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TOI : PUNE: A 48-km chase for four hours and firing of 10 rounds by the police, breaking of barricades as well as running over police vehicles, and pigs being hurled at the police vehicles preceded the arrest of two suspects who allegedly stole pigs from a piggery at Sutardara.

The police recovered five pigs and seized the tempo used by the robbers. The suspects were identified as Himmatsingh Pradhansingh (31) and Kallusingh Dudhani (29) both from Kapadganj, Gujarat. Their six accomplices, however, escaped.

The suspects have been booked under section 307 (attempt to murder) and 395 (dacoity). A minor boy was also detained in connection with the case.

It all started with the Kothrud police receiving a call about the theft around 2.30 am on Monday, said senior inspector Gautam Deshmutkh. Constables Kishore Patil and Mahesh Bhandwalkar rushed to the spot on a two-wheeler and parked their vehicle in front of the tempo into which pigs were being allegedly loaded.

“When the policemen asked the tempo driver to get down, he tried to run the tempo over them and sped away, injuring Patil. Patil fired three rounds from at them. The constables informed the control room about the incident and gave the licence number of the tempo which was travelling on the highway towards Warje. The police force across the city was put on alert,” Deshmukah said.

Though the Warje police blocked the highway, the tempo entered the city via Karve road. When sub-inspector Satish Shinde tried to stop the thieves by placing his jeep in the middle of the road, the tempo dashed the jeep and sped off. Near Warje octroi post also they ran over a police block and constable Amol Tanpure fired six rounds at the tempo.

“During the chase, the suspects threw stones and the stolen pigs at the police vehicle. Meanwhile, several police…More

TOI : PUNE: Due to a low pressure area near Maharashtra, a very light rainfall is likely in parts of the state, specially western Maharashtra and Marathwada, in the next 48 hours.

In fact, Pune received some light drizzle on Monday evening. The city has been witnessing cloudy conditions for a couple of days. According to weather department sources, this cloudy condition was an outcome of a pro-rainfall system present near Andra Pradesh.

“There was a deep depression near Andhra Pradesh. It had reduced to a low pressure area and has moved towards Maharashtra. This might cause some showers in the state,” deputy director general, meteorology, A.B. Mujumdar told TOI.

Mujumdar, however, said that chances of heavy rains in the city and nearby areas were very less. “Some showers have taken place in parts of Marathwada and western Maharashtra in the last 48 hours. This might continue for the next 48 hours. Apart from Marathwada and western Maharashtra, Vidarbha and Konkan might also receive showers.”

Director, weather forecasting, P.C.S. Rao said the sudden change in weather conditions is not unusual. This kind of cloudy conditions could be witnessed in post-monsoon season, he added.

Till Monday morning some parts of western Maharashtra recorded light rains, while some parts saw good rainfall. According to IMD figures, Solapur recorded 08 mm rainfall while Sangli received 2.0 mm. Usmanabad and Kolhapur had 0.1 mm rainfall till 8.30 am on Monday.

Some parts of southern India, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, also received some rains. B…More

TOI : PUNE: After a rise in the prices of most other vegetables of late, it is now the turn of onions to become dearer, with rates touching the Rs 18 per kg mark in the retail market. The prices normally hover around Rs 8 to Rs 10 per kg.

While retail rates are going up, there have been sharp fluctuations in wholesale onion prices in the last week. Rajendra Korpe, a commission agent from the Gultekdi market in the city, said, “Last week, vendors purchased onions at prices ranging between Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per quintal. As the rates were high, farmers from Sangamner, Kopargaon and Khed talukas released their stock of onions. As a result of the increased supply, wholesale rates of onions came down to Rs 800 to Rs 1,300 per quintal on Monday. Retail rates, however, remained high.”

Citing the reason for the price rise, Korpe said, “The late showers during the monsoon this year damaged the onion crop, reducing the supply from Hubli in Karnataka by 50 per cent. In fact, the onion being sold currently is actually from last season’s crop.”

Korpe said along with Pune’s neighbouring districts, Hubli is the major supplier of onions to the city. He rejected the contention that onion prices have shot up as a major chunk of the supply has been diverted to the north Indian markets.
Pune’s daily onion consumption is 20 truckloads (200 tonnes), while over 150 truckloads of onion arrive every day in the market normally. A truck contains around 10 tonnes of produce. Currently, 100 truckloads of onions are being supplied to the city, of which 70% is supplied to the four southern states, Vilas Bhujbal, former chairman of the Gultekdi market, said.

Kalindi Kulkarni, a housewife, said that onion prices could soar in the next few weeks. “The current price is Rs 18 per…More

TOI : PUNE: After putting in over three decades of fight to protect the interest of consumers, the office-bearers of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayant, one of the largest consumer protection organisations in the country, have now crossed swords over who has the right to use the ABGP brand name.

A group of office-bearers of the ABGP on Monday announced that they will initiate action against Bindumadhav Joshi, founder president of ABGP, charging that he was backing a parallel organisation having the same brand name and was “illegally” using the organisation’s logo.

However, the establishment of the new organisation and serious allegations being made by the office-bearers against each other, is creating confusion in the minds of thousands of consumers, those associated with the organisation for many years and who look at the ABGP with trust and loyalty.

Rajabhau Pofali, national president of the ABGP, on Monday, said, “The ABGP strongly condemns such acts. The establishment of a parallel and fake organisation with the similar name will lead to confusion among the people. Also, it was learnt that Joshi is backing the organisation which has been established recently. The ABGP will not support such initiatives. The issue, now, will be taken up to ABGP’s national working committee, which will take a decision.”

He also added that the committee will also take the decision about taking up action against Joshi. “The committee has received complaints against him and action will be initiated after considering the complaints,” Pofali said.

He added, “The new organisation, established at Osmanabad bearing a similar name and logo like the ABGP, is a fake organisation. This organisation has included the names of ABGP workers without their consent. This organisation does not have any connection with the ABGP.”

When contacted, Joshi said, “The organisation, established a month ago in Osmanabad, has been registered under the name All…More

TOI : PUNE: In consonance with the allegations made by former Union minister Mohan Dharia of large-scale irregularities behind ‘alteration’ of the Baner-Balewadi Development Plan (DP), Pune guardian minister Ajit Pawar on Monday accepted the possibility of changes in the DP in view of the soaring land prices in Pune.

“Considering the soaring prices of land in Pune one cannot deny the possibility of changes in the DP Baner-Balewadi at some levels. It is quite possible that someone might have made changes in the DP. Soon we will organise a chief minister’s meeting with environmental organisations fighting against the changes,” Pawar said at a meeting of NCP workers at Market Yard.

Recently, Dharia had alleged that there has been large-scale irregularities and crores of rupees have changed hands in order to alter the DP.

Civic activists, NGOs and environmentalists in the city have joined hands under the banner ‘Green Pune Movement’ to safeguard the DP of the merged villages by fighting against the state government for cancelling the major modifications in the DP of planning unit number 1 (Baner and Balewadi).

In the Baner-Balewadi DP, reservations for almost all public amenities — gardens, playgrounds, schools, exhibition grounds, ‘otta’ markets, fire brigade and important roads — have either been removed or are being proposed to be removed and replaced with ‘residential’ status. The bio-diversity parks reservation is held in abeyance.

“Changes in reservations of playgrounds, garden, bio-diversity parks and crematorium would be brought to the notice of the chief minister. As a political party, the NCP will present its side before the chief minister,” said Pawar.

“The DP of 23 merged villages is pending with the government. We will put in all efforts so that the government approved the plan and paves the way for planned development of villages merged into city limits,” the minister added.

Former mayor…More