Sitting amid the blackened remains of his home, 32-year-old Nikesh Gawali carefully broke open a half-melted plastic box with a screwdriver. His hands shook slightly, not out of fear, but out of hope. “I’m trying to find my daughter Aarti’s gold earrings,” he said quietly, still focused on the box. “She’s just five. I got them made recently after months of labour work.” The plastic box, warped and blackened by heat, was one of the few things left from his two-room house on the outskirts of Dhamangaon village . All around him lay ash, broken tin sheets and charred wooden beams. The walls had cracked under the heat and the front room’s tin roof had caved in completely. What remained was a blackened debris all around - almost nothing to suggest a home once stood there. Nikesh earns his living as an agricultural labourer, like many in the village. Work is uncertain and depends on the season. Those earrings weren’t just jewellery - they were a small dream, a reward for his hard work,...
In a move aimed at improving the quality of investigation in ‘sessions triable cases’ and boost conviction rate in the State, Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjeev Dayal has issued order to form separate ‘Investigation Wing’ at all police stations from July 1. Dayal confirmed the development and told ‘The Hitavada’ that the move would definitely make an impact. As per the order issued on May 24, each police station shall have a separate Investigation Wing that will be entrusted with the ‘exclusive dedicated responsibility’ of investigation in all sessions cases registered at such police stations. ‘The Hitavada’ has in possession a copy of DGP’s standing order no. 24 of 2015. Through the order, the DGP has given time till July 1 to all the units to take ‘necessary action’ to disseminate instructions and prepare police stations. He has sought compliance of the order by August 1. DGP Sanjeev Dayal In effect, the order separates Investigation Wing from Law and Orde...