News

TOI : PUNE: In a bid to save the Green Development Plan (DP), members of the Green Pune Movement are trying to gather at least 1.5 lakh objections against the 46 modifications made by the state government in the Baner-Balewadi DP.

Following citizens’ outcry, the state Urban Development (UD) department had withdrawn its earlier notifications which stated that 20 modifications had been sanctioned and 26 modifications were proposed in the Baner-Balewadi DP. Last week, a fresh notification stating that all the 46 modifications are proposed along with the modified maps were sent by the state UD. At present, a gazette notification is awaited.

After the initial victory of making the state withdraw its notifications, the citizens have now taken on a bigger battle to ensure that a maximum number of objections are raised against the modifications to prevent its implementation.

A meeting of non-governmental organisations, citizens’ groups, mohalla committees and individuals — who have come together under the banner of ‘Green Pune Movement’ — was held on Monday to decide a further course of action.

Urban planner Aneeta Gokhale Benninger explained that citizens must register their suggestions and objections before the deputy director of town planning within 60 days of the gazette notification.

“People from Pune and outside the city can raise objections, which should be in a stipulated format, and signatures of a maximum number of people will be required,” Benninger said.
“The DP provides space earmarking areas for public amenities. However, more than 90 per cent of reservations for public amenities and facilities have been deleted, which is totally uncalled for, and citizens must raise their voice against this act,” she said.

President of National Society for Clean Cities Satish Khot said volunteers will go around the city and talk to people explaining the issue to gather objections. Citizens who want to support the movement can…More

TOI : PUNE: Rainfall in Maharashtra is likely to continue till first week of October owing to delay in the process of withdrawal of the South-West monsoon. There is no cause for worry though, as India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said here that the intensity of such extended rainfall activity was unlikely to be on the scale that is normally witnessed during peak monsoon periods.

The extended rainfall on account of delayed withdrawal augurs well for the Kharif crop, feels Ramchandra Sable, head (agrimet), college of agriculture, adding that paddy would be a major beneficiary. He pointed out that the second sowing of crop, which was necessitated due to the dry spell in June/July, had been delayed. So the extend rainfall comes at a right time.

Speaking to TOI on Tuesday, IMD deputy director general for weather forecasting A.B. Mujumdar said, “Monsoon currents (which refers to the wind flow pattern) do exist, but are quite weak. This means, a little more rain in the state, but not a heavy spell.”

Post-onset in June when it hits the mainlands of coastal Kerala, the South-West monsoon progresses across the country to cover Rajasthan by mid-July. The withdrawal process usually begins from September 1 from west Rajasthan and leads to diminishing rainfall activity wherever the withdrawal has occurred. By third week of September, the withdrawal is normally complete from the nothern and western regions of India. The process eventually paves the way for the onset of the north-east monsoon that brings rains to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and other areas of the southern Peninsula.

This year though the monsoon withdrawal process has yet to begin. As a result, there has been more than normal rainfall activity in Rajasthan and an extended run of rains along parts of the South-West monsoon belt. This was manifested in the recent rains in Bihar, Orissa and parts of Maharashtra. Particularly,…More

TOI : PUNE: The Pimpri police on Tuesday arrested Deepak Ramesh Kashyap, a resident of Sukhwani Buildings in Pimpri, in connection with the deaths of Vijay Pujari, his wife and children.
Kashyap had allegedly duped Pujari of Rs 23.50 lakh. Pujari is alleged to have killed his wife and two children before committing suicide on Sunday.

A suicide note recovered from Pujari’s flat revealed that he had given Rs 23.50 lakh to Kashyap in February this year. Kashyap had assured that he would return the money within two months, but had failed to do so. Kashyap has been now booked under section 306 of the IPC for abetment of suicide.

Pujari (50) was found dead along with his family in his flat at Victory Apartments in Pimpri Camp. Pujari strangulated to death his wife Sugandha (40), daughter Prerna (18) and son Pratik (10). The suicide note in Marathi said that Kashyap was responsible for the deaths.

According to senior inspector Sharad Surve of Pimpri police station, Pujari and Kashyap knew each other since 1996. They had decided to start a construction business and had bought a piece of land in Rahatni. They were also negotiating with another land owner to buy a plot of 13 gunthas also in Rahatni. B…More

TOI : PUNE: The Swargate police on Tuesday arrested two drug addicts for allegedly robbing and raping a 55-year-old woman near the canal in Sarasbaug area around 9.30 in the morning.
The suspects have been identified as Govind Ankush Sagar (30) and Jeetendra Ramchandra Dhamale (21), both from Swargate.

According to police inspector Rajkumar Gaikwad, the victim works as an aaya with a bureau which supplies helpers to lonely senior citizens. As she was homeless, she used to work in night shifts and stay in temples in the Swargate area during the day time.

