News Reporter

Demand for corruption it seems is increasingly getting linked to inflation. Higher the cost of living more the ‘demand’. Gone are the days of asking for gratification in loose money. A look at statistics of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) one tends to get a feeling that corrupt babudom seemed to have honed skills in reading market better as their greed only shows increasing graph over the years. The ACB Nagpur registered 135 cases against corrupt government officials in year 2016 and amount of whopping 33.87 lakh was seized during the traps.  In year 2015, ACB had booked 173 corrupt Government officials and total demand of trap amount was only Rs 17.73 lakh. It means though ACB cases registered a drop of 21.96 per cent in year 2016, however the ‘trap money’ increased by 91.03 per cent during the same year.  This increase of 91.03 per cent in ‘trap money’ has raised eyebrows of senior officials of ACB. While talking to The Hitavada, Deputy Commissioner of Police (D...

Anti-Corruption Wing of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) trapped a Inspector of Railway Protection Force (RPF) and his writer for demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 8,000 from a man who is accused in a Railway Act case. The trap was conducted at 4 pm when Inspector Unmeshkumar Charote and his writer constable Sunil Malkhede were at Nagbhid RPF station of South East Central Railway (SECR).  According to information, Arif Khan, a scrap dealer of Chandrapur is accused under Railway Act case for stealing railway property. “RPF seized an Over Head Wire (OHE) from house of Khan in November and offence was registered under Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966,” said Divisional Security Commandant (SECR) Ramkumar Dubey.  Khan was frequently called to RPF station during course of investigation. Inspector Charote and his writer asked Khan to pay Rs 5,000 to manage the case and avoid frequent trips to RPF post. Khan complained to CBI about the demand. T...

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), on Saturday, unearthed major power theft by a contractor of Nagpur Metro Railway Corporation Limited (NMRCL) during execution of the work to demolish Chhatrapati Square flyover.  “The contractor had installed 19 floodlights and the lights were connected directly to feeder pillar of MSEDCL,” said K P Bhise, Executive Engineer of MSEDCL’s Congress Nagar Zone. Another MSEDCL official said that prima facie Nagarjuna Construction was found to be involved in the matter and Section 135 of Electricity Act would be invoked against it for power theft. Other players including officials of NMRCL or sub-contractors may be booked if their role in power theft comes to fore during investigation, the official said.  Acting on a tip-off, a team of MSEDCL inspected the site and found illegal power supply to broad-beamed, high-intensity floodlights used during execution of work to demolish Chhatrapati Square flyover. MSE...

Non filling-up of 50 per cent vacancies in the ranks of officers of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in Maharashtra is taking its toll on policing. The post of ACP is crucial in the hierarchy of the police department and is the first step at supervisory level of ground force. The vacancies figure has bloated due to delay in finalising promotions in State Police Service (SPS) ranks. At Nagpur Police Commissionerate alone eight post of ACP from the sanctioned strength of 23 are lying vacant. In Maharashtra, about 359 ACP posts are of the sanctioned 800 are lying vacant since last one year. The administrative delays and lack of political will in sticking to schedule of career progress in SPS cadre has created this situation. The absence of ACP directly affects vigilance and maintenance of law and order problem. Sources informed that along with Nagpur, 43 posts in Mumbai Commissionerate, eight in Thane, six in Nasik, three in Aurangabad have not been filled so far.  A...

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officers on Friday caught Adv Harshal Diwakar Rathod and attorney Ganesh Amrutlal Jaiswal red-handed while accepting bribe of Rs 15 lakh cash on behalf of Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) Umakant Rathod from a Yavatmal-based man for not initiating action against him in a theft case registered at Lakadganj Police Station.  After the lawyer and attorney were trapped with the cash at Tekdi Ganesh Mandir near Railway Station, PSI Umakant Rathod, attached to Lakadganj Police Station, managed to give a slip to the bureau officers. A resident of Yavatmal, Sunil Bhaisare was booked in a theft case. An offence under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against Bhaisare at Lakadganj Police Station for allegedly stealing Rs five lakh cash from a dal mill owner Dilip Bhujade. PSI Rathod, who was investigating the case, contacted Bhaisare and informed him that a theft case was registered against him. PSI Rathod told him that either he shou...

