Page 63 - Maharashtra

Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray calls for Shakti Bill implementation

The Opposition parties had called for a state-wide strike in Maharashtra on August 24 before the Bombay high Court ordered against it

Crime against women, kids rising in Maha, perpetrators fearless: Wadettiwar

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar claimed on Saturday that crimes against women and children in the state are rising and perpetrators have no fear of the law. He alleged that those occupying the chairs of the chief minister and deputy CMs do not deserve the posts. The Congress leader was speaking to reporters about the recent sexual crimes against women and children, including the Badlapur incident that has caused a massive outrage. Wadettiwar claimed there is no law and order in the state. Such incidents have brought shame to Maharashtra, he said. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has time to address Ladki Bahin Yojana programmes (a women-centric initiative) but he has no time to meet the families of the victims, the leader of the opposition said. Most such crimes are happening in Thane, and the perpetrators are Shiv Sena supporters. They seem to have no fear, as their leader holds the top post, he said. CM Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, is a powerful le

Nepal bus accident: 48 pilgrims, 2 bodies arrive through land route

27 Indians, all from Maharashtra, who were visiting Nepal, were killed and 16 others injured after the bus they were travelling in veered off the highway and fell into Marsyangdi River

Don't agree with HC order but called off Aug 24 Maharashtra bandh: Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday expressed disagreement with a Bombay High Court order restraining political parties from calling a bandh, but asserted the opposition bloc MVA has withdrawn its proposed shutdown in Maharashtra on Saturday over a sexual abuse case in a school. Addressing a press conference, Thackeray said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has called off the August 24 (Saturday) bandh after the HC order, but leaders and workers from opposition parties will protest against the Mahayuti government with black bands tied around their mouth across the state. The former CM, whose party is a constituent of the MVA, said he will also join the protest. "We don't agree with the High Court order on bandh," Thackeray maintained. Earlier in the day, the HC restrained political parties or individuals from proceeding with a Maharashtra bandh over the sexual assault incident, on August 24 or any future date, saying such a protest will paralyse normal life. A division ben

Uddhav announces Maha bandh to stage protest against Badlapur incident

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday demanded the withdrawal of the cases against those who had protested in Badlapur against the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls at a local school. Addressing a news conference, Thackeray said the August 24 Maharashtra Bandh' called by the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is against "perversion" and urged people cutting across caste and religion to participate in it. He said the bandh should be strictly followed till 2 pm, ensuring that emergency services remain operational. Slamming the Eknath Shinde government for still making arrests in connection with the Badlapur protest, Thackeray said, The cases against the protesters must be withdrawn. A massive protest rocked Badlapur town in Thane district on Tuesday after thousands of people hit the streets and spilled onto railway tracks to protest the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by a male attendant at a local school. At least 25 police personnel w

Maha doctors end stir after CM assurances on security, working conditions

Resident doctors in Maharashtra withdrew their agitation on Thursday following the state government's assurances to take measures for their security, 10 days after they struck work demanding better workplace conditions in the wake of the brutal rape and murder of a trainee medico in Kolkata. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured resident doctors that measures would be taken with utmost sensitivity about their security at workplace. Following the assurance, the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), which was spearheading the strike after the August 9 Kolkata rape-murder horror, announced calling off their agitation, an official release said here. During the strike, the resident doctors, who sought speedy justice for the family of the Kolkata victim, stayed away from attending non-emergency medical services at public hospitals in the state. Shinde also assured positive action on their demands for availability of hostels and regular payment of stipend, said the release. .

Maharashtra's gazetted officers' body to go on strike from Aug 29

The Maharashtra State Gazetted Officers Mahasangh on Thursday said it will go on an indefinite strike from August 29 if its demands, including reintroduction of the Old Pension Scheme, are not met. The move comes ahead of the state assembly polls likely to be held in October or November. The MSGOM said as stated in the state budget, the government must issue a government resolution on the OPS. It said the issue of OPS has been discussed with the state government but it is not being implemented. It has also demanded that the retirement age of state government employees be raised to 60 from 58. The MSOGM, while opposing the system of contractual jobs, demanded that three lakh vacant posts be filled by the state government.

