Journalist moved down by truck after carrying out sting operation in MP
Bhind (Madhya Pradesh): A television journalist who had complained about threats to his life after he carried out a sting operation on illicit sand mining was today mowed down by a truck, officials said.
Sandeep Sharma, who worked for a local news channel, had told the district administration he feared he could be killed by the sand mafia, his nephew, Vikas Purohit, said in a complaint to the police.
The 35-year-old journalist was talking on his phone by the side of Ater Road in front of a police station when the truck, used to ferry sand, ran over him, the officials said.
Purohit, in his complaint to the City Kotwali police, alleged that Sharma had been facing a threat to his life because of the recent sting operation he had carried out on the sand mafia.
"Sandeep had petitioned the Madhya Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP), Inspector General (IG), Superintendent of Police (SP) and the Human Rights Commission stating that he feared for his life and had demanded security," Purohit said.
In his report to the top officials, Sharma had said because of the sting operation against the sand mafia and the Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), the officer was transferred, Purohit claimed.
Sharma was to have recorded his statement against the SDPO and was being threatened by unidentified people, Purohit added.
Bhind SP Prashant Khare said Sharma's application to the authorities was being examined and the incident probed.
The driver of the truck fled the scene after the accident, the police said.
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AIMIM wins Malegaon Central seat by 162 votes
Malegaon (Maharashtra), Nov 23: In a closely contested election, Mohammad Ismail Abdul Khalique of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has retained the Malegaon Central assembly seat, winning by a razor-thin margin of 162 votes.
This victory in the north Maharashtra constituency marks a significant turnaround for Khalique, who previously enjoyed a commanding lead in the 2019 elections, winning by over one lakh votes.
Khalique, an Islamic scholar, received a total of 1,09,653 votes this time, narrowly defeating his nearest rival, Asif Shaikh Rasheed of the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra party, who got 1,09,491 votes.
There were a total of 13 candidates contesting in this Muslim dominated constituency. Barring Khalique and Rasheed, two other candidates -- Shaan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed of Samajwadi Party and Ejaz Baig Aziz Baig managed below 10,000 votes. Other remaining candidates were below 1,000 votes.
This election marks Khalique's third term as an MLA. He initially represented the Malegaon Central seat in 2009 as a member of the Jan Surajya Shakti party.
However, Khalique faced a setback in the 2014 elections when he contested under the banner of the Nationalist Congress Party and lost.
His return to the assembly in 2019 under the AIMIM banner solidified his political presence, and despite the significantly reduced margin this year, he has once again emerged victorious.
The results highlight the competitive nature of the Malegaon Central constituency and underscore Khalique's resilience in maintaining his position amidst changing political dynamics.
