THE CONVICTION rate in human trafficking cases across the country continues to be low, according to the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). While police filed chargesheets in 84.7 per cent of the 2,189 cases registered under the Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) across the country in 2021, only 16 per cent of the cases saw convictions.While the data on convictions was not available for 11 states, as many as eight states and three Union territories saw no convictions at all. The top performer was Jharkhand, which saw convictions in 84.2 per cent of the 92 cases that were registered in 2021.In 2020, police filed chargesheets in 85.2 per cent of the 1,714 trafficking cases that were registered, but only 10.6 per cent of the total cases saw convictions. Seven states reported no convictions while two reported a conviction rate of less than 2 per cent.In 2019, a total of 2,260 human trafficking cases were registered, of which police filed chargesheets in 83.7 per cent, while there were convictions in 22 per cent. Four states reported no convictions at all.The states and Union territories which reported zero convictions in 2021 are: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Telangana, Delhi, Chandigarh and Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, police had filed final chargesheets in over 90 per cent of the cases in Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana; and in over 80 per cent of the cases in Goa and Haryana.The highest number of trafficking cases was registered in Telangana (347 cases), Maharashtra (320 cases), and Assam (203 cases).Over the last three years, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have seen the highest number of human trafficking cases, followed by Assam, Jharkhand, Kerala, Odisha and Rajasthan. Barring Telangana, all states saw a dip in cases in 2020, the first year of the pandemic which saw lockdowns.
CRIME AGAINST women rose by 15.3 per cent in 2021 from the previous year, according to latest data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), with 4,28,278 cases registered last year following 3,71,503 cases in 2020.The NCRB report also shows that the rate of crime against women (number of incidents per 1 lakh population) increased from 56.5 per cent in 2020 to 64.5 per cent in 2021. A majority of these cases (31.8 per cent) fall in the category of “Cruelty by husband or his relatives’’, followed by “Assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty” (20.8 per cent), kidnapping and abduction (17.6 per cent), and rape (7.4 per cent).According to the report, the highest rate of crime against women in 2021 was registered in Assam (168.3 per cent), despite a marginal dip over the last three years. The state recorded over 29,000 such cases last year.The other top states in this category include Odisha, Haryana, Telangana and Rajasthan. Rajasthan, like Assam, showed a marginal decrease in the actual number of cases while the three other states (Odisha, Haryana and Telangana) marked an increase.The report places UP on top (56,083) in terms of actual number of cases registered in 2021, although the rate is lesser at 50.5 per cent. The other states that recorded the highest number of crimes against women include Rajasthan, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Odisha.Nagaland stood out with the lowest number of crimes against women registered in the past three years — 43 in 2019, 39 in 2020 and 54 in 2021. It also had the lowest crime rate against women for 2021 at 5.5 per cent.Among Union Territories, Delhi had the highest rate of crime against women in 2021 at 147.6 per cent. It also topped in absolute numbers of cases registered, recording an increase over the past three years from 13,395 in 2019 to 14,277 in 2021.The NCRB also collates data for crime against women in 19 cities across the country with a population of over 2 million.Among these cities, the 2021 data shows that Jaipur had the highest rate at over 194 per cent, followed by Delhi, Indore and Lucknow. Chennai and Coimbatore — both in Tamil Nadu — had the lowest rate.In actual numbers among these cities, Delhi topped in 2021 (13,982) followed by Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Delhi also marked the highest number of actual cases in the past three years amongst these cities, with 12,902 in 2019 and 9,782 in 2020.Rajasthan had the highest rate of rape for 2021 at 16.4 per cent and topped in actual numbers with 6,337 cases registered last year. UP, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra followed with over 2,000 cases registered last year in these states. Rajasthan also had the highest number of minor girls raped in 2021 with 1,453 cases registered.Overall, there were 31,677 cases of rape registered in the country last year, marking a marginal decline over the past five years from 33,977 cases in 2018.Cases of “murder with gangrape/rape”, for which the NCRB has maintained records since 2017, have remained steady — 284 cases in 2021, the same as in 2019. In 2020, there were 218 such incidents. The highest number of cases under the category were registered in 2018 with 291.The highest number of such cases took place last year in UP with 48, followed closely by Assam with 46. Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Uttarakhand did not register any cases under this category last year.According to NCRB data, rape-murders make up less than 1 per cent of the total rapes in the country annually. In these cases, the NCRB data between 2017-2021 shows that UP, Assam, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra had the highest number of cases in the country annually for rape-murders for the period of 2017-2020.Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inboxOver 28,000 women were abducted last year to be “compelled into marriage’’, including 12,000 minors, with the highest number recorded in UP (8,599) followed by Bihar (6,589), the NCRB report shows.Only 507 cases were registered in the country under the Domestic Violence Act in 2021 — 0.1 per cent of the total cases of crime against women. The highest number of cases (270) were filed in Kerala. Meanwhile, 6,589 cases of dowry deaths were registered last year with the highest number of such deaths registered in UP and Bihar.
