Maharashtra

Mumbai, Oct 22 (PTI) Telephone tapping is permissible only in situations of public emergency or in the interest of public safety, the Bombay High Court held on Tuesday and quashed orders passed by the Union Home Ministry allowing agencies to intercept phone calls of a businessman booked by the CBI in a bribery case.

A division bench of Justices R V More and N J Jamadar was hearing a petition filed by the businessman, Vinit Kumar, challenging the three orders, passed between October 2009 and February 2010, that allowed tapping of his phone calls.

Thane, Oct 23 (PTI) A 15-year-old boy has been held for allegedly raping a six-year-old girl at his home in Kalyan in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Wednesday.

The girl would go to the teen's home for tuition classes by his sister, a police official said.

Pune, Oct 22 (PTI) A 35-year-old owner of a coaching class has been arrested for allegedly molesting one of his girl students, the police said on Tuesday.

The accused, who runs a coaching centre at Sinhgad Road in Maharashtra's Pune city, allegedly molested a 16- year-old girl student on Monday, an official from the Pune police said.

The victim confided in her parents, who immediately rushed to the centre to confront the accused, the official said, adding that the police was subsequently informed

Thane, Oct 22 (PTI) A court here in Maharashtra has acquitted a 56-year-old man of charges of raping his driver's wife, observing that a "consensual physical relationship" does not amount to rape.

Additional Sessions Judge R R Vaishnav, in his order last Thursday, said the prosecution miserably failed to prove charges of rape against the accused, Dilip Shridhar Patil, a brick kiln owner.

According to the prosecution, the woman's husband worked as a driver for the accused. She got acquainted with the accused as he used to come to their house.

Mumbai, Oct 20 (PTI) The NCP on Sunday demanded suspension of internet services within three km radius of every polling booth in Maharashtra as well as the strong rooms where EVMs will be stored, from the day of voting till the votes are counted.

Polling for all the 288 Assembly constituencies in Maharashtra will be held on Monday. The votes will be counted on October 24.

Gondia, Oct 21 (PTI) A 50-year-old man was gunned down by Naxals recently in Murkutdoh-I area of Salakesa tehsil in Maharashtra's Gondia district after they accused him of being a police informer, an official said on Monday.

He identified the deceased as Bhagchand Dhurve, and said preliminary probe has revealed that Naxals suspected he was an informer as police in the area often conducted welfare camps for people in front of his residence.

Mumbai, Oct 21 (PTI) Mumbai suburbs on Monday recorded 5.64 per cent polling in the first two hours as voting got underway for the 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra, an election official said.

Long queues were observed outside several polling stations, indicating the percentage may go up in subsequent hours, the official said.

Voting began at 7 am and will end at 6 pm.

Thane, Oct 19 (PTI) A local court has sentenced a man from Bhiwandi to three years of rigorous imprisonment for molesting a five-year-old girl in 2013.

District Judge D G Murumkar on Friday convicted Irfan Iqbal Momim (30) under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on him.

Mumbai, Oct 17 (PTI) Six persons have been detained by a team of police and Election commission officials for allegedly carrying Rs 2.19 crore in cash at Zaveri Bazaar in South Mumbai, the police said on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, additional commissioner of police's special squad and a team from the Election Commission laid a trap near Khaugali at Zaveri Bazaar on Wednesday evening, and nabbed the men, an official said.

On searching them, the police found cash to the tune of Rs 2.19 crore, he added.

Mumbai, Oct 16 (PTI) A court here on Wednesday refused to provide interim protection from arrest to a police officer who is accused of raping a 35-year-old Uzbekistan national for eight years.

Police inspector Bhanudas alias Anil Jadhav, who has been suspended, has filed an anticipatory or pre-arrest bail application before sessions Judge K S Hore.