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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 8:56:24 pm

Man gets death for minor’s rape, murder

Mumbai | Nashik: A Nashik Special Fast Track Court has awarded the death sentence to a 25-year old man who was convicted last week for luring a 4-year-old girl with a chocolate, kidnapping, raping and murdering her, here on Friday. Terming the case as the ‘rarest of rare’ crimes, the Special Judge K. D. Paldewar – who had found Vijay Sanjay Khairnar guilty of kidnap, sexual assault and murdering the child on Sep. 30 but reserved the verdict after the final arguments on Oct. 7 – pronounced the...

Man gets death for minor’s rape, murder

Mumbai | Nashik: A Nashik Special Fast Track Court has awarded the death sentence to a 25-year old man who was convicted last week for luring a 4-year-old girl with a chocolate, kidnapping, raping and murdering her, here on Friday. Terming the case as the ‘rarest of rare’ crimes, the Special Judge K. D. Paldewar – who had found Vijay Sanjay Khairnar guilty of kidnap, sexual assault and murdering the child on Sep. 30 but reserved the verdict after the final arguments on Oct. 7 – pronounced the capital punishment today. He also slapped a fine of Rs 10 lakhs as compensation to the victim’s family, hailing from Dongrale village before a packed courtroom where the villagers, the victim’s family and others were present. Emerging from the courtroom after the verdict, Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told the media that “the Court had considered the gravity of the crime and the circumstantial evidence establishing Khairnar’s involvement” while deciding the sentence. The Court did not take into account the convict’s poverty – he was a daily wager – or illiteracy as grounds for leniency, added the ace criminal lawyer. It was on Nov. 16, 2025 in Dongrale village of Malegaon taluka when Khairnar lured the little girl on the promise of giving her a chocolate and took her to a desolate spot to carry out his devious plans. Betraying the trust of the child who used to call him ‘dada’ (elder brother) due to their acquaintance, Khairnar sexually assaulted her, killed her and abandoned her before decamping from there. A few hours later, the child’s body was found dumped in a nullah and the police were summoned. As details of the gruesome crime tumbled out and spread, it ignited widespread public outrage all over the state. The police swung into action, formed several probe teams and managed to track down Khairnar from his hideout within a few hours. Considering the sensitivity of the crime, the strong emotions plus the mass furore it created, the state government assigned the case to a fast-track court, assigned Nikam as the SPP and the matter was heard speedily. The SPP aggressively led the prosecution, arguing in the court that in view of the gravity of the crime, the circumstances leading to it and other aspects, it warranted the severest punishment – death – for Khairnar, irrespective of his age or financial status. The Dongrale villagers stood in solidarity with the victim’s family and they raised a chorus for quick investigations, an expeditious trial and slapping the death penalty on the convict to serve as a strong deterrent to potential offenders. As per the Indian law, the trial court’s verdict will now go to the Bombay High Court for confirmation. Political leaders from different parties hailed the court verdict and said “justice has finally been done to the victim’s family”.

From Vision to Action: Building Thane’s First Biomedical Waste Facility

Writer: Dr. Sanjay Joshi
Dr. Sanjay Joshi
Sep 19, 2025
3 min read

With TMC land, IIT-Bombay guidance, and a mix of savings and loans, we built a biomedical waste facility.

In an earlier article, I reviewed hospital technologies for managing biomedical waste, from microwaves to autoclaves, and their challenges in India. Furthermore, I highlighted how the shift focused on innovative developments and inspiring success stories within the country. From the Make in India–driven Srjanam automated biomedical waste treatment plant at AIIMS, New Delhi, to the grassroots, community-led efforts of Thane’s Enviro-Vigil NGO, these initiatives showcase both cutting-edge technology and sustained local action that are shaping the future of sustainable biomedical waste management in India.


While these innovations highlighted what was possible at a national and institutional level, our own journey in Thane began much closer to home. With limited experience but a strong resolve, we decided to take on the challenge of creating a functional biomedical waste facility ourselves.


Given our non-technical backgrounds, we were naturally a little apprehensive at first, but we decided to take the plunge and give it a try. A few pharmaceutical companies already had incinerators, and a couple of scientist friends introduced us to the machines. We also sought guidance from experts at IIT-Bombay to learn and adopt the technology. After several rounds of discussions, deliberations, and careful consideration, we finally decided to accept the challenge and move forward.


The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) provided the required land within the premises of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa. When we visited for the first time, the site was completely covered with construction and demolition debris collected from across the city. Our initial task was to clear the debris and level the land to make it suitable and safe for our operations. We rolled up our sleeves and started working on it.


Another significant hurdle was raising sufficient funds. This was necessary not only to acquire the incinerator, autoclave, and other machines. We would also have to develop the necessary infrastructure, including a storehouse, office space, and a large room to house the incinerator. The total budget at that time was around sixty lakh rupees. We contributed a portion from our personal savings and secured a loan from a local bank to cover the remaining amount.


The next step was to complete all legal formalities and obtain authorisation from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). Eventually, after clearing the debris, constructing the infrastructure, procuring the equipment, and installing everything in accordance with standard norms and specifications, the facility was fully operational.


In the meantime, we organised a seminar for doctors and hospital staff in collaboration with the Indian Medical Association, Thane chapter, to provide detailed information about the common biomedical waste facility we were setting up and to address any questions or concerns they had. In addition, we developed a comprehensive training programme for nurses and housekeeping staff across the hospitals to help them understand the provisions of the 1998 biomedical waste rules and to clarify the responsibilities of each employee, especially regarding proper waste segregation. We began conducting these training sessions in every hospital using slideshows and posters, even before the incinerator and other equipment were installed.


Beyond these internal initiatives, we also created awareness posters featuring appeals from eminent Marathi film and theatre actors such as D. Girish Oak, Suhastai Joshi, and Sarika Nawathe. The posters showed the actors urging the general public to consider whether they were aware of biomedical waste, followed by the message: “Ask your doctor whether they are segregating their waste.” This initiative aimed to educate ordinary citizens about a completely new category of waste, something no other operational facility in India had attempted at the time.


We officially began collecting and treating waste in March 2003, and the facility was formally inaugurated by Shri Ram Naik, then Petroleum Minister, Government of India. By that time, we had also started enrolling clinics and hospitals to connect with our facility in compliance with the rules, ensuring a structured and law-abiding system for biomedical waste management.


Curious to know what happens next? Stay tuned for next week’s continuation, and have a fantastic weekend!


(The author is an environmentalist. Views Personal.)

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