Page 16 - Pune

Pune court likely to pronounce verdict in Dabholkar murder case on Friday

A special court for UAPA cases here is likely to pronounce the verdict in the murder case of rationalist Dr Narendra Dabholkar on Friday. Dabholkar (67), a well-known anti-superstition crusader, was shot dead while on a morning walk on Omkareshwar Bridge here on August 20, 2013. Additional sessions judge A A Jadhav of the special court for cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is likely to pronounce the judgement on Friday, said special public prosecutor Prakash Suryawanshi. The prosecution examined 20 witnesses while the defence examined two witnesses during the trial. The accused were opposed to Dabholkar's crusade against superstition, the prosecution had stated in its final arguments. The case was initially probed by Pune Police. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took over the probe in 2014 following a Bombay High Court order, and arrested Dr Virendrasinh Tawade, an ENT surgeon linked to the Hindu right-wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha, in June 2016. .

Priyanka Chopra's family rents out Pune bungalow for Rs 2 lakh per month

Priyanka Chopra's family signed the Leave and Licence Agreement with 'The Urban Nomads Community Private Limited' that was registered on March 21. Rs 6 lakh security deposit has been paid by the firm

Fare of shared cabs on Pune, Nashik and Shirdi routes from Mumbai hiked

The fare of shared taxi services on the Nashik, Shirdi and Pune routes from Mumbai have been increased in the range of Rs 50 to Rs 200, transport department officials said. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA), in its recent meeting held earlier this month, approved the fare revision of black-and-yellow non-AC taxis and blue-and-silver AC taxis on these three routes. For the AC taxi travel, the passengers boarding from Mumbai will have to pay Rs 100 more for Nashik and Rs 200 more for Shirdi, while they will have to Rs 50 extra for both AC and non-AC taxi travel to Pune, they said. The revised fare of AC taxis on the Mumbai-Nashik and the Mumbai-Shirdi routes will be Rs 575 and Rs 825 instead of the current Rs 475 and Rs 625 respectively. While the fare of the non-AC taxis on the Mumbai-Pune route will be Rs 500 instead of Rs 450, and for the AC taxis it will be Rs 575 instead of Rs 525. As per the minutes of the meeting, the fare revision was approved ...

ED seeks details of accused from Pune police in Rs 3,600 cr drug haul

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought details of the persons arrested by Pune police in Maharashtra in the last month's mephedrone drug haul case, a senior official said. The city police in February seized more than 1,700 kilograms of mephedrone, valued at about Rs 3,600 crore in illicit markets, across Pune, Delhi and Sangli. Eleven persons, including the owner of a manufacturing unit in Kurkumbh MIDC (near Pune), where the contraband was allegedly produced, were apprehended. "We received a letter from the ED on Monday, seeking information about the accused. Given the magnitude of the drug racket, it was expected that the ED would seek details," the crime branch official said on Tuesday. The central agency asked for information about the accused, their bank accounts and locations where searches were conducted. "Based on the information, the agency will investigate money trails and suspected hawala transactions involving the accused," he said. The police have arrested 11 per

CapitaLand India Trust acquires IT-SEZ project in Pune for Rs 773 crore

The acquisition is part of a forward purchase arrangement with Nalanda Shelter Private Limited that was announced on 14 June 2019

Pune Open 2024: Poonacha stuns top seed Sumit Nagal in Pune ATP Challenger

Indian wildcard entry Niki Poonacha pulled off a stunning victory over top seed and compatriot Sumit Nagal to move to the quarterfinals of the ATP Challenger 100 international tournament here on Thursday. Poonacha joined Sasikumar Mukund in the quarterfinals after he defeated the much-fancied Nagal 6-4, 6-3, their clash lasting over one hour and nine minutes. In the contest played at the Mahalunge Balewadi Stadium, Nagal was leading 4-2 in the first set before Poonacha came back fighting to level the scores and eventually clinch a famous win for himself to make his first-ever quarterfinal at this level. In the quarterfinals, Poonacha, who made his debut in India's recent Davis Cup fixture against Pakistan in Islamabad, will take on seventh-seeded Dave Sweeny from Australia. Sweeny defeated Poland's Maks Kasinowski 6-4, 6-1. Two Indian pairs qualified for the doubles semifinals. The duo of Arjun Kadhe and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan notched up a 6-4, 7-6 win over Jakob Schnaitter and Ma

