Gadchiroli: Naxal activities are not limited to only remote areas of eastern Maharashtra but ‘urban naxalization’ is being seen in big cities of the state, NCP chief Sharad Pawar claimed on Thursday.

He was speaking to reporters in Gadchiroli district of the state where at least 27 naxals including senior Maoist leader Milind Teltumbde were killed in an encounter with police last Saturday.

Talking about the naxal menace in the district, which borders on Chhattisgarh, Pawar said the situation was improving.

But there is this “new phenomenon” where some elements are trying to create hatred against the government in other parts of the state too, he said.

“We can call this urban naxalisation,” Pawar said.

“Some such forces are active in Nagpur, Pune, Mumbai and in parts of the Sahyadri ranges, as far as Kerala. There is a section which is trying to create public opinion and hatred against the government,” he said.

Pawar’s party is part of the government in Maharashtra and its minister holds the home portfolio.

“Special caution should be taken about this aspect immediately, otherwise new problems would emerge,” the NCP chief, who was Maharashtra chief minister four times, warned.

Notably, BJP leaders have often used the term “urban naxals” to claim that Maoists have hidden supporters and sympathizers in urban areas.

Pawar, meanwhile, advocated a push to industrial development through mining in Surjagarh in Gadchiroli.

Protests had been staged by locals against mining in the area recently.

To a question about fear that mining will take away local tribals’ livelihood from natural resources, Pawar said farming should be improved to provide new job opportunities.

“I feel that to remove the frustration of the young generation here, they should get job opportunities. Surjagarh will give them this right and opportunity in a big way and an important and permanent industry will develop here,” he added.

Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Thursday levelled fresh allegations against Naroctics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, saying the officer wrongly framed the cousin of his former wife in a drugs case to pressure her family not to speak against him.

Talking to reporters here, NCP leader Malik said Wankhede also framed another youth, the son of an IPS officer, in a drugs case following a dispute with the latter’s family and the youth was subsequently arrested.

Malik also strongly backed former Maharashtra home minister and party colleague Anil Deshmukh, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, saying he was being “framed” by misusing central agencies.

On Wednesday, NCP president Sharad Pawar also said injustice was being done to Deshmukh, who is currently in judicial custody.

Malik on Thursday continued his tirade against Wankhede, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, who is married to actress Kranti Redkar since 2017. The NCB officer divorced his first wife Shabana Qureshi in 2016.

Wankhede thought his first wife will speak against him. So, through a peddler, Wankhede planted drugs and got her cousin arrested through the Anti-Narcotics Cell of the state police,” the minister alleged.

His first wife’s family was threatened that if they spoke against Wankhede, the entire family will be dubbed as drug peddlers and arrested, he further charged.

Malik has been attacking Wankhede following the NCB’s raid on a cruise party last month following which around 20 people, including actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan, were arrested. Aryan Khan and some of the other accused were later released on bail.

The minister has also accused Wankhede of wrongly framing people in drugs cases, and securing government job by forging his documents.

Wankhede’s father recently filed a defamation case against Malik.

On Wednesday, Malik sought the Bombay High Court’s permission to file an additional affidavit with documents to prove his allegations about Wankhede’s caste certificate, saying he wanted to submit the latter’s school admission forms and his primary school leaving certificate.

These documents mention Wankhede’s religion as Muslim, he alleged.

The minister had earlier alleged that the NCB officer was born a Muslim, but secured a central government job claiming to belong to a scheduled caste.

Wankhede has denied the allegations levelled against him.

New Delhi: Amidst the controversy triggered by stand-up comedian Vir Das with his monologue named “Two Indias” an old video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying Indians were ashamed of being born in the country before he assumed office in 2014.

The video is purported to be from 2015 when PM Modi was addressing a set of NRIs. In the video, he is seen saying “Earlier, you felt ashamed of being born Indian, now you feel proud to represent the country.”

