Husband, in-laws held for woman’s death

4th Nov 2012

The husband and in-laws of a 22-year-old woman from Malad were arrested on Friday for setting her ablaze. Heena Shaikh battled for life at Bhagwati Hospital for two days before succumbing to 100% burns on Saturday. But before she died, she told the police about the torture she was subjected to and based on her dying declaration, her husband and his parents have been booked on murder charges. 

Heena got married to an imitation jewellery trader, Altaaf Shaikh (25), in 2010. The couple stayed with Altaaf's parents at Mira Park in Pathanwadi, Malad (E). 

"On Thursday night, Heena told us that fed up with the harassment by her in-laws, who constantly demanded dowry from her parents, she set herself on fire. But on Friday, when her statement was recorded before a special executive magistrate, Heena said her in-laws had torched her in their flat, while her husband stood by and watched," said senior inspector Subhash Dafle. Based on her words, the police took Altaaf and his parents, Lal Mohammad (57) and Rehmeen Bi (54), into custody on the charge of attempt to commit murder. "Around 11am on Saturday, Heena died following which her Friday's statement was treated as a dying declaration and the charges against the accused were enhanced to "murder". They have been booked under section 302 of the IPC," Dafle added. 

Heena's ordeal began soon after her wedding. "Her husband and in-laws started torturing her physically and mentally. They wanted her to fetch money from her parents so that they could expand their jewellery business. They also taunted her for not bringing enough dowry during wedding," said an official. Heena's parents, who stay in Jalna, are of modest means, with her father and brother being truck drivers. During her wedding, Heena's parents paid a dowry of Rs 10,000 but the in-laws later demanded another Rs 50,000 which, they could not afford. 

The Shaikhs' neighbour, Pamela Bagde, told TOI that Heena had confided in a few residents of the housing society about the torture she faced. "We never expected that the Shaikhs would act this way. The family seemed very religious," said Bagde. "At the same time, we used to hear horror stories about Heena. The Shaikhs had bred poultry inside the flat and insisted that Heena did all the cleaning; she was not even allowed to sleep in the bedroom." 

"Around 10.30pm on Thursday, we spotted smoke billowing out of the Shaikhs' kitchen window and presumed that their cylinder had burst. Though the neighbours went to the flat, the family did not open the door for a long time. The residents kept banging on the door, till the Shaikhs finally came out. Inside, it was dark and I found Heena, almost naked and unconscious, in the bathroom. I can't forget the sight. We brought buckets of water to douse the flames. Heena was badly charred. We summoned the Kurar police," Bagde added. 

On Saturday, the Shaikhs were remanded in police custody till November 7.

New From TOI

Travel body staff, 64 clients duped

3rd Nov 2012

A case of cheating has been registered against the management of a travel agency based in Malad West, after its employees and clients complained they had been duped of lakhs of rupees. The Bangur Nagar police said that 64 clients have come forward so far, complaining of being defrauded of nearly Rs 38 lakh. No arrests have been made. 

The travel agency, Move Holidays, is owned by Karan Vyas and his wife, Akshata. The agency had a 200 sq feet office at Kemp Plaza in Malad. Police have slapped charges of cheating on the Vyas couple as well as the agency's country co-ordinator, Virendra Singh. 

"On October 31, Vyas booked tickets for the night show of a film for 20 of his employees. He also hosted a party for them on October 29. But when the employees reached their workplace on Thursday, they were shocked to find a few laborers emptying the office, packing up furniture and laptops. When the employees called up the Vyas couple and Singh, the trio's cellphones were switched off," said a police official. 

The employees then got in touch with some clients to see if the Vyas couple or Singh had established contact with them. "The clients realized they had been duped as well. 64 clients then approached the police, complaining that the accused had fled with payments made for travel packages," said the official. 

The travel agency, which was started a year ago, lured customers by placing advertisements on their website and in leading newspapers. The agency offered holiday packages to Goa, Kerala, Thailand, Bangkok, Manali and Kashmir at throwaway prices. An employee of the agency told the police that some of them hadn't been given a month's salary, incentives and commission. "The accused-trio is on the run. We have booked them under Section 420 and 34 of IPC and are looking for them," a senior official said.

