An IPS officer, arrested in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case on Wednesday, moved the local court for bail arguing that CBI does not have any evidence against him.
Abhay Chudasama, a former DCP, Gujarat police, said in the bail application that as per the CBI’s own case, Sheikh was a “golden hen” for the Gujarat police, and there was no reason for them to eliminate him.
Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi were allegedly abducted by Gujarat’s anti-terrorism squad from Hyderabad and killed in a fake encounter near Gandhinagar in November 2005. Tulsiram Prajapati, a key witness to the encounter, was allegedly killed by police in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat in December 2006.
The Supreme Court last year transferred the trial of the case to Maharashtra after CBI said that witnesses were being
intimidated and a fair trial was not possible in Gujarat. Senior Gujarat BJP leader Amit Shah — a former minister in Narendra Modi
government — is one of the accused in this case and is now out on bail.
The CBI alleges that Shah was the “kingpin” of the conspiracy. Most other accused in the case are policemen. The
sessions court is likely to hear the application later this week.
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BMC to slap fine if tree remains left to rot
Age Correspondent
Mumbai, July 10
With cases of tree falling on the rise in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has directed ward officers to ensure quick disposal of fallen tree branches and remains. Failing this, action will be taken against them under the Disaster Management Act, BMC officials said.
The civic body undertakes the exercise of tree trimming before every monsoon. For disposal of tree branches after trimming, the civic garden department has appointed contractors in every ward. However, municipal commissioner Sitaram Kunte has directed that during emergency tree falling cases, instead of relying on contractors, the assistant municipal commissioner in wards should provide manpower and vehicles and remove tree branches from roads.
According to civic officials, usually after a tree collapses, the tree is cut into pieces and disposed. However, on most occasions, the tree remains are left to decompose on the road.
“If the contractors fail to remove the tree remains, assistant commissioners have been directed to spend `1 lakh for emergency measures. The ward officers should carry out the task from these funds,” said a senior civic official.
The issue was raised in the tree authority meeting by corporators, who complained about the inconvenience faced by citizens due to BMC’s failure in removing tree branches from roads.