1. Locals Turn Knights in Shining Armour
A family stuck in the 11th floor of the building was saved by plumbers who were working at the apartment. Uttam Panchal (37), an architect, his 65-year-old mother Narmada, a caretaker and three plumbers were trapped inside apartment E 1103-1104 as there was smoke everywhere.
As smoke started entering the flat, the family got scared and moved towards the duct inside.
The plumbers came up with a plan to get to the terrace by climbing up the duct. Taking support of pipes, the plumbers got to the terrace first and then, with the help of bedsheets, pulled the family members up, one by one.
“It was our good fortune that the plumbers were working at our home, otherwise we would have died in this situation. After reaching the terrace, we stayed near the water pipes so that if the fire got close, we could break the water pipe to save ourselves,” said Panchal.
(Source: DNA)
2. CAG: Rs 1,004 Crore Funds Parked With Gujarat State Financial Services
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its state finances audit report for the year ended March 2018, tabled in the State Assembly Friday, has said that funds of Rs 1,004 crore released for implementation of State and Centrally sponsored schemes by two departments were parked, without authorisation, with the Gujarat State Financial Services (GSFS).
CAG said that two departments — Industries and mines and Panchayats, Rural Housing and Rural Development — have been releasing funds to its subordinate officers or nodal agencies for implementation of the schemes, but they parked the unutilised funds of Rs 1004 crore with the GSFS.
In the 10 years from 2008-18, the Industries and Mines Department parked Rs 364.82 crore funds in six different cases and the Panchayats, Rural Housing and Rural Development parked Rs 639.87 crore in five different cases with the GSFS.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. No Proof of Rape in Naliya Incident: Panel
The inquiry commission set up to look into the Naliya gang rape case has, in its report to the state government, said that there was no evidence to prove the incident. It should be noted that the victim had not deposed before the commission, and had also turned hostile in court.
The case involved a Kutch-based woman who had accused eight people including four local BJP workers of blackmailing and gang-raping her over a year. She had also alleged that the accused ran a sex racket in Bhuj. Through the incident happened in 2015, it was reported in 2017.
The report submitted by Justice A L Dave, a retired high court judge, was tabled in the Gujarat Assembly on Friday although the commission had submitted in 2018.
The commission in its report said that the claim of rape and blackmail were 'doubtful'. It further said: "Neither the victim nor her husband appeared before the commission... The material produced by the investigating officer indicates that the victim had not supported the prosecution during the trial and was declared hostile".
(Source: DNA)
4. 2002 Gulberg Massacre: Gujarat High Court Grants Regular Bail to Convict
The Gujarat High Court on Friday, 26 July, granted regular bail to one of the convicts of the 2002 Gulberg Society massacre on the grounds that he had already spent a considerable amount of time in prison, and the court’s decision on his appeal seeking suspension of conviction seemed unlikely in the near future.
Convict Kailash Dhobi had moved the high court seeking suspension of execution of his sentence. He had been convicted of several offences and was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and unlawful assembly, by a special designated court constituted for speedy trial of riot cases, in June 2016. Dhobi was also sentenced to varying periods of imprisonment for other offences.
Referring to the sessions court judgment, advocate Kshitij Amin, who represented Dhobi, pointed out instances where witnesses had failed to identify Dhobi. He said that the witness accounts against Dhobi are “weak in nature, and hence the applicant (Dhobi) has a strong prima facie case”.
(Source: The Indian Express)
5. Former MP of Daman Booked for Water Theft
Police of the union territory of Daman have registered a complaint against former Congress MP Dahya Patel and others for stealing water from a gram-panchayat-owned pond in the village.
Sources said that the complaint was filed on Friday by Secretary of Dabhel village gram panchayat in Daman, Ujwal Vadvi. In his complaint, Vadvi alleged that there were inputs about water theft from the pond in Dabhel village behind the Sai Sarovar Bar and restaurant. The gram panchayat members checked and found that water was illegally pumped from the pond and supplied to several people.
On Friday, the members and Daman police found a submersible pump in the pond and water pipes that ended at the Dahya Patel’s house, Sai Sarovar Bar and Restaurant, Well Known polyester company, and Padmini Water supply. Vadvi then lodged the complaint against Dahya Patel, Sai Sarovar Bar and Restaurant, Well known polyester company and Padmini Water supply.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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