Gurgaon: A Gurudwara in Gurgaon has come forward to volunteer allowing Muslim Friday prayers on November 19 after the recent incidents wherein Right-Wing Organisations protested over Muslims offering Friday prayers in public spaces in the city.

Gurgaon’s Sadar Bazaar Gurudwara will reportedly allow Muslims to offer prayers in its premises keeping in mind the recent events that took place in the city.

Popular entrepreneur and activist Harteerath Singh on Wednesday evening took to his Twitter handle to break the news asserting that the Gurudwara was open for Muslims to offer prayers.

“#Gurgaon’s Sadar Bazaar Gurudwara is now open for our Muslim brothers to offer their daily namaz keeping in mind the recent events that took place in the city.” Harteerath Singh wrote in his tweet.

November 19 will also mark Guru Nanak Dev jis Gurpurab. Harteerath said it will be a spectacular sight and a show of brotherhood and humanity.

“The best part is tomorrow is Guru Nanak Dev jis Gurpurab and Friday namaaz too. What a spectacular sight it will be tomorrow- prime example of brotherhood and humanity!” he wrote in another tweet.

In a similar gesture earlier, a Hindu man had offered his vacant shop for Muslims to offer prayers while another man had similarly offered his terrace space for the cause.

On November 2, the district administration had withdrawn permission for namaz at eight of the 37 previously agreed upon sites citing “objection from local residents and RWAs”.

A Gurudwara in Gurgaon has come forward to volunteer allowing Muslim Friday prayers on November 19 after the recent incidents wherein Right-Wing Organisations protested over Muslims offering Friday prayers in public spaces in the city. Gurgaon’s Sadar Bazaar Gurudwara will reportedly allow Muslims to offer prayers in its premises keeping in mind the recent events that took place in the city. Popular entrepreneur and activist Harteerath Singh on Wednesday evening took to his Twitter handle to break the news asserting that the Gurudwara was open for Muslims to offer prayers. “#Gurgaon’s Sadar Bazaar Gurudwara is now open for our Muslim brothers to offer their daily namaz keeping in mind the recent events that took place in the city.” Harteerath Singh wrote in his tweet. In a similar gesture earlier, a Hindu man had offered his vacant shop for Muslims to offer prayers while another man had similarly offered his terrace space for the cause. On November 2, the district administration had withdrawn permission for namaz at eight of the 37 previously agreed upon sites citing “objection from local residents and RWAs”.

New Delhi: Congress leader Randeep Surjewala on Thursday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Union government’s ordinances extending the tenures of Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) chiefs from two to up to five years.

He has moved the plea against the Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, and the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021, of November 14 along with the Personnel Ministry’s November 15 notification amending the fundamental rules which enable the government to extend the tenures of ED, CBI chiefs, as also of the defence, home and foreign secretaries.

These ordinances empower the Government of India to provide “piecemeal extensions” of one year each to the tenures of the directors of ED and CBI following the conclusion of the fixed terms provided in their statutes, Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Surjewala claimed.

“There are no criteria provided save for a vague reference to ‘public interest’ and is in fact, based on the subjective satisfaction of the respondents. This has the direct and clear impact of eroding the independence of the investigative bodies in question,” he said in the petition.

Surjewala also alleged that the extension of tenure in this “ad-hoc and episodic fashion” reaffirms the control of the Executive over investigative agencies and is “directly antithetical” to their independent functioning.

The CBI and ED directors had a fixed tenure of two years but can now be given an extension each year as long as the cumulative extension is not beyond five years from the initial date of appointment, the Congress leader said.

“It would thus mean that each permissible extension will be at the discretion and the subjective satisfaction of the appointing authority,” he said.

The Congress leader has also sought from the court an interim relief, alleging that the ordinances violate the court orders issued from time to time to ensure the independence of such institutions and it also reveals the clear abuse of power by the authorities.

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday ordered a magisterial probe into the Hyderpora encounter here, in which police claimed to have killed two terrorists and two terror associates.

