MAHARASHTRA MLA BOOKED FOR ‘DISTURBING PEACE’ IN CHURU

JAIPUR: A BJP legislator from Maharashtra and four others were booked on charges of “disturbing peace” allegedly after they picked up a quarrel with traffic cops while on way to Salasar Balaji temple in Churu district.

However, they were granted bail, police said on Sunday.

According to the police, on Saturday noon, Kirti Kumar Bhangdiya, MLA from Chimur assembly seat, along with his family members and others, was travelling in a bus when the bus driver lost his way and entered the wrong side of a road near SK College. “Our head constable, Girdahri Singh, seeing the bus coming in wrong lane, signalled it to stop. Singh made a challan of ₹500 and seized the driver’s licence. When Bhangdiya came to know about it, the MLA started arguing with the head constable,” said Virendra Sharma, circle officer, Sikar city.

The head constable was allegedly threatened by the MLA, following which a fight broke out between the head constable and the MLA’S associates. “As soon as we came to know about the scuffle, a team was rushed to the spot. Later, MLA, his colleagues and the head constable were taken to a nearby hospital, from where they were discharged after primary treatment,” said Sharma.

The MLA and his aides were later booked under section 151 of the CRPC (disturbing peace) and were later released on bail after five hours, the police said.

MLA Bhangdiya was unavailable for his reaction.

KOTA: A court in Udaipur has ordered that the custody of 56.83 kg gold, handed over by a local of Chittorgarh to the district collector in 1965 for weighing the then prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, be given to the central GST department of the union government.

Shastri could not be weighed with the gold due to his death in Tashkent. The gold, whose market price stands at ₹27.29 crore, is lying in the treasury of the Udaipur collector. The claimants, meanwhile, battled in the court over the years for the possession of the gold.

Speaking about the background of the case, Praveen Khandelwal, government of India’s standing counsel who is representing the CGST department, said one Gunwantlal Anjana of Chhoti Sadri in Chittorgarh claimed that he had given the gold to Ganpatlal Anjana to keep it safe. Ganpatlal claimed that the gold was his and he had handed over it to the Chittor district collector in 1965 for weighing the then PM Shastri.

Gunwantlal had filed an FIR alleging breach of trust by Ganpatlal. Acting on the FIR, Chittor police obtained the custody of the gold from the collector’s treasury in 1966.

The additional sessions court of Udaipur, in its order on January 11, 1975, convicted Ganpatlal of breach of trust and ordered that the gold be handed over to the Gold Control Officer appointed under the India Defence Rule.

As per this rule, enforced from April 1, 1965, any gold present with anyone, if not transformed into ornament within 6 months of possession, will be declared contraband and confiscated by the government. That’s why gold custody was not given to Gunwantlal, said Khandelwal.

Later Ganpatlal challenged his conviction in the Udaipur district court and Gunwantlal appealed against giving away of gold custody to the Gold Control Officer. In August 1978, additional district judge of Udaipur acquitted Ganpatlal over benefit of doubt and turned down the plea of Gunwantlal, upholding additional sessions court’s 1975

56.83 KG GOLD WAS GIVEN BY A LOCAL OF CHITTORGARH TO THE DISTRICT COLLECTOR IN 1965 FOR WEIGHING THE THEN PRIME MINISTER LAL BAHADUR SHASTRI

decision.

The state government then went to the Rajasthan high court and appealed against acquittal of Ganpatlal. Gunwantlal also appealed in the HC against the order that gave custody of the gold to the Gold Control Officer. The high court quashed the appeals of the state government and Gunwantlal on September 14, 2007, said Khandelwal.

In 2012, Ganpatlal’s son Govardhan Anjana filed a writ petition in the high court, claiming custody of the gold.

Meanwhile, assistant Commissioner, CGST Chittor, also filed an application in the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Udaipur, saying the gold should be handed over to them as per the 1975 order of the additional session court.

Govardhan also filed a writ before the CJM court seeking custody of the gold. But the CJM court ruled in favour of CGST department.

Goverdhan then moved the additional district sessions court, Udaipur. On February 17, the sessions court ordered that the custody of the gold be handed over to the CGST department.

Khandelwal said, “Although the additional district sessions court has given its verdict in favour of CGST, the matter is still pending before the Rajasthan high court.”