Builder-influencer held with cache of weapons in Thane district
Thane (PTI): A 55-year-old builder and social media influencer has been arrested for alleged possession of a cache of weapons in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Tuesday.
The accused, Surendra Panduranga Patil, who has more than three lakh followers on Instagram, was arrested on Saturday night, just a week after being released on bail in a separate case, an official said.
"Acting on a tip-off, our team searched Patil's bungalow in the Dawdi area of Dombivli late on Saturday night. We recovered a cache of weapons hidden behind a fake panel of a newly installed shoe rack that did not match the house's interior," the official from the Crime Branch said.
Five country-made pistols and revolvers, some engraved with 'Made in USA,' and two air guns, were seized, along with 371 cartridges, 167 air gun pellets, a sword, a button knife, a sharp-edged weapon, and two steel rods, he said, adding that the seized items were worth Rs 10 lakh.
"The quantity of ammunition suggests the stockpile was fully operational. While Patil claims the weapons were mere 'props' for his gangster-themed social media videos, we are investigating if he was preparing a 'mini-army' or supplying arms to local criminals," the official said.
Patil, a history-sheeter, now faces fresh charges under the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
