News Reporter

Vidarbha Cricket Association's (VCA) Jamtha stadium  By Dheeraj Fartode A multi-tier security system and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras will function to ensure foolproof safety during the sixth One-Day International match between India and Australia at Vidarbha Cricket Association’s (VCA) Jamtha Stadium on October 30. Addressing a press conference on Superintendent of Police (Rural), Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma said that whole premises of the stadium will be covered under CCTV cameras to monitor the movement of the general public in and outside the stadium, entry to dressing rooms and all parking stands. Five SP rank officers, 11 DySPs, 40 Inspectors, 70 sub-inspectors, and more than 2,000 constabulary force would be deployed for the match, he added. 11 dog squads and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squads (BDDS) would be engaged at all entry points, the SP said. Apart from the city police, State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) personnel and Quick Response Teams (QR...

Injured passenger of Rajdhani express  By Dheeraj Fartode A group of miscreants on Saturday pelted stones on 12437 Secunderabad-H Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express when it was near Ballarshaha station (about 210 km from Nagpur) on Saturday afternoon, smashing window panes and injuring a passenger travelling in an AC-II tier coach. The injured passenger,  Akshay Acharya, a resident of New Delhi, groaned in pain but there were no painkillers in the medical kit on board. There were no doctors among the passengers either, said a railway official. According to the railway officials, stone-pelting on important trains like the Rajdhani has turned railway administration on toes. The train do not have escorts between Ballarshaha and Nagpur, the official informed. The railway official added that the incident occurred around 2.30 pm. Several coaches including B-7, B-5 and B-4 were hit by the stones. The injured passenger was occupying berth no 59 in the B-5 coach when a st...

Sameer Joshi and Pallavi Joshi  Crime branch sleuth still clueless about money gulped by fraudster director of Shree Surya Company  Last minutes property deals under scanner   By Dheeraj Fartode Sameer Joshi, who had collected vast sums by promising high returns to investors, has adopted a new strategy of delaying investigations and frustrate any attempt to dig out any information, by staging drama of repentance and grief before crime branch sleuths. According to sources, from Thursday afternoon, when his wife Pallavi also surrendered before the court, Sameer is in tears and has refused to take food. Infact he had requested for home cooked food and an application was also filed in the court on Monday, but before it could be decided his better-half and director of Shree Surya Pallavi Joshi also surrendered and was sent to central prison for 15 days. Police Inspector and Investigation Officer of the case Vishnu Bhoye told ‘The Hitavada’ that cops will...

Integrated security system at Gondia railway station First off block in Vidarbha to get Integrated Security System, ahead of Nagpur railway station which is not only biggest but also most busiest in the region By Dheeraj Fartode Gondia station of South East Central Railway (SECR) Zone will be the first one in Vidarbha to get the Integrated Security System (ISS), a highly sophisticated technology enabled security measure. While Nagpur station which is the highest revenue earner in region is still awaiting ISS though the same was sanctioned years back. Meanwhile, the ISS project at Gondia, the main station of Nagpur Division of SECR hopes to activate new set of security feature in first quarter of 2014, said Divisional Security Commandant (DSC) of SECR, Nagpur Division, D B Gaur. Talking to ‘The Hitavada’, Gaur informed that SECR will be spending around Rs 2.5 crore for security of passengers at the railway station premises. The project feature includes new high quality close...

Vinod Tawde By Dheeraj Fartode Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Vinod Tawde on Thursday opposed Union Government move to reduce film actor Sanjay Dutt’s prison sentence. “War against terrorism would loose its sting if sentence of Dutt in Mumbai blasts case is reduced,” Tawde opined and said a delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders will meet Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Home Minister R R Patil and warn them of the implication of such move. In fact, if State Government sails along with Union Government view on Dutt’s letter it could have serious ramification and in future may become a precedent, Tawde told reporters while addressing a press conference at BJP office here on Thursday. DF Govt. mocking farmers: Tawde slammed Democratic Front Government for giving meager compensation to flood-hit regions of Vidarbha. “Farmers of Vidarbha, whose crops worth more than Rs 5,000 got lost in rain fury are receiving cheques worth Rs 50 to Rs...

