Latest news with #MaharashtraAssembly
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Crime Branch arrests dismissed Maharashtra cop Ranjit Kasle for objectionable remarks on women's modesty
MUMBAI: Dismissed sub-inspector Ranjit Kasle, who earlier claimed he was offered a contract to eliminate Walmik Karad, a key accused in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh case, has landed in a fresh controversy. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The city crime branch arrested Kasle on Friday from Jaitpur in Delhi on charges of spreading communal hatred, defaming public officials, and disseminating obscene content through social media. Unit 3 of the crime branch arrested Kasle and booked him under BNS sections for publishing or circulating false information/rumours, imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration, defamation, criminal actions intended to insult a woman's modesty, and the Information Technology Act. Interestingly, Kasle is the same policeman who was dismissed from service under Article 311 last month after he made serious allegations against Dhananjay Munde, the former Maharashtra Cabinet Minister, and his close associate Walmik Karad. He also made serious allegations that he was given a contract to eliminate Karad in an encounter. Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was abducted and tortured to death on December 9 last year, allegedly for attempting to stop an extortion bid targeting an energy company. The arrest came after Manisha Anil Tupe, a social and political activist from Bhandup, lodged a complaint with the city police alleging that Kasle had been regularly uploading controversial videos on Facebook, making serious and unverified allegations against elected representatives, including a sitting woman minister of the Maharashtra govt. In her complaint, she alleged that in a series of videos posted between May 27 and May 29, Kasle claimed that during his tenure at Marine Drive Police Station during the COVID-19 lockdown, he seized a Lamborghini allegedly carrying drugs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He further insinuated that a Maharashtra Assembly identity card found in the vehicle belonged to a minister and that the case had links to Bollywood personalities and high-profile political figures. In his videos, he promised further 'exposés' involving other political leaders. He said he would be uploading the names of the people involved in follow-up videos. "Beyond defamation, the videos were laced with obscene language and inflammatory statements targeting members of the Maratha and OBC communities, raising serious concerns about incitement to communal discord. One particular video contained offensive remarks and caste-based insinuations, prompting swift legal action," said an official. Kasle is not new to controversy. Police records show he is a repeat offender with multiple prior cases against him in Ambajogai and Shivajinagar police stations under charges including cheating, criminal breach of trust, and offenses under the SC/ST Atrocities Act. A senior official from the Crime Branch said, 'The accused has been misusing social media to spread misinformation and incite hatred among communities. We are examining his entire online footprint and will take strict action as per law.'
India Gazette
19-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Mumbai: Fire in scanning machine at Maharashtra Assembly brought under control
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 19 (ANI): A fire broke out in the security scanning machine at the Maharashtra Assembly on Monday evening. However, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar informed that it was subsequently brought under control. The cause fire was short circuit in the scanning machine. Sharing details of the incident, the Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, in a social media post on X, said, 'A fire broke out due to a short circuit in the scanning machine in the reception area of Vidhan Bhavan. But now the fire has been brought under control.' Meanwhile, in a different incident, at least eight people died in Maharashtra's Solapur after a fire broke out at a factory in the MIDC area in the early hours of Sunday. Three fire officials including Chief Fire Officer were injured while trying to control the fire that broke out in a factory in Maharashtra's Solapur, officials said on Monday. Speaking to ANI, Chief Fire officer Rakesh Salunkhe said that the firefighting operation went on for 15-17 hours. He further confirmed that the cooling operations are still underway. 'We received a call yesterday at 4 am that a house on Akalkot road in the MIDC area has caught fire... After reaching the spot, it was found that a factory was on fire. All the firefighting vehicles were deployed,' Chief Fire Officer Rakesh Salunkhe said. 'The firefighting operation went on for 15-17 hours. We rescued three people during this time. Till 4-4.15 pm, we had rescued five people... They were sent to the civil hospital. So far, around eight people have died. The firefighting operation is complete, and cooling operations are ongoing... Three of the fire officials, including me, are also injured,' he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident. Prime Minister also announced Rs 2 lakh ex gratia compensation to be given to the next of kin of each deceased. 'Pained by the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy in Solapur, Maharashtra. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000,' PMO said in a post on X. In the past few days, several incidents of fire have been reported across various parts of the country. On Sunday, at least 17 people, including eight children, lost their lives after a massive fire broke out in a building in Gulzar Houz area of Hyderabad city in Telangana. (ANI)
