Excerpt from Mumbai Mirror, reported by Nazia Sayed on December 31, 2009 , Read Full Article

The Shivaji Nagar and Deonar police, who have together registered the maximum number of cases against the water mafia in the city, have themselves come under the scanner for alleged water-related offences.
It has been found that both these police stations have set up booster pumps in their premises to enhance water supply. What’s more, the water connection to these two police stations is itself questionable.

The booster pump (circled and right) seen in the premises of the Shivaji Nagar Police Station

Since November, the Deonar police seized 17 booster pumps and arrested 22 people for illegal water theft, while the Shivaji Nagar police confiscated 164 booster pumps and arrested 104 people.

Excerpt from Indian Express, reported on Dec 30, 2009 : Read Full Article

The special Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act court on Tuesday sentenced a 60-year-old Indian national to ten years rigorous imprisonment for possessing 90 kg of mandrax tablets worth around Rs 9 crore in the domestic market and 10 times more in the international market.

Special Judge D R Sirsao sentenced Ghulam Mohammed Shaikh alias Nana behind bars for 10 years and imposed a hefty fine of Rs 1 lakh for possessing the banned drug. According to additional public prosecutor Vijay Malankar, on June 1, 2007, based on a tip-off Shivaji Nagar police raided Shaikh’s residence in Mankhurd and found the drug in gunny bags.

Excerpt from Mumbai Mirror, reported by Nazia Sayed and Geeta Desai on December 29, 2009 : Read Full Article

Woman drawing water from an illegal well in Mankhurd

The polio-causing virus passes from infected faecal matter, contaminates ground water and finds its way into humans though the mouth.

Driven by sheer desperation caused by an unprecedented water crisis, residents in Shivajinagar, Deonar, Trombay and Mankhurd, have resorted to digging illegal wells in their own backyard and drinking poisonous water — almost 70 per cent of which is contaminated with the deadly enterovirus which causes polio.
Not only that, WHO tests carried out on the samples from these wells, have revealed the presence of other crippling viruses too — hepatitis and cholera to name two.

Consuming this deadly cocktail every day makes the people vulnerable to a number of diseases, but none as grave as polio, which has technically no cure, and to eradicate which the government has spent nearly Rs 26 billion till date.

As reported in www.3dsyndication.com by  Divyesh Singh on 12/24/2009

The Shivaji Nagar police have arrested a 30-year-old for alleged involvement in several cases of burglary in the city and nearby areas.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Khan, a native of Uttar Pradesh, was arrested last week when he had come to sell 150gm of gold ornaments to a jeweller in Govandi. Khan told police officials that he broke into houses to get money to buy lottery tickets.
Acting on a tip off, the police officers laid a trap and arrested Khan with the gold which he had allegedly stolen a few days ago.
According to the police, Khan is a part of a gang involved in housebreaking and thefts active in the city at night. The gang, comprising of three or four others, decides on a target which is broken into later.
The city police have launched a manhunt to nab the others in tandem with the police of neighbouring districts.
“During the interrogation, Khan said that he did odd jobs for a living and wanted to earn more money. He started buying lottery tickets to make a quick buck but could never win one,” said a police officer. “When he could not afford them anymore, he started robbing from houses to get money to buy the tickets. He had planned to earn good money and return to his hometown.”

As reported in TOI by Sukhada Tatke on 16 December 2009

The BMC may have decided to get tough with defaulters, but it can’t ignore the fact that over 20% of the city’s water supply is lost due to leakage and pilferage. In the backdrop of the water crisis, the civic body is now cracking the whip on illegal water connections that are mainly set up in slums. For the slumdwellers in the eastern suburb of Mankhurd, which holds the record for the maximum number of FIRs and complaints against pilferage, this is the only way to get water.

Across Anna Bhau Sathe Nagar in Mankhurd, hundreds of women queued up outside their homes to fill a few buckets of water that will keep them going for the day. What’s surprising though, is that many aren’t aware that the connection is illegal, say social workers.

Residents have paid hefty amounts to the water “dalaals” or agents for their connection. “Each of us has paid Rs 5,000 to avail of these connections. Despite that, we have to struggle to get clean water. The pipeline runs along with the sewer passageway, and often, it enters the sewage gutter,” said a resident. Laxmi Waghmare. “Recently, we collectively paid Rs 25,000 to dig holes in the ground, so we can draw water from there.”

In December alone, the BMC filed eight FIRs against the residents at the nearby Shivaji Nagar police station. Another four FIRs for theft of water by fixing booster pumps in the vicinity were registered with the Deonar police station. (Mankhurd falls under both precincts.)