News from TOI

Abortion deadline forces Malad woman to take the uneasy call

24th Oct 2012

Lawyer Nima Purohit (32) was on cloud nine when she learnt that she was pregnant with her first child. But her happiness was short-lived. In the 19th week of her pregnancy, the Malad resident learnt that her baby's growth was not normal. With the 20-week limit for medical termination of pregnancy fast approaching, Nima made frantic visits to doctors to ascertain if her baby's abnormality was treatable. Eventually, she underwent an abortion on October 17 and is still wondering if she did the right thing.
Nima conceived the baby after nearly 18 months of marriage and the whole family was eagerly awaiting the baby's arrival. Nima was aware of the importance of timely tests during the progress of the pregnancy and underwent regular examinations. In fact, the tests done in the first trimester of her pregnancy showed that everything was normal.

But when she underwent another round of tests in the 19th week of pregnancy, she was told that her baby had Dandy-Walker Syndrome, a congenital malformation in which there is a partial or complete absence of the part of the brain that is located between the two cerebellar hemispheres. "I was told that my baby may suffer from mental retardation, hypotonia and other balance or motor skills abnormalities. The doctors also said that my baby had cardiac anomaly," said Nima.
Doctors suggested that Nima also undergo an aminocentesis test, in which the foetal DNA is examined for genetic abnormalities. As the clock ticked, Nima took opinions not only from paediatric neurologists in Mumbai, but also from those in the US. She collected as much information as she could to know about her baby's condition. "I accessed information online to know what had gone wrong with this little life growing inside me. I researched and I tried to know the prognosis of children with such issues. Awaiting the opinion during those four days and nights, there was no end to my mental agony. It was too traumatic for my family as well," recalled Nima.
Nima, who had an abortion on October 17, wishes that had there been no deadline for abortion, allowing her to wait for the aminocentesis results that will be available next week. "We haven't received those test results yet and do not know if we made the right decision," said Nima.

News from TOI

Malad robbery: Cops leave for UP, Bihar

24th Oct 2012

Teams from the Kurar police station have left for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to look for the three helps who looted cash and valuables worth Rs 54.15 lakh from a Malad (E) flat after assaulting a housewife on Sunday.
The victim, Vandana Kapoor, is out of danger. The accused had even made off with the family's pet, a four-month-old dog called Myra.

"The three—Praveen, Santosh and Raju—had been employed with the Kapoors for not more than a month. The family members do not even know their antecedents nor do they have their pictures. The accused have left their cellphones behind. This indicates that the robbery had been planned even before the three took up the job," said the police. We suspect from their accent that they are north Indians.
The CCTV footage from Shuchi Heights, where the victim stays, isn't clear. "We have called experts to get clearer images," cops said. "We weren't keen on hiring Raju. One of our helps had quit as he did not want to work with Raju, who used to drink. We had warned Raju that this will not be tolerated," a family member said.

News from TOI

UP picnic pact turns awry for 8 Malad kids

26th Oct 2012

When eight children from Malad East found themselves flush with cash, they decided to head for Uttar Pradesh. Little did they know that their anxious parents would approach the police to track them.
On Tuesday, the group finally returned home. The children, aged between 11 to 16 years, are all residents of Santosh Nagar. Some of them attend school, while the rest are dropouts. According to the police, on October 16, the group of eight, including two girls, met in Malad around 5 pm and decided to go on a trip out of town. Each of them agreed to pool in around Rs 250 for the journey and they also decided against informing their parents.
"Some of the boys in the group had played drums for a Ganpati mandal and had been paid handsomely for it. One of the youngsters had been gifted Rs 1,300 by his grandfather to buy a new set of clothes," an officer from the Dindoshi police station said.
According to their plan, the group met near a temple on October 17. They hailed autorickshaws in groups of three and went to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, where they boarded Gorakhpur Express. "Gorakhpur was selected as the holiday destination as one of the youngsters had relatives there. But when the youngsters did not return home that night, their parents got anxious," said the officer.
On October 18, the parents of some children approached the Dindoshi police station and filed a missing complaint. On October 19, the group reached Gorakhpur. Meanwhile, a neighbour who knew about their "holiday plans" informed his parents. The Gorakhpur-based relatives were also taken aback to see such a large group of minors land up at their door without any warning.
"Some of their parents then travelled to Gorakhpur and brought the children back by train," the officer added.

