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TOI : MUMBAI/PUNE: Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has promised full financial aid to Shridhar Kamble (17), the Dalit boy from Tiravade village in Kolhapur district, about whom TOI wrote on Thursday (’Dalit boy touches the stars’). Shridhar, a budding astronomer, has been offered admission by Colorado University in the US, but being from a poor family does not have the funds to study.

As TOI reported, the prestigious National Aeronautics and Space Administration in the US, offered Shridhar a $10,000 scholarship after they were impressed by a research paper he wrote. Shridhar, whose father is a labourer and mother a nursery-school teachers, needs Rs 30 lakh more, which his parents are struggling to collect.

After reading the article on Thursday morning, Deshmukh told his principal secretary to write a letter to social justice minister Chandrakant Handore, directing him to contact Shridhar and give him the money he needs to pursue his dream. Deshmukh said that the Kamble family can rest assured that the state government will take care of the expenses.

Financial help for Shridhar is also pouring in from Delhi, Mumbai and Pune. “After the TOI report, I received calls from several industrial groups, including Bharti Airtel and Tilaknagar Industries Ltd, and also from the social welfare department of the state government,” Shridhar told TOI on

Friday. Help is coming in from individuals as well, he added.

“With so many helping hands coming forward, I hope to fly to the US on July 15 and my heart is full of gratitude for all those who have come forward to help me,” he said.

Earlier, TOI received phone calls and emails seeking details about Shridhar and the help he needed “Society needs to support brilliant children like Shridhar, Niranjan Parekh, a Mumbai-based businessman, told TOI.

Several social organisations and corporators like Siddharth Dhende, from Yerawada, Pune, too…More

TOI : PUNE: City girl Sampada Mehta emerged first in Maharashtra in the civil services (mains) exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Civil services aspirants from Pune never had it so good. More than 35 of the 75 students from the state, who have figured in the merit list, are from the city. The state itself accounts for 10 per cent of the overall successful candidates.

The written papers were held in October-November 2007 while the interviews for personality test of 734 successful candidates from across the country were held between March and May this year. The merit list was declared on Friday.

Sampada aspires a civil services role in the field of environment protection and conservation. “Sustainable development is my favourite topic,” she told TOI.

However, her ambition comes as a departure from the professional path taken by her family members “father Suresh is a chartered accountant (CA) and her brother is doing his CA course. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: Though the smuggling of firearms from places like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh to Pune is a disturbing trend, a study on firearms conducted by the city police has revealed that there has been no increase in the use of firearms involved in committing crimes.

The study, conducted by senior police officials, took an overall review of the firearms cases registered between 2005 and 2008.

The study reveals that there were 22 incidents in 2005, 25 in 2006, 22 in 2007 and six in 2008 (till date) in which firearms like country-made pistols and revolvers were used to commit body and property-related offences.

The study reveals that only in one incident (in 2008), did members of a gang use a pistol to open fire on a police team. The incident took place in April this year and involved members of the dreaded Ravi Pujari gang after their plans to eliminate a Mumbai-based builder on NIBM-Mohammedwadi road were thwarted.

ACP Rajender Singh (crime) said the review of all the firearms cases has revealed there was no significant change in the pattern of using firearms in the commission of a crime. He said the police launched a weapon-checking drive from 2006 onwards and the exercise had helped recover large numbers of weapons from criminals. “Most of the weapons recovered have not been used. The use of firearms can be minimised if more weapons are recovered from criminals and others.”

The study on firearms was conducted by the DCP Anil Kumbhare, ACP Vinod Satav and inspector Rajendra Joshi under the guidance of the additional commissioner of police Rajender Singh of the crime branch, Pune. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: Social and economic deprivation, which has resulted in high unemployment, has been the bane of youths residing in the slums dotting the city. Lacking the means to earn a living, this restless community has devised unique “though often anti-social” ways of earning a livelihood.

