposition) Ajit Pawar, four former ministers — Anil Deshmukh, Nawab Malik (both arrested), Prajakt Tanpure and Eknath Khadse — the last one faced the ED ire after he switched over from the BJP to the NCP and several more coming onto the radar.

Some Congress leaders have complaints against them though the agencies have not yet hounded them. Ex-Congress minister Harshvardhan Patil said on record that after joining the BJP, “there are no enquiries” and he “enjoys sound sleep !”

Post-MVA collapse, there were political murmurs hinting that a couple of top rebels and more than two dozen MLAs who flocked together were reportedly under the lens of one or more agencies.

Some bitter MLAs have also pointed fingers at the MVA leaders for “failure to protect them” from the ceaseless assault of the investigation agencies and felt it �safer’ to ally with the BJP. Pawar once complained to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the harassment.

Probably a telling indicator of the dreadful reputation of the probe organisations, which are now perceived as the most effective �ammunition’ against the Opposition.

Maharashtra

Ayan Shaikh sexual abuse case not love jihad, new conclusion in investigation, Ayan’s life in danger

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An FIR has been registered against Ayan Sheikh alias Ayaz Sheikh for sexual harassment in the limits of the Toward Police Station in Mumbai. A new revelation has come out in the case of Ayan Sheikh that his friend Uzair Khan leaked his videos on his Instagram, after which there was a stir. The police have started an investigation in this case and have arrested 8 accused. Along with this, several important conclusions have been made in the investigation. Ayan Sheikh had contacted the victims through his Instagram account and after making friends, he would have affairs with these girls and then take them to a hotel and establish relations with them. Uzair had made the video viral on Instagram because he was also Ayan’s social media handle and there was a dispute between the two over money and he made the videos viral in anger. In this case, the police have arrested everyone from those who made the video to those who collaborated with him.

Three policemen suspended
One ASI Salim and two constables have been suspended in the Ayan Sheikh case. Ayan’s video with the policemen went viral and they were in contact with Ayan, so it was tarnishing the image of the police department, after which the policemen were suspended and an inquiry was initiated. Ayan Sheikh’s life is also in danger because the relatives and parents of the victims are angry and special care is also taken for her security during her appearance in court. The police said that in the investigation that has been started regarding Ayan Sheikh, so far this case is not of love jihad nor does Mata Tsoraya belong to any other religion, but after this, attempts to give it a religious color are intensified, along with this, bulldozer action was also taken in this case.

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Maharashtra

Naxalites dance to ‘Hadma’ song at Pune Ambedkar Jayanti program, case registered against two BBA students

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Mumbai: Pune A dance performance based on a song based on the Naxalite Hidma Madvi at a cultural program organized on the occasion of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Jayanti has created a stir. Accordingly, the police have also registered a case, but after registering a case on the song and dance, the question is now common on social media whether it is legally correct to register a case on the basis of considering the song and dance as objectionable? The Vishrantwadi police have registered a case against both of them for the Hidma song.

Kiran Narayan Gomase (age 22, native of Dechli, Talahari, Gadchiroli district, currently residing in Bharat Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Government Hostel, Vishrantwadi) and Srinivas Hanumant Kumari (age 23, native of Jhanganur, Tal. Gachi, currently residing in the same Sarwand, Sarwand district) hostel) have been identified. The police said that both are pursuing BBA. According to the police, a cultural programme was organised on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti on April 11 at Bharat Ratna Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar Government Hostel Vishrantwadi. The programme featured a dance performance on a song based on Hidma Madhavi, who was associated with the Communist Party of India (Maoist) organisation and was also the commander of Battalion No. 1 of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA). The police have taken action on charges of spreading misleading information which threatens the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the country. A case has been registered in this regard under sections 197(1)(d) 353(1) and 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). A case has been registered at Vishrantwadi police station and Police Sub-Inspector Bhosale is investigating the matter further. This incident has created a stir in the city and sparked debate in academic and social circles as to whether a case was registered simply for dancing to a song, is this not against freedom of expression?

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Crime

NESCO Concert Drug Deaths Case: Main Accused Held In Raigad’s Poladpur While Attempting To Flee Towards Goa

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Mumbai: In a major breakthrough in the drug case linked to the deaths of two youths at a concert in NESCO Centre, police have arrested the main accused from Poladpur in Raigad district while he was allegedly attempting to flee towards Goa.

According to officials, the accused is suspected of distributing Ecstasy (MDMA) at the concert held on April 11, where two attendees died due to suspected drug overdose. He was intercepted and later handed over to the Vanrai Police for further investigation.

The arrest comes amid an ongoing crackdown on a suspected drug supply network operating around high-profile music events in Mumbai. A video released by Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) showed the accused being escorted by police personnel following his detention.

Earlier, the Vanrai Police had arrested 21-year-old MBA student Shubh Agarwal from Kalyan, marking the eighth arrest in the case. Agarwal was produced before the Borivali Metropolitan Magistrate Court, which remanded him to police custody till April 20.

The case was registered after the deaths of Shreya Rai (24) and Bismaad Bhasin (28), both of whom are suspected to have consumed a lethal combination of drugs and alcohol. Another attendee, Seetal Salvi (25), remains under treatment at Bombay Hospital.

Cops have also flagged multiple violations at the event, including the concert allegedly continuing beyond the permitted time of 10 pm till around 12:30 am. Additionally, alcohol was reportedly served to individuals below the legal age of 25.

Police said several of the accused were regular attendees at events held at the NESCO Centre, indicating the possible existence of a broader drug distribution network targeting such gatherings.

So far, nine accused have been arrested in the case. Seven of them are scheduled to be produced in court today as the investigation continues.

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