Nejaru murder case: Chargesheet filed in murder of air hostess and her family
Udupi, Feb 12: The Udupi police on Monday filed the chargesheet in the sensational case of the murder of a young air hostess and her family members, before a judicial magistrate's court near here.
Police said the investigation into the case has been completed and the chargesheet was filed by the investigation team within the stipulated period of 90 days.
The case pertains to the murder of four members of a family who were stabbed inside their house at Nejaru in Udupi on November 12 last year, allegedly by the sole accused in the case, Praveen Arun Chowgule.
Chowgule, who was employed as a member of the cabin crew of a private airline company, had targeted one of the victims, Aynaz Mohammed (21), a trainee air hostess, who had earlier worked with him.
Police cited his "possessiveness" and "problems in their relationship" as his motives for allegedly attacking her.
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Aynaz's mother Haseena (47), elder sister Afnan (23) and brother Aseem (14) were the other victims.
Police said that they were in the house when Chowgule came to attack Aynaz and were also allegedly stabbed to death by the accused. Haseena's mother-in-law, Hakira, was also attacked, but survived after locking herself in the toilet.
Chowgule was arrested two days after the crime and has been in judicial custody since then.
The court had earlier rejected his bail petition, and a recent application for parole to attend the last rites of his brother who passed away early this month.
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Maharashtra government considers tweaks to Ladki Bahin scheme amid fiscal strain: Reports
Mumbai: A day after the Mahayuti coalition secured a landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, attention has turned to the Ladki Bahin Yojana, a flagship welfare scheme that played a pivotal role in attracting women voters.
The scheme, launched in July 2024, offers ₹1,500 per month to economically disadvantaged women aged 18 to 65. The Mahayuti, in its election manifesto, pledged to increase the amount to ₹2,100 per month, a promise now under scrutiny due to fiscal concerns. With the scheme projected to cost the exchequer ₹33,300 crore from July 2024 to March 2025, bureaucrats are exploring ways to revise its provisions to prevent a financial imbalance.
Finance Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar hinted at the challenges, stressing the need for "financial discipline." A senior bureaucrat confirmed that plans are underway to prune the list of beneficiaries, citing the inclusion of ineligible individuals due to incomplete Aadhaar seeding and lack of required ration cards. According to the finance department, nearly one crore women out of the 2.43 crore registered beneficiaries may not qualify for the scheme.
The state’s debt burden is already projected to reach ₹7.82 lakh crore for the fiscal year 2024-25. Officials warn that continuing the scheme in its current form could impact the government’s ability to pay salaries by January. Despite these concerns, the ruling coalition is hesitant to reduce the beneficiary list, likely due to the upcoming civic elections.
Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik is expected to present renegotiation proposals to the new chief minister soon. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde credited the scheme for increasing the number of women voters and boosting the coalition’s vote share. NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar also acknowledged the scheme’s role in mobilising women voters.
Other welfare measures introduced by the government include an electricity bill waiver for farmers and three free LPG cylinders annually for six million households. However, the financial viability of such initiatives remains a pressing concern.