Ikea India shuts its Mumbai City store, might open another in Pune

Ikea India has two more stores in Mumbai which will continue. It has a city store in Worli and a big box store at Navi Mumbai

In case of fire, break glass ceiling: Pune to get first lady firefighter

Breaking the gender barrier, 26-year-old Meghana Sakpal is set to become the first woman to join Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) fire brigade department. Firefighting seems to run in her family as her grandfather was a fireman and her father, Mahendra Sakpal, currently serves as a fire personnel. "I grew up listening to the tales of my grandfather's and father's heroic feats during firefighting in the city. They inspired me. I am very proud that I am the first woman to join the fire department of the Pune corporation," Meghana told PTI on Thursday. Until now, only Mumbai had women firefighters in Maharashtra. A commerce graduate, Meghana began to prepare for her dream job in 2019. After clearing online examinations and physical tests, she went to Mumbai for training, which was briefly interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. But she completed the training in November 2022. She had initially applied for a job with the Mumbai fire department, but could not clear the physical test. .

MD 'meow meow' drug worth over Rs 2,000 crore uncovered in Delhi, Pune

Mephedrone, also known as 'meow meow', is a synthetic stimulant and psychotropic substance banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act

Pinaka launchers to missiles, Pune adds to defence industry lineup

Nibe has grown quickly and is seeking a leadership role in organising micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the industrial zones around Pune

Chief of Naval Staff inaugurates Nibe Defence and Aerospace plant in Pune

Nibe Industries is one of the leading medium- and small enterprise firms working in the defence sector. They have been working on multiple projects, including canisters for vertical missile launchers

WATCH: Mosquito tornadoes in Pune shock internet, locals urge action

Undated videos shared by the locals showed huge numbers of mosquitoes swirling in the skies, resembling miniature tornadoes, as they passed over various residential buildings in Pune

Airtel launches 14 stores in Pune, to display entire range of offerings

Bharti Airtel on Monday said it has launched 14 next-gen company-owned stores in Pune, which will be a one-stop-shop for all its offerings. In a release, the company said the stores will display the entire range of Airtel's offerings, including Xstream, Xsafe, and 5G Plus. The store staff, referred to as 'Airtel Friends', are trained to address and resolve customer queries across the telecom operator's portfolio, including mobile, broadband, and DTH. The new Airtel stores have been opened up in Pashan, Phursungi, Pimple Gurav, Dighi, BT Kawde Road, Dhayri, Sangvi, Keshav Nagar, Chikali, Lohegaon, Bhosari, Wadgaon Sheri, Nigdi, and Katraj Kondwa. "...Maharashtra continues to be a big focus market for us and we will continue to invest in this market," said George Mathen, CEO-Maharashtra, Bharti Airtel. The 14 new stores add to the existing count of 29 stores in the city.

Macrotech Developers to launch 11 projects with Rs 6K cr revenue potential

Looking to tap rising housing demand, realty firm Macrotech Developers will launch 11 projects in Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru this quarter with an estimated revenue potential of Rs 6,260 crore. Mumbai-based Macrotech Developers is one of the leading real estate developers in the country. It has a major presence in Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Pune. The company markets its properties under the Lodha brand. In an investor presentation, the company said it has a strong launch pipeline in the fourth quarter of 2023-24. "Well placed to meet full-year pre-sales guidance with the launches planned in Q4," it said. Macrotech Developers said the company will launch a 4.4 million square feet area during the January-March quarter, of which 1 million square feet would be in Bengaluru and 0.8 million square feet in Pune. The remaining area will be in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). During the first nine months of this fiscal, Macrotech has already launched a 6.6 million square feet area with

Mahindra Logistics to invest Rs 170 crore in warehousing facility in Maha

Mahindra Logistics Limited (MLL) on Tuesday announced the construction of its warehousing facility in Phaltan, near Pune with an investment of Rs 170 crore. Spread over 6.5 lakh square feet (sq ft), the new facility will be developed in two phases. The first phase, comprising 3.5 lakh sq ft, is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2024, the company said in a statement. Mahindra Logistics will manage inbound logistics to manufacturing and distribution solutions of diverse clients in automotive and manufacturing sectors located in the region, the company said. The company and its partners are set to invest Rs 170 crore across multiple phases for the development of the new facility and related infrastructure. "To enhance our capabilities and meet the rising demand, we are expanding our multi-client warehousing network across India. Our latest facility in Phaltan is strategically located to augment the overall business ecosystem for our valued clientele in the region," said ...

