QMumbai: Beaumonde Blaze; Rahul Gandhi’s Snappy Press Meet
All the city news you should read today.
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1. Beaumonde Fire: NRI Bizman’s Duplex Gutted in Blaze at Plush Highrise
Around 95 residents were evacuated after a major fire broke out on the 32nd and 33nd floors of BeauMonde, a plush highrise on Appasaheb Marathe Marg in Prabhadevi on Wednesday. The fire gutted a duplex penthouse belonging to NRI businessman Harish Fabiani.
The building houses some highprofile names like actor Deepika Padukone, who lives on the 26th floor of the building and has an office on the 30th floor. The actress was not at home at the time of the fire. She took to Twitter to say, “I am safe. Thank You everyone. Let us pray for our firefighters who are at site risking their lives.”
The fire broke out at Fabiani’s penthouse on the 32nd floor of the B wing at 2 pm and the fire brigade reached the spot at 2.16 pm. It took around four hours to completely douse the fire.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
2. Rahul Gandhi’s Hi-bye Press Meet
It was probably one of the shortest political press conferences in India and it lasted less than three minutes. On Tuesday night, a message was sent by the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee that Congress President Rahul Gandhi would hold a press conference in the city on Wednesday, between 8.30 and 8.45 pm, at the Mumbai Cricket Association in Bandra.
But on Wednesday, Gandhi not only arrived almost 50 minutes late, but wrapped up the press conference in 15 minutes, and left.
Some mediapersons later took to social media platforms to voice their displeasure over the brief affair. The Mumbai Congress unit later clarified that there had been a “miscommunication” by its media co-coordinators regarding Gandhi’s interaction with journalists.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
3. Shiv Sena Accuses Sharad Pawar of Playing Dangerous Politics, Trying to Destabilise Maharashtra
The Shiv Sena on Wednesday criticised Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar for playing “dangerous” politics and alleged that it is “destabilising” social harmony in the state.
The Sena took on the veteran statesman in an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, following Pawar’s comments that people arrested for inciting the Bhima-Koregaon violence earlier this year were innocent. Pawar made this statement last week while speaking at a function to mark the 19th anniversary of his party.
It does not befit a former chief minister to pose hurdles in police investigations into the Bhima-Koregaon violence, the editorial said, even as it wondered whom Pawar was trying to protect. “What Sharad Pawar does is his outlook, but his politics is destabilising social harmony in the state,” the editorial said, questioning the grounds on which Pawar has made claims that those caught by the police for instigating riots in Bhima-Koregaon were not involved.
Source: Hindustan Times
4. Portuguese Team Checks on Abu Salem After He Complains About Prison Blues
Taking note of repeated complaints by Abu Salem, two officials from the Portuguese embassy in Delhi, along with members of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), visited the Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday to check its overall condition and the facilities given to the convicted gangster.
Salem, who was extradited from Lisbon in Portugal in 2003, had complained that the clauses mentioned in the extradition treaty were being flouted.
The team of Portuguese and CBI officials entered Taloja jail at 11:45am. They recorded Salem’s statement in the presence of Rajvardhan Sinha, inspector general, prisons, Sadanand Gaikwad, superintendent of Taloja jail, and Salem’s lawyer Saba Qureshi. The process went on till 2pm.
Source: Hindustan Times
5. Maharashtra Government to Give Free Houses, Money to Encroachers to Move Them Out
In an effort to remove encroachers from government land and avoid delays in the implementation of major projects, the Maharashtra government has decided to provide residential apartments of 269 sqft to families that have encroached upon the plot. The families also have the option of taking an amount equivalent to the cost of the apartment.
A government resolution (GR), issued on Wednesday, pointed out that several projects of the state and Union government were getting delayed as they were unable to get possession of the land meant for the project, as it had been encroached on by multiple encroachers. The delay also added to the project cost, it stated.
“The state government is working towards a solution to ensure there is no delay in taking possession of the government land required for the project. The solution would avoid delays in implementation of the project and an increase in the project cost, if completed within the decided time-limit,” stated the GR.
Source: The Indian Express
6. Mumbai: Cash Van Waylaid, Rs 16.58 Lakh Stolen
Four armed robbers on Wednesday evening waylaid a van used by a security agency to collect and deposit cash, and fled with Rs 16.58 lakh after threatening the driver, a manager and a security guard present in the cash van, police said.
However, there was another bag of cash with Rs 35 lakh in the vehicle that escaped the attention of the robbers, they added.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone 6) Shahaji Umap said that the incident took place around 4pm, when the cash van of Securitrans India Pvt Ltd was going towards Mumbai after collecting cash from Mankhurd railway station. The vehicle had collected cash from Govandi and Mankhurd railway stations and was headed to its Goregaon office. As the vehicle was about to enter the Sion-Panvel Highway from Mankurd, its path was blocked by a Eeco in which the four accused were sitting in the Dhobi Ghat area.
Source: The Indian Express
7. Mumbai: BEST Bus Runs Over Pillion Rider
Mumbai Police booked a BEST bus driver for allegedly knocking down a 19-year-old pillion rider in Parel. The police said the youth, who later succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to the hospital, was the son of a police constable posted with the Local Arms department of the Mumbai Police.
Police officials said the BEST bus driver fled from the spot after allegedly knocking down Sahil Kadam at Hindmata bus stop in Parel.
An officer from Bhoiwada police station said, “Kadam was the pillion rider to his cousin and the incident took place when they were heading towards Chitra theatre. Sandeep Jawle was riding the bike and as it was raining their bike skidded and the duo fell. The speeding BEST bus came from behind and ran over Kadam while the rider Jawle managed to escape.” Following Kadam’s death, Bhoiwada police registered the case of rash and negligent driving against the BEST bus driver.
An officer said, “As the incident took place around 10.30 pm, the driver managed to flee.”
Source: The Indian Express
8. Lawyers, Activists Unite, Demand Held Brethren's Release
A group of lawyers and activists yesterday gathered to register its protest against authorities’ "sudden" clampdown on five activists and lawyers on June 6.
Saying the five arrested are innocent, the group condemned the arrests and called the move "unjust", during a press conference. They have demanded unconditional release of the five, adding that they will be going for legal recourse.
Addressing the gathering, retired justice B G Kolse-Patil called the charges (against the five) "baseless". "We find these arrests and accusations defamatory. We have taken a stand against the present regime, and rightly so, which is not being tolerated," he said.
"The five have been active in fighting against minority atrocities in the country. The purpose (of the arrests) was to ensure that Dalits don’t get an effective voice. They (authorities) will clamp down on those who wish to effectively represent the community. This seems like a sham, done in violation of civil liberties and using a law that is draconian to begin with."
Source: Mid Day
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