Despite SC order, comedian Munawar Faruqui still in jail
Indore, Feb 6: Stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui failed to walk out of jail on Saturday despite the Supreme Court granting him bail as prison officials cited a warrant issued by a Prayagraj court against him.
Arrested for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, Faruqui is in Indore jail since January 1.
On Friday, the Supreme Court granted him interim bail after the Madhya Pradesh High Court had rejected his bail plea on January 28. The Apex court also stayed the production warrant issued against Faruqui by a court in Prayagraj in connection with an FIR lodged there.
Faruqui's lawyers on Saturday submitted a copy of the SC order in the local court, which then directed that he be released on a bond of Rs 50,000 and same amount of security.
But he was not released. Asked for the reason, an official of the Indore Central Jail said a court in Prayagraj had ordered Faruqui's production in a similar case on February 18.
Citing the jail manual, he said an order from the Prayagraj court or a competent government officer was needed to release him.
The comedian will be taken to Prayagraj on Sunday morning if they did not get the requisite order, he said.
Before that, he will undergo a COVID-19 test, the official said.
Faruqui's cousin Zaid Pathan said they were disappointed by the jail administration's stand.
"Our belief in judiciary was strengthened after the Supreme Court order," he said.
Faruqui and four others were arrested on January 1 following a complaint by a BJP MLA's son that objectionable remarks about Hindu deities and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were passed during a comedy show at a cafe in Indore on New Year's day.
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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.
