Jailed ex-MLA sent to custody for abusing cop

Mateen Hafeez

Mumbai: 



  Former MLA Ramesh Kadam, who is lodged in Byculla jail for his alleged involvement in a Rs 365-crore scam, was remanded in police custody for a day for allegedly abusing a police officer outside the jail last week.

 On May 18, when Kadam was being escorted out of jail for check-up, he started arguing with assistant police inspector Manoj Pawar. A cop shot his outburst on his phone.In the clip, Kadam is seen taunting Pawar and asking someone to call up additional police commissioner (Aswathi) Dorje and complain that Pawar demanded Rs 25,000. On Wednesday, police told Sewri court that the extortion allegation against Pawar was false. They claimed Kadam used his phone en route to court.





The Times of India, May 25, 2017

Jailed ex-MLA caught on video abusing cop





Was Being Taken Out By Officer For Hospital Check-Up

 

Mateen Hafeez 

 Mumbai: A video of former MLA Ramesh Kadam, who is lodged in Byculla Jail in a Rs 365-crore scam, abusing an on-duty cop at the jail's main gate has gone viral, inviting an inquiry .
The incident occurred around 10.45am, Thursday , when Kadam was being escorted out of the jail for a medical check-up at JJ Hospital. “Once outside the gate, assistant police inspector Manoj Pawar asked him to stand on the side, which might have angered Kadam (once an NCP MLA from Solapur),“ said asource. In the video, Kadam is seen in a threatening posture abusing Pawar. Kadam was arrested in August 2015 for his suspected role in a scam involving the Lokshahir Annabhau Sathe Development Corporation (LASDC), of which he was chairman.

Joint police commissioner (law and order) Deven Bharti told TOI, “We have asked Akhilesh Singh (DCP zone-III) to inquire into the matter. We will take action as per the findings of the probe report.“ Pawar approached the Nagapda police station on Thursday and told them about the incident. The police noted down the matter in a diary , but no FIR or NC was registered.

At the time of the incident, Kadam and a few cops were waiting for a police van when Kadam started arguing with Pawar. A constable recorded it on his cellphone. In the video, Kadam can be seen taunting Pawar, saying he was behaving like a woman. He went on to tell Pawar that he was behaving like a eunuch.Kadam is also heard asking someone to call up additional police commissioner (Aswathi) Dorje and complain that Pawar demanded Rs 25,000 from him.

Abusing Pawar, Kadam told him to open the jail gate again so that he could go in as he wasn't in the mood to go to the hospital. While Pawar asked some cops to take Kadam inside, nobody moved. “I will bring a privilege motion against you (translation from Marathi),“ Kadam is heard threatening Pawar.

In February last year, a senior medi cal officer attending to undertrials at Arthur Road jail filed a complaint against Kadam (who was then at that jail), alleging that he had abused and threatened him. Based on Dr Rahul Ghule's complaint, the N M Joshi Marg police registered an offence under the IPC's sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of duty), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation).

The Times of India, May 20, 2017

`Tawde', three aides booked for cheating

Mateen Hafeez

 





Mumbai:  Four men--one of them impersonating education minister Vinod Tawde--have been booked for allegedly cheating a Mankhurd homemaker and another victim of a total Rs 3.72 lakh. The Kalachowkie police are looking for Chinchpokli resident Abhijit Surve, his aides Satyavan and Baljit Singh and an unidentified accused. “Surve's phone is switched off, we are trying to retrieve his call data records,“ said senior inspector Dilip Ugale.

 “In her complaint, Rashi Rane (36) said she came in contact with Surve on Facebook. During a chat, she asked Surve's help to earn some money ,“ said a police officer. Surve told her that he would buy cellphones and SIM cards in her name that would be used by his employees to make calls to his clients and in return she would get 5-10% commission. “Surve used her ID proof and money to buy two phones,“ said the officer. “Surve would make excuses whenever she called to ask about the commission.On one occasion, Surve claimed he was with minister Tawde who spoke to Rane and assured her that she will get her commission.“ After waiting for four months, Rane approached the police.

The Times of India, May 10, 2017

Five MNS workers arrested for vandalizing Chudasama's office

Mateen Hafeez





Mumbai: The Marine Drive police arrested five workers of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena on charges of rioting at the office of former sheriff Nana Chudasama over a message on his popular banner.

 

The arrested included Arvind Gavade, Tushar Salien, Srikant Borule. The names of two others are being withheld. “We produced them before the court and they have been remanded in police custody till April 18. We doing our investigation,“ said a police officer.

