Maharashtra

Mumbai/Kolhapur, Jun 11 (PTI) A special team of the Maharashtra police Tuesday arrested right-wing activist Sharad Kalaskar in connection with the killing of veteran Communist leader Govind Pansare, an official said.

A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the state Crime Investigation Department (CID) arrested Kalaskar (25) from Mumbai and produced him before a court in Kolhapur which sent him in police custody till June 18, he said.

Mumbai, Jun 8 (PTI) Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar Saturday said "capita happiness" was as important as "capita income" when it came to evaluating the progress of a country.

Speaking at a meeting with owners of multiplexes and single-screen theatres and film personalities on the state government's plan to plant 33 crore trees, Mungantiwar, also minister of forests, claimed satisfaction and happiness in people was the real wealth of a nation.

Palghar, Jun 8 (PTI) A teenage girl in Maharashtra's Palghar district has registered a police complaint claiming a distant relative confined her for several days and raped her repeatedly, an official said Saturday.

Palghar police spokesperson Hemant Katkar said the girl (18), a Class IX student, approached the police on Friday night following which a case was registered against the man, identified as Navnath Savar, under relevant sections of the IPC for rape, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and voluntarily causing hurt.

Mumbai, Jun 7 (PTI) BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur Friday chose to stand for around two and a half hours in the special court conducting trial in the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

Thakur, a prime accused in the case who appeared for the first time before the court after her Lok Sabha victory from Bhopal, expressed disapproval about the chair that was offered, and the state of cleanliness of the courtroom.

Mumbai, Jun 5 (PTI) A 19-year-old sailor allegedly committed suicide at INS Shivaji, the Indian Navy's base near Lonavala in Pune district, Wednesday, police said.

Akash Sainath Kannala was found to have hanged himself from ceiling fan by using a bedsheet at a recreation center on the base around 4.30 am, a police official said.

No suicide note was found on the spot, and the Navy has ordered an inquiry, he said.

Mumbai, Jun 6 (PTI) To give a boost to the sagging economy, the Reserve Bank of India Thursday lowered its benchmark lending rate to a nearly nine-year low of 5.75 per cent and changed its monetary policy stance to accommodative, leaving space for future rate cuts.

Bhopal/Mumbai, Jun 6 (PTI) BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur failed to appear before a court in Mumbai Thursday - for the second time this week - in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case.

Her lawyer told the court that she is suffering from high blood pressure and is unable to travel from Bhopal to Mumbai.

Mumbai, Jun 1 (PTI) Veteran actor-director Satish Kaushik says Salman Khan has evolved a lot as a performer.

The 63-year-old actor said the Bollywood superstar is dedicated towards his work.

"He is very warm and loving person. He is a subdued actor. Today his acting has lot of depth and he has become strong as an actor. He is a huge star and he does take his work seriously," Kaushik told PTI.

The filmmaker, who has also directed Salman in 2003 blockbuster "Tere Naam", will be next seen along side the 53-year-old actor in "Bharat".

Mumbai, Jun 1 (PTI) NCP president Sharad Pawar Saturday dismissed speculation that his party was likely to merge with the Congress.

Speaking at a party meeting here, Pawar also touched on the issue of alleged Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering, saying he had doubts about the technology from early on.

The meeting was held Saturday to discuss the Lok Sabha results and review preparations for the Maharashtra Assembly polls.

Mumbai, Jun 2 (PTI) A Mumbai woman IAS officer's tweet has triggered a row by calling removal of Mahatma Gandhi's statues from across the world, including his images from the Indian currency notes.

Demanding that institutions and roads named after the Father of the Nation be renamed, she also "thanked" his assassin Nathuram Godse.