News from TOI

4 arrested for assault, rioting

27th Oct 2012

Dispute over goods parking in Malad turns violent.

Malwani Police arrested Sunny Duggal, Bhajan Badhavan (40), Donald D’Souza (30) and Elroy Mendonsa (21) on Thursday afternoon for allegedly assaulting a shop-owner and his brother with knives and daggers over a dispute at Jankalyan Nagar in Malad (West).

Two other attackers are on the run.

Prime accused Duggal is a resident of Charkop. His mother runs a beauty salon at Jankalyan Nagar. Complainant Balasaheb Pawar has a shop next to the beauty parlour.

He said goods belonging to the Duggals were blocking entry to his shop. After he demanded removal of the goods, Sunny allegedly called his friends.

Senior inspector Abdul Rauf Shaikh said armed with kirpans (daggers) and knives, the group then attacked Balasaheb and his brother Nana. Babasaheb was stabbed in the back, while Nana was hit on the head.

“The complainant claims the accused also took away his gold chain and ring. We have, therefore, pressed charges of rioting, assault and robbery against Sunny and aides. The accused were trying to flee in a Santro but our beat marshals chased them down. A manhunt has been launched for those who escaped,” Shaikh said.

The accused were produced before a metropolitan court in Borivali on Friday. Later, Duggal lodged a counter-complaint against the Pawars for hitting him.

News from Indian Express

Abortion deadline forces Malad woman to take the uneasy call

24th Oct 2012

Lawyer Nima Purohit (32) was on cloud nine when she learnt that she was pregnant with her first child. But her happiness was short-lived. In the 19th week of her pregnancy, the Malad resident learnt that her baby's growth was not normal. With the 20-week limit for medical termination of pregnancy fast approaching, Nima made frantic visits to doctors to ascertain if her baby's abnormality was treatable. Eventually, she underwent an abortion on October 17 and is still wondering if she did the right thing.

Nima conceived the baby after nearly 18 months of marriage and the whole family was eagerly awaiting the baby's arrival. Nima was aware of the importance of timely tests during the progress of the pregnancy and underwent regular examinations. In fact, the tests done in the first trimester of her pregnancy showed that everything was normal.

But when she underwent another round of tests in the 19th week of pregnancy, she was told that her baby had Dandy-Walker Syndrome, a congenital malformation in which there is a partial or complete absence of the part of the brain that is located between the two cerebellar hemispheres. "I was told that my baby may suffer from mental retardation, hypotonia and other balance or motor skills abnormalities. The doctors also said that my baby had cardiac anomaly," said Nima.

Doctors suggested that Nima also undergo an aminocentesis test, in which the foetal DNA is examined for genetic abnormalities. As the clock ticked, Nima took opinions not only from paediatric neurologists in Mumbai, but also from those in the US. She collected as much information as she could to know about her baby's condition. "I accessed information online to know what had gone wrong with this little life growing inside me. I researched and I tried to know the prognosis of children with such issues. Awaiting the opinion during those four days and nights, there was no end to my mental agony. It was too traumatic for my family as well," recalled Nima.

Nima, who had an abortion on October 17, wishes that had there been no deadline for abortion, allowing her to wait for the aminocentesis results that will be available next week. "We haven't received those test results yet and do not know if we made the right decision," said Nima.

News from TOI

Malad robbery: Cops leave for UP, Bihar

24th Oct 2012

Teams from the Kurar police station have left for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to look for the three helps who looted cash and valuables worth Rs 54.15 lakh from a Malad (E) flat after assaulting a housewife on Sunday.