A Goa Police team, in Haryana to investigate the alleged murder of BJP leader Sonali Phogat, on Wednesday inspected her farmhouse at Dhandhoor, about 10 km from Hisar. The team also spoke with Sonali Phogat’s teenage daughter.The team is also likely to visit a flat in Gurgaon where Phogat had stayed with her personal assistant Sudhir Sangwan before going to Goa. Phogat, 42, was brought dead to a hospital in North Goa on August 23, a day after she arrived in the coastal state with two other people. The Goa Police have said Phogat was administered methamphetamine drugs at a restaurant hours before her death. So far, they have arrested five people.Haryana police said full cooperation is being extended to Goa police in the case. “Goa Police officials are here to gather more clues in their ongoing investigation. We are cooperating with Goa Police. Sonali’s laptop and a mobile phone have been recovered. The DVR of the farmhouse CCTV cameras, which her family members were apprehending stolen, has also been recovered from the farmhouse,” a Haryana police spokesperson said.Meanwhile, members of the Dhaka Khap reached the farmhouse and raised slogans against the Goa Police and carried placards demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.“We are not satisfied with the investigations being conducted into the Sonali Phogat case. If the family’s demand for a CBI probe is not met, we will not hesitate to launch an agitation,” said a ‘khap” member. The Haryana government has already written to the Goa government to recommend a CBI probe in the case.Phogat’s nephew Maninder told reporters that the visiting Goa team has recorded the statements of the family members.Haryana BJP chief O P Dhankar also met the Phogat family and assured them that he will again ask the state government to urge Goa to recommend a CBI probe. Both states are BJP-run.Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inbox“We reiterated our demand for a CBI probe,” Kuldeep Phogat, a relative, said after Dhankar met the family.“We demand a CBI inquiry for a fair probe. So many days have passed. The Goa police should have been able to establish the reason for her murder by now. Only a CBI probe can bring out the truth,” he said.The family members plan to meet Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday to demand a CBI probe. If the inquiry is not ordered, family members will go to Delhi and raise their demand with the Centre, a relative said.
A Goa Police team, in Haryana to investigate the alleged murder of BJP leader Sonali Phogat, on Wednesday inspected her farmhouse at Dhandhoor, about 10 km from Hisar. The team also spoke with Sonali Phogat’s teenage daughter.The team is also likely to visit a flat in Gurgaon where Phogat had stayed with her personal assistant Sudhir Sangwan before going to Goa.Phogat, 42, was brought dead to a hospital in North Goa on August 23, a day after she arrived in the coastal state with two other people. The Goa Police have said Phogat was administered methamphetamine drugs at a restaurant hours before her death. So far, they have arrested five people.Haryana police said full cooperation is being extended to Goa police in the case. “Goa Police officials are here to gather more clues in their ongoing investigation. We are cooperating with Goa Police. Sonali’s laptop and a mobile phone have been recovered. The DVR of the farmhouse CCTV cameras, which her family members were apprehending stolen, has also been recovered from the farmhouse,” a Haryana police spokesperson said.Meanwhile, members of the Dhaka Khap reached the farmhouse and raised slogans against the Goa Police and carried placards demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.“We are not satisfied with the investigations being conducted into the Sonali Phogat case. If the family’s demand for a CBI probe is not met, we will not hesitate to launch an agitation,” said a ‘khap” member.The Haryana government has already written to the Goa government to recommend a CBI probe in the case.Phogat’s nephew Maninder told reporters that the visiting Goa team has recorded the statements of the family members.Haryana BJP chief O P Dhankar also met the Phogat family and assured them that he will again ask the state government to urge Goa to recommend a CBI probe. Both states are BJP-run.Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inbox“We reiterated our demand for a CBI probe,” Kuldeep Phogat, a relative, said after Dhankar met the family.“We demand a CBI inquiry for a fair probe. So many days have passed. The Goa police should have been able to establish the reason for her murder by now. Only a CBI probe can bring out the truth,” he said.The family members plan to meet Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday to demand a CBI probe. If the inquiry is not ordered, family members will go to Delhi and raise their demand with the Centre, a relative said.
