POLL GUPPA

Two weddings & an election in Raigad 

 Two bridegrooms, who were neck deep in their wedding rituals on Thursday, insisted on heading to their individual voting centres to cast their vote in Pen and Roha in Raigad. Digambar Rama Mokal (23) of Maleghar, Pen taluka, reached the booth in the morning even as his wedding party waited for his return. The second bridegroom from Kolad in Roha, Sandip Pawar (34), a technician, forced his family to delay his ‘haldi’ ceremony. “While marriage is once in a lifetime, I still did not want to miss voting, as Lok Sabha elections take place once every five years. I think voting is as important as getting married.”  

 

Three villages vote after 13 yrs, 5 don’t

 T hree villages from Kalyan gramin area under the Bhiwandi Lok Sabha constituency voted on Thursday after 13 years of boycott. Voter turnout, though, was around just 25%. On the other hand, five villages of 6,000 voters from Murbad taluka in the same constituency boycotted the elections to protest against the government apathy towards their rehabilitation due to the Kalu dam project. The three villages—Mohili, Umbarli and Ambivli situated near Titwala— are upset with civic apathy. The villagers said their protest will continue till KDMC provides them with proper roads, electric poles and water supply.  

 

Snake at the booth

 A snake was spotted in one of the polling centres at Malabar Hill around 3.30pm on Thursday. Some residents who came to cast their votes got frightened and immediately informed the polling officer. He, in turn, called the policeman deployed there. The cops asked Nitin Walmiki, a Malabar Hill resident who is said to be an expert in catching snakes. Finally, Walmiki caught the snake outside the Banganga polling centre and handed it over to animal experts.
    (Vijay Singh, Pradeep Gupta & Mateen Hafeez)

The Times of India, April 25, 2014

Bookies say there’s no Modi wave in city

 

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Despite the BJP’s claim of a Narendra Modi wave, Congress-NCP candidates are the favourites for the city’s bookies. Of Mumbai’s six parliamentary seats, bookies see the UPA’s nominees grabbing three to four.
 

    Police sources said election-related betting is in full swing. In Mumbai South, Congress candidate Milind Deora is the favorite of punters. “If he wins, those placing bets on the Congress stalwart will get 20 paise on every rupee,” said a police source.
 

    In Mumbai North West, the Congress’s Gurudas Kamat is the favourite, with odds of 30 paise for every rupee. “In Mumbai North Central, voters are not happy with Congress MP Priya Dutt. She also lacks support from three MLAs and their supporters. But she is the bookies’ favorite and can win,” said a source. Dutt’s odds are 40 paise.
 

    For Shiv Sena’s Rahul Shewale in Mumbai South Central, the bookies have offered 45 paise per rupee. In Mumbai North East, the BJP’s Kirit Somaiya is the favourite with odds of 32 paise to a rupee.

The Times of India, April 24, 2014

Arthur Road jail chief’s wealth touches 2 crore

The Arthur Road jail, where Vasudev Barkule is now kept after his arrest in a graft case

S Ahmed Ali & Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: An Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) raid on Arthur Road jail superintendent Vasudev Barkule’s ancestral home in Nanded on Tuesday resulted in the recovery of assets and cash that added Rs 55 lakh to his wealth.  The total haul from the ACB investigation into a bribery case against Barkule has been Rs 2 crore so far.
 

    Barkule has been kept in an isolated cell which was earlier used by the security guards of executed Pakistani gunman, Ajmal Kasab. The jail constables who used to be posted for security in different barracks on Barkule’s order are now monitoring him.
 

    ACB officials led by NV Deshmukh have been camping in Nanded since Barkule’s arrest in the corruption case last week, but could not conduct the search operations earlier as a result of the election in Nanded.
 

    In Barkule’s house at Tajnagar in Nanded alone, the police found Rs 2.31 lakh in cash, fixed deposits of Rs 25 lakh, a fixed deposit of Rs 10.50 lakh in his wife’s name
and gold ornaments worth Rs 18 lakh.
   

 “We are still searching and are yet to calculate the value of properties spread elsewhere,” an officer said.   The officer said a case of disproportionate assets had been registered against Barkule.

    Barkule and deputy superintendent Pradeep Pathrikar were caught accepting a bribe of Rs 35,000 from a candidate appearing for the jailor’s exam early this month.
 

    In the city, the police found Rs 40 lakh in cash from Barkule’s jail residence, besides gold, savings and FDs in banks amounting to more than Rs 1 crore.
 

    Now in jail, Barkule has refused to give an application for home-made food.
 

    “He is saying the jail food is healthy and hygienic and he would prefer having the same food which is prepared by the inmates for prisoners. Barkule’s official residence is just 100 metres from his cell,” an officer said.
 

    Barkule’s wife and children live at his residence. “Even if his family want to meet him, they will have to go and register themselves outside the prison and come in the queue like common people and meet him for a few minutes,” the officer said.

 

The Times of India, April 23, 2014

RTO official held for graft, 80 lakh seized at home

Mumbai: The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) on Saturday evening arrested an assistant RTO attached with the Andheri RTO for accepting a Rs 1,500 bribe from a private bus operator. A search at accused Rajendra Nerkar’s Mulund home led to the seizure of Rs 80 lakh. 

    Additional commissioner of police Vishwas Nangre-Patil said, “The private bus operator had not paid his taxes on time and had been fined. When he approached Nerkar, he was directed to a middleman, J Moreshwar, through whom Nerkar demanded a bribe of Rs 1,500,” said Patil. Moreshwar, too, has been arrested.
 

