Mumbai News Live Updates: Param Bir Singh appears before crime branch; Shakti Mill gang-rape convicts’ death penalty commuted to life imprisonment

Mumbai COVID-19 Cases Latest News, Maharashtra, Mumbai Weather Today News: “I will join the investigation as directed by the court,” Param Bir Singh told reporters soon after he arrived in Mumbai.

Mumbai Live News: Former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh on Thursday morning appeared before the crime branch of the Mumbai Police, which is probing an extortion case against him. The IPS officer, who was earlier declared a proclaimed offender by a Mumbai court, had been missing since October. “I will join the investigation as directed by the court,” Singh told reporters soon after he arrived in Mumbai. On Wednesday, the IPS officer, who is facing several extortion cases in Maharashtra, had said that he was in Chandigarh.

Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Thursday commuted to life imprisonment the death penalty given to three men found guilty of gang-raping a photojournalist in the abandoned Shakti Mills in central Mumbai on August 22, 2013. The court said it “cannot ignore the fact that offence has shocked the conscience of the society.” “Death puts an end to the concept of repentance… It cannot be said the accused deserved only death penalty. They deserved religious imprisonment for life to repent for the offence committed by them. Not to assimilate in society. There is no scope of reformation,” it added.

On the virus front, Mumbai on Wednesday reported 258 new coronavirus positive cases and four fatalities, taking the tally to 7,61,776 and the toll to 16,315, a civic official said. After reporting less than 200 cases for two consecutive days, Mumbai saw a marginal rise in infections and fatalities on Wednesday.

Mumbai news Live: Ex-Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh appears before crime branch; Mumbai sees 258 fresh Covid-19 cases, four deaths; Maharashtra announces up to 41% hike for MSRTC staff, nothing less than merger would do, say agitating workers; Follow this space to track latest news from Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai

The Bombay High Court on Thursday commuted to life imprisonment the death penalty given to three men found guilty of gang-raping a photojournalist in the abandoned Shakti Mills in central Mumbai on August 22, 2013.

The court said it “cannot ignore the fact that offence has shocked the conscience of the society.” “Death puts an end to the concept of repentance… It cannot be said the accused deserved only death penalty. They deserved religious imprisonment for life to repent for the offence committed by them. Not to assimilate in society. There is no scope of reformation,” it added.

Former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh on Thursday morning appeared before the crime branch of the Mumbai Police, which is probing an extortion case against him. The IPS officer, who was earlier declared a proclaimed offender by a Mumbai court, had been missing since October. “I will join the investigation as directed by the court,” Singh told reporters soon after he arrived in Mumbai. On Wednesday, the IPS officer, who is facing several extortion cases in Maharashtra, had said that he was in Chandigarh.

Following the order by the court, notices were pasted outside Singh’s known addresses and printed in newspapers, directing him to appear before the investigating officer within 30 days.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed a penalty of Rs 28.20 crore on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for discharging untreated sewage in the sea and creeks. The NGT order came on November 22, while hearing the petition filed by NGO Vanshakti seeking direction on compliance with sewage treatment norms. The tribunal has asked the civic body to pay compensation of Rs 28.20 crore as environmental damage to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) within three months.

The Indian Navy on Thursday commissioned submarine INS Vela in Mumbai, adding more teeth to the country’s naval prowess. This is the fourth of the six submarines the Indian Navy is to induct under the Kalvari-class submarine Project-75. The submarine was commissioned in the presence of Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh. This is the second major induction in the Indian Navy in less than a week. On November 21, the Navy commissioned warship INS Visakhapatnam.

The Central Railway has decided to reduce the price of platform ticket at key stations in the Mumbai  Metropolitan Region from Rs 50 to Rs 10 from Thursday, an official said. The platform ticket price will be reduced at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Dadar, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Thane, Kalyan and Panvel railway stations, he said. Earlier this year, Mumbai division of the Central Railway had increased the price of platform ticket from Rs 10 to Rs 50 at these stations to discourage overcrowding amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A 28-year-old Ukrainian woman died after falling off the window of her rented apartment situated on the 12th floor of a high-rise in Andheri (west) early on Wednesday. The DN Nagar police have ruled out foul play and have registered a case of accidental death. The incident took place around 5.15 am in the Millionaire Heritage building on SV road. The police said the deceased, Ahnesa Dubyna, was seated on the kitchen’s window and fell off after losing her balance.

A magistrate court has asked the police to further investigate a case filed by a woman alleging she was harassed and stalked by some people at the behest of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, and rejected an ‘A-summary’ report filed by cops while pointing out loopholes in the probe, according to an order made available on Wednesday. Chief metropolitan magistrate S B Bhajipale had rejected the summary report of the police on November 18 and a detailed order in the matter was made available now. An ‘A-summary’ report is a document where the police seek to close a probe in a case, where they find that although an offence is made out, there isn’t enough evidence against the accused. 

The magistrate, in his order, said the investigating officer miserably failed to take into account that prior to the alleged incident dated June 29, 2013,  earlier also on May 16, 2013, a similar assault was made out on the complainant.

Mumbai: A pedestrian walks past a graffiti in Mumbai (PTI)

Mumbai reported 196 new coronavirus cases and just one fresh fatality on Tuesday, taking the infection tally to 7,61,518 and the death toll to 16,311, a civic official said. Maharashtra recorded 766 new Covid-19 infections and 19 fresh fatalities in the last 24 hours even as the active cases in the state remained below 10,000 for the third consecutive day, the health department said on Tuesday.

Collector offices across the state are receiving several queries daily about the procedure for receiving the Rs 50,000 ex-gratia for Covid-19 deceased patients. Most of them are from families who do not have Covid test reports and death certificates that mention ‘Covid-19′ as the ’cause of death’. There have also been complaints about the functioning of the district-wise grievance redressal committees that were supposed to assist such kin as per the directive of the Supreme Court.

In other news, in its detailed order granting bail to a 31-year-old man booked in the Antilia terror scare case, a special court has said that prima facie, it appears he was not aware that the SIM cards he procured were being used for an illegal purpose. Naresh Gaur is alleged to have procured 14 SIM cards of which five were found at the office of dismissed assistant police inspector Sachin Waze.

 

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