1. Matoshree Not In Kovind’s Mumbai Itinerary
In what political observers are calling a snub for the Shiv Sena, the National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind will not visit Matoshree, residence of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, on his one-day visit to Mumbai on Saturday. Kovind will spend the day meeting BJP leaders, legislators and MPs and even meet leaders from other parties but will not take time out to visit the Thackeray residence.
Significantly in the past, all presidential nominees including Congress’s Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee have visited the Thackeray’s seeking Sena’s support.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
2. State Criminalises Social Boycott, Officially
The five-year crusade by anti-superstition activists has finally borne positive results with Maharashtra becoming the first state in the country to implement an Act, which prohibits social boycott of a person or a group of people by caste panchayats.
The Maharashtra Prohibition of People from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2016, came into force on July 4 when it was published in the official state gazette. Any person found guilty under the provisions of the Act will be liable for maximum punishment of three years in jail and Rs 1lakh fine.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
3. Court Grants Bail To Zakir Naik’s Aide Aamir Gazdar
In a setback to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), a court in Mumbai on Wednesday granted bail to Aamir Gazdar, an alleged close aide of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, in a money laundering case.
Judge A N Sirsikar of the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court granted bail to Gazdar on a bond of Rs 5 lakh.
He shall not leave the country without the court’s permission, and shall cooperate with the investigation, the judge said, laying down conditions while granting him relief.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
4. Women MPs To Visit Inmates At Byculla Jail
Twenty women parliamentarians from across the country will visit the Byculla Jail today. Their visit comes in the wake of the brutal murder of female convict Manjula Shetye by the jail staff. The members of parliament (MPs), who are part of the Parliamentary Empowerment of Women committee, will be interacting with inmates at the Byculla Jail. They are also likely to take up the issue in the parliament.
The group is headed by Bijoya Chakravarty, an MP from Assam, and also includes Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party, Raksha Khadse, NCP Rajya Sabha MP Vandana Chavan, and, among others, M K Kanimozhi.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
5. Mumbai Cops Throw And Kick Veggies Of Illegal Hawkers
The brutality of the Mumbai police reared its ugly head after a shocking new viral video showed cops mercilessly throw and kick veggies of illegal hawkers on Hingwala Lane in Ghatkopar East.
In the 62-second video, which was allegedly shot on July 10, police officers are seen strolling along the lane, before attacking illegal hawkers and dumping all their vegetables on the street. No hawkers are seen in the video, as they are likely to have escaped from the spot.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
6. Metro-III Debris To Be Used To Build 300-Acre 'Central Park' At Nariman Point
For once, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is really attempting to make the best out of waste. The civic body has charted an ambitious plan to build Mumbai's own 300-acre 'Central Park' by reclaiming land in the Arabian Sea between Nariman Point and Cuffe Parade, with muck excavated from the Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro III project. It has been earmarked in the revised draft Development Plan (DP) 2034 and civic chief Ajoy Mehta wants to fast track the project.
The BMC's plans for developing the 'Central Park' by reclaiming the sea at Nariman Point are on the drawing board already, even before the revised draft DP 2034 is approved. In a move to speed up the project, the DP department has written to the Mumbai Metropolitan and Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) informing them about the plan for it.
(Source: Mid-day)
7. Maharashtra Government Signs Mou With Walmart
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and top officials of Walmart signed an MoU for opening Walmart’s Cash & Carry stores in 15 locations in the state.
The Additional Chief Secretary of Industries department, Sunil Porwal said that these Cash & Carry stores will cater to wholesalers, retailers and hotels. They already have two stores in Aurangabad and Amravati respectively, and want to expand to other cities.
A MoU has been signed to set up stations at Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Solapur, Nagpur and other places.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
8. GRP To Probe Why Cancer Patient Was Thrown Out
Nearly two years after a latestage cancer patient was forcibly removed from a waiting room at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and dumped on a platform, rail authorities have ordered an inquiry into the station staff’s appalling behaviour.
Anjali Halder, 50, who had a valid ticket, was only waiting for her son, Surjit, to complete formalities so she could be admitted to Parel’s Tata Memorial Hospital. Before leaving, he informed everyone he could at the airconditioned waiting room that her mother was seriously ill and should not be moved around or inconvenienced.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
9. Forest Dept Kicks Off Slum-Demolition On Parsik Tunnel
The ever-increasing slum population on the Parsik tunnel has weakened the structure to a greater extent. However, it seems that the authorities concerned are finally serious about dealing with the problem. After struggling for months to take a decision on removing the illegal slums that have come up on the hill, the forest department started demolishing the structures on Tuesday.
Since April, the Central Railways, forest department and Thane Municipal Corporation had been surveying the area. On June 22, passengers’ associations had met Ravindra Goyal, divisional railway manager (Mumbai), Central Railway, to discuss the matter and put forward a request to expedite the demolition process.
(Source: Mid-day)
10. Mumbai Lawyer Attacked With Paver Block By Bike-Borne Men
Special Public Prosecutor Manohar Kandalkar, 60, a resident of Shivaji Park, Dadar, was attacked with a paver block while he was on his way to the Sessions Court.
On Tuesday morning, Kandalkar, who was the special PP in the case involving Preeti Jain and two others for plotting to kill Madhur Bhandarkar, left home for the Sessions Court, in his car. He was sitting on the left in the rear seat.
When the driver was about to take Parel bridge near Bamboo Gali, he realised two men on a white bike were following him.
Suddenly, the pillion rider who was carrying a paver block, threw it at the car's right rear window. The block shattered the glass and fell in the car.
(Source: Mid-day)
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