Chudasama is known for witty lines on current affairs that he puts up on a banner outside his office on Marine Drive. The banner that was torn read: “Promoting Marathi welcomed, diktat not welcomed.“

Police said that a group of nearly a dozen men entered the office of Chudasama and shouted slogans. Later, they pulled down the poster, tore it and set it on fire. Some panes, flower pots and showpieces were also broken. “They were shouting slogans like `Marathi mansacha vijay aso, Nana Chudasama murdabad. We are probing the case,“ said the officer. The police had registered an offence of rioting under Criminal Amendment Act.

“You can agitate in a democracy , shout slogans but you cannot vandalize. My father has written so many banners and he is entitled to his opinion in a democracy ,“ Chudasama's daughter and BJP spokesperson Shaina NC said. “It is our right and that is the beauty of our setup. One cannot go to a senior citizen's office in such a maner. If you have any problem you can come and discuss it.We have left the case to police's discretion,“ she added.
The MNS maintained that “anti-Marathi“ utterances provoke violence.

Chudasama is a Padmashri and has been running the banner for the last 55 years.





The Times of India, April 17, 2015

Kripa assets case: Sr cops give okay for filing of chargesheet

Mateen Hafeez





Mumbai: The economic offences wing (EOW) is likely to file a chargesheet on Saturday against former state minister Kripashankar singh and some of his relatives in connection with a multi-crore disproportionate assets case. Senior officers have given the go-ahead for the chargesheet to be filed, it was learnt on Friday . A notice to Singh and his family has been served asking them to be present at an anti-corruption court on Saturday.

 On February 22, 2012, the Bombay high court ordered the police to attach several properties belonging to Singh and his kin and investigate allegations of criminal miscon duct and disproportionate assets. A resident of the city had filed a PIL before the court alleging Singh and his relatives had disproportionate assets worth over Rs 320 crore.
“We are likely to file chargesheet on Saturday in an anticorruption court,“ an officer related to the inquiry said.

The PIL mentioned around 15 properties registered in the name of Singh, his wife Malti Devi, son Narendra, daughter Sunita and son-in-law Vijay Pratap Singh. The properties in the name of Singh's son in the PIL were said to be worth Rs 274 crore, but Narendra said the real estate worth over Rs 148 crore did not belong to him.

“I still believe in the police agency and I want to know whether the cops have found Rs 370 crore or not which was mentioned in the PIL and whether the allegations levelled against us were true or false,“ he said. “And if it's false, will the petitioner be punished for false allegations and torturing the whole family even though only one of them is a public servant. There is an SC order saying when you are not a public servant, the case against you doesn't stand.“

Cartridges case
On January 20, the crime branch had filed a chargesheet against Kripashankar Singh in connection with a case of illegal possession of firearm cartridges. TNN





 The Times of India, April 4, 2015

Cops lay honey trap on app to nab soldier who made abusive calls to Maha minister

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The police posed as a woman on a messaging service to trap and arrest an army jawan who had made abusive calls to a minister of state from Maharashtra.
 

    The minister had complained to the police about receiving two abusive calls from a number. The police traced the SIM card, issued in the name of the soldier, to a place near Dhule district, and the location of the calls to Assam. A police team created a fake profile on WhatsApp using the picture of a woman and contacted the soldier. After ‘befriending’ him thus, they convinced him to come to Mumbai to meet her. Upon arriving at Dadar station, instead of finding himself in a warm, amorous embrace, the soldier waded straight into the long arms of the law.
 

    A senior police officer said the minister received the calls in April. “The caller abused and humiliated the minster.”
 

    The minster approached the crime branch and registered a complaint with the anti-extortion cell. While examining the location of the phone from which the calls had been made, police detectives found it to be Shillong and that it was changing. “The soldier was travelling. During a call data record (CDR) analysis, we found that he had made several calls to a travel agency in Mumbai. A police team went to the agency, in Colaba, and found that the soldier had booked tickets through them in the past,” said a police officer. 

    It was then that the police laid their trap. The soldier was quick to respond to the WhatsApp woman, and the two conversed for three days. After that, he agreed to meet ‘her’ and ended up in the police’s net. Upon questioning, he told the police that his action of abusing the minister on phone was prompted by the latter developing an unhealthy passion in the soldier’s real-life love interest.

The Times of India, May 4, 2014

Sena, MNS workers clash during nomination in SoBo

FLAGGING OFF TROUBLE: Shiv Sainiks, MNS workers clash at collectorate gate, pelt stones, glass bottles; (left) S B Singh Road saw massive traffic snarls 

 

In City’s First Poll Violence, 11 Injured, 11 Supporters Held

 

Somit Sen | TNN

    The city saw its first pollrelated violence on Thursday afternoon when close to 200 supporters of the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) clashed at the gates of the city collector’s office, injuring 11 persons, including a TV cameraman. Police have booked 11 persons for rioting.
  