Sagar and Dhamale approached the victim when she had gone to the nearby canal to have a bath and wash her clothes. The duo, who were under the influence of drugs, started beating her and snatched her finger ring and chain. They then forcibly took her to a nearby bush and raped her. When the victim raised an alarm, four to five passers-by rushed to the spot and nabbed the duo before handing them over to the police. The victim was later admitted to a hospital.

Investigations revealed that the duo earlier robbed one Sunil Jaiswal (26), who was passing by the canal, of Rs 100. B…More

TOI : PUNE: It’s like a tradition handed down from father to son. Sprinter Abhimanyu Rai of Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV), National Defence Academy (NDA) has made it to the KV National Athletics Championship to be held in Hyderabad next month.

There is much at stake for the 17-year-old. His grandfather, V.K. Rai, won the KV National Championship in 1956, while his father, Wing Commander Amitabh Rai, achieved the same feat in 1984 and 1986. Now, all eyes are on Abhimanyu who says, “I have to live up to their reputation and perform accordingly.”

This promising sprinter displayed an impressive performance at the recently concluded state KV meet where he bagged a gold medal in sprint events including the 100m, 200m, 400m, 4×100 and 4×400m relays. Says Abhimanyu, a Std XII student, “I am confident of clinching the top spot in the 200m and there’s a very good chance I will win the 100m event as well. I won a silver medal in the 400m last year, so if I can better that, I will not be too far off from achieving what my father and grandfather have done.”

A father and son winning the championship is one thing, but three generations of winners is something that is rarely seen. “The biggest strength Abhimanyu possesses is his build, which is perfect for an athlete,” says his father, who is also his coach. “Since he is tall and lanky, his length and stride is pretty good. Besides, sprinting is in his genes!”

Abhimanyu has participated in the Nationals twice before. In 2006, he did not win and in 2007 he won a bronze in the 100m and 200m events. The possibility of carrying the legacy forward is something that Abhimanyu has had to live with all his life, but he’s not complaining.

“A lot of my colleagues on the field as well as…More

TOI : PUNE: In a suspected case of suicide-cum-murder, a labour contractor was found hanging from the ceiling while his wife and two children were also found dead in their flat at Pimpri Camp on Sunday. A note written by the contractor, which was found in the flat, stated that he was taking the extreme step after being duped financially.

The deceased were identified as Vijay Muthayya Pujari (50), his teacher-wife Sugandha (40), daughter Prerna (18) and son Pratik (10). The incident came to light on Sunday afternoon after the Pujaris’ neighbour, Deepak Palande, lodged a complaint with the police.

The note, which the police confirmed bore Pujari’s handwriting, stated that he had been duped by one Deepak Kashyap who had borrowed Rs 23.5 lakh from him in February. Kashyap had promised to return the amount within two months. However, two cheques of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 15 lakh given by Kashyap to Pujari had bounced, the note stated.

Speaking to TOI, Palande said that Pujari’s father contacted him at his office in Kalewadi in the morning and said his son was not opening the door of their flat. The Pujaris lived in Monika building of Victory society.

“I immediately rushed to the building and found Pujari’s mother-in-law, Sushila, who lives in the same building, banging on the door. When there was no response from inside, I took her to the Pimpri police chowky and returned with the police,” he said.

Palande said that when the police broke open the door and entered the flat, they found the bodies of Sugandha and Pratik on the mattress in the living room. Two garlands were found placed on the bodies. While Pujari’s body was found hanging from a hook on the ceiling, Prerna’s body was found on the floor, he added.

B…More

TOI : PUNE: The Sinhgad Technical Education Society’s (STES) Kashibai Navle medical college at Narhe is at the centre of a row after it revised the fee structure and made it twice what it was in 2007 during admissions.

The institute, located off the Katraj-Dehu road bypass, increased the tuition fee by Rs 2.20 lakh for the academic year 2007-08.

The hike came in the form of the final fee for 2007-08 that was approved recently by the state-appointed Shikshan Shulka Samiti (fee fixation panel). As per the Samiti’s order, the college’s fee has been fixed at Rs 4.40 lakh per annum (Rs 3.67 lakh towards tuition and Rs 73,000 towards development components). This is double the interim fee of Rs 2.20 lakh, which was collected from students at the time of admissions in 2007.

The college, which started last year, is now asking its students to pay Rs 2.20 lakh each towards the differential on account of the hike and Rs 4.40 lakh as fees for 2008-09.

On Sunday, the parents of over 60 ‘affected’ students from the college held a meeting at the St. Joseph’s Workers’ Hall near Poolgate and resolved to discuss the issue with STES chief M.N. Navle for reconsideration.

Speaking to TOI, the father of a student, who did not wish to be identified, said, “The 100 per cent hike is beyond our means and is unacceptable.” He said that a joint petition on behalf of the students and their parents was filed before the fee fixation panel on September 15, seeking a second look at the final fee. “We are awaiting the panel’s directive on the hearing schedule for our plea,” he said.

