Kanpur post office issues stamps featuring gangsters Chhota Rajan, Munna Bajrangi; probe ordered
Kanpur (UP): The Kanpur postal department has ordered an inquiry after stamps featuring underworld don Chhota Rajan and slain gangster Munna Bajrangi were issued by the main post office in the city, officials said on Tuesday.
Twelve stamps each of Rajan and Bajrangi were printed under the 'My Stamp' scheme, which was launched by the department a few years back, an official added.
Calling it was a lapse by the person manning the 'My Stamp' desk, Postmaster General V K Varma said, "A probe has been launched."
It has been found that the request for these stamps having face value of Rs 5 was made anonymously by a person who paid Rs 600 for them, he added.
Without asking for identification papers, which is essential, the person manning the 'My Stamp' desk released 12 stamps each with the pictures, Varma said.
Philately department in-charge Rajneesh Kumar, who was prima facie found guilty, has been placed under suspension, he said.
"We have also issued show-cause notices to some other employees in this regard," the postmaster general said. "Efforts are on to zero in on the person who got the photographs of the criminals printed under the 'My stamp' scheme," he added.
It has been decided to take strict measures in the future to ensure such errors are not repeated, Varma said.
Under the 'My Stamp' scheme, anyone paying Rs 300 can get stamps with their photos or that of their family members printed and released.
Rajan is currently in a Mumbai prison, and Bajrangi was murdered in UP's Baghpat prison in 2018.
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Plea on stray dogs mentioned in SC, CJI says he 'will look into it'
New Delhi (PTI): "I will look into it," Chief Justice of India B R Gavai assured on Wednesday when a plea relating to stray dogs was mentioned for urgent hearing in the Supreme Court.
The plea by the Conference for Human Rights (India) was mentioned before a bench of the chief justice and Justice K Vinod Chandran by a lawyer.
Another bench has already passed an order in relation to stray dogs, the CJI pointed out.
On August 11, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan observed that instances of dog bites had given rise to an "extremely grim" situation and ordered the permanent relocation of all strays in Delhi-NCR "at the earliest".
On Wednesday, the lawyer referred to a May 2024 order passed by a bench led by Justice J K Maheshwari relegating petitions relating to the stray dog issue to respective high courts.
The CJI then assured that he will look into it.
The plea by Conference for Human Rights (India) claims the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2001 mandating regular sterilisation and immunisation programmes for stray dogs to curtail their growing population are not being complied with.
In its August 11 ruling, the apex court also said dog shelters will have to be augmented over time and directed Delhi authorities to start with creating shelters of around 5,000 canines within six to eight weeks.
Besides, the bench warned of strict action against an individual or organisation in case of any kind of obstruction in the relocation drive that might also prompt the court to initiate contempt proceedings.
