NCP leader, rationalists on Hindu right-wing 'hit-list': ATS
Mumbai, Aug 31: In shocking revelations, an NCP leader and other leading rationalists were on the hit-list of the recently arrested Hindu right-wing activists in connection with the Palghar arms seizure case, the Maharashtra ATS told a Mumbai court on Friday.
They are -- Thane Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator Jitendra Awhad, Pune-based rationalist Mukta Dabholkar, daughter of the slain anti-superstition campaigner Narendra Dabholkar, All India Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti President Shyam Manav and activist Ritu Raje.
The disclosure was made by the state Anti Terrorist Squad in the Sessions Court while seeking extension of remand of one of the accused arrested in the Palghar arms haul case, Avinash Pawar.
When the judge sought details of the investigations case diary on Pawar so far, the ATS made the revelations of the alleged hit-list prepared by the right-wing groups targeting these personalities.
Pawar, an employee of a government-owned shipping company, was nabbed in Mumbai on August 24. Prior to this, his associates Vaibhav Raut, Sharad Kalaskar, Sudhanva Gondhalekar, and Shrikant Pangarkar were arrested in different parts of the state.
The ATS further said Pawar, whose custody was finally extended till September 4, had carried out a recce of some of the targets, and had acquired training in weapons from an unnamed location outside the state.
On August 10, in a major swoop, the ATS had raided a bungalow and other premises in Nala Sopara, Palghar, around 90 km north of Mumbai, and unearthed a mini-factory manufacturing bombs, weapons and other materials meant for carrying out terror strikes in Mumbai, Pune, Solapur and Satara.
The five arrested persons were said to be linked to various Hindu right-wing groups like the Sanatan Sansthan, Shri Shivpratisthan Hindustan and Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, which have strongly denied the allegations.
The ATS is also probing the links of these arrested-accused with the killings of Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, M.M. Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh.
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KKR land Green for record-breaking Rs 25.20 crore; Shaw, Sarfaraz go unsold
Abu Dhabi (PTI): Kolkata Knight Riders splurged a record-breaking Rs 25.20 to land top Australian all-rounder Cameron Green even as Indian stars Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan went unsold in the Indian Premier League players' auction here on Tuesday.
Green surpassed compatriot Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore) to become the most expensive overseas player at an IPL auction. This was after Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings were involved in an intense bidding war for him before the latter emerged winner.
KKR also went after Venkatesh Iyer before pulling out of the race against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who fetched the services of the India all-rounder for Rs 7 crore.
As far as Green is concerned, his salary for the season would still be Rs 18 crore (USD 1.9 million) as the rest of the amount will go towards the BCCI's player development programme as per the rules of the auction for foreign players.
Green, who previously turned up for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has so far played 29 matches in the IPL to aggregate 707 runs and take 16 wickets.
Shaw, however, went unsold despite his fine run of form in the domestic circuit lately, and so was the case with Sarfaraz, who smashed a 22-ball 73 in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match for Mumbai on Tuesday.
Big-hitting South African batter David Miller was bought by Delhi Capitals for his base price of Rs 2 crore, but New Zealand swashbuckler Devon Conway, whose base price was also Rs 2 crore, went unsold in the auction.
Seasoned South African opener Quinton de Kock returned to his old base Mumbai Indians for a base price of Rs 1 crore.
A total of 359 players -- 246 Indians and 113 overseas players -- are part of the mini auction pool with the 10 franchises bidding to fill up a maximum of 77 slots, including 31 reserved for foreign players.
