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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Police form SIT, arrest four

Achalpur Municipal Council serves ‘bulldozer justice’ Mumbai: Amid growing public outrage in Vidarbha, police in Amravati arrested three associates of the prime accused, 19 year old Ayan Ahmed Tanveer in the scandal involving recording and circulation of obscene videos of young women. The police also formed a 47-member Special Investigation Team even as authorities say preliminary inquiries point to a large cache of material and possible involvement of minors, prompting a rapid escalation of...

Police form SIT, arrest four

Achalpur Municipal Council serves ‘bulldozer justice’ Mumbai: Amid growing public outrage in Vidarbha, police in Amravati arrested three associates of the prime accused, 19 year old Ayan Ahmed Tanveer in the scandal involving recording and circulation of obscene videos of young women. The police also formed a 47-member Special Investigation Team even as authorities say preliminary inquiries point to a large cache of material and possible involvement of minors, prompting a rapid escalation of the probe and local administrative action that included partial demolition of the accused’s house. Police on Wednesday took into custody Uzair Khan Iqbal Khan (20), Mohammad Saad Mohammad Sabir (22) and Tabrez Khan Taslim Khan (24) after Ayan’s arrest on Monday. Court remand for the newly arrested trio runs until 21 April as investigators intensify questioning. Officials have so far identified eight victims, but local claims and media reports suggest the scandal may involve far larger numbers — with some sources alleging up to 180 girls and as many as 350 videos circulating online. A cyber team is working to recover deleted files and trace the full extent of distribution. Unauthorised Structure The Achalpur Municipal Council deployed a bulldozer to raze part of the accused’s house, citing unauthorised construction; officials said the timing was coincidental to the probe, but the action has added to tensions in the area. Police have formed a 47 member Special Investigation Team to coordinate forensic, cyber and field inquiries and have appealed to the public not to share any images or clips, warning that doing so is a criminal offence. Female officers are assisting in victim identification and interviews to ensure sensitivity and confidentiality. Investigation Focus Investigators have seized numerous objectionable videos from the prime accused’s phone and are attempting to match faces and locations to identify victims. The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the POCSO Act where minors are involved, and provisions of the Information Technology Act for non consensual recording and distribution. Police stress that no formal FIRs from victims are required to pursue the case and have offered the option of filing Zero FIRs to protect identities and fast track action. The scandal has provoked a political storm in Amravati. Opposition leaders have demanded a high level probe and some local groups have called for shutdowns, prompting heightened security. While there have been claims about the accused’s political links, party officials say he has been expelled; nevertheless, the episode has intensified scrutiny of law and order and online safety for young women. Community leaders and activists are pressing for swift arrests of all accomplices and for systemic measures to prevent similar crimes.

On a mission to serve the elders

Mumbaikar Leena Deosthalee finds a way to support the senior citizens through an old age home situated in Raigad

Mumbai: A Mumbai resident Leena Deosthalee’s urge to serve her father in his illness has led to formation of one of the friendliest old age homes in Maharashtra - Chaitanya Jyeshtha Nagarik Sahaniwas situated at Jambhulpada in Sudhagad district of Raigad. Deosthalee, a retired banker, started this facility in 2012 to fulfil her desire to serve the elderly people as she could not do much for her father in his last days.


“I worked for 33 years with Bank of India, from 1966 to 1999,” Deosthalee told ‘The Perfect Voice’. “At that time my father was very old. I wished to visit him every day, but there was a time constraint. I quit my job to give him time. However, he passed away and my purpose of quitting the job was over,” she said narrating the idea behind Sahaniwas.


“My husband was extremely busy. I had ample free time. By God’s grace I was financially stable. My children were well settled in their own world. Hence, I felt that it is time to give something back to society. I expressed my wish to my husband, and he supported my dream whole heartedly,” she said.


Chaitanya Nagrik Sahaniwas has a capacity to accommodate 30 residents at a time. Jambhulpada is equidistant from Mumbai and Pune—approximately 100-110 km. Senior citizens who are physically independent and do not need assistance for their daily activities are given admission after they are screened and interviewed by the Trustees. Chaitanya is run by Mathura Foundation. On twin sharing basis 30 residents can be accommodated. There are other rooms for amenities such as library, medical room, dining room (with attached kitchen), recreation room which has a common T.V. and tables for playing chess, cards, carom etc.

The facility has a caretaker and two resident staff members, who are on the premises all the time. Other staff members travel from the surrounding villages. The Foundation also has its own ambulance and driver, who is available on the premises 24x7.


Self reliance

Deosthalee said Chaitanya home is 95 per cent self-reliant as far as electricity is concerned. They have a project installed with a solar power capacity- 20 kv which has reduced their electricity expenditure to an extent that they send surplus electricity supply to the MSEB grid. “We are almost self-reliant as far as electricity is concerned. Besides, the solar water heaters keep us self-reliant for nearly nine months of the year.”They recycle the sewage water using Solid Imobilised Bio Filter (SIBF) System and alum tanks to reutilise it for sanitation and maintaining the gardens.


Social serviceDeosthalee believes that she is able to overcome most of the operational hurdles without the residents feeling the pinch of it because of her sound financial background. “We are not making any profit because our objective is not to earn money. We take nominal fees from the residents and find solutions to our operational difficulties through donations and sometimes from our own pockets.”Jambhulpada has one more such old age home. Deosthalee had to open a facility at the time when there were similar facilities doing a good job in the area. However, she cited that there was no sentiment of competition and that other facilities were working for the same cause and hence she actually got a lot of guidance and help from the trustees. “They actually helped me identify what was lacking in their facility so that I could rectify their flaws in the facility I was planning to set up,” said Deosthalee.


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