Court discharges 185 farmers in Maval firing case
Pune (Maha), Nov 26 : A court here in Maharashtra has discharged 185 farmers facing trial in the 2011 Maval firing case, allowing the state government's application seeking withdrawal of the case filed against the cultivators.
Three farmers, including a woman, were killed in the police firing and 16 farmers had received injuries during the agitation on August 9, 2011 in Maval tehsil of the district.
Additional Sessions Judge S N Sonawane on November 22 allowed the state government's application to withdraw the case and discharged 185 cultivators who were booked under various Indian Penal Code sections, including attempt to murder and rioting.
The judge in his order said, "After perusal of the charge sheet, it appears that there is substance in the submission (by state government) that no fruitful result will come out of the trial...and there are no specific allegations of any overt act against the accused."
The judge said the farmers' intention was that water in their village, over which they have more right than others, should not be given to Pune city and if it is done, they would face problem of drinking water and for agricultural needs.
It is clear from the circumstances and statements of the witnesses as well as the First Information Report (FIR) that "there was no intention, motive or conspiracy among the farmers to kill police personnel," he noted.
"Considering all these facts and circumstances, the Maharashtra government has decided to withdraw the case and its application deserves to be allowed," the judge said.
On August 9, 2011, police had opened fire at villagers protesting against the government's decision to lay a closed pipeline to supply water from the Pavna dam in Maval to the limits of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, located on the city's outskirts.
Agriculturists had claimed that they would not get water for their crops if the closed pipeline was laid.
After the incident, the then Superintendent of Police Sandip Karnik was transferred and an inquiry commission was set up to probe the firing.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
