Wanted in Rs 4,000 theft case, accused arrested after 20 years in Latur district
Latur (PTI): Police have arrested an absconding accused involved in a Rs 4,000 theft case registered nearly 20 years ago, a period during which he kept changing his location and was recently found working as a sugarcane cutter in Latur district of Maharashtra, officials said on Tuesday.
The accused, Babu Laxman Sankole (41), a resident of Budhoda village under Ausa tehsil of Latur district, was arrested on Monday and produced before a local court, which remanded him to judicial custody till January 27, they said.
The accused was wanted in a theft case registered at the Shivajinagar Police Station in Latur and had been evading arrest for the past nearly two decades. As the accused kept changing his place of residence, police were unable to trace him, and the case was eventually kept in a dormant file.
However, a special squad of the Latur police reopened the case and pursued it meticulously.
On Monday, the special squad received information that Sankole was currently residing on Yakatpur Road in Ausa tehsil and working as a sugarcane cutter in the Kamalpur-Ujani area, said the officials.
After verifying the information, the police laid a trap and detained the accused and later placed him under arrest.
According to case details, one Arvind Vitthalrao Bhosale, a resident of Shahupuri Colony, Latur, had reported that on July 10, 2006, at around 10 pm, an unknown thief stole a car stereo worth approximately Rs 4,000 from his car parked outside his house.
Following the complaint, a case was registered at the Shivajinagar Police Station under IPC section 379 (punishment for theft).
The accused was initially arrested on July 14, 2006, and was later granted bail. He began remaining absent from court proceedings and later disappeared.
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Govt directive to offer 60 pc flight seats without additional charges put on hold
Mumbai (PTI): The government on Thursday "put in abeyance" its earlier direction to airlines to offer at least 60 per cent of seats in a flight without levying any additional charge from April 20, according to sources.
On March 18, the civil aviation ministry announced that directions have been issued to the DGCA to direct airlines to allocate a minimum of 60 per cent of seats for selection on any flight free of any additional charges to ensure fair access for passengers.
"The matter has been reviewed in light of representations received from the Federation of Indian Airlines and Akasa Air, highlighting operational and commercial implications of the above provision, including its potential impact on fare structures and consistency with the prevailing deregulated tariff regime.
"In view of the above, and pending a comprehensive examination of the issue, it has been decided that the provision relating to offering at least 60 per cent of seats free of charge shall be kept in abeyance till further orders," Civil Aviation Ministry said in a communication to the DGCA.
At present, 20 per cent of the seats can be booked free of charge, while the rest are paid.
Generally, airlines charge Rs 200 to Rs 2,100 for choosing seats, depending on various factors, including front rows and extra leg room, a travel industry executive had said last week.
The move to allocate a minimum of 60 per cent of seats for selection on any flight came against the backdrop of rising complaints that airlines were levying high charges for various services, including seat selection.