The victim, Vandana Kapoor, is out of danger. The accused had even made off with the family's pet, a four-month-old dog called Myra.

"The three—Praveen, Santosh and Raju—had been employed with the Kapoors for not more than a month. The family members do not even know their antecedents nor do they have their pictures. The accused have left their cellphones behind. This indicates that the robbery had been planned even before the three took up the job," said the police. We suspect from their accent that they are north Indians.

The CCTV footage from Shuchi Heights, where the victim stays, isn't clear. "We have called experts to get clearer images," cops said. "We weren't keen on hiring Raju. One of our helps had quit as he did not want to work with Raju, who used to drink. We had warned Raju that this will not be tolerated," a family member said.

News from TOI

Malad temple priest hangs self

27th Oct 2012

A priest with Swami Narayan Mandir in Malad on Friday committed suicide by hanging himself in the temple premises. Police said that the priest left behind a suicide note stating that no one should be held responsible for his death.
Swami Nitya Swaroop Das, 33, hung himself with a nylon rope in the temple located on Zakaria Road in Malad (West). According to the Malad police, at around 7.30 am, the locals in the vicinity spotted Das hanging from a hook in the ceiling through a window. Police have said that the swami owned 4-5 luxury cars and a construction business in Pune.
“Swami normally used to get up by 5.30 am, but on Friday he got up half an hour early. Another boy and I were sleeping inside the temple premises when Swami entered and asked us to leave. He then locked the temple doors,” said Ketan Bhandhari, a disciple of Swami. Avinash Jadhav, senior inspector of Malad police said, “The doors of the temple were locked from inside. We had to break the back door of the temple to get in and bring down Das’s body.”
In a suicide note, Das wrote, “My life tenure is over. I am tired. God is calling me. I am going to God. Nobody should be held responsible for my death.”
Inspector Vasant Patil of Malad police said, “We retrieved cash `14,950 from his cupboard and a diary.”

News from Asian Age

Man kills wife over affair

27th Sep 2012

An Andheri resident, Suresh Kharate, killed his wife following an argument over an extra-marital affair on Wednesday. The accused, Suresh Kharate, suspected his wife had an affair and he had fought with her several times in the past. The couple have two kids.

The police said that on early Wednesday the couple again fought over the issue after which Kharate killed his wife. The neighbours caught him after the incident and handed over him to the police. The Amboli police took his custody in the case for further investigation.

Man falls off train, dies

A commuter lost his life after falling off a train between Goregaon and Malad stations at 8.15pm on Wednesday. The victim, who was unidentified, was rushed to Bhagwati hospital in Borivli where doctors declared him dead. His body has been sent for an autopsy. Cops said the victim is yet to be identified.

News from TOI

BMC seeks heritage church land to widen road

18th Sep 2012

The St Anthony's Church in Malwani , Malad (W), which caters to 14,000 parishioners , has been served a notice to hand over its open plot as set back land for road widening .Incidentally , the name of this church—built in 1872—figures in the recently proposed heritage list, as a Grade II (A) heritage structure. 

The notice , dated September 1, under Section 299 of the MCGM Act, 1888 has asked the church to hand over the land , which includes the grotto , a compound wall and the Presbytery building where the priests reside . Father Austen Norris has sent a letter to the BMC, stating that the notice stands null and void as the church figures in the BMC's proposed heritage list . 

The BMC notice to the church has upset the Christian community . "I feel pained that such a huge part of church land is being asked as setback for road widening . It may appear as open land to the BMC, but people congregate there for mass . The main structure , Presbytery ,which are the living and dining quarters for the priests ,will be mainly affected . We appeal to the ward office to give us justice," said Fr Austen . 

Advocate R Fernandes , a parishioner , said this land has immense value to the church . "There is a government policy in this regardwherein if a property is declared as heritage , then no structure should be demolished and the road alignment should be changed . If the BMC doesn't agree , we will have to take legal course of action ," said Fernandes . 

