No intention to interfere, was trying to defuse situation: Ajit Pawar on 'rebuking' IPS officer
Mumbai (PTI): A day after a video showed him rebuking and asking a woman IPS officer to stop action against illegal soil excavation, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said he did not want to interfere but was only trying to deescalate a tense situation.
As the NCP chief came under fire over the incident, police registered a case against several persons for allegedly obstructing IPS officer Anjali Krishna and other officials as they were taking action against illegal `murum' soil excavation in Solapur district.
In the viral video which surfaced on Thursday, Pawar was heard admonishing Krishna over phone.
"Let me state clearly that my intention was not to interfere with law enforcement but to ensure that the situation on the ground remained calm and did not escalate further," Pawar said in a statement on Friday.
He values the rule of law and has the highest respect for the police force and its officers, including women officers who serve with distinction and courage, he said.
"I remain firmly committed to transparent governance and ensuring that every illegal activity, including sand mining, is dealt with strictly as per the law," Pawar further said.
The video, aired by Marathi news channels, showed Anjana Krishna, sub-divisional police officer, Karmala, talking to Pawar on a local NCP worker's phone. She did not recognise his voice at first.
Pawar then made a video call to the police officer, and purportedly asked her in a stern tone to stop action against the illegal excavation.
Murum soil is used in road construction.
Meanwhile, a First Information Report was registered against Baba Jagtap, Nitin Mali, Santosh Kapre, Anna Dhane and 15 to 20 others under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 132 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 189 (2) (Unlawful Assembly), and relevant sections of Protection of Environment Act, said an official of Kurduwadi police station.
The incident had taken place on August 31 when revenue department officials along with IPS officer Anjali Krishna reached Kapre Wasti to take action against illegal excavation, said the official.
The accused allegedly tried to obstruct the action, he added.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
