Uddhav Thackeray group leader shot dead during Facebook live; attacker kills self
Mumbai, Feb 8: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar was shot dead during a Facebook live by local social activist Mauris Noronha in Mumbai on Thursday, police said.
Noronha also ended his life by shooting self, police said. Ghosalkar, a former corporator, succumbed to bullet injuries at a hospital in north Mumbai, police said.
A viral video of the incident showed Ghosalkar being shot in the abdomen and shoulder as he was live on Facebook with Noronha, a local activist. Sounds of three other shots being fired are also heard in the clip.
Ghosalkar and Noronha had "personal enmity" but the Facebook live was to clarify that they have come together ending their bitterness for the betterment of the IC Colony area in Borivli, an official said.
The incident took place days after a BJP MLA was caught on camera firing at an Eknath Shinde faction leader inside a police station at Ulhasnagar raising questions over Maharashtra's law and order situation.
Abhishek was the son of Vinod Ghosalkar, a senior leader of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party.
The attack took place in the office of Noronha, known as Mauris Bhai. They had patched up recently and Abhishek was reportedly invited to Noronha's office for an event where the latter allegedly shot Ghosalkar before shooting himself. The entire incident was live streamed on Facebook.
Chief Minister Shinde said a probe is being launched into the latest firing incident.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut demanded Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis' resignation over the incident.
Former minister Aaditya Thackeray, who said he had met Abhishek Ghosalkar earlier in the evening, claimed there was no longer any fear of law in Maharashtra. "There is total collapse of law and order in Maharashtra, as evident from this and similar recent shooting incidents," he added.
महाराष्ट्रात गुंडांचे राज्य सुरू आहे असे मी रोज सांगत आहे.
— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) February 8, 2024
मुख्यमंत्री आणि त्यांचे बाळराजे रोज गुंड टोळ्याना भेटतात.पक्षात प्रवेश देतात.गृहमंत्री अदृश्य झाले आहेत..राज्य गुंडांच्या तावडीत आहे.म्हणूनच कायद्याची भीती उरली नसून पोलिस हे शिंदे गँगच्या सेवेसाठीच उरले आहेत.
अभिषेक… pic.twitter.com/Q4LSeXzO2F
Is underworld back in Mumbai in different form? Earlier BJP MLA opened fire in police station. Now, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar, son of fr Sena MLA Vinod Ghosalkar was shot at Dahisar during Facebook live. Morris who had got past criminal records shot at Ghosalkar pic.twitter.com/5PY964oOn4
— Sudhir Suryawanshi (@ss_suryawanshi) February 8, 2024
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
