Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Friday allowed private buses to operate with full capacity ahead of the Diwali holidays and issued an SOP to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection.

The state government has directed private bus owners not to allow passengers without masks to board their vehicles and keep sanitizers at the entrance of buses along with extra masks.

Every passenger will be screened with a thermal gun before boarding, and those with fever, cough, and cold will not be permitted to travel.

Drivers should ensure that proper social distancing is maintained among passengers while boarding and alighting from buses, the SOP stated.

Buses should be disinfected at the end of each journey and even reservation offices should be cleaned and sanitized, it was stated.

As per the guidelines, permit holders of buses will have to maintain proper records of the disinfection of their buses.

The state government has also warned action against permit holders under the Motor Vehicle Act 1988, Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989, and Disaster Management Act 2005, in case the SOP is violated.

Private operators have been seeking to ply buses with full capacity, especially after the state government permitted the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) to so.

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Friday registered a case against YouTuber Gaurav Wasan for allegedly misappropriating funds received as a donation for the owner of Baba Ka Dhaba’, an eatery in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar.

Kanta Prasad (80), the owner of the eatery, had shot to fame after a video of him tearfully recounting the desperation of the months since the lockdown was shot by Wasan and shared widely across social media platforms recently.

The case was registered against the YouTuber following a complaint lodged by Prasad on October 31, nearly a month after the video went viral.

In his complaint to police, Prasad alleged that Wasan “intentionally and deliberately shared only his and his family/friends bank details and mobile numbers with the donors and collected a huge amount of donation… without providing any information to the complainant”.

Wasan, however, denied the allegations.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Atul Kumar Thakur said, “After we received a complaint, a preliminary enquiry was done and an FIR was registered under section 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of Indian Penal Code and an investigation has been initiated.”

Earlier in the day, Prasad said he was hurt over being called “greedy” by some people on the social media after he lodged a complaint against Wasan and challenged the YouTuber to disclose his bank details to prove his innocence.

Talking to reporters at a press conference, Prasad, accompanied by his lawyer Prem Joshi and blogger Tushant, claimed that Wasan gave him a cheque of 2.33 lakh on October 26 after the YouTuber was trolled for not handing over the donation amount to Prasad.

Tushant alleged that Wasan has only disclosed his bank account statements from October 7 to 10 whereas he received more money after that. He demanded that Wasan must reveal his bank account statements till October 26.

Joshi highlighted that in the initial videos shared by Wasan, he had claimed that Prasad did not have a bank account or a mobile phone but that was a “lie”.

Joshi also claimed that on October 26, when Wasan gave the cheque to Prasad, he made him sign a paper claiming that all dues had been settled. However, later he again gave Rs 1.45 lakh to Prasad.

Wasan, however, said that he has submitted to the police his bank account statements till November 2 and maintained that he gave all the amount received as a donation for Prasad to him.

The police officer added that prosecution sanction from the Union Home Ministry against Khalid in connection with the Delhi riots conspiracy case had also been received. 

NEW DELHI:  The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has given prosecution sanction against former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid, who was arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with a case related to the February communal violence in north-east Delhi.

A senior official of the Delhi Police Crime Branch confirmed the development and added that the sanction was given about 10 days ago, and Khalid might now be named in the supplementary charge sheet. “The sanction for prosecution has been approved in all the Delhi riots-related cases registered by the police. Now, it is up to the courts to see who are the accused,” a senior Delhi government functionary said.

The police officer added that prosecution sanction from the Union Home Ministry against Khalid in connection with the Delhi riots conspiracy case had also been received. “To prosecute one under Section 13 of the UAPA, we need sanction from the MHA, which we have already received. For prosecution under Section 16,17 and 18 of the UAPA, we have received the sanction from the Delhi government,” the officer added. Khalid was arrested on September 13 under the UAPA Act in a case related to the communal violence. 

He was arrested after 11 hours of interrogation. Earlier, he was questioned by the Crime Branch for a couple of hours on September 2 and also booked under the UAPA in another case related to the riots. At least 53 people had lost their lives and around 200 were injured in the communal violence that broke out on February 24 after a clash between supporters of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and those against the legislation spiralled out of control.

