Archives for January 2022

MUMBAI: A sessions court in Mumbai on Friday turned down the plea of actor Kangana Ranaut challenging a lower court’s order rejecting her application seeking transfer of the criminal defamation case filed against her by scriptwriter-lyricist Javed Akhtar to another court.

The detailed order passed by Additional Sessions Judge SU Baghele, however, is not yet available.

In October, the chief metropolitan magistrate (CMM) had dismissed Ranaut’s plea seeking transfer of the defamation case from the Andheri magistrate’s court.

Akhtar had filed the defamation complaint before Andheri court in November, 2020 over certain statements made by Ranaut during a TV interview.

Later, she moved a review application before the Dindoshi sessions court stating the CMM had failed to appreciate that the (Andheri) magistrate had “misused” his powers to cause intentional injury to the applicant (her case).

Earlier, the actor claimed she had “lost faith” in the Andheri metropolitan magistrate’s court as it indirectly “threatened” to issue a warrant if she failed to appear before it in a bailable offence.

CHANDIGARH: The people of Punjab have to come together for saving their state as they have lost faith in the Congress, the SAD, the BJP and Punjab Lok Congress, Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday.

“Three crores of Punjabis must come together to save the state. No one can disturb the peace and brotherhood of Punjab. The ruling Congressmen have no concern for Punjab as they are fighting among themselves for the Chief Minister’s seat. The Channi government is the weakest government of Punjab and it has failed to restore peace in Punjab,” he said.

Kejriwal questioned why the desecration of religious scriptures and places of worship and terrorist activities started just before the elections. “That is why Punjabis need to be extremely vigilant and united. The people are well aware of selfish, opportunistic forces like Congress, Amarinder Singh, Badals and BJP. The people have made up their mind to remove the corrupt people from power. The people of Chandigarh have recently shown this,” he said, urging the people to bring about a change in the government in the upcoming elections.

Recently, the AAP won 14 of the 35 seats in its debut Chandigarh Municipal Corporation election. Senior AAP leader Bhagwant Mann accused the BJP of pursuing a policy of hatred, but he claimed that Chandigarh ha shown that they wanted a policy of communal harmony.

“Chandigarh tan jhakki hai, Punjab hale bakihai (Chandigarh is just a trailer, Punjab will present the whole picture),” he said. 

SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is monitoring the situation following a stampede at the Mata Vaishno Devi in Katra, Jammu, and has conveyed his sympathies to the bereaved families, tweeted Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office.

“Prime Minister @narendramodi is personally monitoring and keeping track of the tragic situation arising out of stampede at Mata #VaishnoDevi shrine. Prime Minister has conveyed his sympathies to bereaved families and issued instructions to provide all possible medical aid and assistance to the injured,” Jitendra Singh tweeted.

Top officials have confirmed that 12 pilgrims have died and over a dozen others were injured during a stampede at Katra in Jammu. The incident took place at the Bhavan where there was a massive rush of pilgrims on the occasion of New year.

The yatra has been stopped for now. The injured have been moved to the hospital.

Vaishno Devi yatra draws thousands of pilgrims daily to Katra. The rush of pilgrims is particularly high during the Navratras.

PUNE: More than ten ministers and at least 20 MLAs in Maharashtra have tested positive for coronavirus so far, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Saturday and added that strict restrictions might be clamped if the new COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the state.

Pawar’s warning came a day after Maharashtra reported 8,067 fresh coronavirus positive cases, as much as 50 per cent more than Thursday.

“We cut short the Assembly session recently. So far, over 10 ministers and over 20 MLAs have tested positive for coronavirus. Everybody wants to be part of the celebrations of New Year, birthdays and other occasions. Keep in mind that the new variant (Omicron) spreads fast and hence caution is needed.  PM Narendra Modi has appealed and some states have announced a night curfew. In Maharashtra, cases are increasing in Mumbai and Pune,” he told reporters after visiting the Jaystambh military monument in Perne village on the occasion of the 204th anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima.

Queried on the possibility of imposition of more curbs, Pawar said the state government is keeping a tab on the increasing number of patients.

“If the number of patients continues to rise then there will be strict restrictions. To avoid strict restriction everybody should follow norms,” he said.

Maharashtra has seen a sharp rise in new daily coronavirus cases in the last 12 days of 2021.

The state government, in fresh guidelines issued on Thursday night, capped the attendance at gatherings in open or closed spaces at 50.

Mumbai on Friday reported 5,631 new COVID-19 cases, almost 2,000 more than Thursday, which took the caseload in the city on the last day of the year to 7,85,110, a civic official had said.

This was a rise of 53 per cent over 3,671 cases recorded on Thursday.

The COVID-19 positivity rate in Pune city touched 5.9 per cent on Friday after 412 cases were detected, raising the tally within civic limits to 5,10,218, as per officials.

Pawar said the government recently told the state legislature that land may be acquired for the redevelopment of the monument (Jaystambh) for the convenience of lakhs of people who visit the spot every year to pay tributes on the anniversary of the Koregaon Bhima battle.

He said a committee has been formed to take further action.

When asked about the Maharashtra government denying permission for organising a bullock cart race and former MP Shivaji Adhalrao Patil announcing to go ahead with the event, Pawar said, “After the meeting (of the COVID-19 task force), chief minister Uddhav Thackeray directed the state chief secretary to issue orders to all collectors to avoid public gatherings to (stop) another wave of the pandemic.

Based on this, the permission might have been denied in the larger interest.

Not only Shivaji Adhalrao Patil but those who want to hold the bullock cart race should also consider the looming threat (of the third COVID-19 wave)”.