Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant apologises for remark against Shaina NC
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant on Saturday apologised for his alleged insulting remark targeted at rival Shiv Sena's assembly election candidate Shaina N C, a day after a case was registered against him in this connection.
Talking to reporters here, Sawant maintained that he has never insulted any woman in his life, and added that a controversy was created for political reasons ahead of the assembly polls.
"I have always been in the forefront of giving women their due respect. My remarks were distorted and I was deliberately targeted. This hurt me. Still if my comments hurt anybody's sentiments, I regret it and apologise for the same. In my 55 years of public life, I have never insulted women," the Member of Parliament (MP) from the Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency said.
He asked what action was taken when other political leaders earlier called women leaders as "Jersey cow" and "Surpankha".
"Were women honoured through such comments?...A state minister made derogatory remarks against Supriya Sule. Was any action taken?" he asked.
The controversy regarding my remarks was raised for political reasons, he said.
"I had not named anyone. I feel sad that an attempt was made to tarnish my image. The comment was made on October 29 and it was remembered on November 1," Sawant said.
Shaina, who is contesting the November 20 assembly election from the Mumbadevi constituency, on Friday alleged that Sawant referred to her as "imported maal".
"Calling someone who is a professional and political worker for 20 years 'maal' shows the mentality of Shiv Sena (UBT)," she said.
The Sena leader then lodged a complaint against Sawant, based on which a first information report (FIR) was registered against him under sections 79 (insulting the modesty of a woman through words, gestures, sounds) and 356 (2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
National Commission for Women chief Vijaya Rahatkar also sought police and the Election Commission's action in the matter.
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Gujarat man held for impersonating govt official, duping people with forged letters
Ahmedabad (PTI): The Ahmedabad police have arrested a 29-year-old man who allegedly posed as a senior revenue official and used fake letters claiming to be from various government departments to cheat people, an official said on Sunday.
Mehul Shah, an engineer who manages two schools at Vankaner in Gujarat’s Morbi district, is accused of making lakhs of rupees with bogus documents and false claims, said inspector (crime branch) JK Makwana.
Shah had forged an appointment letter from the Ahmedabad district education officer (DEO) to offer a computer operator’s job in a government office to a complainant’s son. He also introduced himself as a trustee of a school and did not pay a man Rs 7 lakh due to him over the painting of a school building, the official said.
“Despite holding no official position in the state or central government, he used fake work permits and NOCs to cheat people of lakhs of rupees,” the police official said.
One complainant alleged that Shah identified himself as a top revenue department official and produced a fake letter from the chairman of the “department of science and research development” to make him install a siren and curtain in a hired vehicle but did not pay for the job, he said.
Bogus letters claiming to be from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ahmedabad DEO were used by the accused to cheat the complainants, the police official said.
Police have recovered from his possession fake identity cards and letters with headings like “bharat gaurav ratna shri samman council”, “chairman of department of science and research development”, “health and family welfare department”, and “road and building department”.
“The FIR is based on complaints by three victims. We appeal to the people to come forward and submit their complaints if they have been cheated by Shah in any way,” Makwana said.
