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Maharashtra

Work in tandem to protect tigers: Mah CM to all departments

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After the loss of two tigers in a week, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has directed multiple departments to work together cohesively for the protection of tigers in the state.

He noted that bearing in mind the existing disparity in the (growing) number of tigers in Maharashtra as against the available natural landmass over which they are spread out, it is essential to prioritise permanent measures as against ad hoc steps for tiger conservation.

“A combined effort that includes taking the local citizenry into confidence with the assistance of the police department to create a network of informers should be prioritised while also creating public awareness on the imperatives of tiger conservation. This should be done even while joint patrolling is carried out and laws are strictly enforced and amendments to the law are made wherever required to provide for even stricter punishment,” Thackeray said in Mumbai.

While chairing an online meeting of the Maharashtra Forest Department on Monday, Thackeray directed that all the state government departments concerned, including Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL), Police and Revenue to work with the Forest departments cohesively for the protection of tigers in the state, a release from Maharashtra government said.

As per the Tiger Census data from 2018 (report published in 2019), there are 312 tigers in Maharashtra, of which as many as 200 tigers are found in Chandrapur district alone. However, this is also the district where there are frequent incidents of human-wildlife conflicts. In the last eight days, two tigresses that had fallen prey to poachers were from the same area.

“The areas where wildlife accidents occur should be identified and necessary alternative measures should be implemented there,” Thackeray said, adding, “the future management of tigers should be planned by keeping in mind the growing number of tigers as a part of forest management.”

The Chief Minister, himself a wildlife photographer, also called for close consultation with the state forest department while carrying out developmental works in the forest regions, especially while planning railway lines to minimise the threat to wildlife, the release said.

Meanwhile, the state government has accepted the recommendations made by the special study group to address the issue at the meeting of the State Wildlife Board. The meeting was informed of the details of the action being taken on the same.

“Special tiger conservation teams have been set up at four tiger reserves in the state and a network of conservation huts were erected to facilitate the patrolling of remote areas. Wireless messaging system has been implemented in all the tiger project areas particularly, in the most sensitive areas. It was informed in the meeting that a joint patrol is being carried out by the Forest Department and MSEDCL to prevent the death of tigers and other wildlife due to electrocution,” the meeting was told.

Maharashtra

Digital Rakshak secures money of five complainants who were scammed in the name of Digital Arrest

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Mumbai: Five complainants who were scammed on social media in the name of digital arrest through the Mumbai Police’s Digital Rakshak (Digital Protector) have been protected by the Digital Rakshak. In Mumbai, CBI, ED and police officers send notices on social media and WhatsApp in the name of Digital Arrest, demanding huge money for video calling in the name of investigation and saving them from the case in the name of investigation. Accordingly, Mumbai Police has developed the Digital Rakshak app. The complaint of five victim complainants was processed on this helpline. In Mumbai’s Chembur area, a video call was made to an elderly person on social media calling him Digital Arrest and it was said that he had huge money in his bank account and his documents, Aadhaar card and PAN card were used in illegal activities.

The caller on the call told the elderly person that he was a CBI officer and demanded money without disconnecting the video call. During this, the victim When the daughter entered the house, she found her father scared and then she asked her father why he was scared. On this, the father told her that it was a call from a CBI officer and that he had transferred money in this matter. After that, the victim contacted the Mumbai Police’s Digital Rakshak helpline and then informed the police about this notice. After that, it was confirmed that this notice was prepared by the CBI and ED by creating a fake notice and sending it on WhatsApp. The police have resolved five cases of digital arrest and have appealed to the citizens that no security agency does digital arrest and neither is investigation done on WhatsApp, so be careful of such elements.

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Maharashtra

Indian army’s major action on Pakistan, action should also be taken against those who target Kashmiris after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Abu Asim Azmi

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi expressed happiness over the success of Operation Sindoor and said that by conducting air strikes on Pakistani terrorist bases, the Indian government has given an important message and made it clear that we will take strict action against terrorists. We congratulate the armed forces on the success of Operation Sindoor, but at the same time we also say that terrorists have no religion and the way Kashmiris were tortured after the Pahalgam attack is completely wrong. He said that the hospitality shown by Kashmiris to tourists after the terrorist attack is obvious. Adil sacrificed his life and Nazakat behaved kindly, despite this, the sectarians are targeting Kashmiris under the guise of the Pahalgam attack.

He said that after the Pahalgam attack, a doctor in West Bengal refused to treat a pregnant woman. Sectarians raise the slogan of Pakistan Zindabad and Muslims are trapped in it. This has been proven in Agra. He said that such sectarians Action is also necessary against those who target Muslims. Abu Asim Azmi has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah to take action against such elements who disrupt the peace and order of the country. He said that a burqa-clad woman in Mumbai was forced to chant the slogan of Jai Shri Ram. Action is necessary against such elements who create hatred in the name of Hindus and Muslims in the country.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Police Launches Probe In Mithi River Desilting Scam; EOW Raids At Several Locations

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Mumbai: Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) began raids in the Mithi River desilting scam case on Tuesday. Since morning, EOW teams have been conducting raids at more than 8 locations in Mumbai, including offices and residences of contractors and BMC officials.

An FIR was filed in the case, which names five contractors, three middlemen, two company officials, and three BMC officials, accusing them of causing wrongful loss to the BMC by submitting false claims for debris removal. The scam, part of the larger Rs 1,100 crore Mithi River desilting and beautification project, has come under intense scrutiny.

Earlier in April, EOW questioned 10 contractors and asked the BMC to submit CCTV footage uploaded on its official portal that allegedly documented the quantity of debris removed from the riverbed. Cops are examining whether the debris was actually removed, and if the removal process was documented through weighing, videography or photography, as mandated in the contracts.

The investigation also includes an audit of contracts awarded for both desilting and beautification, reviewing terms and conditions, and verifying records maintained by the BMC and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

This probe marked the sixth SIT formed by EOW to investigate civic contract irregularities in Mumbai, following earlier cases such as the Khichdi scam, COVID-19 centre scam, Lifeline Hospital scam and body bag procurement scam.

In March, EOW officials had already recorded statements from six civic officials directly involved in tender processes and monitoring of debris disposal. Field inspections were also conducted along a 17-km stretch of the Mithi River, with focus areas including Bandra and Kurla, to collect physical evidence.

The Mithi River desilting project dates back to post-July 2005 floods, when the Maharashtra government decided to desilt and widen the 17.8-km river stretch. Of this, the BMC was assigned responsibility for an 11.84-km section from Powai to Kurla, while the MMRDA took charge of the remaining six kilometres, from Kurla to Mahim Causeway.

In August 2024, the Maharashtra Legislative Council had directed the formation of an SIT to probe alleged financial misappropriation after BJP MLCs Prasad Lad and Pravin Darekar raised concerns in the Council.

As part of the preliminary inquiry, the EOW SIT had earlier summoned and questioned three contractors, Rishabh Jain, Manish Kasaliwala and Shersingh Rathod. The probe was later widened to include BMC officials, as evidence of irregularities in tender execution began to surface.

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