Son of civic sweeper cracks UPSC exam
Thane (PTI): For 32-year-old Prashant Suresh Bhojane, whose mother works as a civic sweeper in Maharashtra's Thane city, cracking the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam was always his dream, and he persevered against all odds to finally fulfil the goal.
In the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2023 final results declared on Tuesday, he passed the exam by securing the 849th rank.
Prashant had started the journey towards fulfilling his dream in 2015, when he first appeared for the exam, and finally cracked it in the ninth attempt.
His achievement gave a reason to cheer for the residents of Khartan Road Sweepers Colony, where his family lives, as they took out a procession in celebration on Wednesday night. A few local politicians also took part in it.
Prashant's mother works as a sweeper with the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), while his father is a Class IV employee in the civic body. He completed his engineering degree, but was not interested in doing a job in that field as becoming an IAS officer was always his dream, his family members said.
Talking to PTI, Prashant said that while appearing for the UPSC exam, he started working in Delhi in 2020 at a competitive exam coaching centre, where he was given the job of checking mock exam papers of students.
"That way I could study as well as earn my livelihood," he said.
He said his parents would regularly ask him to stop giving the exams and return home, but he was confident and determined that he would achieve his goal one day.
"When I was appearing for the UPSC exam, my parents silently suffered throughout, but it has now paid off," he said.
His father Suresh Bhojane said he was very happy to see his son passing the UPSC exam.
"Earlier, I wanted my son to start doing a job, but now we feel that what he had decided was just right," he said.
Jagdish Kairalia, general secretary of 'Shramik Janata Sangh Union' that controls the labour union in several civic bodies, said Prashant's success story was celebrated in every house in the locality.
"One should not underestimate the sweepers as their children also have talent. This boy has proven it and made us proud. He is a role model for others in the colony," he said.
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Police probing whether Bishnoi gang received help from anti-national elements outside India
Mumbai (PTI): The Mumbai police probing the firing outside Bollywood actor Salman Khan's residence here are trying to find out if the Lawrence Bishnoi gang received help in the form of funds or weapons from anti-national elements active outside India, officials have said.
Two persons had fired four rounds outside the Galaxy Apartments in Mumbai’s Bandra area, where the actor resides, early on April 14. The police later arrested both the shooters - Vicky Gupta (24) and Sagar Pal (21) - from Gujarat and two arms suppliers - Sonu Kumar Chander Bishnoi (37) and Anuj Thapan (32) - from Punjab.
The crime branch of city police on Monday produced Gupta, Pal and Thapan before a court, which remanded them in police custody till May 8.
Lawrence Bishnoi, who is lodged in the Sabarmati central prison in Ahmedabad, and his younger brother Anmol who is believed to be in the US or Canada, are wanted accused in the case. Anmol had claimed responsibility for the firing through a Facebook post, though its IP address was traced to Portugal, police had said earlier.
As Lawrence Bishnoi's organised crime syndicate is active at the international level, police were probing if it received any help from anti-national elements outside India, such as supply of arms or funds, the police's remand application said.
Police were also investigating the source of the weapons supplied to the alleged shooters in the present case, an official said.
Investigators believe that the Bishnoi gang wanted to create terror in Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, and were probing if the gang members had tried to extort money from businesspersons, film actors and builders in the city, he said.
