Maharashtra

Nagpur, Aug 30 (PTI) A youth was sentenced to 20 years in jail on Monday by a Nagpur court for repeatedly raping a minor girl and impregnating her, an official said.

Aakash Yedani (23), a resident of Katol here, was convicted under sections 376 (2) (3), 506 of the IPC and section 5 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act by Additional Sessions Judge KG Rathi, said additional public prosecutor Rashmi Khaparde.

Mumbai/Pune, Aug 30 (PTI) Workers, senior leaders and former ministers from the opposition BJP on Monday staged protests in several cities in Maharashtra against the MVA government's stand to not reopen temples which remain shut due to COVID-19 restrictions.

At many places, social distancing norms were not adhered to during demonstrations, while an FIR was filed against former minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and party workers in Mumbai for violating COVID-19 rules.

Pune, Aug 29 (PTI) A 26-year-old man allegedly killed his wife after harassing her physically and mentally for several months for giving birth to a girl, the immediate provocation being the TV set in the home being on through the night, Pune police said on Sunday.

The incident took place in Chandiwadi in Maval tehsil here on Saturday morning, he said.

Mumbai, Aug 25 (PTI) A court at Mahad in Maharashtra while granting bail to Union Minister Narayan Rane said his arrest over his controversial remarks against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was justified, but his custodial interrogation was not necessary.

The order was passed by the court late Tuesday night and a detailed copy of it was made available on Wednesday.

Mumbai, Aug 24 (PTI) Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut on Tuesday demanded that BJP leader Narayan Rane should "show some respect for the Constitution" and step down as Union minister after being arrested.

Rane was arrested on Tuesday afternoon over his remark that he would have slapped Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for what he claimed as the latter's ignorance of the year of India's independence.

Mumbai, Aug 23 (PTI) The Shiv Sena on Monday said opposition parties will have to make "shrewd and clever moves" to defeat the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and West Bengal and Maharashtra have shown that the Modi-Shah juggernaut can be halted in the poll battlefield and on the political chessboard.

"Only thing you need is a strong will to fight," an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said, adding that a definite action plan is the need of the hour.

Mumbai, Aug 19 (PTI) At least seven first information reports (FIRs) for alleged violation of COVID-19 norms were registered in Mumbai on Thursday against the organizers of the BJP's `Jan Ashirwad Yatra', an official said.

Cases were registered at Vile Parle, Kherwadi, Mahim, Shivaji Park, Dadar, Chembur and Govandi police stations under section 188 of IPC (disobeying an order duly promulgated by public servant) as well as Disaster Management Act and Mumbai Police Act, the official said.

Alibaug, Aug 19 (PTI) A special court here has sentenced a 30-year-old man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for raping a minor girl in Maharashtra's Raigad district.

Special and additional judge Shahida Shaikh recently found the accused Shankar Bhau Pawar guilty of charges under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The court sentenced him to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on him.

Nagpur, Aug 17 (PTI) Congress leader Mukul Wasnik on Tuesday said he would not like to comment on the PM Gati Shakti master plan announced by prime minister Narendra Modi, saying everyone knows how the schemes announced by him end up.

Modi announced in his August 15 speech that the Centre would soon launch a Rs 100 lakh crore master plan for infrastructure development.

Mumbai, Aug 13 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Friday granted bail to a 28-year-old man, arrested for allegedly being a member of the banned terror outfit - Islamic State (ISIS).

A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and N J Jamadar allowed the petition filed by Iqbal Ahmed Kabir Ahmed challenging an order of a special court refusing bail to him.

"The order passed by the special court is quashed. The appellant (Ahmed) shall be released on bail upon furnishing a bond of Rs one lakh and one or two solvent sureties of the same amount," the bench said.