Noted Writer Ram Puniyani intimidated by men posing as CID
Human Rights organisations demand enquiry
Mumbai: In an incident reported from Mumbai, prominent Human Rights Activist and renowned writer Prof. Ram Puniyani was recently questioned by three men posing as the CID officials. They visited his home in the garb of an inquiry for passport, which neither Prof Ram Puniyani nor anyone from his family had applied for.
According to the reports, Prof Puniyani and his family were asked ‘Objectionable questions’.
Prof Puniyani spoke to Vartha Bhatati about the incident and said “On March 9, a group of 3 people claiming to be from Maharashtra CID came to our house in Mumbai. The team claimed that they were inquiring about a passport request filed by us. But neither I nor anyone from my family had applied for passport. Even after informing them about this , they continued questioning us.
“They asked me about my family members, what they do? Why did I leave IIT? etc. I am not sure if they were from CID . I am thinking about filing a police complaint in this regard”.
Prof Ram Puniyani, who was a professor in biomedical engineering at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Bombay had taken voluntary retirement in December 2004 to work full-time for communal harmony in India. Author of many books on communal harmony and secularism, he writes regularly in different publications to strengthen voices of sanity and has consistently questioned and challenged divisive forces of various kinds. He has received the prestigious Indira Gandhi Award (2006) and National Communal Harmony Award (2007) apart from many other awards for his work.
Human rights organizations and activists condemned the incident and termed it an attempt to frame Prof Puniyani into legal hassle to silence his voice. They have appealed to the Mumbai Police Commissioner to take action against the forces behind the incident . They have demanded a fair investigation into the matter and those behind this be brought to justice at the earliest.
“We demand that an inquiry be ordered into this whole episode and the guilty be brought to book for their act of intimidating a widely known writer and noted activist” a petition to Mumbai Police Commissioner said.
The website also sought support and endorsements for the cause. Those willing to support Prof Ram can send their endorsements to Ms Shabnam Hashimi at shabnamhashmi@gmail.com latest by 11 am on13 th March.
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Double-decker electric bus gutted in fire at Kurla BEST depot
Mumbai (PTI): An empty double-decker electric bus was gutted in a fire during servicing at a BEST depot in Mumbai's Kurla area on Sunday, officials said, adding that nobody was injured.
The blaze broke out inside the Kurla BEST bus depot near Kanakia Building at 4.14 pm, according to preliminary information from the Mumbai Fire Brigade.
The parked bus was unoccupied at the time of the incident.
Fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. The exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, they said.
No injuries were reported in the incident, officials added.
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has hired 50 electric double-decker buses from Switch Mobility in its fleet of around 2,700 buses.
