Man publicly assaulted, called ‘Pakistani’, dies by suicide; Journalist accused, police launch hunt
Latur: A 30-year-old man in Maharashtra's Latur allegedly died by suicide after being publicly assaulted and called a “Pakistani” during a road rage incident. The accused, reportedly a local journalist, is currently absconding.
According to the FIR registered by MIDC Latur Police Station, the incident occurred on the night of May 3. The victim, Amir Pathan, was allegedly attacked by the motorist, who identified himself as a journalist and questioned whether Pathan was from Kashmir or Pakistan. The assault was reportedly filmed by the assailant, who threatened to circulate the footage on social media.
Pathan’s wife, Samrin, who works as a deputy manager in a private bank in Dharashiv, said she was on a phone call with her husband when the incident occurred near Sanvidhan Chowk. She overheard the confrontation and heard her husband pleading and screaming in pain. Rushing to the spot, she noted the registration number of the assailant’s car — MH24 BR 7008 — but the accused had fled the scene by the time she arrived.
In her statement, Samrin said that the threat of public humiliation left her husband deeply traumatised. “He said he was an Indian, but the accused insulted him, calling him a Pakistani. He feared the video would be made public,” she recounted. The next day, Pathan was reportedly seen repeatedly checking the internet to see if the video had surfaced.
On May 4, while the family was preparing to attend a wedding, Pathan stayed back. When his family returned home, they found him hanging by a dupatta. He was rushed to a private hospital and later referred to the government hospital, where he was declared dead.
Based on Samrin’s complaint, police registered a case of abetment to suicide on May 5. However, the FIR has so far listed the accused as an "unknown person." Samrin’s father, Attaullah Pathan, expressed dissatisfaction, stating, “We gave the police the car number and name, but they still booked an unknown person.”
“There was no suicide note,” confirmed Latur SP Somay Munde. “We have registered a suicide abetment case based on the wife’s statement. Investigations are ongoing and efforts are being made to trace the accused.”
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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.
