Nirav Modi extradition: CBI team likely to leave for London
New Delhi: A CBI team is likely to leave for London to assist local authorities in the extradition case of fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi whose bail plea will come for hearing before a court there on Friday, officials said.
A Joint Director-level officer has been deputed to leave for London Wednesday with necessary documents, they said.
The 48-year old diamantaire is accused of swindling over 2 billion USD from state-run Punjab National Bank in collusion with his uncle Mehul Choksi.
He was spotted living in an upscale locality in London by the UK-based newspaper The Telegraph.
Nirav Modi was later arrested on the basis of the extradition request of India and a Red Corner notice issued against him on the request of the CBI last year.
He was produced before the Westminster Magistrates' Court last week, wherein he contested his extradition to India.
District Judge Marie Mallon denied bail to Modi and remanded him in custody till March 29, saying there was substantial grounds to believe that he would fail to surrender if granted bail.
UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid had certified India's extradition request for the fugitive diamantaire earlier this month, triggering the legal process kick-started with the issuance of a warrant.
The news of the certification of India's request came after Modi was tracked down to a three-bedroom flat in the Centre Point tower block of luxury apartments in West End of London.
He is believed to have arrived in London last year and was able to travel in and out of Britain at least four times since his passport was cancelled by the Indian authorities in February 2018.
Modi was also reportedly living in the heart of the city above his jewellery boutique Nirav Modi on Old Bond Street, which has since closed down.
He is now believed to be running a new business which describes itself on the UK's Companies House register as a wholesale trader and retailer of watches and jewellery in specialised stores.
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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.