  A situation developed as Sena candidate from Mumbai South Arvind Sawant and the MNS candidate from South-Central Aditya Shirodkar arrived with hordes of supporters at the Old Customs House around 1pm on Thursday to file their nominations for the Lok Sabha elections.
  

  The police had clearly not anticipated such a huge turnout and were outnumbered. Cheering for the candidates soon turned into jeering of the opponents and the workers of the MNS and Sena, whose leaders are locked in a bitter war of words, began hitting out with the flagstaffs, said the police.
  

  “It eventually turned out to be a serious altercation and they began pelting stones,” said additional police commissioner (south region) Krishna Prakash. “Soon, they were hurling glass bottles and soda water bottles and this resulted in a few people sustaining serious head injuries, including a cameraman,” he added. The police lathicharged and brought the situation under control.
 

    But there was a massive traffic snarl on S B Singh Road as one side of the carriageway road was blocked following the incident.
 

    Of the 11 injured, three, including a woman, had to be admitted to St George Hospital for head injuries. “Most of them had sustained minor injuries in the shoulder, hands and head. Those admitted have been mostly kept for observation,” said Dr Jagdish Bhavani, medical superintendent.
 

    The MRA Marg police have registered a case of rioting, assaulting policeman on duty and creating obstacles in discharge of duty under various sections of the IPC. “We have arrested seven Shiv Sainiks and four persons from MNS. They are in the police station and will be produced before a court on Friday,” said an officer.
 

    Senior officials at the collectorate said there had been no breach of the election code of conduct, but it was a criminal offence as it affected law and order. “As per the code of conduct, there should be only four people along with the candidate inside the returning officer’s (RO) premises. Also, as per the Election Commission rules, only three vehicles can be parked 100m from the RO’s office. Both rules were followed by the candidates,” one of them said.
    (Inputs by Chittaranjan Tembhekar,  Mateen Hafeez & Sumitra Deb Roy)

The Times of India, April 4, 2014

Ex-MLA booked for assaulting commando

Mumbai: The MRA Marg police recently registered a case against a former MLA of the Shiv Sena for allegedly beating up a quick response team commando and a taxi driver at Hutatma Chowk in south Mumbai. The MLA is yet to be arrested. 

    Krishna Prakash, Addl CP (south region), said, “The on-duty QRT commando, P Dhare, was posted near Hutatma Chowk. He saw some people beating up a taxi driver with sticks. While no one came to the cabbie’s rescue, the commando intervened. The accused asaulted the commando despite knowing he was a policeman on duty.”

    Prakash added that the commando was scared of losing his job as he had heard one of the men saying he was an ex-MLA. “After learning of the incident, we called the commando who told us what happened. He said he didn’t want to lodge a complaint as he was scared of any action against him,” said Prakash. 

—Mateen Hafeez

Police flooded with calls on Kripa wealth

WRITING ON THE WALL: Many properties belonging to Kripa and his family, including the bungalow Tarang, have been attached

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The city police have been receiving calls from unidentified people offering to share “information”—sometimes gratis, sometimes in exchange for money—about former Mumbai Congress chief Kripashankar Singh and his family’s as yet unknown properties.

Since last Tuesday, officers said, the police’s control room and its Economic Offences Wing have got more than a dozen calls where the callers offered to pass information on the “benami” properties that have not found mention in the PIL filed against Singh and his family members. Invariably, though, the callers “hung up when they were asked their name and interest in the issue”, said a police officer.

“Some callers demanded money in return for secret information about Singh’s properties in Jaunpur, Lucknow and Ranchi. One wanted to be rewarded for clues on Singh’s immovable assets in Mumbai,” said the officer. “We take calls seriously, but the problem is lack of concrete information so far.”

Cops seek Kripa family’s bank details

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the multi-crore disproportionate assets case against senior Congress leader Kripashankar Singh and his family has written to several banks, asking for the details of transactions made from 15 of their accounts.

A police officer told TOI that the team has sought the details of all post-1994 transactions. The information is expected to be received “in the next two days”. The officer said the accounts were not frozen since the Bombay High Court had not made such a demand. The court, in its order on February 22, had said that it is not directing the freezing of accounts, “having seen the futility of such (an) exercise” since most accounts have been “completely washed out”.

Sources indicated that Singh may not be arrested until April 19, the day a report has to be submitted before the high court. “In most disproportionate assets cases, the accused are not arrested at the preliminary stage of investigation. We have time and our priority is to complete the investigation,” an officer said. The police are likely to summon Singh and his family within a few days, though, to record their statements.