Sales Tax Department has issued notices to 11 betelnut traders to ensure entry of purchase of betelnut in the purchase register. “After ensuring the entry of purchase, the trader would have to pay 5.5% Value Added Tax (VAT) after sell,” confirmed Gajendra Raut, Deputy Commissioner, Sales Tax (Investigation Wing).  The betelnut traders have imported 345 tonnes of betelnut from Dimapur, Assam. A goods train of 25 wagons arrived at Itwari railway station on Wednesday with betelnuts worth Rs 8.75 crores.  After receiving information of smuggling and sub-standard betelnuts, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) had called Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to check the quality and Sales Tax department to inspect purchase papers of the goods.  A RPF officer informed that FDA did not find anything wrong in the consignment and booking manager cleared the betelnuts. However, the sales tax department is ensuring the entry in the purchase register. It may be mentioned...

KALAMNA Police on Tuesday booked Ranjit Halke Safelkar, BJP leader and Vice-President of Kamptee Municipal Council, and one of his accomplices Vijay Keshavrao Bhujade in a land grabbing case. Cops registered an offence of cheating and forgery for grabbing a dead person’s huge land (Survey No. 85-old, No. 103 new) situated at Mauza Dhargaon (Patwari halka No 20) in Kamptee Tehsil. Accused Safelkar, who considered as a close aide of a senior BJP leader, is a resident of Old Kamptee. Accused Bhujade is a resident of Pardi, Bhandara Road.  According to Police, the farm land belonged to Sayyed Ahmed Papamiya who died in 1964. As there was no claimant, Safelkar in connivance with Bhujade and some others, hatched a conspiracy to grab the land. They allegedly prepared a fake agreement of sale of the land on a Rs 500 stamp paper to show that the property belonged to them. The accused duo then put up a board on the said land claiming that the property belonged to them. Kalamna Police...

SENSATION prevailed in Sakkardara area after a history-sheeter was brutally done death by his victims at Budhwar Bazar near Kamla Nehru College in full public view on Friday afternoon.  After stabbing Ashish Sanjay Raut (26) with sharp-edged weapons, the assailants smashed his face with stones. His body was lying in the middle of the road when cops arrived at the spot.  A resident of Juni Somwaripeth, Ashish Raut allegedly used to take ‘hafta’ from vegetable vendors and petty traders in the area. Two days ago, he had thrashed some persons in the market. Fed-up of constant torture by Raut, they decided to eliminate him.  In the afternoon, Raut consumed liquor and forcibly took Avenger motorcycle (MH-49/AC 1369) of a tea stall owner. He then came to Budhwar Bazar. His victims, who were waiting for an opportunity, suddenly attacked him. After Raut fell down, they stabbed him with sharp-edged weapons. Before fleeing, they smashed his face with stones killing hi...

NAGPUR City Police secured first-ever conviction under Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 with Additional Sessions Judge sentencing Ajay Shalikram Gajbhiye (40) to nine years rigorous imprisonment (RI) for uploading obscene video clippings of a young college girl by preparing her fake ID on a social networking site. A resident of Vaishnav Devi Nagar, Kamptee Road, Gajbhiye was also sentenced to five years rigorous imprisonment for the offence under Section 328 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), six months imprisonment for the offence under Section 354 of IPC, one year each for Section 66(c), 66(d), 66(e) and 67(a) of the IT Act. The total fine imposed on Gajbhiye was of Rs 17000/-. If he failed to pay the fine, he will have to under go additional imprisonment. According to prosecution, the 26-year-old girl was studying in a college in MIDC area. Between January 2010 and January 26, 2012, Gajbhiye befriended. After developing intimacy with the girl, Gajbhiye took her to a hot...

