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Trinamool MLA Saokat Molla ignores CBI summons

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 Two-time Trinamool Congress legislator Saokat Molla on Friday ignored CBI’s notice for interrogation in connection with the coal smuggling cases in West Bengal.

Molla, the Trinamool Congress MLA from Canning (East) Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, was asked to be present at CBI’s Nizam Palace office in Central Kolkata at 11 a.m on Friday.

However, at the last moment, his counsels sent an email communique to the CBI informing the latter about their client inability to appear for interrogation. Molla had also sought 15 days of time to appear for grilling.

Confirming the receipt of the email communique of Molla, a senior CBI official, who did not wish to be named, said that they have forwarded the communique to their higher officials at CBI Directorate in New Delhi immediately. “Now whether Molla would be given the time span of 15 days or not will be decided by our higher officials,” he said.

Many recall the similar incident how Trinamool Congress leader and party’s Birbhum district president Anubrata Mandal avoided CBI summons one after another pertaining to cattle and cola smuggling cases in the state.

After ignoring seven summons, Anubrata Mandal finally made a maiden appearance at the CBI office integration on May 19. However, after that he went back to Birbhum and started avoiding central agency summons again on medical grounds.

Incidentally, Mandal was also supposed to be present at the CBI’s Nizam Police office on Friday. However, as usual, he had communicated his inability to appear.

As reported by IANS on Thursday, although the coal-belt of Asansol in West Burdwan district of the state was base of the coal smuggling rackets, the investigating sleuths have recently identified several points where the smuggled coal were sent to different points in different pockets in the state.

It was also reported that Jeebantala area under Molla’s constituency, Canning (East) houses several brick kilns that require huge amounts of coal at cheaper rates to successfully run their shows. CBI sleuths have come to information many such brick kilns in Canning (East) which had been getting regular supply of smuggled coal.

Molla is a two-time Trinamool Congress MLA from Canning (East) Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal since 2016. Before the change of guards in West Bengal in 2011, Molla was an active member of erstwhile ruling party CPI(M) and was also considered as the right- hand man of erstwhile West Bengal land & land reforms minister, Abdur Rezzak Molla in the previous Left Front regime.

However, after 2011, Saokat Molla shifted to Trinamool Congress and became an MLA from Canning East for the first time in 2016. He was re-elected from the same constituency in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly polls.

Business

Maharashtra on path to becoming GCC hub: CM Fadnavis

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Nagpur, Dec 12: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced that a crucial milestone has been achieved in the journey to establish Maharashtra as a GCC (Global Capability Centre) Hub.

He said that the Brookfield company is set to build Asia’s largest Global Capability Centre (GCC) in Mumbai, spanning approximately 2 million square feet.

The Chief Minister said that this project is expected to generate a total of 45,000 jobs, including 15,000 direct and 30,000 indirect jobs.

He stated that due to the state’s talent pool, infrastructure, and industry-friendly environment, Maharashtra is becoming a preferred destination for Global Capability Centres.

“The new GCC policy will lead to large-scale skill-based job creation and economic growth,” he added.

He also mentioned that FedEx, a global leader in the logistics sector, is keen to invest in its GCC and other operations near the Mumbai-Navi Mumbai airport area, said the government release.

The Chief Minister informed that he requested Microsoft to consider Maharashtra for their investments, noting that their largest existing investment is already in the state.

He expressed confidence that Microsoft will make a major investment in the future and take the lead in making Maharashtra an Artificial Intelligence (AI) centre.

The Chief Minister said that Maharashtra’s model for crime control with the help of Artificial Intelligence is a guiding light for the entire country.

Chief Minister Fadnavis confirmed that Microsoft has assured priority to Maharashtra in their largest ever investment in India, amounting to $17 billion.

He further highlighted the ‘Marble’ platform developed by Maharashtra, which helps detect cyber and financial crimes in just 24 hours instead of 3-4 months.

He said that this has resulted in saving people’s money and has expedited the process of tracking criminals.

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Crime

Bihar: Robbers posing as police steal goats purchased under CM’s scheme

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Patna, Dec 12: A shocking incident has emerged from Samastipur’s Vidyapati police station area, where four men posing as police personnel stole goats purchased under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Women’s Employment Scheme.

The incident occurred on Friday in Dhaneshwarpur South Panchayat, Ward No. 9, when the victim, Champa Devi and her family were asleep.

Suddenly, a four-wheeler pulled up outside their home, and the men inside woke the family.

Claiming they were police officials searching for a liquor mafia suspect, the men forcibly entered the premises.

Inside, they took away four goats that Champa Devi had bought using the Rs 10,000 financial assistance she received under the Women’s Employment Scheme.

When she tried to stop them, the accused reportedly brandished a pistol, abused her, and threatened to kill her.

“They said they were police and that a liquor mafia had passed that way. They showed a pistol and told us to move aside. Fearing for our lives, we stepped back. They loaded all four goats into their vehicle and fled,” said Champa Devi.

The same group allegedly targeted another house nearby, stealing three more goats.

According to the victims, they too had purchased the goats with government assistance.

Before the villagers could understand what was happening, the thieves fled in their vehicle with all seven goats.

Locals have demanded strict police action. However, Vidyapati police said they are awaiting a formal complaint to begin proceedings.

“A report of theft has been received, but no application has been filed yet. Action will be taken as soon as we receive it. The gang involved is being investigated,” said Suraj Kumar, Police Officer, Vidyapati Police Station.

The area has witnessed several such goat thefts in the past. Thieves often arrive in four-wheelers—not on motorcycles or on foot—making quick escapes difficult to track.

In an earlier incident a few years ago, villagers even held a DSP hostage after mistaking him for a goat thief.

Under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s Women’s Employment Scheme, women are provided Rs 10,000 each to start income-generating activities.

So far, 1.56 lakh women have received the amount. After six months of evaluation, beneficiaries showing positive outcomes become eligible for Rs 2 lakh in additional support to expand their ventures.

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Maharashtra

Lack of general civic amenities in Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, rehabilitation should be done after civic amenities are provided to the victims of Dharavi Rehabilitation Project: Abu Asim

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Abu Asim Azmi opposed the development of more waste management for waste disposal in Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, Mumbai, in the winter session of Nagpur and said that Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar is a slum area. There is already a dumping ground here. There is also a waste management company, which is causing a lot of problems to the citizens. Pollution has increased due to waste disposal. The air here is toxic. On the one hand, a dumping ground is being shifted from Malind and a golf course is being built, and on the other hand, the residents of the slums of Dharavi are being rehabilitated here. There is a lack of civic amenities in Govindi. Until schools, colleges, grounds and religious places, mosques, temples and other places of worship are built, no one should be rehabilitated here. Along with this, the dumping ground and other waste management companies should be removed from here. There is already a waste management company here. Now more such companies are destroying human life. It should be banned immediately, this demand was made by Azmi.

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