The high court, in its judgment, had described some of the entries made in the family’s bank statements as “wondrous”.

It had questioned how the savings bank accounts of Singh’s wife, Malti Devi, showed “a balance of Rs 00.00” if she “amassed so much wealth legitimately”. It also pointed out that the bank accounts of Singh’s son, Narendra, showed a credit balance of “not more than a few thousand rupees with one bank account having the distinction of the credit balance of Rs 00.00” despite his having major financial dealings. The court highlighted that the movable items in his bungalow itself were shown to be worth Rs 1 crore.

Many cops said they are treading carefully since it is a “political case”. “We are not under any pressure but at the same time we have to finish probing all the aspects of the case within the stipulated time,” said an officer.

The high court on February 22 had ordered Mumbai police chief Arup Patnaik to file a first information report (FIR) against Singh under the Prevention of Corruption Act for “criminal misconduct” and his family members for abetment. The FIR was registered on February 28 and the SIT began raiding and attaching the 19 properties—as directed by the court—held by Singh and his family last Friday.

The raids yielded considerable amounts of documents. They are currently being studied by the police’s Economic Offences Wing and the crime branch. Among these documents, officers said, are files of income tax returns, bank passbooks, real estate sale and purchase agreements, and bank loan records.

The Times of India, March 5, 2012

Narco cops held for selling charas

STAIN 0N KHAKI

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The city Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) arrested four persons, including two policemen from Thane ANC, for allegedly selling charas worth Rs 1.2 lakh.

Mumbai police spokesperson DCP Nisar Tamboli, who also heads the ANC, said, “First we arrested a drug peddler, Shakeel Shaikh (45) and seized 1.5 kg charas worth Rs 1.2 lakh. During interrogation, he spilled the beans and we arrested a schoolteacher, Ashok Dongre, from Kurla. While the interrogation was on, names of two police personnel from Thane ANC cropped up and we arrested them in this case too.”

The arrested policemen are Ashok Suryavanishi (50), a head constable, and Shivaji Kshirsagar (36), a police nayak. The two were produced before a special court and remanded in police custody till March 7.

“While we were questioning Shaikh, we found that he purchased the drugs from two persons from Thane. When we summoned them, we were surprised to see that they were police personnel from the anti-narcotics cell in Thane. Initially, the two tried to dodge the Mumbai police but later admitted to selling drugs to Shaikh,” said an officer. The two policemen told investigators that they had caught another drug peddler in February and recovered charas from him. While they seized the charas, they warned and released him without making a case. “They did not inform their senior colleagues about the drugs. They later sold it to Shaikh for Rs 1.2 lakh,” an officer added.

“We are also probing if they had sold such seizure to any other accused in the past. We have got their custody and will find out for how long they have been doing such illegal activities,” said the officer.


The Times of India, March 1, 2012

The poor have Shahid Balwa’s goat every day

The Balwas have been sacrificing goats to help tide over their troubles

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Every afternoon, a feast is laid out in the bylanes of Nagpada. The culinary spread has been on offer for the last fortnight, and have-nots in the area have been lining up for a quick bite and conveying their heartfelt gratitude.

In this Muslim-dominated stretch, such feasts are not uncommon—they are part of the Islamic custom of ‘sadqa’ or charity practised to ward off troubles. What is interesting about this round of sadqa is that it is being hosted by the Balwas—a family earlier known only for its Balwas restaurant at New Marine Lines but now for its son Shahid Balwa’s realty firm, DB Realty.Balwa, India’s youngest billionaire at 37, and his cousin Asif have been in Tihar jail for their role in the 2G scam since February and March, respectively.

Given the dark clouds hovering over the family, there is speculation that the sadqa is a fervent prayer for deliverance from their darkest hour. A source close to the family said the goat sacrifice was mainly on account of the holy months of Rajjab and Shaaban. “The family usually distributes food during these two months. But this time they are sacrificing goats. It could be as sadqa for the troubled times they are going through,” said the source, adding, “Two goats from the family’s farmhouses are sacrificed every day for the feast, and this will continue for two more months.”

‘Sadqa’ highest form of charity
Mumbai: For the last 15 days, Mumbai’s Balwa family has been hosting a feast in the Muslim-dominated area of Nagpada for the poor. The act is a part of the Islamic custom of ‘sadqa’ or charity practised to ward off troubles. With Shahid Balwa, MD of DB Realty, being arrested for his alleged role in the 2G spectrum scam, there is speculation that sadqa is a fervent prayer for deliverance from their darkest hour.

