News Analysis India

Tag: Mumbai

  • Param Bir Singh’s letter: Statements of two Mumbai police officers recorded

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Statements of two Mumbai police officers have been recorded in connection with city’s former top cop Param Bir Singh’s allegations of corruption and misconduct against former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, an official said on Wednesday.

    Deputy Commissioner of Police (Enforcement) Raju Bhujbal and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Sanjay Patil recorded their statements before Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) recently, the official said.

    Param Bir Singh, who was under flak over the handling of the bomb scare outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence, was transferred from the post of Mumbai police commissioner on March 17.

    Three days later, he wrote a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, in which he alleged that Deshmukh had asked police officer Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore per month from bars and restaurants.

    Deshmukh on Monday resigned as the home minister on “moral grounds” soon after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into the allegations levelled by Singh.

    In his letter to the chief minister, Singh had said thathe was informed by ACP Sanjay Patil about the home minister’s demand about the money collection, and also cited the chat between him and the ACP.

    “In his statement, ACP Patil said he had met Deshmukh along with other police officers to brief about a raid conducted at a hukkah parlour in Thane.

    But before or after this visit, he had never met the then home minister,” the official said.

    “As per his statement, he met Waze at the Mumbai Police Commissionerate’s compound, where the latter told him that he came to brief the home minister about some investigation.

    During their discussion, Waze told him that the minister allegedly sought information about the collection of Rs 3 lakh each from 1,750 bars and restaurants in the city,” he added.

    But the ACP said in the statement said he was unaware whether the meeting between Waze and Deshmukh took place or not, he said.

    In his statement, DCP Bhujbal said that he had attended a meeting on March 4 at Deshmukh’s official residence ‘Dnyaneshwari’ as a nodal officer to brief the seniors about the issues related to crime and others.

    “When asked specifically whether he met Deshmukh and his assistant and if there was any discussion on money collection from bars and restaurants, Bhujbal said ACP Patil later came there and he told the minister’s assistant that the information about such establishments was not based on facts,” the official said.

  • Migrants responsible for spread of coronavirus in Maharashtra, says MNS chief Raj Thackeray

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday said migrant workers from other states were responsible for the rapid spread of coronavirus in Maharashtra, which has been reporting a large number of new infections since the last few weeks.

    He said the states the migrant labourers hailed from lacked adequate facilities to test them for coronavirus.

    “Maharashtra is the most industrialised state in India which attracts a large number of workers from other states. The places from where these workers come lacked enough testing facilities.

    “During the lockdown last year, I had suggested that migrant workers who returned to their native places should be tested, but it was not done,” Raj Thackeray told reporters after a virtual interaction with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

    Raj Thackeray said he asked the CM to allow sportspersons to join the practice sessions and to permit gymnasiums to function with social distancing.

    Talking about the new set of restrictions imposed in Maharashtra from Monday night, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president said all shops should be kept open for at least two or three days duringthis period.

    As per the curbs announced by the state government on Sunday, except for the essential services shops, medical shops and grocery shops, all other shops, markets and shopping malls will be closed in Maharashtra till April 30.

    “The government says manufacturing will be allowed during the time of restrictions but not the shops. If shops are not allowed to remain open then what’s the logic behind allowing the manufacturing activity?” he asked.

    He also demanded that the electricity bills of the people be waived during the lockdown period.

    “Industrial production is stopped, offices are being closed and many people are losing their jobs. In such a scenario why should people pay the power bills?” he questioned.

    Raj Thackeray appealed to the state government to promote all the students of classes 10 and 12, who are supposed to appear for the offline examinations.

    The government should discuss with banks the issues like recovery of loans and arrears from the people, he added.

    The MNS leader also said that full fees should not be charged from parents by schools because the education is shifted to the online mode.

    Replying to questions on the resignation of state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh,Raj Thackeray said the focus should not be diverted from the main issue of the conspiracy behind the planting of an explosives-laden vehicle outside the south Mumbai residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani in February.

    “Anil Deshmukh is not important. Why did (former Mumbai police commissioner) Param Bir Singh remember the Rs 100 crore target only after his transfer.

    “The allegations that Deshmukh set the target to some police officers to collect Rs 100 crore from hotels, restaurants and barsper month are shameful,” he said.

  • Maharashtra sees highest 57,074 COVID-19 cases in day; 222 die

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Sunday reported the highest single-day rise of 57,074 coronavirus positive cases while 222 patients succumbed to the infection, the state health department said.

    Notably, Maharashtra had recorded its highest rise in the number of cases in a day after September 17, 2020, when it had added 24,619 infections, only the day earlier on April 3 with the addition of 49,447 cases.