BJP MLA slapping cop disrespectful, will write if he faces no action: Sule

NCP working president Supriya Sule on Sunday called the recent alleged incident of a BJP MLA slapping an on-duty cop most disrespectful and said she will write to Maharashtra home minister Devendra Fadnavis if no action is taken against the lawmaker. The MP from Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Pune district said, I thought the BJP was a party that respected people. Are they compromising over this issue? Will they tolerate violence against their colleagues? BJP's Sunil Kamble, the legislator from Pune Cantonment constituency, on Friday allegedly hit an on-duty constable at the city's Sassoon General Hospital, where he had gone to attend an event. Later, a case was registered against Kamble on a complaint by the policeman. I request home minister Devendra Fadnavis to act upon it and if action isn't taken, I'll write a letter to him, said Sule. With parties gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections, Sule said she had no objection to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's remarks over

CK Birla Group's Birlasoft names Manjunath Kygonahally as overseas CEO

Birlasoft appointed Manjunath Kygonahally as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for the Rest of the World (ROW) region. Kygonahally will be based in the United Kingdom

Over 2.5 mn vehicles registered in Maharashtra in '23; 7.91% rise in a year

More than 25 lakh new vehicles hit the roads of Maharashtra in 2023, taking the number of digitally registered vehicles to 3.58 crore, an official said on Monday. As per the data shared by the state transport department, 25,63,491 new vehicles were registered in Maharashtra in 2023, compared to 23,74,591 registered the previous year, registering a growth of 7.91 per cent. At least 23.74 lakh vehicles were registered in Maharashtra in 2022 compared to 19.23 lakh in 2019, seeing a 23.46 per cent rise in registration, it said. Interestingly, the data revealed that among the new vehicles registered last year, nearly 17.61 lakh were two-wheelers. Of the 25.63 lakh new vehicles, more than seven lakh were registered during the festival season between October and December, as per the data. At least 2.42 lakh vehicles were registered in October, followed by 3.05 lakh in November and 2.29 lakh in December, it stated. Among the vehicles registered last year, 2.45 lakh were commercial vehicl

19 workers injured as gas furnace explodes at Pune fabrication unit

As many as 19 workers were injured after a gas furnace exploded in a powder coating and fabrication unit in Maharashtra's Pune, an official said on Wednesday. The incident took place at the manufacturing set-up in the Hinjawadi area of Pimpri-Chinchwad on Tuesday evening, he said. Police said the gas furnace at the unit exploded, dispersing metal parts kept inside it in all directions. A total of 19 workers suffered burns after the hot metal parts flung from the furnace fell on them, he said. A case has been registered against the proprietor and management of the unit for alleged negligence.

Gross leasing of office space up 12% this year across 6 cities: Savills

Gross office space leasing rose 12 per cent to a record 62.3 million square feet this year, while fresh supply remained flat across six major cities, according to Savills India. The absorption of office space stood at 55.4 million square feet in the previous year. New supply of office space stood at 53.3 million square feet, as against 53.4 million square feet in the previous year. "Office gross absorption across India's six major cities is recorded at a new all-time high of 62.3 million square feet in 2023, registering a 12 per cent growth over last year," Savills said in a statement. Bengaluru saw a decline of 10 per cent to 15.6 million square feet this year, from 17.3 million square feet in the previous year. "Mumbai saw record leasing activity at 10.1 million square feet owing to large transactions by tech and consulting occupiers. Gross absorption increased by 51 per cent compared to 2022," Savills said. Delhi-NCR saw similar absorption levels as last year at 11.3 million s