Sadqa is considered the highest act of charity. While usually it is cash that is given out, feeding the poor and needy is also allowed. “Shahid is fond of goats and has at least 300 goats, which are fed fruit, dry fruits, juices and cold drinks,” said a source close to the family. It is said the entrepreneur was so fond of his goats that “he cared for them as if they were human beings”.

Shahid and Asif Balwa were directors of the erstwhile Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd, whose name was later changed to Kusegaon Realty. Shahid is one of the promoters of the DB Group which runs DB Realty, DB Hospitality and Swan Telecom (now Etisalat DB Telecom). The family belongs to the Chilya Sunni Muslim community.

The Times of India, June 19, 2011

Malegaon deal: Cong-NCP tries to win over IMCP

Mufti Ismail

Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Malegaon: Congress and NCP are putting intense pressure on Indian Muslim Congress Party, a group of religious and community leaders that has emerged as the single largest party in the civic polls, ever since it talked of forming a coalition with Shiv Sena to rule the corporation.

IMCP has emerged as the leading player after the recently-held Malegaon municipal polls, but remains short of a majority. The outfit has been in talks with Sena on the issue of sharing power since the election results were declared on May 28. Sena chief Bal Thackeray, on his part, has given the nod to tie up with IMCP. But Congress and Janata Dal (Secular), the other contenders, have also been discussing the idea of joining hands.

State Congress chief Prabha Rao has tried to open a line of communication with the IMCP head, 46-yr-old Mufti Mohammed Ismail. Sources said Rao called up Mufti Ismail on Tuesday night and asked him to join hands with the local Congress unit.

Mufti Ismail told TOI that he had made it clear to Rao that IMCP was looking for support from the secular parties in order to retain control of the corporation. But if Congress tried to use ‘under-hand’ means to take charge and appoint the mayor, Mufti Ismail said, his party would make them ‘pay for it in the assembly polls.’

Mufti said, “Prabha Rao called me up and asked me to form a majority with the help of Congress. I told her clearly that as we won the maximum seats, the mayor would be from our party.’’ He also clarified that IMCP would not stop negotiations with Sena in its bid to form a coalition.

The three-month-old IMCP, also known as the Third Front, had bagged 27 seats in the 72-member elections. Congress had 15 seats and the Nihal Ahmed-led JD(Secular) could manage only 12. Shiv Sena bagged seven seats while Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena won two.

Malegaon’s Congress MLA Shaikh Rasheed, whose son Asif (27) has already been a mayor between 2005-2007—a period which saw brewing discontentment among residents of the textile township due to deterioration of civic services. This time, Nihal Ahmed wants his daughter Shan-e-Hind (25) to be deputy mayor.

With Congress seeking to wrest control of the Rs 120-crore civic corporation, the IMCP coalition is keen to ensure that the township gets a new set of people to govern it. For this, it is willing to forge an alliance with Sena despite ideological differences. “It’s a matter of trust. We are negotiating with Sena only for the development of Malegaon,’’ said Mufti.

Deputy chief minister R R Patil has also tried to woo IMCP by assuring Mufti Ismail that he will speak to chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and ensure Congress-NCP’s support for the Third Front. It’s a situation that has landed the Mufti in a dilemma.

In one of his election rallies, he had said, “Voting for NCP is a bigger sin than committing suicide.’’ Now, Malegaon’s residents are debating on whether he will go with Congress-NCP or prefer to join hands with Sena.

Petitions seek stay on mayoral polls
Nineteen candidates of Janata Dal and four of NCP have filed petitions in a Malegaon sessions court asking for a stay on the June 15 mayoral polls. The petitions, filed through advocate Azeem Khan, have argued that IMCP’s election rallies were organised along religious lines. They also said prayers were offered at the start and end of each rally. TNN

The Times of India, June 9, 2007

MLA accused of rape held in Bandra, sent to Nashik

MLA DILIP WAGH

Mateen Hafeez & Prakash Joshi TNN

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party MLA Dilip Wagh, accused of raping a 22-year-old woman, was detained by the anti-extortion cell of the city crime branch from a bar at Pali Hill in Bandra at 9.30 pm on Saturday.

Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police (detection, crime branch), said: “On the request of the Nashik police, we deployed our men in Bandra and detained Wagh. We have handed him over to them.” The police have booked Wagh and his secretary Mahesh Mali for allegedly raping a woman in a state guest house in Nashik on February 21 after calling her for a job interview. Police sources said a preliminary medical report has confirmed sexual intercourse in the case. The victim has been sent for more tests.