“A magisterial inquiry by officer of ADM rank has been ordered in Hyderpora encounter. Govt will take suitable action as soon as report is submitted in a time-bound manner. JK admin reiterates commitment of protecting lives of innocent civilians & it will ensure there is no injustice,” Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said in a tweet.

The magisterial probe was ordered amidst protests by the family members of three of the four persons killed in the encounter on Monday.

The family members of Mohammad Altaf Bhat (the building owner), Mudasir Gul (a tenant) and Amir Magray (Gul’s office boy) have been protesting against the killings, which they have described as cold-blooded murder.

They have demanded that the bodies of the deceased be handed over to them for the last rites.

All the four persons killed in the encounter were buried in the Handwara area of Kupwara district.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed the Bombay High Court verdict which had held that no offence of sexual assault under the POCSO Act is made out if there is no direct skin-to-skin contact between an accused and victim.

A bench headed by Justice U U Lalit set aside the high court judgement, and said the most important ingredient of constituting sexual assault is sexual intent and not skin-to-skin with the child.

Purpose of the law cannot be to allow the offender to escape the meshes of the law, the apex court said.

“We have held that when the legislature has expressed clear intention, the courts cannot create ambiguity in the provision. It is right that courts cannot be overzealous in creating ambiguity,” the bench, also comprising Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Bela M Trivedi, said.

The top court, which was hearing separate appeals of Attorney General and the National Commission for women (NCW), had on January 27 stayed the order which had acquitted a man under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act saying groping a minor’s breast without ‘skin to skin contact’ cannot be termed as sexual assault .

The sessions court had sentenced the man to three years of imprisonment for the offences under the POCSO Act as also under IPC section 354. The sentences were to run concurrently.

The high court, however, acquitted him under the POCSO Act while upholding his conviction under IPC section 354.

Jaipur: Skipper Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav produced sublime knocks as India bungled towards end before recovering in time to fashion a five-wicket win over New Zealand in the opening T20 International ushering in a new era in Indian cricket.

Martin Guptill (70 off 42) and Mark Chapman (63 off 50) took New Zealand to 164 for six on a good batting surface.

India’s chase was set up by Rohit (48 off 36), who made his full-time captaincy debut, and Suryakumar Yadav (62 off 40) who came in at number three in place of rested Virat Kohli.

The home team was cantering to a comfortable win but messed up the chase in the final four overs. In the end, with New Zealand running out of bowling options, the job was done in the 20th over bowled by part-time pacer Daryl Mitchell.

Debutant Venkatesh Iyer hit his first ball in international cricket for four before Rishabh Pant got the winning runs.

The game marked the start of a new chapter in Indian cricket with Rohit as T20 skipper and Rahul Dravid as head coach.

With both teams resting some of their key players as part of workload management, it was very much an even contest before the first ball was bowled.

India raced to 50 for no loss in five overs with Rohit playing some delightful shots.

He got going with back to back fours off Tim Southee in the third over before unleashing his signature front pull on the final ball of the over.

The seasoned pace duo of Southee and Trent Boult were put under pressure upfront by both the openers. K L Rahul (15 off 14) got into the act with a massive six over deep square leg off Boult before Rohit hit another pull shot to collect 21 from the over.

Rahul fell to a soft dismissal on the first ball of Mitchell Santer’s spell to give New Zealand a wicket against run of play.

Suryakumar meant business from ball one and the most memorable shot of his innings was the pick up stroke off Lockie Ferguson to get to his third T20 fifty.

Both Rohit and Suryakumar should have gone on to finish the game but that didn’t happen.

From a straight forward 23 off the last 24 balls, India made it complicated by making the equation to 10 runs off the last over.

Earlier, Guptill and Chapman ensured New Zealand were well placed for a 180 plus total on a batting beauty but Ravichandran Ashwin’s double strike in one over put the brakes on the scoring rate.

Ashwin was the pick of the bowlers for India, taking two for 23 in four overs while senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/24 in four overs) too got his swing back.

