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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

SIT flooded with calls, complaints being verified

Mumbai: Sharpening knives, several women political and social leaders called on the Nashik Commissioner of Police Sandeep Karnik and Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief Tejaswi Satpute, seeking action against several bigwigs allegedly linked with the Ashokkumar Eknath Kharat scandal that has scalded Maharashtra politics. A delegation led by Shiv Sena (UBT) Deputy Leader Sushama Andhare, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Patil-Thombare, Sangeeta Tiwari of Bitiya Foundation,...

SIT flooded with calls, complaints being verified

Mumbai: Sharpening knives, several women political and social leaders called on the Nashik Commissioner of Police Sandeep Karnik and Special Investigation Team (SIT) chief Tejaswi Satpute, seeking action against several bigwigs allegedly linked with the Ashokkumar Eknath Kharat scandal that has scalded Maharashtra politics. A delegation led by Shiv Sena (UBT) Deputy Leader Sushama Andhare, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Patil-Thombare, Sangeeta Tiwari of Bitiya Foundation, Swati Patil, Saroj Ahire and Prerana Balkawade met the two top cops in Nashik. “We have urged them to include the names of ruling ally Shiv Sena’s ex-minister Deepak V. Kesarkar and NCP State Women’s Wing President Rupali Nilesh Chakankar as co-accused in the case and initiate investigations against them. Check their CDR’s financial dealings and their role in promoting the fake Godman,” Andhare told ‘The Perfect Voice’. Karnik said that since the FIR’s have already been registered and the entire case has been transferred to the SIT, he would forward their plea to the SIT, which would be in a position to address the women leaders’ concerns. Thereafter, the ladies went to met Satpute and held detailed talks with her. “We discussed the case status, shared some additional inputs we have collected, names of certain officers or prominent persons plus certain potential victims. We strongly requested her to bring both Kesarkar and Chakankar - who quit last week as Chairperson of Maharashtra State Commission for Women - under the probe radar to ascertain their exact role in this sordid affair,” added Andhare. SIT Works The Special Investigation Team (SIT) conducting a probe against rape accused and self-styled godman Ashok Kharat has received more than 50 calls in the last five days providing information or reporting crimes allegedly committed by him, officials said on Friday. The Maharashtra government-appointed SIT earlier published two mobile phone numbers for citizens to share information regarding Kharat or report any offence committed by him, they said. The police have so far registered eight FIRs against Nashik-based Kharat after receiving multiple complaints involving allegations of sexual assault, extortion, and circulation of objectionable material. Kharat, who heads a temple trust at Sinnar in Nashik district and had several political leaders visit him over the years, was arrested on March 18 after a 35-year-old woman accused him of repeated rape over a period of three years. Following his arrest, multiple rape complaints were filed against him. A senior official said that since the launch of the two dedicated mobile numbers, the probe team received an average of 15 to 20 phone calls daily. Of the calls received in the last five days, more than 50 were about complaints against Kharat, he said, adding that the team is verifying the complaints. The SIT has assured that to keep the identities of those providing information or reporting a crime strictly confidential, he said. The SIT visited Kharat’s office in Nashik on Friday, accompanied by the forensic science team. A team of police officials recovered several documents and files, a diary and papers from the office, the official said. The Nashik district administration has, meanwhile, suspended the former Merchant Navy officer’s arms licence, citing that with multiple cases against him, he might use weapons to threaten and intimidate victims. Nashik collector Ayush Prasad on Tuesday issued an order suspending Kharat’s arms licence, another official said. Kharat, a resident of Mirgaon in Sinnar, obtained a revolver licence on October 15, 2012, renewed it on January 1, 2024, with validity till December 2028, he said. After a case was registered against Kharat at the Sarkarwada police station, the police recovered a weapon and bullets from him. The licence was suspended under section 17(3) of the Arms Act. Moral turpitude is a valid ground for suspension of the licence, the order stated. - With PTI

India working on logistics of Tahawwur Rana's extradition

  • PTI
  • Feb 14, 2025
  • 3 min read

Updated: Feb 18, 2025

Tahawwur Rana

Washington: India is working on the logistics of Tahawwur Rana's surrender and extradition from the US, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has said, as President Donald Trump announced that his administration has given the go-ahead to extradite the 26/11 terror attack accused “to face justice".

“This is an issue on which the US authorities have taken very clear decisions. I think you've seen the President announce it himself from the White House podium" the decision of the US to extradite Rana, Misri said at a press conference here on Thursday.


During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the White House, US President Donald Trump announced that his administration has approved the extradition of "very evil" Tahawwur Rana, wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, "to face justice in India”.


In response to a question by PTI on the timeframe by when Rana will be extradited to India, Misri said: "We are working on the logistics of his surrender and extradition to India. There are a few final steps to be completed. The two sides are in touch on this particular issue.”


The India-US joint statement issued during the Prime Minister's visit to the US notes that Modi and Trump reaffirmed that the global scourge of terrorism must be fought and terrorist safe havens eliminated from every corner of the world.

“They committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Jaish-e Mohammad, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba in order to prevent heinous acts like the attacks in Mumbai on 26/11 and the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021," the joint statement said.


“Recognising a shared desire to bring to justice those who would harm our citizens, the US announced that the extradition to India of Tahawwur Rana has been approved," it said.


The leaders further called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai, and Pathankot attacks and ensure that its territory is not used to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks.

"The leaders also pledged to work together to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state actors,” the joint statement added.

Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles. He is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks.

Speaking at the joint press meet, Trump said "Today I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters and very evil people of the world, and having to do with the horrific Mumbai terrorist attack, to face justice in India. So, he is going back to India to face justice."


The extradition of Rana was cleared by the US Supreme Court in January as it rejected his review petition in the case.


India last month said it was working with American authorities for the early extradition of Rana.


"The US Supreme Court on January 21 declined to hear a petition from the accused. We are now working with the US side on procedural issues for early extradition to India of the accused in the Mumbai terror attack," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.


In November 2012, Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving gunman among the Pakistani group, was hanged to death in Yerawada Jail in Pune.

-PTI

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