Anil Joseph , a Bandra resident who was part of the 2006 protest against the BMC's acquisition notices for churches , said , "The ward officer should visit the site. The BMC should not hurt the religious sentiments of the people and give respect to their own heritage tag ." 

When contacted , D Jain , assistant commissioner , P(north ) ward , said , "In 1980 , the church had signed an agreement stating that it will hand over land for road widening .It's an open spacethat has been extended . My engineers have told me that the part of land doesn't fall under the purview of heritage norms ." 

On November 14, 2006, BMC sent notices to St Peter's Church, St Andrew's Church and Parsi Agiary in Bandra. The churches would have lost family graves, grotto and the Holy Cross, which were in existence for hundreds of years. Bandra residents formed a human chain around the agiary when the demolition squad arrived. After political intervention, the BMC realigned the road.

New from TOI

28-storey project cut to size by HC; builders need members' nod

16th Sep 2012 

 

The Bombay high court last week restrained two developers from constructing a 28-storey building on open space of a cooperative housing society at Malad (West) for commencing construction without consent of members of the society. In 2010, the Supreme Court had held that a developer is 

bound to make complete disclosure of the entire scheme or layout while executing the agreement of sale with purchasers.

Justice BR Gavai found that in the case of Malad Kokil Co-operative Housing Society, the proposed 28-storey structure was not shown in plans annexed to many of the agreements of sale. The judge, however, the firms jointly constructing the structure to build a five-storey building as plans for this structure were annexed to some other agreements.

Last year, Malad Kokil society and Sundervan S-4 society, which share the plot, approached the court after some persons entered the premises and started damaging the garden, the common passage and other amenities. RTI queries revealed that in October 2010, the civic body had issued a commencement certificate for the proposed construction.

The judge ruled in favour of the housing societies. "At the time of execution of the agreement, the promoter is statutorily obliged to place before the flat-takers the entire project/scheme," the judge noted, referring to provisions of the Maharashtra Ownership of Flats Act (MOFA).

"As the construction which is sought to be made is not in accordance with layout plan presented to the flat-takers, the same cannot be permitted unless there is consent of the members of the plaintiffs and the appellant-society," justice Gavai said.

The builders argued that their layout showed ground-plus-one structure and it hardly mattered how many floors were built above that. "If such an argument is accepted, it would frustrate the very purpose of beneficial legislation like MOFA," the judge said.

News from Hindustan Times

Woman arrested for burning orphaned niece with candle

14th Sep 2012

Malwani police arrested a 23-year-old woman from Malad (West) on Wednesday night for allegedly torturing her four-year-old niece.

Police said Puja Chatterjee of Kolkata was in the care of her maternal grandfather after she lost her parents three years ago. The grandfather later handed over her custody to his daughter Anita Tharal, who lives with her husband and two children.

“Puja had been staying with Tharal in Mumbai for the past three years. Since Tharal’s financial condition was not good she had spoken to neighbours about giving the girl to an NGO or an orphanage for adoption,” said Abdul Rauf Shaikh, senior inspector at Malwani police station.

Navyog Samajseva Sanstha, an NGO in Malad (East), approached Tharal with the proposal to hand over Puja to a children’s home.

After the NGO took Puja’s custody on Wednesday, she narrated her horror to one of its worker, Mohammed Kapadia. She said Tharal would beat her up and burn her with a candle.

Kapadia then took the girl to Malwani police station and filed a complaint. “Tharal’s neighbours told us the girl did not go out to play. Puja told us Tharal would assault her regularly,” said Kapadia.

“She (Tharal) was arrested under IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and presented before court on Thursday. She has been granted bail. Medical examination confirmed Puja’s body bore candle burn and other injury marks,” Shaikh said.

News from Indian Express

Six chain-snatching cases reported in 24 hours

14th Sep 2012

Six cases of chain-snatchings were reported in the city on Thursday. While two of the cases have been solved, the rest remain undetected. 

