Former Indian Police Service officer Rashmi Shukla. (File photo)Mumbai Live Updates, 20 October: Maharashtra government rejected Colaba police’s proposal to prosecute senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla in an alleged phone tapping case. The Colaba police had registered a case against Shukla in March for allegedly tapping the phone conversations of NCP leader Eknath Khadse and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and subsequently in April, the investigators filed a 750-page chargesheet against her. However, after the formation of the new CM Eknath Shinde-led government, the police wrote to the court informing them that they are seeking permission under section 197 CrPC.
Builder Paras Porwal allegedly died by suicide in Byculla on Thursday, the police said, adding that an investigation is underway. Additional Commissioner of Police Central Region Dnyaneshwar Chavan told Indian Express that he allegedly committed suicide because of personal issues. He has left a note behind, but not blamed anyone, Chavan said
In other news, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad has arrested four activists of the proscribed Popular Front of India (PFI) from Panvel in neighbouring Raigad district, an official told PTI on Thursday. Those arrested include a local member of the banned outfit’s state expansion committee, a local unit secretary and two other workers. The ATS had specific information about a meeting of two functionaries of the PFI and few workers in Panvel, even as the organisation has been banned by the Government of India, the official said.
Mumbai Congress workers celebrate the victory of new party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday. Ganesh Shirsekar
The Maharashtra government rejected the Colaba police’s proposal to prosecute senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Rashmi Shukla in an alleged phone-tapping case registered in Mumbai.
The move comes days after the Pune police filed a closure report in a first information report (FIR) against Shukla, in which they had accused her of illegally tapping phones of some leading politicians. Read more
A writ petition has been moved by one Sabina Lakdawala in the Bombay High Court claiming that the courts taking vacations, including during Diwali, is a violation of the fundamental rights of citizens as the litigants’ right to avail justice is affected by such long vacations.
Lakdawala, in her plea filed through advocate Mathews Nedumpara, sought a declaration that closing courts for more than 70 days for any kind of vacation is a violation of the fundamental rights of litigants and the same should come to an end.
The plea sought that the high court is kept fully functional during the upcoming Diwali vacation, an adequate number of judges be made available to hear all the cases, and not just urgent cases heard by vacation benches, and that directions be issued to the high court registry to receive all petitions without insisting on permission from the vacation bench. Read more.
A writ petition has been moved by one Sabina Lakdawala in the Bombay High Court claiming that the courts taking vacations, including during Diwali, is a violation of the fundamental rights of citizens as the litigants’ right to avail justice is affected by such long vacations.
Lakdawala, in her plea filed through advocate Mathews Nedumpara, sought a declaration that closing courts for more than 70 days for any kind of vacation is a violation of the fundamental rights of litigants and the same should come to an end.
The plea sought that the high court is kept fully functional during the upcoming Diwali vacation, an adequate number of judges be made available to hear all the cases, and not just urgent cases heard by vacation benches, and that directions be issued to the high court registry to receive all petitions without insisting on permission from the vacation bench. Read more
Builder Paras Porwal died by suicide in Byculla on Thursday, the police said, adding that an investigation is underway.
A SPECIAL court on Wednesday allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to confiscate 39 properties belonging to fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act. A similar order was first passed in 2020. The Act has provisions to act against those evading the process of law by fleeing from the country.
Under the Act, the court can declare a person a fugitive economic offender and subsequently also order confiscation of his properties. The properties include Rhythm House at Kala Ghoda, valuables seized from Modi’s bungalow in Alibaug and 22 cars. The ED had sought to confiscate 48 properties valued at Rs 929 crore. Read more.
Three persons, including an apprentice of the Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers (RCF), were killed in a blast at the RCF plant’s Thal unit on Wednesday evening.
Thal is located along the coast of Alibaug. According to a press note issued by Pramod Deshmukh, senior manager of the RCF, the work of plant maintenance was given to Arizo Global. The personnel were installing a new AC unit when the blast took place at around 4.45 pm. The injured were shifted to the RCF hospital in Kurul village nearby. Read more.
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