EX-PMC EXEC IN CUSTODY TILL OCT 9
MUMBAI: Waryam Singh, a former chairman of Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank arrested in connection with the alleged ₹4,355 crore scam at the bank, was on Sunday remanded in police custody till October 9 by a local court. Singh (68), arrested by the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai police on Saturday from Mahim Church area, is the fourth person in police custody in connection with the case. The EOW has already arrested former managing director of the bank
Joy Thomas, and promoters of Housing Development and Infrastructure Limited (HDIL) group Rakesh and Sarang Wadhawan. MUMBAI: Prohibitory orders continued to be in force in Aarey Colony and surrounding areas for the second day on Sunday, as felling of trees was underway to make way for a Metro car shed, a police official said.
A sessions court in Mumbai on Sunday granted bail to 29 protesters arrested over the last two days on charges of allegedly obstructing and assaulting police personnel on duty during protests against felling of trees at Aarey Colony.
Additional sessions court judge H C Shende of the holiday court ordered their release on certain conditions including production of personal surety of Rs 7,000 and assurance that they would not take part in protests.
Heavy security was deployed at Aarey Colony’s five entry points, including the key connecting road near the Western Express Highway, to prevent people from going towards the area and to avoid any untoward incident, he said.
Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar was on Sunday detained when he tried to enter the Aarey Colony here in support of the activists who are opposing the cutting of trees in the area to make way for a Metro car shed. He alleged that the Maharashtra government was using “muscle power” to silence those raising voice against tree felling.
The poli c e on Saturday imposed Section 144 of the Crpc in Aarey, restricting movements and gathering of groups, and cordoned off the area.
When the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi chief reached the Aarey area located in suburban Goregaon on Sunday in support of those opposing tree felling, he was detained for a brief period.
Later, after being left off, he said, “The green cover at Aarey Colony helps in the purification of air, the same way as fresh breeze coming from the Arabian Sea helps in keeping Mumbai air clean.” Hitting out at the state government for using “muscle power” to silence the activists opposing tree felling, he said the VBA extends its support to the cause of saving the Aarey forest.
“We were told that some 700 trees have been axed. We will continue to oppose the tree felling in all forms, even if we fail to come to power in the state after the upcoming Assembly elections,” he said.
The MMRCL started hacking trees from Friday night to make way for the car shed, hours after the Bombay high court dismissed four petitions filed by NGOS and activists challenging the decision to allow felling of nearly 2,700 trees in the prime green lung of t he c i t y. The MMRCL has defended tree felling by contending that it is restricted only to a small area in Aarey Colony, and is necessary to ensure a modern transport system.