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TOI : PUNE: The police will launch a drive to enforce traffic discipline among motorists and increase patrolling to prevent chain-snatching and thefts on roads in Pimpri-Chinchwad township, said joint commissioner of police Rajendra Sonavane. Sonavane gave the assurance at the ‘janata durbar’ at the Pimpri police station on Wednesday.

A large number of people, including women and senior citizens, participated in the maiden janata darbar in Pimpri-Chinchwad. During the two-hour programme, citizens complained about poor traffic discipline, rash driving, increasing number of road mishaps and the inadequate measures of the police to curb them.

Replying to the complaints, Sonavane said “a large police team will be sent soon to maintain traffic indiscipline. Strict measures will be taken during the drive and no one should complain about it later.” He added that the police would take action against vehicles that are parked wrongly.

Uma Khapre, general secretary, Pimpri-Chinchwad unit of Bharatiya Janata Party, expressed concern over the growing incidents of indecent behaviour of college students. Sonavane said that the police have very little power to act in cases of indecent behaviour by boys and girls. “It is a social problem, but still the police will try their best to control such incidents.”

Khapre also complained that very few women get back their chains (mangalsutras) that they lose in chain-snatching incidents.

Prakash Deshmukh of Sambhajinagar said, “Many people in our area give houses on rent. The police have directed the people to inform the nearest police station about the people to whom the houses are rented out. However, when we send the prospective lessees to the police station, they do not come back.” Sonavane replied, “The directive is for controlling the activities of terrorists and anti-social elements. The houseowners should help the police in maintaining peace.”

When Suresh Beri of Jagruk Nagrik Manch complained about the distrurbances created by some…More

TOI : PUNE: District and sessions judge Shalini Phansalkar-Joshi on Wednesday sentenced chartered accountant Sunil Shah (42) of Fatimanagar to seven years rigorous imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 for raping a 29-year-old employee of a leading call centre in 2006. Additional public prosecutor Chandrakiran Salvi said that the victim, married woman, had approached Shah for obtaining a new pan card in October, 2005.

Salvi said that on pretext of providing her with a pan card, Shah called the woman at his office on various occasions, but he did not give her the pan card.

On January 9, 2006, Shah took the victim in a Maruti car to his office at Shastri apartments in Pune Cantonment and raped her.

Salvi who examined four witnesses for proving the guilt of the accused said that the medical evidence of the victim did not reveal anything and the clothes of the accused which was seized after a month’s delay did not have any stains of semen and blood.

The case took a new twist after the accused examined four defence witnesses including himself, his mother, wife and his employee. The defence witness who was cross examined by Salvi gave certain admissions before the court that the victim was seen in the office of the accused on several occasions for obtaining a pan card.
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TOI : PUNE: The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) has decided to shift the traffic signal at the Ambedkar statue chowk in Camp in order to reduce the traffic congestion and chaos witnessed regularly. The Mahatma Gandhi road starting from the ABC farm junction will now be a one-way up to the Ambedkar chowk, on an experimental basis. Vehicles coming in from the MG road will now be able to go in both directions (left and right) after reaching the Ambedkar chowk.

The controversial one-way traffic arrangement from Golibar maidan to Khanya Maruti chowk will also continue for the time being.

These decisions were taken during the traffic mobility committee meeting of the PCB on Tuesday. PCB president Brig R.J. Shamra, deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Manoj Patil, elected members and PCB officers were present at the meeting.

“The move will reduce to the chaos at Ambedkar chowk. It will be on an experimental basis and will be implemented in the next eight days. Signboards will be placed to make people aware of these changes. People can come forward with their suggestions,” DCP Patil said.

Patil told reporters after the meeting that all by-lanes connecting East Street with MG road will be made two-ways for smoother traffic flow. The traffic signal at Ambedkar chowk will be shifted to the next chowk (near Millennium Motors).

MG road will become a totally one-way road once the arrangement comes into place. One will not be able to drive on to the MG road directly from the Ambedkar chowk.

Difficulties faced by the student community because of the one-way arrangement implemented between Golibar maidan and Khanya Maruti chowk was discussed at the meeting, but no decisions taken.

“The one-way arrangement from Golibar Maidan to Khanya Maruti chowk has reduced traffic congestion at Golibar maidan chowk. The problems faced by pedestrians and students…More

TOI : PUNE: An auto-rickshaw driver who was reprimanded for driving without valid documents, tried to immolate himself at Hadapsar traffic division on Tuesday evening.

The traffic policemen, who were in the vicinity, stopped him before he could light a match stick.

Suresh Kale, a police constable attached to the Hadapsar traffic division, has filed a complaint against auto-rickshaw driver Santosh Patil (23) from Kalepadal in Hadapsar. Kale said he had asked Patil to show his driving licence and related papers.

“After Patil said he does not have any documents, he was presented before the traffic division in-charge, sub-inspector Ramchandra Salunke. However, Patil managed to slip out and went to his rickshaw. He then took out a bottle of petrol kept in the vehicle and doused himself,’’ states the complaint lodged by Kale.

Kale and other policemen standing nearby grabbed Patil before he could light a match stick.

The Hadapsar police is further investigating the case.
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TOI : PUNE: Kirana gharana maestro and Pune’s icon Pandit Bhimsen Joshi on Wednesday expressed happiness at being honoured with Bharat Ratna and said that he remembered his late wife Vatsala when he got the news.

It was Diwali once again at Joshi’s Navi peth residence with ‘rangolis’ and floral decorations adorning the road leading to his house ‘Kalashree’. The rangolis were drawn around 5.30 am by non-governmental organisation Vidhayak and activists of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and had inscriptions like ‘We are proud of you’, ‘Today is a golden letter day’, ‘Mile sur hamara tumhara…’ and ‘Congratulations’.

Fans, disciples and artistes thronged his residence since early morning to wish the maestro. A special bouquet was sent by master blaster Sachin Tendulkar through his friend Sunandan Lele.

“I am very happy that I’ve been chosen for the Bharat Ratna and feel that it has come to me because of my gharana. It is for the first time that a vocalist from kirana gharana is getting this honour,” Joshi he said. The joy was evident as he kept humming a ‘sargam’ throughout the intraction with media representatives.

When asked what was the one moment or a stage in his career that he remembers today, Joshi said: “I cannot say, because, all the moments in life are a gift from God.”

He, however, said that the one person he remembered when he received the news of Bharat Ratna was his wife Vatsala. “She played an important role in all my activities, including the Sawai Gandharva music festival. She loved music and took a lot of efforts to ensure that the festival reached the stature that it enjoys today.”

Joshi added that he also remembered many of his associates like harmonium player Thakurdas. “However, I cannot tell the names of all. There are so many music lovers in Pune and how can I…More