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TOI : PUNE: The city that was reeling under the heat saw a reduction of 2 degrees C in the maximum temperature on Friday.

The city had recorded its highest maximum temperature (42.1 deg) since 1897 for the month of April on Thursday. On Friday, however, temps went down to 40.5. This is the first time since Tuesday that the temperature went below the 41 degree mark.

“The decrease in temperature is due to local conditions,” sources from the meteorological department said. “These conditions helped in creating a slightly cloudy atmosphere.”

Reduction in the maximum temperature was recorded in other cities too. Temperatures in some cities were as follows: Mumbai (34.0), Aurangabad (42.0), Nagpur (41.1), Kolhapur (31.0), Ratnagiri (33.1), Satara (38.9), Solapur (40.3), Jalgaon (44.8), Malegaon (45.2), Parbhani (41.4), Akola (45.0), Mahabaleshwar (32.5) and Dahanu (35.5). Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: Three days after the boat tragedy at Bhatgar reservoir in Bhor claimed 22 people, the Bhor police on Friday booked ferry owner Krishna Padwal and driver Baban Padwal for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

The Padwals have been charged under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 280 (rash navigation of vessel), 283 (danger of obstruction in public way or line of navigation) read with 34 of the IPC.

The police had initially registered a case of accidental death. However, investigations revealed that there was negligence on the part of the Padwals in ferrying passengers beyond the prescribed limit from Rajgarh to Karandi Budruck village. Meanwhile, nine more bodies were fished on Friday.

The bodies were identified those of Dattatraya Balgude, Tanobai Balgude, Geetabai Ombale, Vidya Balgude, Ananta Balgude, Kamal Bodke, Waman Ombale, Kunal Ombale and Chulabai Dawade. The body of Payal Ombale has not yet been traced. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: Even as the OBC quota heat refuses to settle down, eunuchs have raised the demand for reservation in jobs. Following the Bihar and Tamil Nadu governments’ decisions to give them job protection, the eunuchs in Maharashtra have put the demand for jobs and protection against violence by public and police.

“There are about 10 lakh transgenders in the state who are discriminated by the state and its people. We are pushing forward a demand to the state government that they should get reservation in jobs,” says Vijay Nair, project director of Udaan, an organisation working for welfare of transgenders.

Recently, the Tamil Nadu government had announced establishment of a welfare board for transgenders. The board comprises representatives of government and transgenders. Also the Bihar government had announced that eunuchs will be appointed as security guards and music teachers in schools.

“They are denied basic human rights and are subjected public humiliation,” says Hanif, who also works for Udaan. He added that there are about 1,500 eunuchs in Pune city who are open with their identities and are in need of a job.

“Many of us are skilled workers while others are educated. But still we are denied jobs. The community is left with no other option but to beg or enter sex trade,” says Mohini, a eunuch who is well-versed in cooking. “We approached some societies and asked for jobs of security guards, but in vain. People simply don’t want us around” she adds.

Some banks had recruited eunuchs to recover bad loans. Surprisingly, the recovery was 100 per cent. “We want to change our image and live like any other ordinary human being. We are a minority and deserve every reservation and protection that is given to minority communities,” says Mohini.

Transgenders working with Udaan complain that they are sexually harassed…More

TOI : PUNE: The Hinjewadi police have booked two persons for cheating two students who had sought admission to the Symbiosis International University (SIU). The aspirants had paid over Rs 9 lakh to the accused for the purpose.
A complaint has been filed by Mumbai-based Ramesh Arate (51), father of Mandar, one of the aspirants. According to the complaint filed, Mandar had applied to various institutes, including SIU, offering MBA courses in December 2007.

Meanwhile, Mandar met Rahul Singh (24) from Gujarat, one of the accused, in his college, MIT Aurangabad. Singh was a final-year student of BE (Electronics). He told Mandar to contact Prasannajit Ghose Dastgir (30) of Chennai and assured him that Dastgir would be able to get Mandar admission in SIU.

Mandar and his father handed over Rs 4.50 lakh for the admission and also visited the university, where Dastgir gave them an ‘admission approved’ letter printed on the university letterhead. Dastgir even posted an admission receipt to the Arates.

However, when Mandar reached the University on April 21, he was informed that his name is not in the enrolment list.

The accused also allegedly took Rs 5.12 lakh from Abhinav Asok Bhan from Delhi after promising him admission. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: “Do only girls have reputation and dignity? Don’t boys have them too,” asks Pushpa Muralidhar Bhise (48), mother of Sagar (19), who was falsely implicated by a minor for raping her.

Sagar was arrested on March 17 after the minor girl from Wadgaonsheri alleged that he and three of his friends raped her in a house in Dehu Road. The police had also detained another minor following communal pressure as the girl belonged to a minority community.

The girl confessed later that she had filed a false complaint against Sagar and his friends just to hide the fact that she had gone out with her boyfriend. Her boyfriend has now been arrested on charges of abduction and raping a minor.

Since that day Sagar’s mother has been spending sleepless nights as her son is languishing in jail despite being innocent. To her relief, Sagar was granted bail by a sessions court on Friday, but getting him out will take some more time.

Police inspector (crime) Sunil Deshmukh of the Yerawada police station said, “Sagar’s lawyer has sought bail for him because the process of releasing him is bound to take time. The release process, under sections of the code of criminal procedure (CrPC), will be filed after the investigations are over,” he said. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More