12,500 take AAP membership
Aurangabad: Following the membership drive launched by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), nearly 12,500 people have taken membership of the rookie party in Mararthwada’s capital district so far. Speaking to UNI here today, District Party Convener Advocate Laxman Pradhan said, ‘we are getting tremendous response from the people of the district. Since yesterday, our party has decided to waive the Rs 10 membership fee. “People in most places have voluntarily shown up to join AAP and our city party workers are at street corners wearing AAP caps for registering names of people who want to join our party.” Giving details of AAP party offices in the district, he said at least 15 party offices, including a head office at Jalna road, has been started. ‘And more offices will be started very soon,’ Mr Pradhan added. In view of the recent win of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi Assembly polls, on precautionary measures all political parties have started organising their respective party worker conventions at various places in the state. (UNI)
50,668 persons penalised for littering on Railway presmises
Hyderabad: South Central Railway (SCR) penalised 50,668 persons and realised Rs 1.02 crores during the first nine months of the Financial Year 2013-2014 (April to December) for littering on Railway premises. Out of 50,668 offenders, 10,486 were apprehended in Secunderabad Division, 4,243 in Hyderabad Division, 16,458 in Vijayawada Division, 9,751 in Guntakal Division, 5,215 in Guntur Division and 4,515 in Nanded Division, a SCR release here today said. With a view to ensure hygiene & cleanliness in railway premises and provide pleasant ambience to the passengers, SCR intensified the enforcement of provisions of Indian Railways (Penalties for Activities Affecting Cleanliness at Railway Premises) Rules-2012. The rules stipulate penalties upto Rs 500 on any person/ passenger found either littering or spitting or urinating or defecating or pasting posters or dumping garbage on railway premises such as railway stations, railway lands. (UNI)
Youth commits suicide after being pestered for loan refund
Thane: The Thane police are on the look out for two persons from Mumbra in the city who allegedly haressing a 28-year-old youth for refund of the money they had lend to him as a result of which the youth ended his life under utter duress, the police said on Saturday. API SM Jadhav of the Mumbra police station told this correspondent that, the youth Niteen Tukaram Bhagat a resident of Thakurpada from Mumbra had taken a loan of Rs 5,00,000 from the duo and it was decided that he would return Rs 10 lakh as against the loan. However he was not in a position to repay the money and the duo haressed him and warned him that they would kill him and his family members if he failed to return the agreed money. A disturbed Niteen who was under utter tension consumed rat poison in his house on January 4, 2014 and died at the MGM hospital subsequently while being treated, the police said. The names of the duo were given as Sadam and Jahir the police stated referring to the dying declaration given by the deceased. The police have charged the duo under sections 306 and 384 rw 34 of the IPC. (PTI)
50-year-old woman found murdered at home
Nashik: A 50-year-old woman was found murdered in her flat at Divyadarshan apartment near Vise Mala of College road area yesterday evening. Police sources here said today that the victim, identified as Surekha Rajendra Khairnar, was residing in Divyadarshan apartment with her family. An unidentified person entered in her flat and murdered her. Surekha husband Rajendra Khairnar who works for the Irrigation department, returned home in the evening and found his wife lying in a pool of blood. He immediately informed the police, who rushed to spot with sniffer dogs, but the dogs failed to trace the culprits. Police have yet not ascertained the exact reason behind murder. A complaint has been registered and further investigations are on, sources added. (PTI)
Cold winds in plains of U’khand as hills see get snowfall
Dehradun: Icy winds swept the plains of Uttarakhand on Saturday following heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of both Kumaon and Garhwal hills even as thick sheets of snow covered the mountains near popular tourist spots like Nainital and Mussoorie. Snowfall continued in the hills of Mukteshwar in Nainital district, which recorded a minimum of minus 8.7 degree Celsius, while rains lashed various places in Kumaon region, including Pantnagar and Pithoragarh, the MeT department said. Dehradun in Garhwal belt recorded a minimum of 8.3 degree Celsius, but overnight showers accompanied by thunders lashed the city adding to the chilly conditions. Though the residents awoke to a bright sunny morning today, there was no let-up in cold with icy winds blowing, it said. The snow-clad mountains of Dhanaulti could also be seen from Dehradun. Located about 25 kms from Mussoorie, the majestic hills of Dhanaulti are usually visible from the state capital on a clear day. The MeT department said the weather was likely to clear at most places in the state tomorrow leading to a drop in minimum and a rise in maximum temperatures. (PTI)
Thane couple arrested for trying to sell woman
Thane: A couple has been arrested here for allegedly abducting and trying to sell a 32-year-old local woman to a family in Gujarat, police said on Saturday. Thane district rural police arrested the duo–Ajay Kumar Gupta (28) and Priya Vinod Bansode (30)– both residents of Palghar, yesterday. According to API Walmik Patil of the Palghar police station, the couple forcibly took the victim from Palghar to Navsari on the pretext of getting her some domestic work but handed her over to some persons and returned. They promised her that she would earn wages between Rs 10,000-12,000 per month for domestic work. However, the woman learnt that she was sold off to the family in Narora for Rs 1.30 lakh and they were planning to get her married to some person in the locality. Following this, she managed to escape and filed a police complaint after which offences under various sections of the IPC were registered against the duo, who were subsequently arrested. Since the complainant was not in a position to give specific details or names of persons to whom she was sold off, a police team is likely to visit Gujarat where she was taken to probe as to who all were party to the crime, the officer said. The arrested were produced in a local court yesterday which remanded them into police custody till Friday. (PTI)