Hans India
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
EC is compromised: Rahul
New Delhi/Boston: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday sparked a political row after he said in the United States that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is 'compromised' and 'there is something very wrong with the system'. The BJP called Rahul Gandhi a 'traitor' for his remarks against the EC on Monday and accused him of venting his frustration over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) action in the National Herald case against him and his mother Sonia Gandhi. While addressing the Indian diaspora in Boston, Gandhi alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2024, saying more voters voted in the election than the adult population of the state. 'In simple terms, more people voted in the Maharashtra Assembly elections than there are adults in Maharashtra. This is a fact. The Election Commission gave us a voting figure at 5.30 in the evening, and between 5.30 in the evening and 7.30 in the evening, when the polls were supposed to have closed, 65 lakh voters voted.' Gandhi said this was 'physically impossible to happen' because a voter takes 'approximately three minutes' to vote. 'If you do the math, it would mean that there were lines of voters until 2 o'clock at night, and this did not happen,' said Gandhi.
Indian Express
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘EC is compromised, something very wrong with system,' says Rahul Gandhi in US, BJP calls him ‘traitor'
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Sunday sparked a political row after he said in the United States that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is 'compromised' and 'there is something very wrong with the system'. The BJP Monday called Rahul Gandhi a 'traitor' for his remarks against the EC and accused him of venting his frustration over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) action in the National Herald case against him and his mother Sonia Gandhi. While addressing the Indian diaspora in Boston, Gandhi alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2024, saying more voters voted in the election than the adult population of the state. 'In simple terms, more people voted in the Maharashtra Assembly elections than there are adults in Maharashtra. This is a fact. The Election Commission gave us a voting figure at 5.30 in the evening, and between 5.30 in the evening and 7.30 in the evening, when the polls were supposed to have closed, 65 lakh voters voted.' Gandhi said this was 'physically impossible to happen' because a voter takes 'approximately three minutes' to vote. 'If you do the math, it would mean that there were lines of voters until 2 o'clock at night, and this did not happen,' said Gandhi. In the 2024 Maharashtra polls, the BJP-led Maha Yuti alliance won a landslide victory, winning 235 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) could only win 50 seats, with the Congress reducing to 16. Gandhi said the EC refused to check the video footage of the poll process. 'They not only refused to give us the videography, they changed the law so that you are not allowed to ask for the videography. It is very clear to us that the Election Commission is compromised, and there is something very wrong with the system,' he said. As per EC's statistical reports, the electors in Maharashtra increased from 8.86 crore in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to 8.98 crore in the Assembly elections that year. In 2024, electors increased from 9.30 crore in the Lok Sabha elections to 9.70 crore in the Assembly polls five months later. Regarding Gandhi's allegation that there were more electors in Maharashtra than the health ministry-projected adult population, a senior EC official had earlier asked, 'The latest Census has not been conducted yet. How can you use population projection estimates and compare them to absolute voter numbers?' Criticising Gandhi's remarks, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra Monday said, 'You are venting the ire over the Enforcement Directorate's (action in the National Herald case) on the Election Commission. Nothing will happen by doing so.' Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi are facing charges in a money laundering case related to The National Herald, a newspaper founded by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1938. The ED alleges that the Gandhis unlawfully acquired assets belonging to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of The National Herald. 'The ED will not spare you because agencies work based on facts, and the National Herald matter is an open and shut case. You will not be spared. You and your mother will be caught with proceeds of crime and sent to jail,' Patra said during a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Delhi. 'You are a traitor, not just because you insult Indian institutions and Indian democracy on foreign soil, but also because you and your mother have embezzled crores of rupees of the country in the National Herald case. You and your mother will not be able to get away with this,' Patra said.