In April, Khalid’s name figured in the FIR registered in connection with the riots. In the FIR, the police had claimed that the communal violence was a “premeditated conspiracy”, which was allegedly hatched by Khalid and two others. He was booked for the offences of sedition, murder, attempt to murder, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and rioting.

Slamming Kejriwal, Khalid’s father SQR Ilyas tweeted: “Arvindkejriwal unveiled.” Taking to Twitter, JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh said: “Mr Kejriwal, each and every betrayal won’t be forgotten.” “I am happy for my friends in the US. Regardless of the outcome, they can take solace in the fact that they at least have a real opposition,” Shehla Rashid tweeted

Pinjra Tod members and JNU students Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal, JMI student Tanha, Gulfisha Khatoon, ex-Cong councillor Ishrat Jahan, JCC members Zargar, Meeran Haider, Shafa-Ur-Rehman, suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, activist Khalid Saifi, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Salim Malik, Mohd Salim Khan and Athar Khan

Mumbai: Republic TV Editor-in Chief Arnab Goswami has petitioned the Bombay High Court challenging his “illegal arrest” in a 2018 case of abetment of suicide of an interior designer, and sought quashing of the FIR lodged against him by Alibaug police in Maharashtra.

A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and M S Karnik will hear the plea on Thursday afternoon.

Goswami was arrested on Wednesday from his residence at Lower Parel in Mumbai for allegedly abetting the suicide of interior designer Anvay Naik, and was taken to the Alibaug police station in neighbouring Raigad district.

He was later produced before a magistrate’s court in Alibaug which remanded him in judicial custody till November 18. Goswami is currently kept at a local school which has been designated as a COVID-19 centre for the Alibaug prison.

In his petition, Goswami has challenged his “illegal arrest” and sought an urgent order of stay in the investigation into the case and also a direction to the police to release him immediately.

The plea has also sought the FIR against him to be quashed. It alleged that Goswami was assaulted by the police team that barged into his house on Wednesday.

“He has been wrongly and illegally arrested in a motivated, false and closed case. This is another attempt of political witch-hunt and vendetta politics against the petitioner and his channel,” the petition said.

“The arrest was conducted in blatant violation of the fundamental rights to life and personal liberty of the petitioner (Goswami) and his dignity. The petitioner and his son were assaulted and dragged into the police van when Goswami was arrested,” it added.

As per the plea, the investigation into the case was closed last year and a closure report was filed which was accepted by Chief Judicial Magistrate of the Alibaug court by an order dated April 16, 2019.

“It is shocking that a case that was decisively closed has been reopened with the sole purpose of misusing power, concocting facts and forcibly arresting the petitioner in a prime facie act of revenge and vengeance for his news coverage which questioned those in power in Maharashtra,” the petition said.

The petition claimed that in May 2018, the police had recorded the statements of Goswami and two senior officials of the Republic TV and after conducting a thorough investigation, the case was closed.

“The petitioner had at that time provided detailed documents to the police in relation to the business transactions with the deceased’s company and had fully cooperated in the matter,” the petition said.

It also said Goswamis company ARG Outlier Pvt Ltd had paid over 90 per cent of the amount due to the deceased Anvay Naiks company Concorde Designs, as per the contract.

“In July 2019, the entire balance amount due was transferred to the bank account of Naik’s company but the amount returned because the account was inoperative,” the petition said.

It said the petitioner has been fully cooperating with the police in the past and will continue doing so in future also.

Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide of an interior designer, spent the night at a local school which has been designated As a covid-19 centre for the Alibaug prison, an official said on Thursday.

A court at Alibaug in Maharashtra’s Raigad district on Wednesday remanded Goswami and two other accused in judicial custody till November 18 in a 2018 abetment to suicide case.

Police had sought Goswami’s custody for 14 days, but the court held that custodial interrogation was not required. On Wednesday night, Goswami was taken for medical examination at a state-run hospital in the coastal town, the official said.

After the medical exam, he was taken to Alibaug Nagar Parishad School, which is designated as a COVID-19 centre of the Alibaug prison, and he spent the night there, the official said.

Goswami and the two others were booked under section 306 (abetment of suicide) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC in connection with the suicide of architect-interior designer Anvay Naik and Naik’s mother over alleged non-payment of dues by Republic TV.

The other two arrested accused in the case, Feroze Mohammed Shaikh and Nitesh Sarda, were also produced in the Alibaug court on Wednesday and remanded to judicial custody till November 18.

