Maharashtra

Mumbai, Apr 15 (PTI) MNS chief Raj Thackeray Monday appealed to people to ensure "disappearance" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah from the political scene of the country for spreading "lies" and "causing" communal disharmony.

Addressing a poll rally in Solapur district of Maharashtra, he called the prime minister "shameless" for seeking votes in the name of jawans without acknowledging their sacrifice.

Mumbai, Apr 14 (PTI) A 56-year-old senior journalist allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his residence at Aurangabad in Maharashtra on Sunday, police said.

The journalist, Sundar Vilas Latpate, was found hanging at his house in Pundalik Nagar around noon, an official said.

Thane, Apr 12 (PTI) Five people were convicted Friday for raping a mentally ill woman in 2016 in Maharashtra's Thane district.

While four of them were sentenced to 20 years in jail by District Judge S A Sinha and also fined Rs 20,000 each for kidnapping and raping the victim, the fifth person, a fruit vendor, was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment and fined Rs 10,000 for rape.

The 22-year-old woman was raped by the accused on January 8, 2016, Additional Public Prosecutor Ujjwala Moholkar said.

Mumbai, Apr 12 (PTI) Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal has put in bid for buying stake in the ailing airline, sources said.

Goyal quit as chairman of the carrier last month under a debt resolution plan that saw lenders taking control of the airline.

Airline sources said Goyal has put in bid for Jet Airways.

Mumbai, Apr 11 (PTI) A 38-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment by a POCSO court here for sexually assaulting his two minor step-daughters multiple times in the absence of their mother.

Judge C A Nathani found the man guilty under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and IPC sections 376 (rape) and 506 (2) (criminal intimidation) of IPC

Mumbai, Apr 11 (PTI) Bracing for a possible shuttering, Jet Airways Thursday grounded services across the Eastern and Northeastern markers and also suspended its international operations for a day, while 1o more planes were forced out of the fleet.

In related developments, its board met in Mumbai and discussed "operational" issues, while airlines' strategic partner Etihad Airways submitted initial bids for higher stake in the crippled carrier.

Mumbai, Apr 11 (PTI) Maharashtra registered 55.97 per cent voting till 5.30 pm across seven constituencies in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections Thursday, officials said.

Final figures will be announced Friday as polling was on till 8 pm in some centres, said an election official.

Mumbai, Apr 12 (PTI) The Shiv Sena Friday advised its ally BJP to "speak less" on the Rafale deal, in which the Congress has alleged corruption, cautioning that unwanted statements may increase troubles for the national party.

The Sena also said the ban on NaMo TV could have been avoided had the BJP been satisfied with the coverage being given to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign rallies on electronic channels.

Gadchiroli, Apr 10 (PTI) A CRPF jawan escorting a polling party was injured in an IED blast in the Naxal-affected Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra Wednesday, a day ahead of voting for the Lok Sabha elections.

The incident comes a day after a BJP MLA and four security personnel were killed in a Naxal attack in Dantewada district of neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

Ausa (Maha), Apr 9 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday stepped up his attack on the Congress, saying had its leaders acted wisely, Pakistan would not have been created.

Addressing a poll rally here, Modi also appeared to be treading sensitive ground, by asking first-time voters to dedicate their vote to those who carried out the air strike in Balakot.

"Can your first vote be dedicated to those who carried out the air strike," Modi said, appealing to first-time voters.