Such family reunions are a striking feature of Ganesh Chaturthi in Goa. (File)Panaji: Bollywood film "Singham Returns" was shot at the 288-year-old Sanvordekar Wada, but it is 'Family Returns' that plays out here every Ganesh Chaturthi, as in many other households in Goa.The mansion at Sanvordem in South Goa district, built in 1734, is abuzz with activity as more than 250 members of the Sanvordekar family have returned to celebrate the Ganesh festival.Such family reunions are a striking feature of the festival in the coastal state."More than 250 members of the family have come together to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi," said Mandar Sanvordekar, a member.The Wada or mansion, spread over 4,000 square meters with 80-odd rooms, four courtyards and four wells, had featured in the 2014 Ajay Devgn-starrer "Singham Returns".Members of the extended Sanvordekar clan are now scattered all over India. One of them, Wing Commander Vishwanath Sanvordekar, served in the Indian Air Force and was a decorated war hero. He died in a plane crash some three decades ago.Sagar Sanvordekar, a retired professional who lives in Mumbai, said he and his family visit the mansion every Ganesh Chaturthi. Each family has its own room in the building.Pranav Sanvordekar said the youngest generation is the 11th one since the mansion was built. "Those who attend the festival are from the seventh to the eleventh generation," he said, claiming that this is one of the oldest joint families in the country.Family members ensure that they contribute to the upkeep of the huge structure. "For the last around 300 years, the family has been contributing for a maintenance fund," he said, adding that its heritage features have been preserved even though it is costly.Kuwelkar family at Raia in South Goa district too has all its members reuniting on Ganesh Chaturthi.Returning to the century-old house for the festival has been a tradition for them, said Dr Saidutt Kuwelkar."The tradition will continue forever. That's the spirit of Ganesh Chaturthi," he said.Some families have also defied tradition to break new ground.At the Samant family at Borim in South Goa, 19-year-old Kshitija Samant became the first daughter from the family to perform Ganesh puja.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com"Family members decided that I should be performing puja this year. It is not written anywhere that a girl should not perform puja," she said.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The ten-day-long Ganesh Chaturthi festival began in Goa on Wednesday with households installing Ganesh idols at home.The festival is also a time for family reunion for many who have migrated outside.Sanvordekar Wada, a 288-year-old mansion in South Goa’s Sanvordem village, has more than 250 members coming together this time.“The mansion was constructed in 1734 and since then in each generation all family members celebrate the festival under one roof,” said Mandar Sanvordekar, a member of the clan.The palatial house has 80-odd rooms and four courtyards. The members of the extended family are spread across India.The eleventh generation of the family will be celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi in the mansion this time.Buy Now | Our best subscription plan now has a special priceKuwelkar family at Raia in South Goa too has all its members reuniting on the occasion.Returning to the century-old house for Ganesh Chaturthi has been a tradition for them, said Dr Saidutt Kuwelkar.“The tradition will continue forever. That’s the spirit of Ganesh Chaturthi,” he said.Some families have also defied tradition to break new ground.At the Samant family at Borim in South Goa, 19-year-old Kshitija Samant became the first daughter from the family to perform Ganesh puja.“Family members decided that I should be performing puja this year. It is not written anywhere that a girl should not perform puja,” she said.📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!
Panaji: Tourism minister Rohan Khaunte said on Monday that tourists “are welcome to Goa but should act responsibly”. The minister was responding to questions in the aftermath of the murder of BJP functionary Sonali Phogat, who died last week. “Every individual who visits Goa should take responsibility for himself,” he said. “The tourism ministry is here to provide all possible avenues of enjoyment and the best infrastructure so that tourists can have good memories of their holiday in the state.”“Tourists should do things rightly and safely,” Khaunte said, adding that the tourism sector is the backbone of Goa’s economy, and there’s no need to bring tourism into every aspect, especially when “the state has taken measures”.Khaunte refused to comment on why so much time has been taken to transfer the case to the CBI even though BJP is in government both at the state and at the Centre. “The chief minister is the right person to comment on it,” he said. “Chief minister Pramod Sawant, as home minister, has already acted on the case.”Phogat and her aides had parties at Curlies, Anjuna, hours before her death. Since the registration of the case as murder, four persons, including two companions of Phogat have been arrested. Sawant had said that if needed, the investigation of the Phogat case will be handed over to the CBI.
PANAJI: Tourism minister Rohan Khaunte on Monday said 'tourists are welcome to Goa but they should act responsibly' as he was questioned in view of murder of the BJP leader Sonali Phogat allegedly by her two associates last week. Phogat had partied at Curlies, Anjuna shack hours before her death. “Every individual who visits Goa should take responsibility for himself. Tourism ministry is here to provide all possible avenues of enjoyment and best infrastructure so that tourists can have good memories of their holiday in the state,” said Khaunte. The tourism sector, Khaunte said, is the backbone of Goa’s economy. There is no need to bring it in every aspect, especially when the state has taken measures. “Chief minister Pramod Sawant as home minister has already acted on the case,” he said. Since the registration of the case as murder, four persons, including two companions of Phogat have been arrested. Khaunte refused to comment why so much time has been taken to transfer the case to CBI even as both, at the Centre and the state, the BJP is in the ruling. “The CM is the right person to comment on it,” the tourism minister said. Sawant on Sunday had stated that if needed, the investigation of the Phogat case will be handed over to the CBI.
A Goa Police team, in Haryana to investigate the alleged murder of BJP leader Sonali Phogat, on Wednesday inspected her farmhouse at Dhandhoor, about 10 km from Hisar. The team also spoke with Sonali Phogat’s teenage daughter.The team is also likely to visit a flat in Gurgaon where Phogat had stayed with her personal assistant Sudhir Sangwan before going to Goa. Phogat, 42, was brought dead to a hospital in North Goa on August 23, a day after she arrived in the coastal state with two other people. The Goa Police have said Phogat was administered methamphetamine drugs at a restaurant hours before her death. So far, they have arrested five people.Haryana police said full cooperation is being extended to Goa police in the case. “Goa Police officials are here to gather more clues in their ongoing investigation. We are cooperating with Goa Police. Sonali’s laptop and a mobile phone have been recovered. The DVR of the farmhouse CCTV cameras, which her family members were apprehending stolen, has also been recovered from the farmhouse,” a Haryana police spokesperson said.Meanwhile, members of the Dhaka Khap reached the farmhouse and raised slogans against the Goa Police and carried placards demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.“We are not satisfied with the investigations being conducted into the Sonali Phogat case. If the family’s demand for a CBI probe is not met, we will not hesitate to launch an agitation,” said a ‘khap” member. The Haryana government has already written to the Goa government to recommend a CBI probe in the case.Phogat’s nephew Maninder told reporters that the visiting Goa team has recorded the statements of the family members.Haryana BJP chief O P Dhankar also met the Phogat family and assured them that he will again ask the state government to urge Goa to recommend a CBI probe. Both states are BJP-run.Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inbox“We reiterated our demand for a CBI probe,” Kuldeep Phogat, a relative, said after Dhankar met the family.“We demand a CBI inquiry for a fair probe. So many days have passed. The Goa police should have been able to establish the reason for her murder by now. Only a CBI probe can bring out the truth,” he said.The family members plan to meet Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday to demand a CBI probe. If the inquiry is not ordered, family members will go to Delhi and raise their demand with the Centre, a relative said.