So while a group of youths from Hadapsar pose as eunuchs and extort money from shopkeepers, another group in Parvati has set up a “contract” firm to provide crowds for political rallies. A third group is active on trains, occupying seats which they “sell” to passengers, all with the blessings of the police. Yet another group functions at the municipal corporation and the collector’s office as “agents”.

Forty per cent of Pune’s population ” an estimated 14 lakh people ” lives in slums. According to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) estimates, the average age of slumdwellers is 24 as compared to 28 of the population outside the slum areas. The civic body has identified that a majority of people in the slums work in small jobs as fitters, electricians, painters, construction labourers, factory workers and drivers. Some of them are hawkers are vendors.

But some youths have found easy and different ways to earn money. A group of youths from Vaiduwadi and Gosavi vasti of Hadapsar dress as eunuchs and move around different areas of the city demanding money from shopkeepers and traders. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: Over 3,000 stone quarry workers from all over Maharashtra descended on the streets of Pune on Thursday morning to press their demand for food, clothing and shelter. “Give us homes or put us in jail,” was the slogan that echoed throughout the rally.

The agitation, led by advocate B.M. Rege, was organised by the Stone Quarry Workers’ Development Association. Workers from Pune, Ahmednagar, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Beed districts were present at the agitation. Rege flagged off the agitation by garlanding the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Pune Railway Station, vowing to use ‘ahimsa’ as their only weapon for protest. The agitators then went to the Council Hall to press their demands.

The deprived quarry workers presented a charter of 25 demands before the authorities. It includes using Indira Awas Yojana to provide housing for the workers close to the mines, ration cards for families of workers, provision of basic necessities, such as kerosene and foodgrains in the remote mine areas, provision of healthcare facilities, facilities for pregnant women, compensation for widows of workers who die in the mines, and so on.

“We will not move from here until our demands are granted. Arrest us, if you cannot grant our demands,” Rege told police officials at the venue.

The association wished to present the charter of demands to Pune divisional collector Nitin Kareer. However, as Kareer was not available, they met Tukaram Kasar, deputy commissioner for rehabilitation. The meeting that lasted over an hour proved to be fruitless. At the end, Rege called upon the workers to invoke ‘jail bharo’ movement.

A senior police officer present at the venue said, “We empathise with the plight of the workers and do not want to impose harsh punishment.” He declared the mass present at the venue to be ‘under arrest.’ Twenty-five representatives from the quarry workers’ association were taken…More

TOI : Police’s murder plot theory rubbished

PUNE: The family of Kishore Marne have distanced themselves from gangster Ganesh Marne, saying that he happens to hail from their village - Varwade in Mulshi taluka - and that he is not their relative.

Speaking to TOI on Thursday at Daulat lawns on Paud road, where Kishore got married, his brother, Rajesh rubbished the police’s theory that a plot had been hatched to kill the bridegroom.

The crime branch, Pune, had arrested a six-member gang owing allegiance to notorious gangster Baba Bodke on Tuesday. The police had claimed that the suspects had planned to gun down Kishore during his marriage.

Inspector Bhanupratap Barge of the anti-extortion cell, Pune, told TOI on Thursday that the murder bid on Kishore was meant to avenge the killing of NCP leader Sandeep Mohol, who was shot dead in Kothrud on October 4, 2006. Mohol was Bodke’s nephew.

Kishore is the vice-president of the Mulshi unit of the NCP. However, Rajesh Marne denied that there had been any threat to Kishore’s life. “Rival politicians are merely spreading rumours in order to harm Kishore’s political career,” Rajesh claimed.

He said, “Kishore runs a milk business at Varwade village and also owns a farming business.”

He said he and his family had nothing do with Mohol’s muder. “If we were involved, the police would have taken action against us under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act,” he argued.

Kishore also denied that on March 30, gunmen belonging to the Bodke gang tried to open fire on him at Rudra Hotel on Paud road. He is said to have had a miraculous escape then after the bullet got stuck in the assailant’s revolver.

However, inspector Barge said Kishore had confirmed the Rudra Hotel incident in a statement. He said the assailants…More

TOI : PUNE: With the arrest of a dacoity suspect, the Pune crime branch on Thursday claimed to have cracked many robbery cases in the city, including the one at Aundh, where seven women were robbed in a flat on May 3.