For the slum dwellers this is the only way they can get water. “We have paid money, but we get only 15 minutes of supply every day. Even if we are able to fill five vessels, we can survive the day,” said 45-year old resident Prema Kamble. With the BMC tightening its grip over illegal connections, the pipelines have been hidden lest they be seized. Simpreet Singh of the National Alliance of People’s Movement blames the water mafia for the pilferage. “At election time, promises are made that slums will get water, but nothing comes out of it,” said Singh.

As reported in TOI 9 November 2009, 09:44pm IST

The assault on Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi by MNS legislators inside Maharashtra assembly and the subsequent suspension today triggered violent protests in several parts of the state.

Police said supporters of Azmi pelted stones and damaged four buses and a few autorickshaws at Shivajinagar in Mumbai to protest manhandling of their leader. They also shouted slogans in support of Azmi who has been elected from two seats, Mankhurd-Shivajinagar and Bhiwandi, Thane district.

The police used canes to disperse the Samajwadi Party workers. “We lathi-charged Azmi’s supporters to control the situation. Ten people were detained,” Deputy Police Commissioner Dilip Sawant said.

Fearing trouble, shop owners downed their shutters. Suburban train services on Harbour line of Central railway were disrupted for some time after protesters gathered on tracks at Govandi station, police said.

As the channels flashed images of the ugly ruckus in the House, SP activists took to the streets and pelted stones, damaging three MSRTC buses at Bhiwandi, police said, adding no one was injured in the incident.

A similar incident took place at Mumbra, a minority- dominated area on Mumbai’s outskirts, police said.

MNS activists burnt an effigy of Azmi, whose oath- taking in Hindi infuriated the MLAs of the Raj Thackeray-led party, at Kalwa in Thane city.

Stray incidents of stone pelting by MNS activists at buses were reported from Varje area in Pune, police said.

Varje comes under Khadakwasla Assembly constituency, represented by Ramesh Wanjle, one of the four MLAs of the Raj Thackeray-led party suspended for ruckus in the House.

In Nashik, MNS activists burnt an effigy of Azmi to protest the suspension of party legislators, including Vasant Gite, who represents Nashik-Central.

Following the incident, police have stepped up security at important locations in the North Maharashtra city, one of the strongholds of MNS.

In Malegaon, the minority-dominated town in Nashik district,, SP activists, headed by its city President Rizwan Batterywala, made an unsuccessful attempt to burn an effigy of Raj Thackeray.

A state road transport corporation bus was stoned in in Malegaon allegedly by SP activists.

Meanwhile, Azmi has appealed to his party workers to maintain peace and calm.

As reported in PTI , Nov 9, 2009

Police today resorted to lathicharge to disperse agitating supporters of MLA Abu Azmi in suburban Govandi, protesting the assault on the Samajwadi Party leader in Maharashtra Assembly by members of the MNS.

People gathered at Shivaji Nagar in Govandi and pelted stones shouting slogans in support of Azmi, Deputy Police Commissioner Dilip Sawant said.

“We lathicharged Azmi’s supporters to control the situation. Ten people were detained,” he said.

Four public transport buses and a few auto rickshaws were damaged in the incident, he added.

SP supporters also held protests in suburban Oshiwara and Mumbra.

Suburban train services on harbour line of Central Railway were disrupted for some time after people gathered on tracks at Govandi railway station, the police said.

Candidates of Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar 2009 Assembly Election

Excerpt from CG+, on Saturday, October 03, 2009 : Read Full Article

A 28-year-old youth, Salim Jabbar Khan, resident of Shivaji Nagar, Govandi has been arrested by the Vashi police for allegedly kidnapping and raping his 18-year-old ex-lover, a resident of Nerul and a student of Tilak College in Vashi.

The accused was arrested from his residence on 24 September after a case was registered against him by the victim at Vashi police station. He is a NCP activist and Deputy Block President of the party’s Shivaji Nagar unit. The police has even confiscated the Hyundai Accent car (MH-04, BH-9598) used by the accused for kidnapping the girl. He has been booked under Section 366 (Kidnapping, Abducting) and 376 (Punishment for Rape) of the IPC.

He was remanded in police custody till 29 September. He was produced before the court on 29 September and has been sentenced to Magisterial Custody Remand (MCR) for 15 days.PI (crime) Sanjay Surve informed,

Excerpt from CG+, on 20th June 2009: Read Full Article
Some of the police officials posted at the Shivaji Nagar police station have allegedly beaten up two minor boys and a senior citizen after they were under pressure from their senior officials to ensure that the crime rate in the area was brought down.

(L-R) Babu Jani, Altamash and Altaf were allegedly injured  in the police action

According to sources almost 15 FIRs were registered at the Shivaji Nagar police station in a span of 10 days against the various mafias working in the area.

According to a police official from the Shivaji Nagar police station there are water mafias, land mafias and electricity mafias operating in the said area and this has been a cause of concern for not just local residents, but also police officials, which is one of the main reasons that the senior officials like DCP Dilip Sawant,