A Goa Police team, in Haryana to investigate the alleged murder of BJP leader Sonali Phogat, on Wednesday inspected her farmhouse at Dhandhoor, about 10 km from Hisar. The team also spoke with Sonali Phogat’s teenage daughter.The team is also likely to visit a flat in Gurgaon where Phogat had stayed with her personal assistant Sudhir Sangwan before going to Goa.Phogat, 42, was brought dead to a hospital in North Goa on August 23, a day after she arrived in the coastal state with two other people. The Goa Police have said Phogat was administered methamphetamine drugs at a restaurant hours before her death. So far, they have arrested five people.Haryana police said full cooperation is being extended to Goa police in the case. “Goa Police officials are here to gather more clues in their ongoing investigation. We are cooperating with Goa Police. Sonali’s laptop and a mobile phone have been recovered. The DVR of the farmhouse CCTV cameras, which her family members were apprehending stolen, has also been recovered from the farmhouse,” a Haryana police spokesperson said.Meanwhile, members of the Dhaka Khap reached the farmhouse and raised slogans against the Goa Police and carried placards demanding a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.“We are not satisfied with the investigations being conducted into the Sonali Phogat case. If the family’s demand for a CBI probe is not met, we will not hesitate to launch an agitation,” said a ‘khap” member.The Haryana government has already written to the Goa government to recommend a CBI probe in the case.Phogat’s nephew Maninder told reporters that the visiting Goa team has recorded the statements of the family members.Haryana BJP chief O P Dhankar also met the Phogat family and assured them that he will again ask the state government to urge Goa to recommend a CBI probe. Both states are BJP-run.Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inbox“We reiterated our demand for a CBI probe,” Kuldeep Phogat, a relative, said after Dhankar met the family.“We demand a CBI inquiry for a fair probe. So many days have passed. The Goa police should have been able to establish the reason for her murder by now. Only a CBI probe can bring out the truth,” he said.The family members plan to meet Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday to demand a CBI probe. If the inquiry is not ordered, family members will go to Delhi and raise their demand with the Centre, a relative said.
A day after he said that investigation into the murder of Haryana BJP leader and actor Sonali Phogat could be transferred to CBI if the Haryana government insists, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said the probe has been “upgraded” and that he has “full faith” in Goa Police.“A thorough probe is being carried out. Our (police) team left for Haryana today. Five people have been arrested so far and we will nab the very last person involved in the case,” Sawant said.Stating that a Deputy SP-level officer is leading the investigation, he said, “I have full faith in our police team; they will carry out a very good investigation.”Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had spoken with Sawant two days ago after Phogat’s family met him. On Tuesday, Sawant said that a confidential report of the investigation has been sent to Khattar and the Haryana DGP.Goa Police sources said a team of two inspectors and a constable left for Haryana on Tuesday morning.The police team was likely to reach Gurgaon, Haryana, late Tuesday evening and inspect the flat where Phogat and her personal assistant, Sudhir Sangwan, had allegedly stayed before leaving for Goa. Sangwan and his aide, Sukhwinder Singh, have been arrested in connection with Phogat’s murder. According to Goa Police, the two had partied with Phogat at the Curlies beach shack in Anjuna on August 22 night — she died the following day — and allegedly given her methamphetamine in a drink “forcefully”.Sangwan had purportedly told Goa Police that a Tata Safari vehicle was kept in the parking lot of the Gurgaon apartment complex and the flat’s keys were in the car.The Goa police team is also likely to visit Phogat’s farmhouse in Hisar, as also Rohtak (Haryana), Adampur (Punjab) and Chandigarh as part of their investigation.Phogat’s brother, Rinku, on Tuesday told the media that Goa Police should open her Gurgaon flat in the presence of her family members. “We fear several pieces of evidence have already been destroyed by the accused and if the flat is opened in our absence, more evidence could be destroyed,” .Rinku claimed.Besides Sangwan and Sukhwinder, three other people have been arrested by Goa Police in a separate offence under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act registered against them: Edwin Nunes, owner of Curlies, and alleged drug peddlers Dattaprasad Gaonkar and Rama Mandrekar.On Tuesday, the Goa CM said, “We have seized Curlies and will take further legal action against it.” If needed, he said, the shack will be shut down.Phogat’s family members have been demanding a CBI probe in this case. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has also said that a CBI investigation should be conducted in the case to unveil the truth and arrest all the culprits involved in the case.
