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TOI : PUNE: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has filed a criminal case against the municipal councils of Mahabaleshwar and Panchagani for flouting rules pertaining to the environment.

The MPCB filed the case in the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) of Satara on August 11, after the Bombay high court pulled it up.

The officials of the civic councils of the hill stations now face charges for gross violation of the norms of Municipal Solid Waste Management and Handling Rule, 2000; Water (Prevention and Control) Act, 1974; and Environment Protection Act, 1986.

“Despite being warned several times since 2004, both the councils failed to provide necessary sewage treatment plant (STP) and disposal arrangements for the effluent generated within their jurisdictions. Similarly, our frequent suggestions to set up a municipal solid waste processing facility (MSWPF) were also ignored,” said MPCB regional officer P.K. Mirashe.

Considering the natural resources at both the places, the pollution control board has been constantly asking them to provide necessary facilities for collection, storage, segregation, transportation, treatment of the solid waste generated in their areas, but the council never paid any heed to that, he said. This utter negligence has been posing danger to human health and environment, he added.

Mahabaleshwar is the source of the Krishna river, which flows across Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Print EMail DiscussNew B…More

TOI : PUNE: The Dehu road police on Thursday arrested three people in connection with the murder of cable operator and property dealer Kumar Dangat. Dangat (29) was killed at Kiwale village on Wednesday morning.

Inspector Mahesh Sawant said they received a tip-off that three of the four suspects were at Pirangut ghat section near Mhosoba temple. “We arrested Rahim Shaikh (26), Babu Surai (24) and Yellapa Ahiwale (25).” The suspects have been remanded to police custody till September 2.

Dangat’s younger brother had eloped with Rahim’s sister in 2002. They got married. Rahim believed that Dangat was the master-mind behind the marriage, the police said. Print EMail DiscussNew B…More

TOI : PUNE: Robbers struck at a bungalow at Karegaon village in Shirur taluka in the wee hours of Thursday, assaulting a man to death and seriously injuring his wife, son and nephew. They fled with gold ornaments worth Rs 59,000.

Shantaram Nawle (65), a farmer and trader, was asleep when two identified youths entered the bungalow by breaking open the bathroom grill. They attacked Nawle and his family with iron rods due to which Shataram died on the spot. Later, they broke open two cupboards and fled with gold ornaments worth Rs 59,000.

Shantaram’s wife Draupda (55), son Satish (25) and nephew Kishore Dange (22) were injured and admitted to a private hospital in Pune.

The incident came to the light when Shantaram’s daughter-in-law, Minakshi, contacted the police in the early morning. The police rushed the four to the hospital, where Shantaram was declared dead on arrival.
The Shirur police have dispatched two teams to Shrigonda and Parner taluka in Ahmednagar district. Print EMail DiscussNew B…More

TOI : PUNE: Four small-time businessmen were arrested in Yerawada on Wednesday for allegedly using children as labourers. Among the arrested, two are garage owners and two restaurateurs.

The raids were carried out by the labour commissionerate, Shivajinagar with police assistance.

According to police, Moharam Ali Sikandar Khan, Abu Supiyan Munsot Alikhan, both from Laxminagar, Darbar Bakery, Yerawada, Gurupratap Singh Indersingh Khanduja of Nana Peth and Taransingh Harbhajansingh of Jay Jawannagar, Yerawada, have been arrested.

The accused had employed six children, of which four are below 14 year of age and remaining in the age group of 14 to 16 years.

“These children hail from very poor families and are deprived of education. Cases have been registered under sections 370 and 374 of the IPC,” said M.G. Dangade, assistant police inspector.

Ravindra Pardeshi, assistant labour commissioner said, “Along with the police department, the labour commissionerate has visited 106 places in the city, where we found six children, employed at hotels and garages. Pratham, a non governmental had given information about these child labours. Members of the NGO were also present during the raids.”

He said action under section 3 of the child labour Act would be initiated on the arrested persons. “The children would be sent to remand home,” he added. Print EMail DiscussNew B…More

TOI : PUNE: The crime branch sleuths on Wednesday, arrested a person from Pimpri who was allegedly involved in betting for the ongoing India-Sri Lanka cricket series.

The suspect has been identified as Sham Kukreja (32), a resident of Pimpri. The police recovered Rs 6,300 in cash, four mobile phones, a television set, all totalling to Rs 16,905, from him. Investigations revealed that around 50 persons have put their money in bets for the series.

A note book, which has the records of all the bets made till now has also been recovered.

Acting on a tip-off, inspectors Rajendra Bhamre and Rajendra Joshi raided Kukreja’s house. “We received information that the suspect was involved in betting money on the fourth one-day cricket match between India and Sri Lanka. When our team raided his house, Kukreja was found taking bets on his mobile phones. We also recovered a note book, which has records of bets by 25 people totalling almost to Rs five lakh,” said Bhamre.

He added that during interrogation Kukreja admitted that as many as 50 people are involved. Kukreja was produced in the Pimpri court on Thursday, where he was released on bail. Print EMail DiscussNew B…More

TOI : PUNE: The owner of Sai Chemicals, Amarnath Ramni, after the chemical unit caught fire. The area falls under Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).

The industrial belt of Pimpri-Bhosari near here was shocked by news of the devastating fire at a chemicals factory in which 10 women workers died and eight others were injured.

Fifteen fire engines battled the blaze till late on Wednesday night to bring it under control.

The factory was engaged in supplying cover material for bombs made at military ammunition manufacturing units and had a storage of highly inflammable chemicals that had been kept in 20 big containers.

An explosion preceded the fire that engulfed the premises of the factory which employed around 35 workers, majority of them being women. While rest of the employees on the shift yesterday managed to flee to safety, four women were charred to death on the spot.

Later, fire brigade personnel discovered the bodies of six others who suffocated to death as the bathroom in which they sought shelter was filled with thick smoke.

Three women jumped off the first floor of the two-storey unit and suffered fractures, police said.

Fire brigade and police officials said the exact cause of the fire was under investigation. Print EMail DiscussNew B…More

TOI : NASHIK: Maharashtra Nav Nirman Sena (MNS) activists on Thursday damaged seven vehicles, including three of state road transport, protesting against the alleged damage of party hoarding by unknown persons at Satpur.

Police said that MNS opened up its branch office at Satpur at Prabhu Nagar and had put up its hoarding posing its chief Raj Thackeray.

The hoarding, however, was found torn the next morning leading MNS activists to protest, they added.

Women activists of MNS also staged agitation on the road at Satpur demanding arrest of the accused.

Police said the situation in the area was well under control.
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