The first incident was reported around 1.45 am when a 23-year-old singer, Geeta Shelke, was travelling in an autorickshaw at Malad East. Three men on a bike blocked her way. They threatened Shelke and the auto driver with a knife, fleeing with two cellphones, a Pan card, cash and Shelke's documents. As soon as the men left, Shelke dialled the police emergency number '100.' The trio was caught at Marve Road and the stolen belongings were recovered from them. They were identified as Ravi Sharma, 19, Majid Shaikh, 29 and Sonu Vishwakarma, 19. In the past, Vishwakarma has been booked in a separate case of burglary, the police said. 

The second case was reported at Khar West outside the railway station around 6.15 am. Shubhangi Warang, 45, was walking towards the station when two bike-borne men snatched her gold chain. The bikers also pushed Warang to the ground. But the Khar police managed to nab one of them_ Aalim Shaikh, 20. His accomplice, Ajju, 22, is on the run. 

Around 7.40 am, two separate instances of snatching were reported at Vile Parle and Borivali. A 33-year-old nurse, Jayashree Sankhe, was waiting with two of her friends at Sant Dnyaneshwar Marg in Vile Parle. Suddenly, two men snatched her gold necklace worth Rs 1.25 lakh and fled. They couldn't be caught. At Borivali West, Shobhana Nene, 4, was walking down Baburao Paranjape Road when two bike-borne men snatched her gold chain and pendant worth Rs 1.05 lakh and escaped. 

The fifth case of snatching was reported at Versova around 8.15 am. Kusum Gauda, 35, was at Joseph Patelwadi when two snatchers on a bike made off with gold chain worth Rs 1.8 lakh. The last case was reported at Andheri West when 53-year-old Sunanda Nandgaokar was walking down Matad Pada. Two men snatched her gold mangalsutra worth Rs 1.25 lakh and escaped. She later lodged an FIR with the Amboli police.

News from Mumbai Mirror

I'm traumatised after lathicharge: Choreographer Salman

11th Sep 2012

Choreographer Salman Yusuf Khan, who was allegedly assaulted by a police constable when the auto rickshaw he was travelling in did not stop at a check post here, says he is in a state of shock and trying to return to normal.

Salman has become a known face on the small screen after his fabulous choreography and dance performances with his celebrity partner Esha Sharvani on the ongoing dance reality show "Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa". The incident took place in Goregaon Monday while he was returning home after wrapping up his rehearsals for the show.

"I was traumatised and was in a state of shock post the incident. In fact, yesterday I was running all around and met a few cops to sort the issue out. I am still in a state of shock trying to get back to normal life," said Salman alleging that the cop was drunk.

"I have nothing against the cop. My only issue was that the cop on duty was drunk. But I owe a big thank you to Mr. Himanshu Roy, joint commissioner of police (crime), who helped us a lot and took it to the next level," he said.

Around 2.30 a.m. Salman along with his assistant Shubo Das and help Mukesh Agarwal was going from Filmistan Studio to his place in Malad in an auto as his car has gone for servicing. A policeman at the Ratna Hotel check-post stopped the auto rickshaw.

"My auto rickshaw guy didn't have a licence, so he didn't stop when he saw the 'nakabandi' and speeded up the rickshaw, so the cop hit the windshield with a 'lathi'. When the constable hit the windshield, the driver jumped out and started running."

"I waited outside the auto till the constable caught hold of the driver and brought him back. I was appalled to see the constable thrashing the auto driver. When I protested, the cop and the biker then proceeded to attack me, claiming that the auto driver had speeded up on my instructions," he added.

Salman went to the Goregaon police station and filed a written complaint against the constable.

Confirming the same, Arun Jadhav, senior inspector of police, told IANS: "Mr. Salman Yusuf Khan has filed a complaint against a constable named Suresh Gurav on Monday evening. We have recorded his statement and sent the reports to the superior to take action against him. We are waiting for the reply."