Earlier in the day, NCP state president Madhukar Pichad suspended Wagh, an MLA from Pachora in Jalgaon. He is son of veteran politician Omkar Wagh, who had represented the constituency twice. The family enjoys considerable clout there.

MLA walked into trap at bar

Around 30 policemen from the anti-extortion cell and the property cell of the crime branch laid a trap near Royal China bar and restaurant on Saturday after learning that Wagh might be visiting, said sources. Wagh arrived in a chauffeur-driven car, not his own, and settled down after placing his orders. But the policemen reached him before his order.

“Wagh was shocked to find that he was surrounded by policemen from the crime branch. He did not resist and came out,” a source said. He was taken to the crime branch unit in Bandra where he had to wait for an hour before being handed over to the Nashik police. The team left with him for Nashik and took along the car the MLA was using to verify its ownership.

Police said a preliminary medical report has confirmed sexual intercourse. The victim, who is from Aurangabad, was taken to Nashik for more tests. A more detailed chemical report will confirm if it was rape.

According to the FIR filed on Friday in Nashik, the MLA had asked the girl to come with her bio-data after promising to get her a job. He had told her that he was in charge of several organizations. The victim had approached the police on Thursday night.

The red-faced NCP decided to move quickly as the authorities were moving to file a case against the MLA. The party confirmed Wagh’s suspension but declined to give reason. The budget session of the state legislature begins next month where the ruling party will face fire from the opposition.

The accused had been on the run and created problems for the party as the home department is handled by senior NCP minister R R Patil. The party has faced a similar situation when ex-minister and NCP MP Padamsinh Patil was arrested on charge of murdering his cousin and Congress leader P R Nimbalkar in 2006. Patil is now out on bail. R R Patil has assured an impartial inquiry will be conduted and culprits will be brought to book.

The Times of India, February 27, 2011

Defaulter MLA’s goons thrash loan recovery agents

Sumitra Deb Roy & Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: Five recovery officers of the Sangli Sahakari Bank were beaten up with hockey and bamboo sticks allegedly by hired goons owing allegiance to BJP MLA Prakash Shendge on Thursday afternoon. Two bank officials sustained severe injuries and had to be rushed to the nearby Podar Medical College and Hospital at Worli.

The bank officials, armed with court orders, had gone to attach Shendge’s 1,200-square-foot flat in Sukhada building on Pochkhanwala Road, Worli.

According to the CEO of Sangli Sahakari Bank, Vilas Patil, Shendge owes the bank a whopping Rs 25 crore, which has remained unpaid over the years. He had taken a loan of Rs 21 crore and the rest of the amount was the interest that had accumulated over the years, he said.

The bank has already attached three of Shendge’s properties over the past few months to recover the loan amount. “We have recovered about Rs 15 crore of the amount. And we intended to recover the rest of the money from his Worli flat,” said Patil.

Two of the recovery agents, Vijay Sagre and M S Shinde, were severely hurt. They have sustained skull injuries, but both are stable, said the treating doctor from Podar Medical College. Both of them were discharged by evening.

The injured officers told their colleagues that as soon as they entered the premises of Sukhada building, they could sense that the crowd was hostile. The incident happened despite the recovery officers being accompanied by police constables, said Patil.

Officials from the Worli police station said that they had arrested eight people for rioting and assault. The police confirmed that there were 70-80 men associated with Shengde who had attacked the bank officials with bamboo and hockey sticks.

“A constable, S Vashirkar, was also injured and was taken to a local hospital for treatment,” said Bharat Worlikar, senior police inspector of the Worli police station. Meanwhile, a press note from Shendge said that he had deposits of Rs 2.80 crore in the bank and the matter is pending with the Supreme Court. He said the bank officials had visited his house without informing him.

The Times of India, Feb 26, 2010

CITY SHRUGS OFF FEAR

Taking Advantage Of Heavy Police Security & A Holiday, Mumbaikars Catch First-Day Screenings Of ‘My Name Is Khan’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: Whatever else he might have done, actor Shah Rukh Khan ensured one thing: that the city’s politicians took time off from their routine and spent a morning in a cinema hall—first-day, first-show no less. Which other actor can brag of such a fan following?

On Friday, Mumbai came out in large numbers despite the Shiv Sena’s threat to stay away from cinema halls screening ‘My Name Is Khan’. Leading the pack of cinegoers was home minister R R Patil. Others, such as MP Sanjay Nirupam and state minister Arif Nasim Khan, also watched the film, as did the likes of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. Khakhi freely mixed with mufti at theatres, as cops roamed conspicuously and security arrangements were tight.