Parents, MNS workers seek action against abusive teacher in Thane school

Scores of parents stormed into a school in Thane on Thursday seeking action against a teacher who allegedly hit a student, resulting in injuries to his head. As per parents, the woman teacher, who allegedly hit the student, routinely subjected students to abusive language over the last two years and would ask them to boycott some of their colleagues. The parents, who entered the school along with local functionaries of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, claimed previous complaints to the management had yielded no results. The management has taken a lethargic approach in the matter so far and the teacher must not be allowed to be part of the school, Thane-Palghar MNS chief Avinash Jadhav said. On Thursday, the school management said the teacher had been asked not to enter the premises, adding that it had written to the education department to suspend her and take further action. A copy of the letter written by the school management to the state education department is with PTI. "We ..

Shakti Bill lingers as Badlapur protests grow over schoolchildren rape

The Shakti Bill, which was unanimously passed by the Maharashtra Assembly nearly three years ago, remains unimplemented

Those who feel there is politics behind Badlapur protest abnormal: Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said those who feel there is politics behind Tuesday's Badlapur protest over the alleged sexual assault on two kindergarten girls are either abnormal or protectors of the culprits. He said there is no political motive behind the bandh called by the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on August 24. The bandh is aimed at creating the awareness that the security of women should be a priority and also awakening the government. Those who feel there is politics behind the Badlapur protest are either abnormal or protectors of the culprits, the Sena (UBT) chief said at a news conference. A massive protest rocked Badlapur town in Thane district on Tuesday after thousands of people hit the streets and spilled onto railway tracks to protest the alleged sexual assault on two four-year-old girls by a male attendant on the premises of a local school. At least 25 police personnel were injured in the incidents of stone-pelting at the railway .

Badlapur assault shocking, there cannot be compromise on girls' safety: HC

The Bombay High Court on Thursday called the sexual assault on two minor girls at their school in Badlapur absolutely shocking and said that there cannot be any compromise on the safety and security of girls. A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan said that action ought to be taken against the school authorities for not reporting the incident despite being aware of it. It also blasted the police over the delay in registering the FIR. The court had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the incident where two four-year-old girls were sexually assaulted inside the school's washroom at Badlapur in Thane district by a male attendant on August 12 and 13. The FIR in the case was lodged on August 16 and the accused was arrested on August 17, as per court documents. The bench said the police machinery had not moved till the public hit the streets with a protest and outburst. Unless there is strong public outburst, machinery won't move. Won't the state mov

Protesters in Badlapur were locals, not outsiders: Raut slams Maha govt

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has said that those who had protested at Badlapur against the alleged sexual assault on two kindergarten girls at a school were locals and not outsiders as claimed by the Maharashtra government. In a post on X late on Wednesday night, Raut shared a copy of the police remand application of the people arrested for rioting at Badlapur station which said that most of the protesters were locals. In the post, Raut also tagged Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. On Tuesday, hundreds of protesters blocked the railway tracks at Badlapur station over the alleged sexual assault on the two 4-year-old girls by a male attendant at a local school. The police had to resort to lathi charge after the protesters pelted stones. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had said on Wednesday that the protest at Badlapur station over the alleged sexual assault on the two KG students was politically motivated with an aim to malign the state government and those ...

Badlapur sexual assault: No truth in allegations, claim parents of accused

The parents of the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case on Thursday claimed that their son was innocent and he had been framed. Speaking to a Marathi news channel, the parents said there is no truth in the allegations against their son. The accused, who worked as an attendant, has been arrested for allegedly sexually molesting two 4-year-old girl students inside the toilet of a school in Badlapur town in Maharashtra's Thane district. A local court on Wednesday sent him to police custody till August 26. Our son had been doing the job for the past 15 days. He used to go to the school by 11 am daily to clean the bathroom. He would then proceed to another place for similar work, his mother claimed. The mother said they learnt on August 13 that such an incident had happened in the school. Their son was detained on August 17, she said. A woman working with the school told me about the incident and about my son being taken to the police chowki (on August 17). I rushed there and sa

