Indian Crime News

Mumbai, Aug. 28: Mr Raj Thackeray on Thursday backed off from his threat to shop owners over the Marathi signboards issue after the Bombay high court stepped in on Thursday to restrain the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief and his supporters from indulging in violence observing that nobody can "hold the people to ransom".

The court observation appeared to have a salutary effect on Mr Thackeray, who said he would be happy if the BMC and the government implemented an old rule stipulating mandatory signboards in Marathi.

"We don’t have any desire to take to the street just like that. I will be happy if the government strictly implements the provision for mandatory Marathi signboards," Mr Thackeray told reporters shortly after the high court gave relief to thousands of shopkeepers from threats by the MNS.

"I have appealed for peace," Mr Thackeray said, replying to a query over his earlier "warning" to shopowners over the signboards issue.

The court, in response to an application filed by a few traders’ associations, restrained Mr Thackeray and MNS members from "in any manner whatsoever disturbing" the traders in the city from carrying on their business activity, defacing or damaging their business property and assaulting or threatening them.

Justices J.N. Patel and K.K. Tated also restrained Mr Thackeray personally from giving any provocative or intimidating public speech regarding the issue of Marathi signboards.

The federation of retail traders welfare associations, along with others, had approached the high court after the MNS chief warned shopowners to put Marathi signboards by August 28, failing which they would be taught a lesson.

The court also ordered police commissioners of Mumbai and Thane to take "effective steps" to safeguard the petitioners and to protect them from any act of violence by MNS workers.

Earlier, the court grilled the government lawyer as to what preventive measures it took after Mr Thackeray sent a letter to traders, threatening to teach them lesson if they failed to put up Marathi signboards.

"There is a hidden threat in this letter," Justice Patel said, asking what action was taken against Mr Thackeray and whether "this gentleman has been interrogated."

"Nobody can hold the people to ransom," Mr Patel said. —PTI

Vellore (Tamil Nadu), Aug. 28: A court here has ordered attachment of the official car of the district collector and 20 computers in the collectorate for failure to pay compensation in lieu of land acquired from 11 persons for a bypass road in 1980.

The government had acquired the land from the 11 persons of Thottapalayam, but had not paid the compensation amounting to about Rs 5.45 lakhs due to the landowners.

Despite several reminders, the district administration had not cleared the compensation.

Hence, the land owners of Vellore moved a petition in the sub-court which on Wednesday ordered the attachment of the collector’s car and 20 computers in the collectorate.

—PTI

***

Fever kills 6 more in UP

Muzaffarnagar, Aug. 28: Six more persons, including three infants, died of a "mysterious fever" at Ramda village in the district, taking the death toll to 27. According to reports from district headquarters, several other patients are undergoing treatment.

Medical teams have already been sent to affected areas for treatment.

—PTI

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT

NEW DELHI

Aug. 28: The CBI on Thursday told the Supreme Court that Congress MP from Assam, Mani Kumar Subba, has obtained a birth certificate in a "fraudulent" manner for the purpose of establishing his Indian nationality.

Rejecting the claim of Mr Subba that he was born in Assam’s Silguri district, the CBI told the apex court that the MP had given different dates of birth and places of birth to various authorities for different reasons and was thus "prima facie" guilty of various criminal offences.

The CBI’s report comes in the backdrop of the apex court’s direction to probe the nationality of Mr Subba, who according to a public interest litigation was a Nepalese citizen who fled that country in the 1970s after a murder case was registered against him there.

***

EC orders probe against RSP MLA

BY SANJIB DEB

AGARTALA

Aug. 28: The Election Commission has ordered an investigation against Revolutionary Socialist Party MLA Partha Das as his scheduled caste certificate proved to be fake prima facie.

Mr Das is accused of submitting an incorrect affidavit during filing of nomination for the Shalghara Assembly constituency reserved for scheduled castes.

***

Assembly passes Odisha resolution

By Our Correspondent

BHUBANESWAR

Aug. 28: The Orissa Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution seeking change in the official names of the state and its language to "Odisha" and "Odia", respectively.

The resolution urged the Centre to bring necessary amendment in the Constitution to change the name of the state from "Orissa" to "Odisha" and its language from "Oriya" to "Odia". The Assembly sanction was needed to incorporate such changes in the Constitution. Earlier, the Orissa Cabinet had approved the proposal.

***

Goa minister won’t respond to Bihar court

Panaji, Aug. 28: The Speaker of the Goa Assembly on Thursday ruled that state home minister Ravi Naik should not respond to the Bihar court, if summoned in connection with his alleged remarks on Bih-aris made during a special session. The issue figured during the ongoing state legislative Assembly session on Thursday when the home minister himself poi-nted out to the news item run by a local newspaper.

The news item mentioned that a Patna court on Wednesday admitted a petition against a Goa minister for his alleged anti-Bihari remarks. —PTI