Maharashtra minister’s brother held for rape
Satara: The brother of Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Shashikant Shinde was arrested on Monday for raping a woman at her home here, police said. According to the complaint by the 33-year-old woman, Rishikant Shinde, a realtor, on Sunday evening barged into her residence on the pretext of discussing a property issue and physically assaulted her, said investigating officer Ravindra Pisal of Satara City police station. “He was arrested this morning (Monday) and presented before a magistrate who sent him to police custody till Feb 21,” Pisal told IANS. Shashikant Shinde of the Nationalist Congress Party was inducted in the cabinet in June 2013. He is a legislator from Koregaon. (IANS)
SC fiat on anti-Sikh riots
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refrained from passing any order at this stage on a petition seeking constitution of SIT to probe series of events leading to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, asking a rights activist to bring out aspects of the incidents which purportedly have not yet been looked into in the last three decades. Without issuing notice, a bench headed by Justice A K Patnaik granted two weeks to the human rights activist, who filed the petition, to place before it Justice G T Nanavati Commission report which had conducted detailed enquiry into the sequence of events leading to the riots after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 30, 1984. The bench asked petitioner S Sudarshan Singh Wazir to examine the commission’s report and find out the issues which required the indulgence of the apex court. Senior advocate Sunil Sethi, who appeared for the petitioner, sought to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the series of events that led to the “1984 massacre of Sikh community”. “Conduct detailed enquiry and investigation so as to charge those responsible for causing, perpetrating, abetting, spreading and influencing the 1984 riots and commission of several crimes connected to the said riots. “To register cases based on the outcome of such enquiry and investigation and to prosecute those who are charged,” the petition filed through advocate Senile Fernandes said. It also sought creation of special fast track courts to try the riots related cases on a day-to-day basis to expedite the judicial process. (PTI)
Cong sinking ship, Left will face further rejection: Mamata
Kolkata: The Congress-led UPA government was a sinking ship and would not return to power while the Left would face further rejection by the people, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday. “They (UPA) are only for some more days,” she said replying to the debate on the Governor’s address amid boycott of the House by opposition Left and Congress members who were alleging that the Chief Minister avoided the House regularly. Accusing the Centre of attempting to “starve” the state, Banerjee said, “Even the funds for the MNERGA have been stopped by the Centre for the last three months. “Why did it allow the CPI(M)-led Left Front to take loans time and again during its reign?” she asked. Claiming that there was a growing political love between CPI(M) and Congress to split Trinamool Congress votes in the Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee said the two parties would transfer each others votes in the coming elections. Banerjee, who had called for a “parivartan” (change) in Delhi and spoken of a federal front of regional parties, said the days of the UPA government were numbered because of its “anti-people” policies after Trinamool Congress quit the UPA alliance. Attacking the Centre for not paying heed to her government’s demand to restructure its debts incurred during the Left Front era, Banerjee said, “When the new government will come we will take it up. If the debt payment is restructured, we will be able to restore the golden era. It will be all gold then.” She further said since the demolition of Babri Masjid, BJP was unacceptable to the people. (PTI)
Committee raps govt for failing to check crimes againt women
New Delhi: A committee on empowerment of women on Monday rapped the government for failing to formulate a concrete action plan to prevent the “astronomical” increase in incidents of sexual abuse and creating a safe enviornment for women. The committee, in its report submitted in parliament today, stated, “A special co-ordination or a monitoring mechanism should be put in place keeping in view the astronomical increase in crimes against women in all states and union territories. “Considering the fact that there would not be any noticeable impact in issuing advisories to the states and UTs, the committee strongly recommend that specific modalities should be worked out and implemented by the government,” the report said. The committee had observed that a total 2,28,650 incidents of crime against women were reported in the country during 2011 as compared to the 2,13,585 cases in 2010, recording 7.1 per cent increase. In 2007, a total of 1,85, 312 cases of crime against women were recorded while 1,95,856 cases were recorded in 2008 and 2,03,804 cases in 2009 which shows an increasing trend. “The Committee is astonished to find that on the one hand, incidents of sexual abuse, in varous forms are increasing at a lightening speed throughout the country, on the other hand, no concrete action plan have been formulated and implemented by the Union government. (PTI)
CRPF women contingent leaves for UN duties in Liberia
New Delhi: A 125-member women’s contingent of paramilitary CRPF on Monday left for Liberia for rendering UN police duties in the West African country. The all-women squad was given a send-off by the force chief Dilip Trivedi from the headquarters here and it will render United Nations mandated civil police duties in that country. The squad, led by second-in-command officer Neeraj Bala, has been imparted a seven-week specialised professional training keeping in view the prevailing situation in Liberia. The Central Reserve Police Force has been sending male and female contingents to Liberia since January, 2007 under the UN umbrella. “The contingent, as part of UN mission in Liberia, is not only meant for maintaining peace and controlling riot in Liberia but also training Liberian Police in various aspects to cope with long-drawn civil war and restoring civil order there.” (PTI)