    The overall tally of cases in Maharashtra now stands at 30,10,597 while the death toll is 55,878, it said.

    Mumbai city also registered the record single-day rise of 11,206 cases on Sunday.

    Of the 222 deaths in Maharashtra, 123 fatalities had occurred in the last 48 hours, the department said in a statement.

    ALSO READ | Private offices with exceptions to remain shut in Maharashtra: Health Minister Rajesh Tope

    Alarmed by the huge rise in cases over the last few days, the state government on Sunday announced a weekend lockdown and night curfew during the weekdays from Monday to April 30, in addition to a slew of other restrictions like the closure of private offices, theatres and salons.

    The weekend lockdown will start from 8 pm on Fridays and last till 7 am on Mondays.

    Besides, prohibitory orders will be in force during the daytime on weekdays, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said in a statement.

    Maharashtra is now left with 4,30,503 active cases whereas the count of recoveries rose to 25,22,823 on Sunday with 27,508 patients getting discharged, the department said.

    With 1,96,988 new tests, the total number of samples tested for coronavirus so far in Maharashtra has gone up to 2,05,40,111, the department said.

    Out of the total number of people tested so far, 14.66 per cent have tested positive for coronavirus, it said.

    Maharashtra’s case recovery rate is 83.8 per cent and the fatality rate is 1.86 per cent, as per the department.

    ALSO READ | Maharashtra curfew: What services will remain open and what will be closed?

    Mumbai division comprising Mumbai city and satellite towns saw 19,942 fresh cases and 45 deaths, taking the tally to 9,55,313 and the toll to 20,623.

    Pune division reported 13,977 new infections, including 6,321 cases in Pune city and 3,307 cases in the twin city of Pimpri Chinchwad, the department said.

    Nashik division added 7,666 cases in the day, including 2,150 cases in Nashik city, followed by 6,304 cases in Nagpur division (with 3,111 new cases in Nagpur city).

    Kolhapur division added 924 fresh cases, Aurangabad division 3,403, including 1,256 in Aurangabad city.

    Latur division reported 2,883 infections during the day, followed by 1,975 detections in Akola division.

    Currently,22,05,899 people are in the home quarantine and 19,711 others are in the institutional quarantine in Maharashtra.

    Coronavirus figures in Maharashtra are as follows: Positive cases 30,10,597, deaths 55,878, recoveries 25,22,823, active cases 4,30,503, total tests 2,05,40,111, tests today 1,96,988.

  • NCB conducts raids in Mumbai and Thane; five held with drugs

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has raided three locations in Mumbai and Thane and seized various drugs, an official said on Sunday, adding four persons have been arrested while a teenage girl detained.

    During the operation which began on Saturday night and continued till early Sunday morning, the NCB seized 165 grams of Mephedrone, 20 blots (0.5 grams) of LSD, 8 grams of MDMA/Ecstasy tablets from the arrested persons.

    The raids were conducted in suburban Mahim and Andheri, and in neighbouring Thane.

    The accused are identified as Mark DeCosta, Abdul Kadir, Naziya Shaikh, Imran Shaikh and a teenage girl.

    As part of a new modus operandi being adopted by racketeers, teenage girls are used for trafficking drugs, the official said.

    Further investigation is on, he added.

  • Ambani security threat case: NIA arrests Mumbai cop Sachin Vaze after 12-hour of quizzing

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze Saturday night after questioning him for 12 hours over the recovery of an explosive-laden vehicle near the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani, an agency spokesperson said.

    Waze was summoned at the agency’s Mumbai office at Cumballa Hill in south Mumbai around 11.30 am to record his statement.

    There was no official update on him throughout the day.

    The NIA spokesperson came out with a brief statement late Saturday night that he had been “arrested at 23.

    50 hrs in NIA Case” related to the recovery of gelatin sticks in a vehicle parked near Ambani’s house on Carmichael Road on February 25.

    A threat letter was found as well.

    The NIA spokesperson said Waze has been arrested allegedly “for his role and involvement in placing explosives-laden vehicle near Carmichael road” on February 25.

    ALSO READ: IM terrorist questioned for 4 hours in Tihar Jail on mobile phone recovery

    The case was handed over to the NIA after the mysterious death of a Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran, who had claimed that the vehicle had been stolen a week earlier.

    His body was found in a creek at Thane on March 5.

    This case is being probed by the Anti-Terror Squad of the Maharashtra Police, but the NIA is likely to take over the case as the agency is mandated by the section 8 of the NIA Act to take over investigation in connected matters.