A SPEEDING Mahindra Bolero pick-up van mowed down two persons, including a woman, and injured three others seriously on Kanholibara-Takalghat Road in Hingna area on Thursday evening. The driver of the’killer,’ who ran away after the incident, was later arrested by Hingna Police. Identified as Pratibha Khandeshwar Gawhade (30) and Laxman Ramesh Kukde (37), the deceased were the residents of Kanholibara. Injured Chhaya Prakash Kukde, Shobha Bhandekar (50) and Nilofer Pathan (25) were rushed to the hospital. According to Police, a Mahindra Bolero pick-up van (MH-40/DM-4418) first hit Laxman Prakash Kukde, who was coming from opposite direction on a Hero Honda (MH-31/BE-5317), killing him on the spot. The van driver lost control of his vehicle. He hit Pratibha Gawhade and killed her. The rashly-driven vehicle then hit Chhaya Kukde, Shobha Bhandekar and Nilofer Pathan, who were going with Pratibha, injuring them seriously. The driver fled the spot fearing public violence.  ...

Dug... Dug... Dug... Phat, Phat, Phat... Nagpurians are weary of these sounds emanating from Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycles. Now, loud roaring sound of the Bullet could land riders in trouble as Traffic Control Branch of Nagpur Police has launched a special drive against such noise caused by alteration of original silencer of the popular brand of motorcycles.  Royal Enfield Classic  with Wild Boar Silencer The cops are not only issuing challan of Rs 3,000/- but also forcing the motorcycle-owners to change the altered or modified silencer immediately on the spot. The cops do not allow riders to ride away motorcycle from Traffic Police Stations, if modified silencer is not changed then and there.  The Bullet riders often modify silencers of their motorcycles so that it produces ‘blast’ sound that has become a ‘style statement’ among riders, especially the youth. However, this high-decibel ‘blast’ sound has become a nuisance across the city. For, it not only ...

IN A significant breakthrough, Ganeshpeth Police arrested three members of an inter-state gang of vehicle lifters and recovered two stolen Tavera cars, two Indigo cars and and four mopeds from their possession. The accused have been identified as Mohammad Asadulla Khan alias Nadeem Abdul Najib Khan (42), a resident of Om Nagar; Mohd Salman Qureshi alias Jakki Usman Qureshi (22), a resident of Sadar, behind Jama Masjid and Shyam Jaimangal Chauhan (43), a resident of Trimurti Nagar. Cops have launched a massive search for Mumbai-based kingpin Uday Maroti Patil and his accomplices. About the modus operandi of the gang, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone III) M Rajkumar told mediapersons that the accused used to refurbish stolen vehicles using parts of old vehicles of the same models and sell them as genuine second-hand vehicles to gullible customers. Sometimes, the gang used to replace the chassis and engine numbers with old vehicles using grinding machine and other tools....

Crime Branch of City Police have arrested six armed hardcore criminals for threatening to kill a property dealer two days before his marriage over financial transactions and looting cash and gold ornaments collectively from his family members in his house in Hudkeshwar area. The accused have been identified as Hemant Panjabrao Gawande (40)), a resident of Ganeshpeth, Yuwraj Thunia Mathankar (35), a resident of Shiv Heights, Row House No 7, Beltarodi, Shakti Sanju Manpiya (33), a resident of Pandhrabodi, Ram Nagar, Ashish Ashok Kantode (26), Shivaji Nagar, Mahal, Ravi Ramesh Umathe (30), a resident of Plot No 24, Sai Society, Narendra Nagar, Vishal Milind Wasnik (24), a resident of Vidya Nagar, Prabha Tower, Nandanvan. According to Police, Sarang Awatankar, who runs a firm -- Jain Builders and Developers -- had a dispute over financial dealings. Gawande was demanding money from Awatankar and had also threatened him of dire consequences. Awatankar married was to get married...

