Mumbai Beat

1st private telegraph office in stateFor the first time in Maharashtra, the Department of Telecommunications has decided to provide licen...

1st private telegraph office in state

For the first time in Maharashtra, the Department of Telecommunications has decided to provide licences to Public Call Office PCO operators to book telegrams on a commission basis. To start with, a Franchise Telegraph Office was opened at Nerul in Navi Mumbai here today. It will start functioning from October 1 and the public can book telegrams from here.

The DoT says it is keen to open more franchise telegraph offices particularly in Navi Mumbai and will invite applications from private PCO operators from Nerul and Koparkhairne. The criteria: Applicants should have a small cabin and an approved PCO connection from the Maharashtra Telephone Nigam Limited. If successful, the scheme will be extended to the rest of thestate.

Chhota Rajan man remanded

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Usha Iyer has remanded Tukaram Sawant, belonging to the Chhota Rajan gang, to police custody up to October 6. Sawant was arrested on Wednesday in a housebreakingcase. Seven cases of murder, robbery and extortion are also pending against him Police believe he was also involved in the Kurla Kamani case.

4 Manchekar men convicted

The Sessions Court has convicted four Manchekar gang members for the murder of Sudesh Khamkar, a businessman, and has awarded them a life sentence.Satish Raoji Kargutkar, Sanjay Sudhakar, Yogendra Singh and Sachin Badambe were convicted for murdering Khamkar in February 22, 1997. He had been kidnapped for a ransom of Rs 2 lakh.

Kargutkar, the main accused, has several cases of extortion and murder registered against him. The quartet were arrested by Inspectors S L Patil and Kader Khan of the N M Marg police under the then DCP Sunil Paraskar. M V Khataukar appeared as the public prosecutor.

PUC drive inaugurated

Chief Secretary Arun Bongirwar today inaugurated the Western India Automobile Association8217;s 15-day free Pollution Under Control PUC drive at the service road near the Hindu Gymkhana at Marine Drive today. Themeeting was attended by Transport Secretary Suresh Chandra, Transport Commissioner V M Lal and WIAA President Nitin Dossa.

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Speaking on the occasion, the transport commissioner reiterated that vehicles without PUC certificates would be denied petrol from October 15 while the WIAA President suggested impounding vehicles who did not have PUC certificates.