PANAJI: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday yet again brushed aside questions about his previous statements where he had stated that investigations into the Sonali Phogat murder case would be handed over to CBI. He said that as of now, an officer of the level of deputy superintendent of police (dySP) from Goa police is overseeing the investigations. The investigations have been ‘upgraded’, he said, adding he has full confidence in Goa police. “I am being asked the same question over and over again. The investigation has been upgraded. Now a dySP is heading the investigations. The case is being thoroughly probed. Our team has already left for Haryana. We have arrested some persons in the case. We will get to the very last person involved in the case,” said Sawant, who two days earlier had stated that the case would be handed over to CBI. Already, whatever information has been gathered in the case, the details have been shared with the Haryana CM and DGP, he said. “I have full confidence in our police team that they will carry out a thorough investigation. At present, I will only say that our team is investigating the case well, and I am confident that whoever is involved in the case will not be able to get away,” said Sawant. Phogat, a Haryana BJP functionary and Tiktok star, came to Goa last week and died on Tuesday. After Phogat’s death, Goa police initially registered it as a case of unnatural death, but Phogat’s brother Rinku Dhaka demanded that a murder case be registered, and that the investigation be shifted to CBI. After the postmortem examination, police registered a murder case and later arrested Sudhir Sangvan and Sukhwinder Singh, who allegedly forcibly gave synthetic drugs to Phogat. Phogat, a Haryana BJP functionary and Tiktok star, came to Goa last week and died on Tuesday. After Phogat's death, Goa police initially registered it as a case of unnatural death, but Phogat's brother Rinku Dhaka demanded that a murder case be registered, and that the investigation be shifted to CBI. After the postmortem examination, police registered a murder case and later arrested Sudhir Sangvan and Sukhwinder Singh, who allegedly forcibly gave synthetic drugs to Phogat. In the narcotics case, Goa police has so far arrested three accused, all of whom have been remanded in five days police custody. Anjuna police said that Curlies owner Linet Nunes filed for anticipatory bail in connection with this narcotic case. The CM, who is also the home minister, has said that Goa police would not tolerate any drug-related cases in the state. Sawant said that the "anti-narcotics cell will be strengthened and it will directly report to the DGP, who will report to me".
A day after he said that investigation into the murder of Haryana BJP leader and actor Sonali Phogat could be transferred to CBI if the Haryana government insists, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday said the probe has been “upgraded” and that he has “full faith” in Goa Police.“A thorough probe is being carried out. Our (police) team left for Haryana today. Five people have been arrested so far and we will nab the very last person involved in the case,” Sawant said.Stating that a Deputy SP-level officer is leading the investigation, he said, “I have full faith in our police team; they will carry out a very good investigation.”Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had spoken with Sawant two days ago after Phogat’s family met him. On Tuesday, Sawant said that a confidential report of the investigation has been sent to Khattar and the Haryana DGP.Goa Police sources said a team of two inspectors and a constable left for Haryana on Tuesday morning.The police team was likely to reach Gurgaon, Haryana, late Tuesday evening and inspect the flat where Phogat and her personal assistant, Sudhir Sangwan, had allegedly stayed before leaving for Goa. Sangwan and his aide, Sukhwinder Singh, have been arrested in connection with Phogat’s murder. According to Goa Police, the two had partied with Phogat at the Curlies beach shack in Anjuna on August 22 night — she died the following day — and allegedly given her methamphetamine in a drink “forcefully”.Sangwan had purportedly told Goa Police that a Tata Safari vehicle was kept in the parking lot of the Gurgaon apartment complex and the flat’s keys were in the car.The Goa police team is also likely to visit Phogat’s farmhouse in Hisar, as also Rohtak (Haryana), Adampur (Punjab) and Chandigarh as part of their investigation.Phogat’s brother, Rinku, on Tuesday told the media that Goa Police should open her Gurgaon flat in the presence of her family members. “We fear several pieces of evidence have already been destroyed by the accused and if the flat is opened in our absence, more evidence could be destroyed,” .Rinku claimed.Besides Sangwan and Sukhwinder, three other people have been arrested by Goa Police in a separate offence under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act registered against them: Edwin Nunes, owner of Curlies, and alleged drug peddlers Dattaprasad Gaonkar and Rama Mandrekar.Newsletter | Click to get the day’s best explainers in your inboxOn Tuesday, the Goa CM said, “We have seized Curlies and will take further legal action against it.” If needed, he said, the shack will be shut down.Phogat’s family members have been demanding a CBI probe in this case. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij has also said that a CBI investigation should be conducted in the case to unveil the truth and arrest all the culprits involved in the case.
PANAJI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the BJP would form the next government in the state, chief minister Pramod Sawant said after briefing the PM over political developments in Goa. The assembly results are scheduled to be declared on Thursday. “Modi told me that BJP will form the government,” Sawant told TOI from Delhi. Modi held the meeting with Sawant to review the political situation in the state. During the discussion, Modi took constituency-wise details about the number of seats BJP will secure in Goa. Sawant provided details to Modi on what the results would be, and how BJP would form the government. “We will form the next government in the state and in case we are short of a majority, independent MLAs will support BJP,” Sawant said. He added that if required, BJP would seek support of MGP. The CM told Modi that BJP is getting around 20 seats, and with the help of independent MLAs, BJP will form the government. Modi also deliberated on the possibilities of forming a coalition government just in case there was a fractured mandate. The meeting also discussed seeking support from independent MLAs or regional parties. All the exit polls on Monday have predicted a hung assembly in Goa. The election is crucial for BJP as well as for Sawant as both are facing anti-incumbency. BJP has contested all 40 assemblies for the first time, and it’s also the party’s first state election in the absence of their strategist, former chief minister Manohar Parrikar. Modi addressed the people of the state during the election campaign and had said “Goa has decided that this wave of development and good governance should not slow down. Under the young leadership of chief minister Pramod Sawant, this journey will continue in the same manner”. Sawant, BJP state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade and BJP’s Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting in Mumbai to discuss the formation of the next government. Fadnavis already held a meeting with senior MGP functionary Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar over the post-poll alliance. Dhavalikar had told Fadnavis that the MGP-TMC alliance would take a decision after the results. BJP had started approaching independent candidates who are likely to get elected in the assembly election, already hitting the drawing board to strategise how to form the next government.