    Hiran’s wife had claimed that her husband had given the SUV to Waze in November, which the officer returned in the first week of February.

    During his questioning by the ATS, Waze had denied using the SUV that was in possession of Hiran.

    Waze had on Friday filed an application seeking pre-arrest bail.

    His lawyer A M Kalekar had requested the court to grant Waze interim protection from arrest on the ground that he was cooperating in the investigation.

    ALSO READ: Vaze is not Osama Bin Laden, wait till probe is over, says Maharastra CM Uddhav Thackeray

    Additional public prosecutor Vivek Kadu, however, opposed this and argued that the probe in the case was at a crucial stage.

    The court, while refusing interim bail, noted that the charges in the case include section 302 (murder), section 201 (destruction of evidence) and 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC which are serious offences.

    Waze, accused by Hiran’s wife of involvement in her husband’s suspicious death, was shunted out of the Mumbai crime branch on Wednesday.

    Waze, who was the crime branch’s Assistant Police Inspector, has been transferred to the Citizen Facilitation Centre (CFC) unit of Mumbai police.

    On February 25, a Scorpio was found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house in south Mumbai with explosives and a threat letter inside.

    While recording Waze’s statement on Saturday, the NIA called crime branch ACP Nitin Alaknure and ATS’ ACP Shripad Kale to share information about the investigation done so far in the cases of recovery of the SUV and the alleged murder of Hiran.

    Both the officers left after four hours.

    Waze is also facing a trial on multiple charges, including murder and destruction of evidence, for the alleged custodial death of Khwaja Yunus in the year 2003.

  • Ambani bomb scare: Jaish-ul-Hind’s Telegram channel ‘created in Tihar’; police approaches jail admin

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI; A Telegram channel through which an organisation named Jaish-ul-Hind had claimed responsibility for placing an explosives-laden SUV near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence here was “created in the Tihar” area of Delhi, a senior Mumbai police official said on Thursday.

    As the new angle emerged, the Delhi Police’s Special Cell approached the Tihar Jail administration and is likely to question some suspects, official sources said.

    “A Special Cell team of Delhi Police on Thursday approached the Tihar Jail administration in connection with the case,” a source said.

    Mumbai Police took the help of a private cyber agency to track the location of the phone on which the Telegram channel was created, the official said.

    During the investigation, the location of the phone was traced near Delhi’s Tihar Jail, he added.

    A Mahindra Scorpio car with gelatin sticks was found parked near “Antilia”, the multi-storey residence of Ambani, in south Mumbai on February 25.

    According to police sources, the Telegram channel was created on February 26 and the message claiming responsibility for placing the vehicle outside Ambani’s residence was posted on the Telegram messaging app late in the night on February 27.

    The message had also demanded payment in cryptocurrency and mentioned a link to deposit the same.

    During the probe, the link was found as “not available”, due to which the investigators suspected it to be mischievous, the official said.

    On February 28, another message from Jaish-ul-Hind surfaced on a social media platform, claiming that the organisation did not have any role in the incident.

    The investigation in the case was initially conducted by the Crime Branch of the Mumbai police.

    After the mysterious death of Thane-based auto parts dealer Mansukh Hiran, who was in possession of the SUV that was later found parked outside Ambani’s residence, the probe was transferred to the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

    On Monday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the case related to the recovery of the explosives-laden vehicle.

  • With 13,000-plus new coronavirus cases, Maharashtra records highest spike this year

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra on Wednesday recorded 13,659 new coronavirus cases, the highest one-day spike this year, which took the state’s caseload to 22,52,057, a health official.

    With 54 fatalities, the death toll stood at 52,610, he said.

    On October 8 the state had reported 13,395 cases after which the number of daily cases had declined.

    As many as 9,913 patients were discharged from hospitals during the day, taking the total of recoveries to 20,99,207.

    There are 99,008 active cases in the state.

    Mumbai city reported 1,539 cases, Pune city 1,384, Nagpur city 1,513, Nashik city 750, Yavatmal district 403, Aurangabad 560 and Pimpri Chinchwad 590.

    Mumbai’s COVID-19 tally increased to 3,37,134 and five deaths took the fatality count to 11,515.

    The wider Mumbai division reported 2,933 new cases and nine deaths, taking the cumulative caseload to 7,46,993 and death toll to 19,910.

    Nashik division’s case tally stood at 3,06,985 and the death toll at 5,333.

    The number of cases in the Pune division stood at 5,46,396 and death toll at 11,813.

    Kolhapur division has reported 1,20,599 cases and 4,081 deaths till now, while Aurangabad division’s case tally stood at 86,406 and death count at 2,072.

