Maharashtra

Nashik (Maha), Dec 31 (PTI) The Nashik sessions court in Maharashtra Monday acquitted late Abdul Karim Telgi and seven others in a 2004 multi-crore fake stamp paper case in absence of "solid evidence" against them.

Telgi, who was convicted in several cases in connection with the scam and sentenced to imprisonment of 30 years in total, died in Bengaluru in October last year while serving his jail term.

Charges against Telgi, believed to be the kingpin of the scam that was spread over several states, were abated after his death.

Nagpur, Dec 27 (PTI) The Bombay High Court has taken suo motu (on its own) notice of an incident where a sessions court judge was allegedly assaulted by an assistant public prosecutor on the court premises.

Vacation judge Justice R K Deshpande of the high court's Nagpur bench said Wednesday that such incidents are a "threat to independence of the judiciary".

Assistant public prosecutor Dinesh Parate allegedly slapped senior civil judge K R Deshpande outside a lift on the seventh floor of the Nagpur District and Sessions court around noon Wednesday.

Mumbai, Dec 26; PTI:  Banking services were affected Wednesday after close to 1 million workers of all state-run, old-generation private sector and some foreign banks went on a one-day strike opposing merger of Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with stronger peer Bank of Baroda.

Nagpur, Dec 26 (PTI) RSS-backed Marathi daily 'Tarun Bharat' came down heavily upon the Shiv Sena Wednesday for using the slogan 'Chowkidar Chor Hai' to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking why the Uddhav Thackeray-led party did not quit the coalition government if that was the case.

It said the Sena was criticising the BJP constantly despite being part of BJP-led coalitions in Maharashtra and the Centre.

Mumbai, Dec 25 (PTI) At least 12 people were injured when they were attacked by a group of persons during a prayer meet in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district, police said Tuesday.

The victims were attending the Sunday Mass at the residence of Bhimsen Chauhan in Kolhapur's Kowad village, located on the Karnataka border, when the incident happened around noon, a police official said.

A group of 10-15 men armed with swords, iron rods and glass bottles reached the residence on motorcycles and attacked the congregation, he said.

Beed (Maha), Dec 25 (PTI) Three more persons were arrested in connection with the suspected honour killing case of a 25-year-old man in Beed district of Maharashtra, police said Tuesday.

Among them, Balaji Landge and Sanket Wagh, key accused in the case, were nabbed Monday from Amravati district of the state, while the third accused, Gajanan Kshirsagar (30), was nabbed Tuesday from the city, a senior police official said.

Mumbai, Dec 23 (PTI) The Bombay High Court has overturned a 1997 trial court order acquitting a 41-year-old man in a rape case of a minor girl in 1996.

A division bench of Justices Indrajit Mahanty and V K Jadhav Saturday convicted Macchindra Sonawane (who was 19 years old at the time of the incident) and sentenced him to seven years in jail for raping the 11-year-old girl.

The bench, in its judgment, said the trial court had erred and acted in a "casual or cavalier" manner, in determining the victim's age as that of being a major.

Pandharpur (Maha), Dec 24 (PTI) Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Monday indicated his unwillingness to enter into an alliance with the BJP for the upcoming polls, asking why he should join hands with "someone" facing "corruption" charges.

He demanded a discussion on the issue of Ram temple in Parliament and said it has been 30 years since the Babri Masjid was razed, but the Ayodhya matter is still in court.

Pandharpur (Maha), Dec 24 (PTI) Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Monday mouthed the Congress' oft-repeated jibe of "chowkidar chor hai" made in the context of the Rafale fighter jet deal to mount a veiled attack on his senior ally -- the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mumbai, Dec 24 (PTI) The Indian Navy Monday commissioned INHS Sandhani, its tenth Naval hospital, at the Naval station Karanja in Uran near Mumbai.

Preeti Luthra, President of NWWA (Navy Wives Welfare Association), Western Region, unveiled the commissioning plaque of the hospital.

The Commissioning Warrant was read by the first Commanding Officer of the hospital Surgeon Captain HBS Chaudhry, the Navy said in a release.