Man killed, two family members injured in attack for opposing drug peddlers in Bandra
Mumbai (PTI): A 40-year-old man was killed, and two members of his family sustained injuries as a group of people attacked them with sharp weapons after he opposed the peddling of drugs in Bandra here, police said on Friday.
The police have arrested four persons in connection with the attack that took place in the Dargah Gali area on Thursday night, an official from Bandra police station said.
He said the accused allegedly entered the house of the victim, Shakir Ali Cendole, and attacked him and his family members. Shakir died, while his sister-in-law Shirin and nephew Afzal sustained injuries.
The official said the police arrested Imran Pathan, his wife Fatima Zakir Ali alias Kaynat, Usman Zakir Ali and Zakir Ali Cendole.
Pathan and his wife had multiple cases to their name, and they supplied drugs in Bandra, he said, adding that further probe was underway.
The deceased man's sister Feeroza claimed, "Drug peddlers Salman Malik and his wife Soni supplied drugs to the Pathan couple, and my brother Shakir opposed peddling activities in the Dargah Gali area."
She said the family had previously lodged a complaint against the accused, who kept issuing threats.
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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.