Sharad Pawar backs candidates demanding postponement of MPSC prelims exam

NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar has sided with the candidates agitating in Pune demanding postponement of the MPSC prelims exam, scheduled for August 25, warning that he would join the protest if the government doesn't clarify its stand. Many job-seekers, preparing for the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) preliminary exam, have been protesting since Tuesday night demanding a different date as it clashes with a banking exam on the same day. NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar has joined the agitation and has been sitting with the protesting candidates. The protesters also want the selection for 258 posts from the agricultural department done through the MPSC exam. It is the responsibility of the state government to consider the interests of students taking the MPSC exam However, it seems, the rulers are not taking it seriously. By tomorrow (Thursday), if the government does not clarify its stand, I will go to the agitation venue and take part in the agitation to ensure justice

'Self-defence for girls': Maha schools put on alert after Badlapur incident

From September 1, schools and colleges in the Mumbai Suburban area and all Industrial Training Institutes across Maharashtra will provide self-defence training students and young women

1993 Mumbai blasts: Court orders police to provide security to approver

A sessions court on Wednesday directed Mumbai Police to provide adequate security to an approver in the 1993 serial bomb blast case and his family members. Sessions court judge V D Kedar stated the man was a star prosecution witness and prime approver and the trial in the case of the belated arrest of seven persons is slated to commence soon. "In the said trial, the evidence of the applicant may be required for cross-examination at the hands of accused persons. Thus, looking at the above facts and circumstances of the case, I am of the view that the applicant and his family members need to be provided sufficient security," the court said. The court directed the police to provide sufficient security to the applicant and his family members as contemplated under the Witness Protection and Security Act as early as possible. The court ordered a compliance report to be submitted within two weeks. The man had filed an application seeking to beef up police protection provided to him ...

Badlapur sexual abuse: MVA calls for Maharashtra bandh on August 24

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Wednesday called for a Maharashtra bandh on August 24 to protest against the alleged sexual assault on two young girls at a school in Badlapur of Thane district. MVA allies Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) headed by Sharad Pawar took the decision after a meeting here, said Vijay Wadettiwar, leader of opposition in the state assembly. He said all MVA allies will participate in the bandh on August 24. We discussed the issue of women's security in the state and the failure of the BJP-led Mahayuti government on all fronts, he said. Meanwhile, Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad led a protest outside Mantralaya, the state secretariat, over the Badlapur incident. Wadettiwar and a few congress leaders were also present during the protest. Holding placards outside the gates of Mantralaya, Congress leaders and workers shouted slogans against the government for the delay in the registration of the FIR. The protester

Badlapur sexual abuse case: Case lodged against 500 protesters, 66 arrested

Badlapur sexual abuse case: On August 13, two kindergarten girls were sexually assaulted in a school restroom; accused Akshay Shinde was arrested on August 17

Clear Shakti bill to ensure punishment for crime against women: Deshmukh

Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday demanded the clearance and implementation of the Shakti bill with provisions for the death penalty for atrocities against children and women, referring to the Badlapur school incident. Both the House of Maharashtra legislature had passed the Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020, and the Special Court & Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, 2020, three years ago when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was in power. Addressing a press conference, Deshmukh said, When I was the home minister, I had formed a 21-member committee of legislators from all parties to draft the Shakti bill on the lines of an act in Andhra Pradesh. The bill was approved by the cabinet headed by Uddhav Thackeray and passed in the state legislature. It is pending before the Central government for approval. The NCP (SP) leader said the committee had drafted the Shakti bill after consultations with all ...

Badlapur school chose cover-up over helping parents: MSCPCR chief

The Badlapur school, where two young girls were allegedly sexually abused, preferred to cover up the crime instead of helping their parents file a police complaint, said Susieben Shah, chairperson of Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, on Wednesday. The alleged crime by a male attendant created a volatile situation in the town of Thane district on Tuesday, with protesting parents and locals crippling rail services and clashing with police. Shah stressed the urgency of the matter, saying that the alleged sexual abuse of the two kindergarten students is a clear case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act. After learning about the incident, the state child rights panel chief said, she contacted the Thane District Child Protection Unit about the parents' concerns. They (child protection unit) took them to the police to file the complaint. When I asked the school management about the case, they tried to cover it up. I even asked them wh