Pune (PTI): The last rites of Rohit Arya, who was gunned down by the Mumbai police after he took 19 people hostage, were performed in Pune in the early hours of Saturday.

The 50-year-old had held 17 children, between the ages of 10 and 12, hostage at a studio in Mumbai's Powai area on Thursday. Police rescued the children and two adults after a three-hour hostage drama that ended in Arya's death.

His body was transported to Pune after a post-mortem at Mumbai's JJ Hospital.

The last rites were performed in the presence of Arya's wife, son and other close members of his family.

According to police sources, Arya had been living away from Pune for some time. Preliminary information suggests he had very little contact with his family in recent years.

Arya had earlier claimed that the dues for a project he had undertaken for the Maharashtra education department were pending, and he had even staged a protest in Pune to get the amount.

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New Delhi (PTI): Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Friday questioned the government's decision to move a bill to amend the 2023 women quota law before bringing the principal Act into force.

Soon after laying of parliamentary papers, K C Venugopal rose to point out a law ministry notification issued last night around 10 pm to bring into force the 2023 women's reservation law with effect from April 16, much after a bill to amend the Act was introduced and discussed in the House.

DMK's Kanimozhi also flagged the issue, wondering the logic in discussing an amendment after notifying the principal Act.

Opposition members sought a clarification from law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal who was present in the Lok Sabha.

"The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam passed in September 2023 has come into force with being published in the Gazette only at 9.55 pm last night.

"It is shocking that the government brought amendments to a Constitutional provision that was not even published in the gazette! This shows the government’s unprepared and lackadaisical approach to serious lawmaking," Venugopal later posted on X.

He said this is also yet another evidence that the treasury benches look at the Parliament as no more than a rubber stamp, not bothered about the procedures and protocol necessary for a fair legislative process.

An official has earlier explained that bringing the law into force was essential as its proposed amendment will not have come into effect without that.

The constitution amendment Bill became a law but did not become part of the Constitution as the government did not bring it into force.

If a law does not come into force, how can its proposed amendment be implemented. Hence, it was brought into force with effect from April 16, the official explained.