Tussle between Congress and Nationalist Congress Party over postings  By Dheeraj Fartode DGP Sanjeev Dayal IN a rude shock to top IPS officers of Maharashtra cadre, the State Government has delayed clearance to present Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Dayal to join as head of prestigious Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). The inaction proved costly for Dayal and Union Home Ministry has appointed Subhash Goswami (1977 batch IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre) as Chief of ITBP.  Dayal was keen to take up this prestigious posting and his new posting was publicly announced by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde. Sources in Home ministry informed ‘The Hitavada’ that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has cleared appointment of Subhash Goswami, a 1977 batch IPS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre. Goswami is presently Director of National Police Academy (NPA) of Hyderabad.  Dayal’s shifting from State’s top cop to ITBP would have hastened postings a...

Harshavardhan Patil Investigation into sale and purchase of two sugar factories under way, says Co-operation Minister Harshvardhan Patil  By Dheeraj Fartode Maharashtra Government is thinking seriously over revival and strengthening of co-operative sector in Vidarbha region. Co-operation Minister Harshvardhan Patil told reporters on Thursday that a separate plan for boosting co-operative sector in the region was being prepared. “Within a fortnight, the plan will be ready. After scrutiny, it will be placed before the State Cabinet for consideration,” Patil said. Following due procedure, policy decision would be taken regarding future of sugar factories, ginning and pressing mills, and dairies in Vidarbha, he added. Replying to a question, he said that investigation into sale and purchase of two sugar factories in Vidarbha was under way. Reiterating the commitment of Democratic Front (DF) Government towards strengthening of co-operative sector in Vidarbha, P...

Madhav Bhandari By Dheeraj Fartode Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state spokesperson Madhav Bhandari, on Thursday, slammed Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) for allowing power tariff hike and ignoring consumer-related issues. “State Government should intervene and roll back the tariff hike,” he said.  Addressing a press conference at BJP’s Vidarbha office here, Bhandari said that Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) was issuing inflated bills to consumers to compensate for losses. “As MSEDCL officers are involved in corruption, they are issuing inflated bills to consumers to compensate for losses inflicted by their corruption. The Government should book MSEDCL officers in this regard,” he said.  Already, BJP has announced support to power consumers’ agitation, Bhandari said. BJP workers will launch agitation against proposed tariff hike across the State. “Party workers will torch power bills during the...

Shirke was brutally murdered in broad day-light on sixth floor of Nyay Mandir premises 11 years ago and it was fall-out of a bitter property dispute  By Dheeraj Fartode Accused in Pintu Shirke murder case Eight dreaded criminals including gangster Raju Bhadre  were sentenced to life imprisonment in the sensational murder of Swapnil alias Pintu Shirke who was stabbed to death on six floor of District court premises in 2002. The verdict in this case was keenly awaited as names of notorious criminals, land mafia and doyens of organised crime were involved in commission of offence. Amidst tight security, Sessions Judge S D Jugmalani on Friday awarded lifer to eight dreaded goons of city. However, the court acquitted six persons for lack of evidence. One accused Sachin Gawande was murdered this year and another accused Raju Gaikwad still at large. Accused Vijay Kisan Mate; Umesh Sampat Dahake; Ritesh Hiraman Gawande, Kiran Umrao Kaithe; Kamlesh Sitar...

State police have gain good success in Andhra Pradesh against Naxals and we are trying to deploy force in Chhattisgarh on the same lines of Andhra Pradesh By Dheeraj Fartode Absence of co-ordination between the States is the main impediment in cornering the Naxals. And since policing is the State subject, Union Government has its hands tied, stated Union Minister of State for Home RPN Singh here on Sunday. A fine strategy is needed to be evolved to pin down the red brigade, who, the Minister claimed, is biggest challenge to country’s internal security. Naxal violence is not a mere law and order problem as their presence in nine States of country calls for united action in the affected regions. Directors General of Police (DGPs) Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh needs to hold regular co-ordination meetings and field officers should ensure Naxals do not have the advantage in border areas where they  hide after striking at will in any region, he further said...