IN AN ‘accidental’ breakthrough, Katol Police busted a gang of inter-state drug racketeers by arresting two of its and seized over 189 kilogramme Marijuana valued at Rs 19 lakh from their Honda Accord car on early Monday morning.  The speeding Honda Accord car (DL-4C/AB-6700) in which the two smugglers were carrying a huge consignment of Marijuana in 83 packets met with an accident near village Meena Chikhli, about seven kilometre from Katol, and fell into a canal around 5.30 am.  Two smugglers --Amitsingh Kisansingh alias Kisanlal Tomar (25), a native of Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) and Vijay Sarjuram Koi (28), a resident of R K Puram, Delhi -- survived due to airbags fitted in the car. Villagers passingby rushed to the spot. Some of them alerted the cops. Villagers pulled out the two drug peddlers from the mangled vehicle. Within minutes, staff from Katol Police Station arrived at the spot. Amit Singh and Vijay, who sustained some injuries, tried to escape but cops nab...

THE double murder by a woman in Timki on Friday got mysterious with police confirming that the five-year-old boy brutally killed by Manisha Kushwah (25) was not her son.  In the wee hours of Friday, Manisha had killed her husband Sarwar Alam alias Mohammad Ali Mohammad Harun (35) and Dadu (5) by slitting their throats with a sharp-edged knife before committing suicide in their rented house near Timki Police Chowky. On Saturday there was a new twist to the case when Manisha’s sister confirmed to the cops on telephone that the boy, Dadu (5) was her own son. After collecting call data records of the cellphones found in Sarwar Alam’s house and suicide note left by Manisha, cops contacted the relatives of the deceased in Kanpur and informed them about the incident. On Friday night, the relatives of the deceased told police that they would be reaching Nagpur on Saturday. Surprisingly, none arrived so far to claim the bodies. When investigators tried to contact the ...

Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Guardian Minister of Nagpur district, called for connecting Deekshabhoomi, Dragon Palace Temple, Chicholi into a Buddhist Tourism Circuit. Addressing the officials in a meeting held on Friday at Ravi Bhavan here, he asked the officials concerned to plan accordingly.  During the meeting, officials concerned made a presentation on plan for development of Deekshabhoomi into a Class ‘A’ tourist destination. The entire plan entrusted to Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT), is of Rs 325 crore. Deekshabhoomi is on a sprawling 22.8 acres of area. Bawankule asked the officials to make certain suggestions and also to accord priority to development and beautification of whatever space available in the area.  Sadanand Fulzele, Secreary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Smarak Samiti; Adv Sulekha Kumbhare, former Minister of State; Prakash Gajbhiye, MLC; Sudhakar Deshmukh and Sameer Meghe, MLAs; Deepak Mhaisekar, Chairman of NIT; Vilas Gajghate, Vijay Chikate and others...

The pre-monsoon river cleaning drive of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will conclude on June 5. However, NMC plans to continue with the mission to keep the rivers clean throughout the year.  Dayashankar Tiwari, Ruling Party Leader in NMC, told reporters in a press conference held in his chamber on Friday evening that NMC successfully implemented river cleaning drive with the help of individuals, groups, voluntary organisations, Government agencies, and private companies. “Till Thursday evening, 1.5 lakh metric tonnes of silt and garbage was removed from the beds of rivers Nag, Pili, and Pora. In all, 42 km long stretches of these three rivers were cleaned,” he said.  The campaign was started on May 9 to increase depth of the river beds by 1-1.5 metres, widening the river beds, removing garbage and silt from the rivers etc. The massive work is being carried out with the help of people, Tiwari said. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Nagpur Improvement Trus...