News from NewstrackIndia

Mishap nips actor in the bud

8th Sep 2012

An 18-year-old girl, a small-time actor, died after a Honda City hit the autorickshaw she was travelling in at Juhu Circle on Friday. 
Nilam Bharadwaj was taken to Cooper Hospital but she had died by then. She has worked in the TV serial Mata Ki Chowki. She is the daughter of former personal secretary of a senior BJP leader.

The police arrested the car driver, Purvesh Ramchandra Patkar, 25, a resident of Malad (West). Patkar works in a bank and was going towards Malad.

The police said the girl was from Bhopal and had come to Mumbai three years ago and was working in the film Industry. Bharadwaj stayed as paying guest at Shashtri Nagar, Lokhandwala area in Andheri (West).

Around 7.30am, Bharadwaj was going to Juhu to meet her sister-in-law, Preeti.A senior pilot, Preeti came to Mumbai a few days ago and was staying in a hotel in Juhu. “Bharadwaj was going towards Juhu in an autorickshaw. When it reached Juhu Circle, a speeding Honda city rammed into the auto,” said Jatin Bhatia, Bharadwaj’s cousin.

Bharadwaj was thrown out of the auto. The car driver tried to run away but passersby nabbed him. The auto driver was not injured andhe fled the spot. Bharadwaj was taken to Cooper Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival.Bharadwaj’s family from Bhopal will reach Mumbai on Friday night.

“We arrested the car driver for causing death due to rash and negligence driving.Patkar’s report says he was not drunk,” said Vijay Bhoite, senior police inspector of DN Nagar police station. “We will check the CCTV footage,” he added.

Patkar told the police that the car was his friend’s. “I was returning from Seven Bungalaws. When I was taking a left turn from Juhu Circle, a Xylo came in front of me and my car hit a lamp post,” he said.“I don’t know how the auto accident happened.”

News from DNA

Automen's rally cripples Mumbai commuters

3rd Sep 2012

More than 6,000 autorickshaw drivers went on a rally against police and RTO action in the western suburbs on Monday. While it was a successful show of strength for the Sharad Rao-led Mumbai Autorickshawmen Union, the rally crippled commuting options on a day of heavy rains.

The timing of the rally was benign for office-goers, sparing them inconvenience during the morning peak hour. But after 11am, commuters had a tough time finding conveyance in places like Kandivli, Goregaon, Malad, Jogeshwari and Andheri. "There were few autos in my area. The stands were mostly empty," said Ajay Samant, a suburban commuter.

Auto drivers began assembling with their vehicles near Malad's Inorbit Mall from 10am for the rally, which began around 11.30 am. They drove past the MTNL office in Goregaon, taking the Savarkar flyover for the Western Express Highway, causing snarl-ups along the way. Traffic came to a standstill on roads in Malad, Goregaon, Andheri and on the highway.

"We were protesting against police harassment. Some of our members (drivers) were recently assaulted by cops from the Vanrai police station in Goregaon (East). We also raised our voice against rampant corruption in the Andheri RTO," said Shashank Rao, the union's assistant general secretary and Sharad Rao's son.

He said the rally was a success, obtaining an assurance from deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar that the drivers' demands would be looked into. "We had initially planned to meet the senior inspector at Vanrai police station and give him our memorandum. But the deputy CM called us for discussions in the morning. He spoke to the police and the BMC commissioners, asking them to resolve issues with us. Finally, we submitted the memorandum to police commissioner Satya Pal Singh, seeking action against cops who harass our drivers," Rao said. "We regret autos were not available in some areas because of the rally. But we ensured that peak-hour traffic was not hit by holding the rally from 11.30am to 4 pm."

He stated that the morcha went past Vanrai police station on Western Express highway before taking a turn at Gold Spot junction and heading towards Juhu Gully and then to Andheri RTO. At RTO, Rao submitted a memorandum to senior officials and demanded action against clerks and other staffers who regularly harass drivers for bribes. "Our licences are not renewed for three months and officials demand money for every small paperwork,'' Rao alleged.

The morcha winded up around 4 pm and autos were back on the roads in the evening.

A delegation led by Sharad Rao also met BMC chief in the evening, protesting against the bad road conditions.

News from TOI