SOUTH MUMBAI
“Those who want to exhibit the film will be given complete protection,’’ said Patil. The politician brushed aside all talk of the government’s failure to give confidence to exhibitors. “We have assured them protection. Now they have to decide if they want to release the film,’’ he added, before walking in to watch ‘My Name Is Khan’ at Nariman Point’s Inox theatre.

Taking complete advantage of the Mahashivratri holiday, Mumbaikars came out in numbers to cinema halls. “Initially, we were hesitant but then thought the police would do their job and we should enjoy the film,’’ said consultant Rakesh Gupta, who watched the film with his wife.

Byculla resident Mehmood Shaikh, who also watched the movie, had a different reason for showing up. “I came to see the crowds and the media coverage the movie was getting,’’ he said rather honestly.

At Sterling cinema in the Fort area, a mother-daughter duo watched the film without any fear. “The only problem was the long checking process at the entrance, but I guess they were just doing their job,’’ said the daughter. “We were asked to show photo IDs, probably to prove we were not Shiv Sainiks,’’ she said.

WESTERN SUBURBS
While only a couple of cinema halls in the western suburbs had chosen to screen the film in the morning, by afternoon nobody wanted to lose out on the business. Cops were deployed in large numbers at multiplexes in Goregaon’s Oberoi Mall and Andheri’s Fun Republic. ACP (West) Amitabh Gupta and zonal DCP (West) K M M Prasanna were both personally present at the theatres to supervise security arrangements.

MP and Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam watched the first show at Andheri’s Fun Republic. “There were many people in the theatre, including kids,’’ claimed Nirupam. “This is a clear indication that people are rejecting the Sena’s so-called movement,’’ he said. State minister Arif Nasim Khan also came to watch the film with friends.

Crowds from the western suburbs were seen carrying banners in support of the movie. IIT-ian Saurah Jain came with friends and said they would watch the film without fear. But cinema owners played safe by only selling tickets an hour before showtime. Needless to say, ticket counters were swamped with cine-goers.

On Friday morning, Sena supporters pelted stones and bottles at Fun Republic but the cops nabbed them promptly. At Cinemax in Kandivili (East), there was an attempt to disrupt the screening. “About 30 Sainiks were picked up as soon as they began to tear posters,’’ said Ajit Patil, DCP (zone 12). All the accused were hauled to the Samta Nagar police station. In Andheri (west), two BEST buses and an auto rickshaw were damaged. “We got calls saying shops were forcefully being made to shut down and BEST buses were stopped in Jawahar Nagar in Goregaon (west),’’ informed a senor police official. “The team reached the spot immediately but the miscreants couldn’t be traced,’’ he added.

EASTERN SUBURBS
Khan lovers from Dombivli, Kalyan and Ulhasnagar turned up at the Fame multiplex in Kalyan, only to be disappointed since the booking counter was closed. “The decision not to show any films for an undefined period has come from the top,’’ said an employee.

But Mumbaikars thronged single-screen theatres in the central and eastern suburbs. Kalpana theatre at Kamani Road in Kurla (west) showed the film at 12 noon with 349 seats filled. “All tickets went in current booking and the show went off without incident,’’ said theatre manager Babu Bhai. Cops from police stations at Kurla and VB Nagar were deployed at the cinema hall. On February 9, glass windows were shattered in the theatre. The management believes their legal advisor led the agitation. “The man has gone into hiding but we are looking for him,’’ said ACP (Kurla division) Prabhakar Satam.

The Ghatkopar-based single screen Shreyas cinema sold 35 tickets for the noon show—a third of normal capacity. “We decided to go ahead with the release after the zonal DCP personally led the security charge on the premises,’’ said an employee. Meanwhile, bandobast was beefed up at the Ghatkopar-based Cinemax theatre on Ram Narayan Narkar Marg where police officials from Pant Nagar, led by senior inspector MS Suryavanshi, provided security.
—Reported by Yogesh Naik, Mateen Hafeez, Vijay V Singh, Sanjeev Shivadekar, Nitasha Natu & V Narayan

BRAVING THE STORM: (Top) Cineastes mill outside an Andheri multiplex for tickets on Friday. (Above) A fan sports a T-shirt supporting the SRK movie. (Left) Home minister R R Patil waves his ticket stub

The Times of India, February 13, 2010

Sena tears up truce, screens

Metro cinema

CM Assures Multiplexes of Adequate Security, Cops Make Preventive Arrests Across City

Bharati Dubey, V Narayan & Mateen Hafeez | TNN

Mumbai: The terror after the truce on Tuesday took everyone by surprise. After promising to let Shahrukh say My Name Is Khan, the Shiv Sena went on the rampage again, attacking movie halls across the city where advance bookings for the film opened, prompting producer Karan Johar, distributors and multiplex owners to seek police protection.