A day after Sachin Kurve, District Collector, conducted inspection at City Survey Office No 2 that revealed certain irregularities in functioning, the staffers at the said office staged demonstrations against the inspection on Friday.  Kurve and Ravindra Kumbhare, Resident Deputy Collector, conducted inspection at City Survey Office No 2 on Thursday and were to continue inspection on Friday too. The inspection was conducted following the complaints that touts were active in the said office and that there were irregularities. Kurve had started a special counter at Setu Kendra in Collectorate premises to accept and dispose of applications relating to mutation of property records. This had affected the touts active in City Survey Offices in the city. Conducting inspection of City Survey Office No 2 ruffled many a feather in the said office.  During inspection, Kurve found that not even 10 per cent of the applications received through Setu Kendra were disposed of at the sa...

After taking tough action against vehicle owners for not using Helmet and seat belt while driving, the Regional Transport Office (RTO) will also start action against fancy number plates in the city from March 2. These number plates are illegible and unreadable, which lead to spurt in crime cases due to non-detection. Fancy number plate in Maharashtra Recently, Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court ordered RTO and Nagpur City Traffic Police to start action against vehicles having fancy number plates. Regional Transport Officer stated that the action would be initiated from Wednesday against all such vehicles.  It may be mentioned that vehicle owners are using fancy number plates on their four wheeler violating rule 50 of Motor Vehicle Act. The action will be taken against these vehicles under rule 39 of MVA and vehicle would be seized for their serious violation under rule 207 of the MVA. The vehicle owners will have to produce number plates according to the rule and then t...

About 1138 bicycles were stolen/missing from the city during the last six years. However cops have traced merely 189 bicycles with overall 16.60 per cent detection. It means that accused in 949 bicycle theft cases are roaming free in city without any fear of the long arms of law. A RTI query filed reveals that some of the police stations areas are notorious for bi-cycle thefts. It has also reveals “approach” of police teams in detection or tracing these missing bi-cycles.  In year 2010, 27 bi-cycle thefts were reported in the city and cops successfully detected 20 with detection rate of 74.04 per cent. However, when it comes to bi-cycle missing cases, the same police gone looks “helpless” in the investigations. Total 125 bi-cycle missing cases were reported in Nagpur and cops have detected mere five bi-cycles with detection rate of only four per cent.  This is not the statistics for a particular year only. The same pattern of registration of theft, missing, detec...

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday launched ‘Bharosa Cell’ of Nagpur Police near IT park in Parsodi, Subhash Nagar. “The formation of Bharosa Cell is the need of the hour to address the problems of the victims (women and children). Such a cell would assist women in need through psychiatric help and legal advice,” said Fadnavis while addressing the gathering after the inauguration. Union Minister for Road Transport, Highway and Shipping Nitin Gadkari, Guardian Minster Chandrashekhar Bawankule, MLAs Sudhakar Deshmukh and Sudhakar Kohale, Mayor Pravin Datke, Divisional Commissioner Anoop Kumar, Commissioner of Police Dr. K. Venkatesham, Joint CP Santosh Rastogi, DCP Ranjan Kumar Sharma and others were present on the dais.  Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis writing remarks  entry  in the register at Bharosa Cell while Union  minister  Nitin  Gadkari,  Guardian Minister  Chandrashekhar  Bawankule  and CP Dr. K.  Ven...

Railway officials chose to book transporter for false declaration whereas it could have invoked more stringent provisions relating to carrying inflammable material Nagpur Division of Central Railway patting its back for intercepting foreign made liquor at Nagpur railway station let the culprit off the hook by invoking lenient clause of false declaration. In fact, RPF could have booked the firm that was transporting the liquor for carrying inflammable goods in the train that could have lead to prosecution. A railway official informed The Hitavada that Commercial Department and RPF have imposed fine worth Rs 1.10 lakh under Section 163 of Railway Act against the lease holder for false declaration of goods. The consignee simply mentioned that they are transporting some goods but in reality they were transporting costly liquor. This was a case of smuggling foreign liquor to evade payment of excise duty, the officer said. However, reason for not imposing fine for transporting inf...