20 years on, Chhota Rajan acquitted in builder threat case as prosecution fails to prove charge
Mumbai, May 11 (PTI): In a setback for CBI, gangster Chhota Rajan was acquitted by a special court two decades after he was booked for threatening a builder, with the judge noting the prosecution has failed to prove the charge as nothing incriminatory was found during witnesses' testimonies.
The gangster will, however, continue to remain in the Tijar Jail where he is serving a life term for the murder of Mumbai-based crime reporter J Dey.
While acquitting Chhota Rajan on Thursday, special judge AM Patil of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court noted that the most reliable witness of the prosecution is not certain whether the person who had called him on the phone to threaten the builder was indeed Chhota Rajan.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which investigated the case, stated that real estate developer Nandkumar Harchandani had received multiple threats in the name of Chhota Rajan, asking him to clear the dues he purportedly owed to some businessmen.
The prosecution maintained Harchandani had invited displeasure of the accused (Chhota Rajan) in the matter of payment of money who hatched a plan to teach a lesson to the builder.
Rajan, through his accomplices, had allegedly told Harchandani to stop work at the construction site, it said.
In September 2004, seven unidentified persons entered Harchandani's office and fired at his accountant, but he escaped narrowly.
The court stated that nothing incriminatory against the present accused came on record during the testimonies of two eyewitnesses examined by the prosecution.
"The most reliable witness against the present accused is Irshad Shaikh, who received Rajan's alleged call about the threat. But, during his cross-examination, he admitted that he is not certain whether the person who made the call was 'Chhota Rajan' or somebody else. This is the crucial admission given by this witness, which goes to the very roots of the case," the judge stated.
"In sum and substance, it can be said that the prosecution has failed to prove the guilt of the accused," the court added.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