Panaji: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that the BJP would form the next government in the state, chief minister Pramod Sawant said after briefing the PM over political developments in Goa. The assembly results are scheduled to be declared on Thursday. “Modi told me that BJP will form the government,” Sawant told TOI from Delhi. Modi held the meeting with Sawant to review the political situation in the state. During the discussion, Modi took constituency-wise details about the number of seats BJP will secure in Goa. Sawant provided details to Modi on what the results would be, and how BJP would form the government. “We will form the next government in the state and in case we are short of a majority, independent MLAs will support BJP,” Sawant said. He added that if required, BJP would seek support of MGP. The CM told Modi that BJP is getting around 20 seats, and with the help of independent MLAs, BJP will form the government. Modi also deliberated on the possibilities of forming a coalition government just in case there was a fractured mandate. The meeting also discussed seeking support from independent MLAs or regional parties. All the exit polls on Monday have predicted a hung assembly in Goa. The election is crucial for BJP as well as for Sawant as both are facing anti-incumbency. BJP has contested all 40 assemblies for the first time, and it’s also the party’s first state election in the absence of their strategist, former chief minister Manohar Parrikar. Modi addressed the people of the state during the election campaign and had said “Goa has decided that this wave of development and good governance should not slow down. Under the young leadership of chief minister Pramod Sawant, this journey will continue in the same manner”. Sawant, BJP state president Sadanand Shet Tanavade and BJP’s Goa election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting in Mumbai to discuss the formation of the next government. Fadnavis already held a meeting with senior MGP functionary Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar over the post-poll alliance. Dhavalikar had told Fadnavis that the MGP-TMC alliance would take a decision after the results. BJP had started approaching independent candidates who are likely to get elected in the assembly election, already hitting the drawing board to strategise how to form the next government.
MARGAO: A bag containing 40 cartridges belonging to the Indian Reserve Batallion (IRB) that proceeded to Uttar Pradesh from Goa for election duty that was found misplaced on Tuesday, was recovered by Margao police on Wednesday from the roadside at Davorlim. Police sources said that about 900 IRB personnel had departed by an UP-bound train from Margao railway station on Tuesday evening. They were ferried to the Margao railway station by buses. However, it was after the train departed from Margao railway station that the “missing” bag containing cartridges came to their notice. The Railway police were soon alerted, who in turn contacted the Margao town police who launched a search exercise on the routes taken by the buses to ferry the IRB personnel to the railway station. The bag was finally recovered from a roadside at Davorlim on Wednesday. Police surmise that the IRB personnel left the bag containing cartridges after alighting from the buses to proceed to the railway station.
Margao: In a major relief, the 40 live cartridges that were in the possession of IRB personnel headed for poll duty in Uttar Pradesh and had gone missing late on Tuesday night, were found in a gutter near Davorlim circle hardly half km away from the Margao railway station platform on Wednesday morning.Ten companies of IRBpolice personnel left by a train for Delhi from where they will travel to Uttar Pradesh. Four boxeswith each containing 10cartridgeshad gone missing. IRBpersonnel Nansekerhad made an application to the Margao police on Tuesday late night in which he had mentioned thatthe live cartridges in his possession had gone missing.He had reported that the cartridges went missing along the ring road between fire station and Davorlim circle. A search operation was conducted by police.Police teamengaged in the search operationhad visited the Konkan railway station area, checked the CCTV footagebesides parkingareaswhere buseshad dropped the IRBstaff, however, the cartridges were not found.However on Wednesday at around 10 a.m.,the four missing boxeswerefound in a gutter by LIB team of policewhich was also pressed into a search operation. It is still a mystery howthe live cartridges reached the gutter. Investigation is in progress. Police havekept the cartridges in custody after conducting legal formalities.