Naik, in his purported suicide note, had mentioned the names of Goswami, Shaikh and Sarda, police said, adding the note was sent to handwriting experts in Pune and a report is awaited.

Hearing on Goswami’s bail application will be on Thursday at Alibaug court, an official said.

Goswami had on November 2 filed a petition in the Bombay High Court seeking to quash the FIR in the case. It will be heard by a division bench of Justices S S Shinde and M S Karnik on Thursday.

A team of Raigad police picked up Goswami (47) from his Lower Parel house in Mumbai on Wednesday morning. He was seen being pushed into the police van, and claimed that he was assaulted by police before being taken away.

Goswami was produced in a court in Alibaug, around 90 km from Mumbai, and was remanded to judicial custody till November 18. The court ruling came shortly after 11 pm.

Mumbai police have registered an FIR against Goswami, his wife, son and two others for “obstructing, assaulting, verbally abusing and intimidating” a police officer on duty and for tearing up “government papers” (arrest intimation) at his house, the official said.

The FIR was registered at the N M Joshi Marg police station on Wednesday under sections 353, 504, 506 of IPC and section 3 of the Damage of Public Property Act, the official said.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday reserved orders on a plea filed by Skoda Volkswagen India challenging an FIR registered in Uttar Pradesh by a customer over the use of a “cheat device” in its diesel car.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said there are many legal procedures by which the automobile company can secure relief for itself and observed that prima facie investigation should continue in the case.

“We have read the case. We are saying as to why the trial/investigation should not go on…

“There are many ways to deal with the criminal investigation…we know that Volkswagen is a legendary motor vehicle manufacturer, we are admirers of it… We have had the highest respect for it since World War II…but you are wrong on the stage at which you are coming here,” the bench observed.

At the outset, senior advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Skoda, told the top court that in December 2015, a complaint against Volkswagen was made in the National Green Tribunal and in March 2019 a penalty was imposed which was stayed by the apex court.

There was also this FIR lodged in UP and the company moved the high court seeking its quashing, Singhvi told the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.

Singhvi said as to how a fresh can case be started when the same matter is being dealt with by the NGT and the top court.

The apex court, however, said that these are two different issues.

Singhvi argued that the vehicle was purchased by the complainant in 2018 and there were no complaints or representations made to the company.

“In connection with the NGT matter, we had come to the SC and there was immediate stay. While the matter is pending, this FIR was lodged where the allegations are the same as the application before the NGT in the earlier complaint,” Singhvi said.

The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by Skoda against the Allahabad High Court order refusing to quash the FIR and dismissing its plea.

The high court had said that whether a cheat device was installed in the vehicles is a matter of investigation and it cannot be interfered with by the court on an erroneous interpretation of the interim order of the Supreme Court.

The top court had earlier restrained the Centre from taking any “coercive” step against it for non-submission of Rs 500 crore fine imposed by the National Green Tribunal for damaging the environment through the use of “cheat device” in its diesel cars in India.

Earlier, a green panel bench headed by chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel had directed the carmaker to deposit the amount within two months with CPCB.

The tribunal had enhanced the compensation amount of Rs 171.34 crore, which was recommended by an NGT-appointed committee, to Rs 500 crore as a means of “creating deterrence”.

The automaker, however, had said that it did not violate the BS-IV norms and that the test results were based on “on-road testings” for which there were no prescribed standards.

A ‘cheat’ or ‘defeat device’ is a software in diesel engines to manipulate emission tests by changing the performance of the cars globally.

Volkswagen India had in December 2015 announced the recall of 3,23,700 lakh vehicles in India to fix the emission software after ARAI conducted tests on some models and found that their on-road emissions were 1.1 times to 2.6 times higher than the applicable BS-IV norms.

The automobile giant had admitted to the use of ‘defeat device’ in 11 million diesel engine cars sold in the US, Europe, and other global markets to manipulate emission test results.

After the tests by ARAI, Volkswagen India had undertaken to rejig the software by recalling around 3.23 lakh vehicles fitted with EA 189 diesel engines which were in alleged violation of emission norms.

The company, however, had said that the recall in India was purely voluntary in nature as it did not face any charges regarding violating emission norms in India, unlike in the US.