Archives for 2021

Pune: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday felicitated Defence Forces personnel who took part in the Tokyo Olympics, including Olympic gold medal winning javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, at the Army Sports Institute (ASI) here.

Rajnath also re-named the ASI Stadium after Chopra, who bagged the country’s first gold in athletics at the marquee event and also became the only second individual gold medallist for India after shooter Abhinav Bindra.

Chopra was also present on the occasion.

A shawl, which was signed by the Olympians, was also presented to the Defence Minister.

Among those, who were felicitated were Tarundeep Rai (Archery), Pravin Jadhav (Archery), Amit (Boxing), Manish Kaushik (Boxing), Satish Kumar (Boxing), CA Kuttappa (Boxing coach), Chotelal Yadav (Boxing coach Mary Kom’s coach), Deepak Punia (Wrestling), Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh (Rowing), Vishnu Saravanan (Sailing) and Chopra.

Neeraj was presented with a replica of javelin.

Rajnath asserted that his government would do everything to promote sports.

“To promote sports, we will do whatever is needed and we are committed to that. And every player of the country knows about it. Our Prime Minister is encouraging all the Games and the players,” Rajnath told reporters.

“The government will give encouragement to each and every individual from the sports community and the state governments are also making good contributions in facilitating players,” he added.

“I am waiting for that moment, when India will get an opportunity to host the Olympic Games,” said Rajnath while addressing the gathering.

Mumbai: A head constable with the Mumbai police department, who had been posted as megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s bodyguard since 2015, was transferred amid reports of him allegedly earning Rs 1.5 crore annually, an official said on Friday.

The head constable, Jitendra Shinde, has been moved to D B Marg Police Station in South Mumbai as part of a routine transfer, the official said.

He was transferred 15 days ago and it was officially published in a police notice at that time, he said.

Bachchan has been provided ‘X’ category security by the Mumbai police. Shinde became a part of that security cover after he was given the responsibility of being the actor’s bodyguard in 2015, the official added.

As per the guidelines, a police constable cannot continue on the same post beyond five years, he said.

A media report published recently claimed that Shinde earned Rs 1.5 crore annual income while being posted as the superstar’s bodyguard.

Sources in the police department said that Shinde is one of the trusted bodyguards and could be spotted with Bachchan as part of his security cover.

Shinde’s wife runs an agency, which provides security guards to prominent personalities, they said.

The sources added that the state government was also verifying whether Shinde had provided the details of his assets to the police department.

Allahabad,: The Allahabad High Court on Thursday quashed criminal proceedings against paediatrician Kafeel Khan over an anti-CAA speech made by him at Aligarh Muslim University due to lack of necessary sanction from the government.

A single judge bench of Justice Gautam Chaudhary set aside a charge sheet and cognisance order passed against Khan, noting that the requisite sanction was not taken by district magistrate from central and state governments under Section 196(A) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

However, he made it clear that the charge sheet and its cognisance may be taken by the court after mandatory sanction is granted by the central as well as the state governments.

The charge sheet and cognisance order was passed against Khan by the Aligarh Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in a case wherein Khan had allegedly delivered an inflammatory speech during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at AMU in 2019.

Following the event, an FIR was lodged against Khan under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 153B (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration), 505(2) (statement creating or promoting, enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) and 109 (abetment of offence) of the IPC.

Consequently, he was arrested. Police submitted the charge sheet before the Aligarh court on March 16, 2020 and the Chief Judicial Magistrate took its cognisance on July 28, 2020. Khan then filed a petition challenging it.

According to Section 196(A) of the CrPC, no court shall take cognisance of any offence under Section 153A of the IPC, except with the previous sanction of the central government or state government or the district magistrate.

Reacting to the development, Dr Kafeel Khan said, “This is a big victory for the people of India and restores our faith in judiciary.”

“Yogi Adityanath government’s high-handedness towards people of Uttar Pradesh has been completely exposed by this ruling of the honorable Allahabad High Court,” he said.

“We also hope this brave judgment will give hope to all pro-democracy citizens and activists languishing in jails across India. Long live Indian democracy,”he added.

MUMBAI: A head constable with the Mumbai police department, who had been posted as megastar Amitabh Bachchan’s bodyguard since 2015, was transferred amid reports of him allegedly earning Rs 1.5 crore annually, an official said on Friday.

He was transferred 15 days ago and it was officially published in a police notice at that time, he said.

Bachchan has been provided ‘X’ category security by the Mumbai police.

Shinde became a part of that security cover after he was given the responsibility of being the actor’s bodyguard in 2015, the official added.

As per the guidelines, a police constable cannot continue on the same post beyond five years, the he said.

A media report published recently claimed that Shinde earned Rs 1.5 crore annual income while being posted as the superstar’s bodyguard.

Sources in the police department said that Shinde is one of the trusted bodyguards and could be spotted with Bachchan as part of his security cover.

Shinde’s wife runs an agency, which provides security guards to prominent personalities, they said.

The sources added that the state government was also verifying whether Shinde had provided the details of his assets to the police department.

NEW DELHI: In a bid to promote electric vehicles in the country, Power Minister R K Singh has urged all union ministers and chief ministers to switch over to electric vehicles for all official purposes.

According to a power ministry statement, Singh has shot off letters to his union cabinet colleagues as well as all chief ministers in this regard.

The Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy has written to all the Union Ministers including the Minister of States (Independent Charge) and Chief Ministers of all the States/UTs to join the government’s initiative on transformative mobility, as per the statement.

The minister has also asked the union ministers and chief ministers to advise their respective ministries/departments to convert their fleet of official vehicles from present Internal Combustion Engine (ICE)/Petrol/Diesel Vehicles to Electric Vehicles for all official purposes, it said.

Such an action is expected to set an example for the general public and encourage them to switch over to E-Mobility, it added.

The initiative is part of ongoing “GO ELECTRIC CAMPAIGN” launched by the government to promote Electric Vehicles to meet multiple objectives – attaining the goal of reduction in emission, energy security, energy efficiency etc.

MUMBAI:  For a party that opposes the RSS ideology tooth and nail, Congress’ Maharashtra unit’s list of big-ticket office bearers released on Thursday night was heavy on people who switched from the saffron brigade, drawing discordant noises, especially from state president Nana Patole. The list was approved by Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi.

No sooner had the list surfaced than Patole rushed to Delhi, fearful that it may trigger a meltdown among the loyal cadre. On Friday, Patole complained to the central leadership that his recommendations were discarded in favour of those the party has steadfastly opposed. 

Patole’s fears have solid ground as on the list of office bearers is Akola’s Abhay Patil, who has been named general secretary of Maharashtra Congress. Patil is a hardcore RSS man and has shared the dais with Mohan Bhagwat on more occasions than one. His name was doing the rounds for a ticket in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, but was dropped after a background check that revealed his leanings. 

When contacted, Patil told this daily that he distanced himself from RSS after it tilted towards hardliners. Son of a former regional president of Vishawa Hindu Parishad, Patil said: “I grew up being close to the RSS ideology. However, the organisation is rife with casteism.

Elite communities are chosen for leadership, while those from other castes are asked to do the spadework. When I realised that RSS’s divisive ideology was not good for the country, I chose a secular party for the larger interests of society.” Another man with RSS credentials on the list is Ajit Apate, who, too, has been appointed general secretary.

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