Good morning,The BJP-Shinde Sena coalition won the trust vote with 164 votes, the same number it previously garnered in the Speaker’s election. The last day of the special assembly session was marked by an emotional speech from Shinde, who referred to the death of two of his children in a boat accident in June 2000. He also tried to reassure his political rivals saying: “We don’t subscribe to the politics of vendetta…”🔴 Having comfortably won the floor test, the coalition may not press for disqualification of the 15 MLAs left with Uddhav Thackeray. Highly placed sources in the BJP said the party wanted “truce”, even though Speaker Rahul Narwekar said he would seek their disqualification as they had ignored a whip issued by the Shinde side for the Speaker election.🔴 Meanwhile, the failure of 11 Congress MLAs, including former CM Ashok Chavan, to cast their vote in the floor test led to raised eyebrows within the party with senior leaders raising concern and questioning their “recklessness” and “casual behaviour”. Chavan said: “We were late by two or three minutes. They closed the gates. There is no foul play. We were stuck in traffic.”At least 26 recommendations for appointment of judges to the Bombay High Court, which is currently functioning at almost half its sanctioned strength, are pending with the government at different stages of consideration, The Indian Express has learnt. The Bombay High Court currently has 57 judges against a sanctioned strength of 96 judges. At least five more judges are expected to retire this year.Scientists in India probing the possible causes for the recent rise in Coronavirus cases said BA.2.75, one of the several sub-variants of the parent Omicron variant, was now one of the most commonly detected sub-variant in the country in recent results of genome sequencing. It has been found to have an 18 per cent growth advantage over the other currently circulating Omicron sub-variants. However, there is no evidence as of now to suggest that the BA.2.75 also causes a more severe form of infection.The government has barred hotels and restaurants from adding service charge “automatically or by default” in the food bill. It said that in case of violation, a consumer can ask the hotel/ restaurant to remove the service charge, or seek redressal by filing a complaint.As drama swirled around the Maharashtra government’s survival, one of the characters at the heart of it was a politician from Haryana, Sonia Doohan. The 30-year-old national president of the NCP students’ wing was held along with an aide for allegedly using fake identification documents to check into a hotel in Goa, where Sena rebels were staying. Doohan, who played an “important role in the fall of the three-day BJP government in 2019” according to NCP’s Dheeraj Sharma, has denied the allegations.A day after their capture of two heavily armed LeT militants, the residents of Tukson village in J&K remain firm: they will not give way to terrorists, at any cost. One of the residents involved in the capture, a BA student, told The Indian Express about how he had alerted his brother of two “unknown people posing as traders” at a dhok. This led to a gathering of seven residents, who formed a cordon, and eventually went on to overpower the duo.A year since the Covid-induced oxygen crisis, hospitals in Delhi are struggling to keep the pressure-swing adsorption (PSA) plants going. Most of them switch on the plant once a week or for a couple of hours every day to ensure that the machine remains functional. The reason for this are multiple: High operation and maintenance cost, lower quality of oxygen generated, and fear of antagonising the regular liquid medical oxygen suppliers.Mumbai’s chawl and low-income housing localities have always boasted of a community dance culture. B-Girl Bar-B, born Siddhi Tambe, took her first steps in Breaking at a similar community centre. The 18-year-old has now earned a ticket to New York after emerging India champ at the Red Bull BC One Cypher earlier this month. We take a look at her journey.Delhi Confidential: Union Minister Amit Shah annually visits his village on the occasion of Bhaidooj and the second day of Navratri and participates in the meeting of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies. Shah revealed this while responding to Cabinet colleague Parshottam Rupala, who took a jibe at cooperative leaders and asked them how they contribute to the sector, during an event to mark the 100th International Day of Cooperatives.In today’s episode of the ‘3 things’ podcast, we talk about Maharashtra’s new government clearing the floor test in the Assembly and the protests against its decision to build a metro shed in Aarey forest. We also discuss a fratricide case in BSF and the rising concern of mental health issues among police forces.Until tomorrow,Leela Prasad and Sonal Gupta
The four-day old Shiv Sena-BJP government will face the floor test on July 4 during the special two-day session of the Legislative Assembly beginning here Sunday.The election to the post of the Speaker of the House will be held Sunday after the House proceedings begin at 11 am, an official said.Sena MLA and Uddhav Thackeray loyalist Rajan Salvi is the candidate of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine for the Speaker’s election. He is pitted against first-time BJP legislator Rahul Narvekar.Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs who support Shinde returned to Mumbai from Goa on Saturday evening on the eve of the Assembly session, and were lodged in a luxury hotel in south Mumbai, where Vidhan Bhavan, venue of the floor test, is located.NCP chief Sharad Pawar claimed that Narhari Zirwal, the deputy Speaker, can perform officiating Speaker’s duties even though a no-confidence motion is pending against him. The post of Speaker is vacant since February last year after Nana Patole of Congress quit.As many as 50 MLAs who support Shinde, including 39 rebel legislators of the Shiv Sena, on Saturday evening flew to Mumbai from Goa by a chartered flight. Shinde, who had flown to Goa in the morning, accompanied them back.Shinde has the support of 10 legislators of smaller parties and independents and 106 MLAs of the BJP in the 288-member House.Following is the party position in the Assembly: Shiv Sena 55, NCP 53, Congress 44, BJP 106, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi 3, Samajwadi Party 2, AIMIM 2, Prahar Janshakti Party 2, MNS 1, CPI (M) 1, PWP 1, Swambhimani Paksha 1, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha 1, Jansurajya Shakti Party 1, Krantikari Shetkari Party 1, and Independents 13.There is a vacancy due to the death of Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Latke last month.Two NCP members – Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal – have tested COVID-19 positive, while two other party legislators – Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik – are currently in jail.
