Maharashtra

Mumbai, Oct 16 (PTI) The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police on Wednesday arrested Surjit Singh Arora, one of the former directors of the scam-hit Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative Bank.

This is the fifth arrest in the case.

Arora was summoned for questioning by the EOW's special investigation team earlier in the day.

Akola, Oct 16 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar's values are the basis for nation-building.

His remarks came a day after the BJP raised the demand for the Bharat Ratna honour for Savarkar, one of the tallest Hindutva icons in the pantheon of Sangh Parivar, in its manifesto for the October 21 Maharashtra polls.

Addressing an election rally in the state's Akola district, Modi rued that Savarkar was denied the Bharat Ratna.

Yavatmal/Wardha, Oct 15 (PTI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "loudspeaker" of certain industrialists, and said his strategy was like that of a pickpocket who diverts attention to steal.

On campaign trail in Vidarbha for October 21 Maharashtra assembly elections, he also targeted the Modi government for "waiving" corporate tax.

Mumbai, Oct 15 (PTI) The Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused bail to civil liberties activists Sudha Bharadwaj, Arun Ferriera and Vernon Gonsalves, arrested for allegedly inciting caste-based violence at Koregaon Bhima in Pune and having links with Maoists.

Justice Sarang Kotwal rejected the bail pleas filed by the three activists.

The accused were initially placed under house arrest in August last year by the Pune Police in Maharashtra and were later taken into custody on October 26, after a sessions court in Pune rejected their bail pleas.

New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) Reliance Industries will pay for Venezuelan crude oil via exports of diesel in a barter arrangement as it resumed taking supplies from the US sanctions-hit Latin American nation after a gap of four months.

Although US oil sanctions imposed on Venezuela in January 2019 have no direct secondary component, oil companies such as Reliance Industries (RIL) that have a significant US presence have curtailed their commercial ties with the Opec nation.

Reliance had in March capped oil purchases from the Latin and halted selling diluent.

Mumbai, Oct 13 (PTI) A man has been arrested from Wadala here for allegedly molesting and sexually harassing his 24-year-old woman friend, police said on Sunday.

Antop Hill police made the arrest on Saturday for the incident that had occurred in the last week of September.

According to police, the accused, Suraj Soni (26), is a resident of Wadala, while the victim lives in Nalasopara in Palghar district.

Mumbai, Oct 12 (PTI) R Praggnanandhaa emerged as unconquered king in the World Youth Chess Championship here, claiming the gold in the Under-18 Open category on Saturday.

The 14-year-old Grand Master from Chennai settled for a cautious draw in the 11th and final round against Valentin Buckels (Germany) to top the charts with nine points.

He, however, will also have to thank compatriot, International Master Arjun Kalyan for achieving a crucial draw against top seeded Shant Sargsyan (Armenia).

Mumbai, Oct 10 (PTI) A 35-year-old Russian national lodged a complaint here on Thursday, accusing a police officer of raping her for eight years after promising to marry her.

Inspector Bhanudas alias Anil Jadhav, against whom she levelled the allegations, is currently posted in Pimpri- Chinchwad near Pune.

Officials at Chembur police station here said the process of registration of First Information Report against Jadhav was underway.

Mumbai, Oct 8 (PTI) A 20-year-old man and his friend have been arrested for allegedly raping a deaf and mute woman here, police said on Tuesday.

According to a police official, the accused, who were arrested on Monday, have been identified as Lakhan Kaale and his friend Sandip Kurhade (22), both residents of adjoining Thane.

The victim (25) worked as a housemaid in a residential society in upscale suburb of Bandra (East), he said.

Jalna, Oct 8 (PTI) AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday hit out at Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat for his statement that mob lynching was a western concept and it should not be used to defame India.

Addressing the Vijayadashmi function of the RSS at Reshimbagh ground in Nagpur, Bhagwat said lynching is a "western construct" and should not be used in the Indian context to defame the country.

He said the word 'lynching' does not originate from Indian ethos but comes from a separate religious text.