Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Education Minister Vinod Tawde recently took a major decision to cancel the October re-examination for those who flunk Class X, conducting the re-test in June-July so that students don’t waste an entire academic year. With the decision welcomed by many, Tawde chose to cash in on the positive publicity with a press conference where students who passed the first-ever June-July re-exam were present. While journalists wanted to move on to other issues, Tawde insisted they first spoke to the students and even asked some questions. “You have passed. How are you feeling now?” Tawde asked a 16-year-old from Ghatkopar. The response was immediate: “I am very thankful to Vinod Tawde ji for this opportunity. It was painful to see my friends going to college and not being able to join them. Now I won’t have to waste an entire year, all thanks to Tawde ji.” The other students chimed in, giving the same reply with minimal changes — apparently, a well-rehearsed script.
The name is Khan
The trial of a person disputing his identity in court can be a little confusing for everybody. Feroz Abdul Rashid Khan, accused of being present when ammunition landed in the city for use in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, has claimed that he is not the purported accused at all, but is Hamza Abdul Rashid Khan. The prosecutor refers to him as Feroz, while the defence lawyer addresses his client as Hamza. The man responds to both names. Finding a middle way out, the TADA court judge addressed him as “Mr Khan”. Pat came a response from the accused: “And I am not a terrorist.”
Perceived as a frequent troublemaker, a social worker from Nanded was apparently asked to get police permission when she sought an appointment for the children from her NGO to tie rakhis on the chief minister’s wrist. Amid a sea of reporters trying to ferret out every detail on the sensational Sheena Bora case that has rocked the city, the staff at the Police Commissionarate were left exhausted trying to convince the woman that no police permission was actually required for the rakhi tradition. Dejected and angry, the woman left, but not before handing over a piece of advice to the journalists that there were better things to cover than “high-profile murders”.
Pecking order
The Radhe Maa case took a backseat this week, but one aspect of the godwoman’s case continues to be a subject of discussion in the police department’s press room — her affectionate kiss on the cheek. She recently laid a peck on the cheek of a television reporter after an interview, something even senior IPS officers found hilarious. Over two weeks later, the reporter remains the butt of jokes in gatherings, and the mere mention of ‘that interview’ with Radhe Maa sends policemen into peals of laughter.
The Khar circus
With Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria personally conducting marathon inquiries into the Sheena Bora ‘murder’ case, the Khar police station has had to host not just him, but also other senior IPS officers, as well as a handful of local policemen besides the three accused and a motley group of others being questioned. Rakesh Maria Friday quizzed suspects Indrani Mukerjea, her second husband Sanjeev Khanna and her former driver Shyam Rai. Indrani’s son Mekhail was also present during the interrogations. One detail was left out the previous day, and was fixed Friday — six additional chairs were delivered by a tempo and wheeled into the police station.
Meanwhile, to add to the chaos outside, actor Sanjay Dutt walked into the police station earlier this week. Dutt, convicted for possessing weapons, is out on parole and as per procedure had to come to the local police station, which happens to be Khar. On any other day, the media would have besieged him with questions, but they were preoccupied with a bigger case this week. Dutt was probably relieved.
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