    Cops also searched Nerkar’s home and found Rs 80 lakh stashed in a cupboard and at other places. The police also found property documents and are going through them to determine Nerkar’s ownership. —  Mateen Hafeez 

The Times of India, April 20, 2014

Basic amenities in prison come at a price: Inmates

 

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The arrest of top Arthur Road jail officials—superintendent Vasudev Barkule and his deputy Pradip Pathrikar—for accepting a bribe to clear a candidate in an examination for jailors has blown the lid off graft behind bars.
 

    Jail inmates are, however, trapped in a vicious circle. They claim that there is a price tag on staples in prison.
 

    A blast accused, who is now out on bail, said corruption in prison starts at the gate. “Several prisoners are brought to Arthur Road jail daily. They are frisked by inmates and babas (as jail constables are referred) at the entry gate. Most of them bring some cash and conceal it in shirt sleeves, collars, trousers and innerwear,” said the blast accused.
 

    Before the frisking starts, all new prisoners are instructed to deposit their belongings with the authorities. However, many inmates do not heed the directive. “The money recovered while searching prisoners is seized and most of it goes to jail staffers,” he added.
 

    Even a “suitable” barrack comes for a price. “The wellheeled, who have never committed a crime in the past, would not like to be accommodated with hardened criminals. They pay to get a separate barrack,” said a source. Pillows and bed sheets, which an inmate is entitled to free of cost, are soiled and prisoners have to grease palms to get fresh ones.
 

    A developer, who spent four days in Arthur Road jail last year, said, “I was surprised when a habitual offender approached me and rattled off details of the case against me. He demanded money for not creating trouble for me in the jail.” Prison coupons that inmates use instead of cash can be purchased on the black market. “Hundred coupons are valued at Rs 100. Inmates sell 70 coupons for Rs 100 and jail staffers are aware of the practice,” said a source.
 

COMFY IN CAPTIVITY 500-1K | Accommodating inmates in a “suitable” barrack 

200-500 | Getting fresh pillows or bed sheets 

100–500 | Meeting relatives for longer time 

1K–5K | Relaying messages outside prison 

200–1K | Housing new prisoners with “peace-loving” inmates

The Times of India, April 20, 2014

Prison staff exam under cloud after graft arrests

Internal Exam Likely To Be Conducted Again

 

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The arrest of Arthur Road prison’s two senior-most officials has cast a shadow on the internal exam process. Prison authorities are now considering conducting re-examination of the internal papers for promotions and increment.
 

    The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Wednesday arrested Arthur Road jail superintendent Vasudev Burkule and his deputy Pradip Pathrikar for demanding and accepting a Rs 40,000 bribe for clearing a candidate in an exam for jailors.
 

    Meeran Borwankar, additional director general of prisons, said, “A re-examination of papers is under consideration.” As many as 30 jailors appeared for the departmental test that makes them eligible for increment and promotions, if they pass it. Describing the procedure, a jail official in Mumbai said, “When constables complete five to seven years in jail service, they can appear for the departmental exam for the post of jailor. Even if they pass the examination and become jailors, they have to clear an internal test for increment and promotions. If they pass it, they are eligible for all facilities; however, if anyone fails to clear the exam after five attempts, they have to continue serving as jail constables.” 

    The complainant in Thursday’s case, a jail officer, had taken the exam for the post of jailor held on March 25. When the exam papers went to Burkule for assessment, the complainant approached Pathrikar for help to clear the exams. When Burkule was told this, he said the complainant’s performance in the exam was “weak”, and demanded Rs 40,000 to clear him. Burkule was caught by the ACB. 

    The charge held by Burkule’s charge has been given to Thane jail’s superintendent G T Pawar. Burkule and Pathrikar have been sent to police custody till April 19. The ACB team recovered Rs 40 lakh and gold ornaments from Barkule’s official residence on the prison premises. He also has money in several savings accounts and fixed deposits worth over Rs 1 crore.
 

    While conviction rate in ACB cases is as low as 30%, officials feel the agency needs legal officers for each officer at the superintendent of police level. At present, there is only one legal officer for the state ACB.

The Times of India, April 19, 2014

Authorities checking out lapses in jail

Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: The city crime branch may write to the state prison authorities to investigate how a mobile phone, SIM card and battery were smuggled into the Arthur Road jail and used by a quadruple murder suspect, Uday Pathak. He has been taken into crime branch custody for allegedly running criminal activities from within the jail. 

    The vigilance department of the state prisons is checking out the lapses and will submit a report to the inspector general of prisons. However, the use of a phone highlights the urgent need for jammers at the state’s most sensitive prison. “Five mobile firms have given demos but nothing has been installed. It could be delayed due to some technical reason,” a jail official said.
    In December 2005, a cell phone, some batteries and SIM cards were recovered from gangster Chhota Rajan’s aide D K Rao. 

    Rao, who was booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act, is currently out of jail. TOI had reported how phones were being used by Rao and other Dawood gang members in the jail. Officials blame the security lapse on the delay in installing jammers, priced Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh. 

    The prison’s vigilance squad conducts surprise checks but inmates are often tipped off. “We take precautions to prevent smuggling. After every incident, we review the problem and try to control it,” the official said. 

    The phone used by Rao was provided by three constables posted there, officials said. Rao, arrested for opening fire on a police team and attempting to kill them in 1998, was sentenced to a decade in prison. 

    In 2010, Devendra Naidu (40), a robber, allegedly belonging to the Rajan gang, was caught at the gate of the jail while trying to smuggle in a liquor bottle and a cake. Sources said Naidu was carrying in the stuff to celebrate Rajan’s birthday. 

 

 

The Times of India, April 18, 2014