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A Village Burnt Overnight: Tears, Loss and Survival in Dhamangaon Blaze

  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,...

Maskasath gang-war : notorious goon Wasim Chira held with pistol

In a major breakthrough, Tehsil police have arrested notorious goon Sheikh Wasim alias Chira Sheikh Afzal, a resident of Shanti Nagar, in connection with the gang war that was erupted on last Sunday in Maskasath area.
The police have seized a pistol and two live cartridges from his possession that he used for firing shot at a person during the gang war.  
More than 25 members of Wasim Chira gang and 10 members of his rival gang were charged by Tehsil police on the charges of attempt to murder by firing shot at a person and creating ruckus in the area.  Wasim Chira is having 23 offences registered against him at Lakadganj police station including two murder cases, attempts to murders, robberies and hurt.  
After taking reins of Tehsil police station, Senior Police Inspector Jayesh Bhandarkar took it as challenge to arrest Wasim Chira. The goon was arrested by the police acting on a tip-off. 
The notorious goons went on rampage in Maskasath area late Sunday night and damaged more than 15 vehicles during the gang-war. Cross complaints were registered against both gangs. 
So far, the police have arrested Arbaz alias Sanu Isrile Manja (24), Mohd Faizal Ansari Mohd Akram (27), Mohsin Ahmed Haji Mushaque, Mohd Amri Mohd Shakil, Sarfaraz Abdul Sattar, Hasan Ali Asad Ali and Mohd Yasin Mujju Rehmat Ali (19). 
A police official said that Fayyaz and Awesh had attacked Mohsin Ahmed Haji Mushtaque Ahmed (34), a gang member of Wasim Chira late Sunday night. 
After getting information, Wasim Chira and his accomplices stormed the area in vehicles and threatened Gulam Rasool Jamal Potiyawala (47) that they would kill him. Gulam was standing near his house when the goons doled out threats to him, the police said.  When Gulam attempted to flee the area, the goons fired a shot at him. However, Gulam managed to save himself. 
When Gulam fled the spot, the accused went on rampage with hockey sticks and swords in the hands and damaged more than 15 vehicles parked near Gulam’s house including a car.  
Staff of Tehsil police station rushed to the spot after receiving information from the controll room. The attackers managed to flee the spot when the police arrived at the crime scene.
Under the guidance of Commisisoner of Police Dr. Bhushan Kumar Upadhyaya, Joint CP Ravindra Kadam, DCP Zone III Rahul Maknikar, the arrest was made by PI Jayesh Bhandarkar, PI Sagar, PSI Swapnil Wagh, ASI Sanjay Dubey and staff including Pramod, Anil, Nazir, Kishore, Shailesh, Pravin, Ranjeet, Purushottam, Hemant, Rajesh, Sachin, Pankaj, Shamb and others. 

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