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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,...

Police Inspector blows lid on insulting behaviour of SP Akola Amogh Goankar

Akola SP Amogh Gaonkar
A wave of disgruntlement has gripped the Maharashtra Police after a Police Inspector (PI) in Akola district alleged use of foul words by Superintendent of Police (SP) Akola Amogh Gaonkar during official meetings. PI Suresh Naiknawre has addressed a full page letter to Inspector General of Police (IGP), Amravati Range, wherein he mentioned about being gripped by suicidal thoughts due to irrational behaviour of SP Gaonkar.
As per the letter a copy of which has gone viral on social media, SP Gaonkar repeatedly used to abuse PI Naiknawre since the former took the charge of Akola district. The 52-year-old PI said that he had served in the police department for last 31 years but was never been treated in such a shabby manner. The officer also mentioned about suffering from high blood pressure and such continuos abuses on part of SP is adding more to health problems.
"Although the field force is performing duties quite well even during the outbreak of coronavirus, still in a meeting held on Friday, SP Gaonkar called me idiot and bastard for issuing a letter to Municipal Commissioner about disposal of bodies,” stated PI Naiknawre. He said, “this resulted in increasing my blood pressure as I could not understand behaviour of SP Gaonkar. Since then I am gripped with thoughts of suicide,” the PI has stated.
Further PI Naiknaware said it has become difficult  for him to perform duties under SP Gaonkar. He also mentioned about living alone at Akola while the family is staying at Beed. “As its become difficult for me to perform the duties, I am filing sick report,” the PI said."
The PI urged IPG Amravati Range for his transfer to another district in the range and demanded action against SP Gaonkar for using unparliamentary words. As per the letter, PI Naiknawre also sent three audio clips of conversation with SP Gaonkar to the IGP on the WhatsApp. The PI also mentioned the matter in police station diary of City Kotwali police station before proceeding on sick leave. 
Taking swift action, Makrand Ranade, IGP, Amravati Range, has transferred PI Naiknaware to neighbouring Buldhana district, though latter continues to be in sick.
It may be mentioned here that taking serious note of a complaint of alleged negligence in the investigation to find a girl who went missing in Akola six months ago, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had ordered transfer of SP Amogh Gaonkar on February 29 this year. Two police officers from Akola’s Civil Lines police station were also suspended on the same day.
Sources informed that despite order of Home Minister Deshmukh, SP Gaonkar was not relieved due to intervention by a top rank police official of Maharashtra police. The official at Mumbai ignored the orders issued by Home Minister on floor of the House. 
While serving as SP of Government Railway Police (GRP) Nagpur, Gaonkar was pulled by the then ADG over callousness all around at GRP HQ in year 2018.


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