Birjusingh Rajputsingh Dudhani (24) of Ramtekdi slums was arrested by a police team led by inspector Ram Pathare near a crematorium at Ramtekdi late on Wednesday night

The police recovered mobile phones and valuables totally worth Rs 4.10 lakh from him.

Dudhani and his accomplices allegedly committed a dacoity at one Sagar Dhotre’s residence early on Sunday
morning and looted cash and ornaments totally Rs 90,000. They had also stolen 80 gm of gold from the residence of Dhotre’s neighbour, Das, a day before the dacoity, the police said.

When Dhotre and others, including a security guard, retaliated, the suspects attacked them.

Investigations have revealed that Dudhani, who was injured in the skirmish, had stolen gold and silver ornaments totally worth Rs 2 lakh from the residence of Colonel (retd) Suhas Jatkar and one Iyer at Magarpatta in Hadapsar.

Investigations have also revealed that Dudhani and his gang had looted ornaments and valuables of seven women sharing a flat at Guru Angat society at Aundh road on May 3.

According to the police, Dudhani’s gang had stolen three cars from various places for committing a series of offences. His accomplices have divided the booty among themselves and are at large. The police have launched a massive manhunt and sent teams to various place.

The police are confident that more cases will be detected when the gang members are arrested.

The team which arrested Dudhani includes inspector Ram Pathare, assistant police inspector Sunil Shinde, sub-inspector Yashwant Nalawade and policemen Gunga Jagtap, Shailesh Jagtap, Shakir Jenadi, Rajendra Sonawane, Dhulaji Kholpe, Anil Kulkarni,…More

TOI : PUNE: The crime branch, Pune, arrested two suspects believed to be involved in several house-breakings in various parts of the city on late Tuesday night and recovered booty valuing Rs 3 lakh from them.

The suspects were identified as Suresh Yelappa Shivpure (28) of Pimple Gurav and Ramesh Krushna Shriram (32) of Pimpri.

A police team led by inspector Vijaysinh Gaikwad nabbed the suspects near the Shaniwarwada following a tip-off. The police recovered valuables worth Rs 3,09,100 from the duo.

The police also arrested a goldsmith, Ashish Shankar Dandpat (25) of Kalewadi, who allegedly purchased stolen ornaments from Shivpure and Shriram. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: The draft comprehensive mobility plan (CMP), presented before the PMC officials last week, suggested that the much-anticipated monorail system should be laid on the outer ring of the central parts of the city, and not criss-crossing the congested peth areas as reported by a section of the media except The Times of India.

Transportation experts and activists were puzzled in the past few days, after the earlier reports, as to how it would be possible to lay monorail tracks in congested peth areas. However, municipal commissioner Pravinsinh Pardeshi told TOI that the presentation by consultants of the CMP has suggested that monorail is feasible on the outer ring of central Pune.

The route goes through Senapati Bapat road, university junction, Khadki, Alandi road, jail road, Nagar road, Solapur road, Kondhwa road, Satara road, Sinhagad road and Karve road, in the outer parts of city.

Pardeshi said the traffic growth and population growth have been simulated by the consultants (Infrastructure Leasing and Finances Services) while suggesting different transport systems for different corridors. “The final report is yet to be prepared, which will be tabled before the party leaders next week. It will be discussed by the PMC general body before finalising.”

Pardeshi pointed out that, while there were discussions about three routes for metro rail earlier, the consultants have suggested just one metro rail route from Swargate to Pimpri.

The other suggestions in the draft CMP are 25 pedestrian sub-ways at critical junctions, pedestrian plaza on Laxmi road from Alka talkies to Nehru road junction, outer ring road and nearly 40 routes for bus rapid transit.

However, speaking to press reporters, Bharatiya Janata Party corporator Ujwal Keskar said the plan was very vague and did not mention how it is going to be implemented.

“They have said in the presentation that CMP does not define…More