Expecting heavy dew later in the evening, Rohit opted to field. Venkatesh was expectedly handed a debut while New Zealand made four changes to the playing eleven that played the T20 World Cup final on Sunday as part of workload management.

Bhuvneshwar, who looked far from his best in the T20 World Cup, got his trademark swing in the very first over of the match.

After a couple that shaped away from Guptill, he bowled a beautiful outswinger from length to breach Daryl Mitchell’s defence.

New Zealand reached 41 for one in the powerplay after a 15-run over from Deepak Chahar, who was guilty of bowling too short or too full.

The Hong Kong-born Chapman whipped and pulled Chahar for a four and six in the 6th over to give the innings much needed momentum.

India had the run rate under control until 10 overs with New Zealand reaching 65 for one.

Three big overs followed with Chapman and Guptill putting their foot on the pedal.

Chapman collected a four and six off Axar Patel in another 15-run over to bring up his first fifty for New Zealand, having played earlier for Hong Kong.

Guptill too looked in ominous touch at the other end as he deposited a slower one from Siraj over long-off.

Ashwin was brought back into the attack in the 14th and he struck twice at a timely juncture for his team with New Zealand getting to 123 for three in 15 overs.

With Guptill in full flow, even 200 seemed on the card but the opener was caught in the deep in the 18th over.

India did well in the last five overs to concede 41 runs besides taking three wickets.

Mumbai: A magistrate’s court here on Wednesday declared former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh a “proclaimed offender” in an extortion case registered against him and some other police officers in the city.

Singh, currently posted as Director General of Home Guards, attended his office last in May, after which he went on leave. The state police had told the Bombay High Court in October that his whereabouts were not known.

The crime branch of Mumbai Police, which is probing the extortion case, had sought the proclamation against him, saying that the IPS officer could not be traced even after the issuance of a non-bailable warrant.

Under section 82 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a court can publish a proclamation requiring an accused to appear if a warrant issued against him or her cannot be executed.

As per section 83, after issuing such a proclamation the court can also order attachment of the proclaimed offender’s properties.

Former assistant police inspector Sachin Waze is also an accused in the case, registered at the Goregaon police station in the city.

Besides Param Bir Singh, co-accused Vinay Singh and Riyaz Bhatti were also declared as proclaimed offenders by additional chief metropolitan magistrate S B Bhajipale on Wednesday.

Bimal Agrawal, a real estate developer and hotelier, had alleged that the accused extorted Rs 9 lakh from him for not conducting raid on two bars and restaurants which he ran in partnership, and also forced him to buy two smartphones worth around Rs 2.92 lakh for them.

The incidents occurred between January 2020 and March 2021, he had claimed.

Following his complaint, a case was filed under Indian Penal Code sections 384 and 385 (both pertaining to extortion) and 34 (common intention) against six accused.

Singh is facing an extortion case in Thane too.

The IPS officer was shunted out from the post of Mumbai police commissioner in March 2021 after Waze was arrested in the case of the SUV with explosives found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s south Mumbai residence `Antilia’ and the subsequent death of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran.

Singh was then appointed as Director General, Home Guards, following which he accused then Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh of corruption, a charge the latter denied.

Deshmukh later stepped down as minister and the CBI registered a case against him based on Singh’s allegations.

Singh was last seen in public on April 7, when he appeared before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) here to record statement in the Antilia bomb scare case. The CBI also recorded his statement in the Deshmukh case. He last attended office on May 4, following which he went on leave citing health issues, a senior official said.

Singh then sought an extension of leave claiming he had undergone a surgery. In August he requested one more extension.

On October 20, the police told the Bombay High Court that he was “not traceable”, and therefore they can not continue an earlier assurance not to arrest him in a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The HC was hearing a petition filed by Singh seeking to quash the FIR in the case, registered on the complaint of harassment filed by police inspector Bhimrao Ghadge.