As an interim measure, the parents resolved that they would urge Navle to let the Rs 2.20 lakh interim fee remain in effect. “The college put-up a notice on August…More

TOI : PUNE: In a suspected case of suicide-cum-murder, a labour contractor was found hanging from the ceiling while his wife and two children were also found dead in their flat at Pimpri Camp on Sunday. A note written by the contractor, which was found in the flat, stated that he was taking the extreme step after being duped financially.

The deceased were identified as Vijay Muthayya Pujari (50), his teacher-wife Sugandha (40), daughter Prerna (18) and son Pratik (10). The incident came to light on Sunday afternoon after the Pujaris’ neighbour, Deepak Palande, lodged a complaint with the police.

The note, which the police confirmed bore Pujari’s handwriting, stated that he had been duped by one Deepak Kashyap who had borrowed Rs 23.5 lakh from him in February. Kashyap had promised to return the amount within two months. However, two cheques of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 15 lakh given by Kashyap to Pujari had bounced, the note stated.

Speaking to TOI, Palande said that Pujari’s father contacted him at his office in Kalewadi in the morning and said his son was not opening the door of their flat. The Pujaris lived in Monika building of Victory society.

“I immediately rushed to the building and found Pujari’s mother-in-law, Sushila, who lives in the same building, banging on the door. When there was no response from inside, I took her to the Pimpri police chowky and returned with the police,” he said.

Palande said that when the police broke open the door and entered the flat, they found the bodies of Sugandha and Pratik on the mattress in the living room. Two garlands were found placed on the bodies. While Pujari’s body was found hanging from a hook on the ceiling, Prerna’s body was found on the floor, he added.

B…More

TOI : PUNE: The Sinhgad Technical Education Society’s (STES) Kashibai Navle medical college at Narhe is at the centre of a row after it revised the fee structure and made it twice what it was in 2007 during admissions.

The institute, located off the Katraj-Dehu road bypass, increased the tuition fee by Rs 2.20 lakh for the academic year 2007-08.

The hike came in the form of the final fee for 2007-08 that was approved recently by the state-appointed Shikshan Shulka Samiti (fee fixation panel). As per the Samiti’s order, the college’s fee has been fixed at Rs 4.40 lakh per annum (Rs 3.67 lakh towards tuition and Rs 73,000 towards development components). This is double the interim fee of Rs 2.20 lakh, which was collected from students at the time of admissions in 2007.

The college, which started last year, is now asking its students to pay Rs 2.20 lakh each towards the differential on account of the hike and Rs 4.40 lakh as fees for 2008-09.

On Sunday, the parents of over 60 ‘affected’ students from the college held a meeting at the St. Joseph’s Workers’ Hall near Poolgate and resolved to discuss the issue with STES chief M.N. Navle for reconsideration.

Speaking to TOI, the father of a student, who did not wish to be identified, said, “The 100 per cent hike is beyond our means and is unacceptable.” He said that a joint petition on behalf of the students and their parents was filed before the fee fixation panel on September 15, seeking a second look at the final fee. “We are awaiting the panel’s directive on the hearing schedule for our plea,” he said.

As an interim measure, the parents resolved that they would urge Navle to let the Rs 2.20 lakh interim fee remain in effect. “The college put-up a notice on August…More

TOI : PUNE: In a suspected case of suicide-cum-murder, a labour contractor was found hanging from the ceiling while his wife and two children were also found dead in their flat at Pimpri Camp on Sunday. A note written by the contractor, which was found in the flat, stated that he was taking the extreme step after being duped financially.

The deceased were identified as Vijay Muthayya Pujari (50), his teacher-wife Sugandha (40), daughter Prerna (18) and son Pratik (10). The incident came to light on Sunday afternoon after the Pujaris’ neighbour, Deepak Palande, lodged a complaint with the police.

The note, which the police confirmed bore Pujari’s handwriting, stated that he had been duped by one Deepak Kashyap who had borrowed Rs 23.5 lakh from him in February. Kashyap had promised to return the amount within two months. However, two cheques of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 15 lakh given by Kashyap to Pujari had bounced, the note stated.

Speaking to TOI, Palande said that Pujari’s father contacted him at his office in Kalewadi in the morning and said his son was not opening the door of their flat. The Pujaris lived in Monika building of Victory society.

“I immediately rushed to the building and found Pujari’s mother-in-law, Sushila, who lives in the same building, banging on the door. When there was no response from inside, I took her to the Pimpri police chowky and returned with the police,” he said.

Palande said that when the police broke open the door and entered the flat, they found the bodies of Sugandha and Pratik on the mattress in the living room. Two garlands were found placed on the bodies. While Pujari’s body was found hanging from a hook on the ceiling, Prerna’s body was found on the floor, he added.

B…More