Halls like Shreyas, Mehul and Huma Adlabs in the eastern suburbs and Metro in South Mumbai were attacked by Sainiks. Shiv Sena activists posing as cinegoers bought tickets to a show of Striker at Metro cinema, entered the hall and tore the screen in the evening. Earlier in the day, Sainiks barged into Huma Adlabs and tore up the screen during a show of 3 Idiots. The booking counter of Mehul Cinema at Mulund was ransacked, additional commissioner of police (east region) Ritesh Kumar told TOI.

Karan Johar alongwith distributors and exhibitors of the movie met police commissioner D Sivanandhan on Tuesday asking for security. “The police commissioner has assured us of adequate security,’’ said Johar.

The police, initially caught unawares by the Sena’s assurance not to disrupt the film, swung into action later. After the attacks, cinema halls had mobile police vans with about 18 policemen stationed outside them.Till late at night,over 350 Shiv Sainiks were arrested from across the city as a preventive measure. “Some were arrested for rioting while others were picked up as a preventive measure,’’ said Sivanandhan.

Deputy commissioner of police (Zone IX) K M M Prasanna held meetings with theatre owners under his jurisdiction (Bandra to Juhu), comprising 17 screens. “We assured theatre owners of adequate police protection.’’ “Till 8pm we arrested 45 people for rioting, unlawful assembly and as preventive measures,” additional commissioner of police (West region) Amitabh Gupta said.

Cinema halls closed advance bookings after Tuesday’s incidents. Vishal Kapoor, COO, Fun Cinemas who attended the meeting on Tuesday morning, said, “We have been told there will be enough police security at the time of the relase and asked to open advance bookings. We did so on Monday but stopped it now. If things get better we shall open advance bookings on Wednesday.’’

Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police (law and order), said distributors had given police a list of 63 cinema halls where the movie is to be screened. “We will deploy police at distributors’ offices and cinema halls and provide personal security to them if required. We have already given security to some distributors,’’ said Roy. He indicated cops in muftis will be present in cinema halls. “Before the audience is allowed in the cinema hall, there will be frisking,’’ he said. He added state reserve police force will be called in.

The film industry is not surprised. Mahesh Bhatt said, “In 1989, when Pakistan cricketerturned actor Mohsin Khan acted in my film Saathi, it met a similar fate.It was forced out of halls by the Sena because of his nationality.We spoke to Thackeray and got the impression the matter was resolved but later Mohsin was attacked outside RK Studio.’’ Film writer Dilip Thakur hopes it will be like Amitabh Bachchan’s Shahenshah.He said,“Maratha Mandir was cordoned off by the police, the film released smoothly and Bofors was forgotten.’’

Chavan assures protection
In a late-night meeting with distributors and multiplex owners, CM Ashok Chavan said the government is prepared to protect multiplexes. The meeting was attended by home minister R R Patil, minister of state Ramesh Bagwe, director-general of police A N Roy, additional chief secretary Chandra Iyengar.
Yogesh Naik | TNN

Huma Adlabs, Kanjurmarg

Mehul, Mulund

R-Mall, Mulund

The Times of India, February 10, 2010

Raj threat: City cops in Bihar to grill suspects

CONCERNED: MNS chief Raj Thackeray

Mateen Hafeez I TNN

Mumbai: A city crime branch team is camping in Bihar to investigate the letter, which was sent to the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray last week, with the threat of assasinating him.

A senior crime branch officer said they were carrying out parallel investigations in the city and in Bihar. “No arrests have been made yet. Our team is questioning the suspects in Bihar,’’ said the officer. The threat this time was sent in the form of a letter allegedly from Sarvodaya Samaj in Bihar. It was written and signed by Ashok Kumar Singh, who claims to be the founder president of the Samaj.

The letter was sent to Raj’s Dadar residence. Following the death threat, Raj’s security was reviewed and he was provided with ‘Y’ category security cover. The city crime branch said they were making inquiries if the letter was indeed sent by the Sarvodaya Samaj people or someone was playing a prank. “We are not ruling out the possibility of a mischief. However, we can not say much until we complete our investigation,’’ said an officer.

The letter stated, “Five revolutionaries of the Sarvodaya Samaj have taken a decision in the name of our motherland that one among us will kill you in the same way you and your men have persecuted the Hindi speaking population in Mumbai. A few days ago, MLA Abu Azmi was roughed up in the Assembly because he wanted to take oath in Hindi. We can tolerate everything but not insult to Hindi. Hence, you will be killed before December 25, 2009.’’

The Times of India, December 21, 2009