    Latur division has reported 89,577 cases until now and 2,556 fatalities.

    Akola division has reported 1,11,229 cases while 1,878 people have succumbed to the disease until now.

    Nagpur division has reported 2,43,726 infections and 4,877 fatalities so far.

    With 93,219 tests carried out on Wednesday, the state has so far tested 1,71,15,534 samples for coronavirus.

    There are 4,71,187 people in home quarantine while 4,244 are in institutional quarantine.

    Maharashtra’s COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases: 22,52,057, new cases: 13,659, death toll: 52,610, discharged: 20,99,207, active cases: 99,008, people tested so far: 1,71,15,534.

  • Bangladesh naval ship Prottoy visits Mumbai for three days

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Bangladesh naval ship (BNS) Prottoy is currently visiting Mumbai for three days on its return journey from Abu Dhabi to its home country, the Indian Navy said on Thursday.

    Commanding Officer (CO) of BNS Prottoy Captain Ahamed Amin Abdullah, accompanied by Assistant Defence Advisor in the High Commission of Bangladesh in New Delhi, called on Vice Admiral RB Pandit, Chief of Staff, Headquarters, Western Naval Command, in Mumbai, the Indian Navy said on Twitter.

    “BNS Prottoy on return passage to Bangladesh from Abu Dhabi, UAE is currently visiting Mumbai 02-04 March, 2021.

    The CO also laid wreath at the ‘Gaurav Stambh’ — a monument to commemorate #VictoryatSea — at Naval Dockyard Mumbai,” the Navy added.

    India is currently celebrating golden jubilee of its victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

  • Farmers leave Mumbai after woman protester unfurls tricolour

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Thousands of cultivators, who had arrived here from parts of Maharashtra to protest against the Centre’s farm laws, left for their homes on Tuesday after an elderly woman agitator hoisted the national flag at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai.

    To mark the Republic Day, the flag hoisting was held at the ground in south Mumbai at around 9.30 am following which the protesters headed towards their native places, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said.

    The farmers held a rally at the Azad Maidan on Monday to express solidarity with peasants agitating near Delhi borders against the Centre’s three new farm laws.

    NCP president Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat, Peasants and Workers Party leader Jayant Patil and various farmers’ representatives had attended the rally on Monday.

    Around 15,000 farmers had arrived in the state capital for the rally, the Maharashtra unit of the AIKS earlier said.

    “The flag hoisting ceremony was held at the Azad Maidan on Tuesday morning. After that, farmers headed towards their homes. The movement is in line with what we had decided earlier,” AIKS president Ashok Dhawale told PTI over phone.

    The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, a pro-farmer body, had given a nationwide call for a struggle from January 23 to 26, including rallies to Raj Bhavans (Governor Houses) in states.

    Accordingly, the protesters in Mumbai took out a march towards the Raj Bhavan hereafter the public meeting at Azad Maidan on Monday.

    However, police stopped the protesters mid-way.

    A delegation of farmers was to meet and submit a memorandum to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

    But, after they learnt that the governor was in Goa on Monday, the farmers’ leaders accused Koshyari of not meeting them despite giving an appointment himself.

    The leaders charged Koshyari with “running away” to Goa and “insulting” farmers by not being in the Raj Bhavan to accept their memorandum, copies of which they later tore to condemn the governor’s action.

    The Raj Bhavan on Monday dismissed the claims and said Koshyari, who is also the governor of Goa, left for the neighbouring coastal state to address its Assembly, the five- day session of which began on Monday.

    The Raj Bhavan also said representatives of the Samyukta Shetkari Morcha were informed in advance that the governor would not be able to meet the delegation on Monday as he would be in Goa to address its Assembly.

     

  • TRP scam: Ex-CEO of BARC hospitalised

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Former CEO of ratings agency BARC, Partho Dasgupta, who was arrestedin the alleged fake Television Ratings Point (TRP) case, has been admitted in the ICU of state-run JJ hospital in central Mumbai, an official said on Saturday.

    Dasgupta, a diabetic, was rushed to the hospital from the Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai in the early hours of Saturday after his blood sugar levels went up on Friday midnight.

    Dasgupta was admitted to the ICU of JJ hospital and is on Oxygen support, he said.

    Dasgupta was arrested in the alleged TRP rigging scam by crime branch of the Mumbai Police on December 24 last year.

    A Mumbai court had earlier this month rejected the bail plea of Dasgupta, stating that he played a vital role in the scam.

    The Mumbai Police had earlier told the court that Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami had allegedly bribed Dasgupta with “lakhs of rupees” to ramp up the news channels viewership.