WITH THE Speaker’s election slated for Sunday after Shiv Sena announced the candidature of its MLA Rajan Salvi for the post against BJP’s Rahul Narwekar, the stage is set for the first test for the newly sworn-in Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his group of Sena rebels, and for BJP and the Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.Shinde and Fadnavis were sworn in on Thursday and the Governor has called for a special session of the assembly on Sunday and Monday for the Speaker’s election followed by a floor test. The election will mark the first battle in the House between Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena which has 16 MLAs, and Shnde-led rebel group with 39 MLAs.On Saturday, Shiv Sena chief whip Sunil Prabhu issued a whip, asking all the MLAs to be present in the assembly and cast their votes in favour of Salvi.Replying to the whip issued by Prabhu, Chief Minister Shinde asserted that it does not apply to his group as they have more than two-thirds of the total 55 Sena MLAs. He said, “We will face the floor test and we will win”.Sources said a separate whip is likely to be issued by the Shinde faction for the election and the floor test.Ajay Chaudhari, Shiv Sena legislative party leader said, “We have a strategy in place but I can’t disclose it now.’’ Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant said, “We will fight the Speaker’s election and we believe in the Constitution. I have heard that the Shinde faction spokesperson Deepak Kesarkar said that Uddhav Thackeray is their leader. These MLAs now must obey the whip and vote for Rajan Salvi.”Shiv Sena parliamentary party leader Vinayak Raut said, “We have issued a whip that the rebel MLAs should vote for Rajan Salvi. If they don’t, it will be an added material in our case in Supreme Court for disqualifying them.”A three-time MLA, Salvi was accompanied by Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant, Sena legislature party leader Ajay Chaudhari, state NCP chief Jayant Patil, and Congress legislative party leader Balasaheb Thorat while filing his nomination for the election.Meanwhile, late Friday night, Thackeray sacked Shinde from the post of Shiv Sena leader in party organisation for indulging in “anti party activities’ ‘.“Dear Shri Shinde, You have been indulging in anti-party activities and have also voluntarily given up your membership of Shiv Sena. Therefore, in exercise of the powers vested in me as the Shiv Sena Paksha Pramukha, I remove you from the post of Shiv Sena leader in the party organisation,” the letter issued by Thackeray read.The move came after Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis took oath as CM and deputy CM respectively on Thursday. Sources in Shinde camp said that they will challenge the letter legally.Ahead of the Speaker’s election, the rebel Sena MLAs and Independent MLAs returned to Mumbai on Saturday evening after spending almost 11 days out of the state — first in Gujarat, then in Assam, and then in Goa. They arrived in Mumbai on a special flight and will be camped at a south Mumbai five-star hotel along with BJP MLAs.Addressing them, CM Shinde asserted that the whip of state legislative leader Bharat Gogawale, who is a part of his group, will be applicable to them, and not that of Shiv Sena’s which has been reduced to a minority.Security was beefed up in Mumbai and police security was deployed along the route from Mumbai airport to South Mumbai hotel to avoid any untoward incident.As the floor test is also scheduled on Monday, Shiv Sena president and former CM Uddhav Thackeray held meetings with party leaders to carve out a strategy. Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap and Congress working president Charan Singh Sapra also met Thackeray at Matorshree Saturday afternoon and all MVA leaders held a meeting in the evening.The NCP legislature party will hold a meeting on Sunday morning to decide their strategy. State NCP president Jayant Patil said, “I feel elections should not be held. All three parties gave a letter… We have a deputy Speaker, Narhari Zirwal, and he has the right to run the House… When the government has changed, Koshyari has allowed elections for a Speaker and people are watching these developments.”Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said, “Earlier, MVA demanded election of Speaker and it was denied by the Governor quoting law related to elections. Now, we can’t understand the reason to have elections. The Governor should not forget that he is a constitutional authority, and not a BJP worker.”
PANAJI: As Covid cases continue to rise in the state, health officials have said that people must get tested for the disease even if they have flu-like symptoms. State epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betodkar said that people have no option but to take precautions. On Wednesday, the state recorded a total of 82 new cases.
Panaji: Even as Covid-19 cases rise rapidly in the state, health authorities have said that people should get tested even if they have flu or flu-like symptoms. On Tuesday, Goa hit 100 daily cases after nearly four months, after several days of daily cases ranging from 60 to 70. State epidemiologist Dr Utkarsh Betokdar said that people have no alternative but to take precautions. “People should get tested even if they think they have the flu,” Betodkar said. However, health authorities are still not ready to term the present rise a new (or a fourth) wave. “Hospitalisations are still on the lower side, just one or two admissions a week,” he said. “Since the rise, a single fatality has been reported, adding that the patient who died after contracting the infection was a 95-year-old woman. Betodkar said that most patients reported mild symptoms, unlike in earlier phases of the pandemic. Since the rise in cases, the majority of patients have been treated in home isolation. The directorate of health services is still unclear as to how to define the ongoing increase, but one pattern that’s been emerging has been similar to earlier, which is that South Goa is reporting more cases than North Goa. “We haven’t seen any clusters so far, but more infections are being reported from South Goa,” he said. Betodkar said that it may be because of “the higher concentration of population” in certain talukas of South Goa. The first wave originated at Mangor Hill, Vasco, in the first week of June 2020, reaching other parts of the state by the month-en. While Vasco became the hotspot, Salcete also reported a huge number of cases. During the second wave, Margao remained at the top, whereas in North Goa, Calangute, Candolim, Panaji and Porvorim saw the disease spread like wildfire, but the tally of cases in South Goa was higher than that of North Goa. Even during the third wave which began from December 28, 2021, and started dipping by mid-February, South Goa was ahead in terms of numbers.
