Latest news with #MaharashtraLegislativeAssembly
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Illegal constructions in Mumbai: Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar asks govt to submit report
Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar Monday directed the state government to submit an action-taken report (ATR) on illegal constructions across various wards of Mumbai before the conclusion of the ongoing Monsoon Session Friday. The directive came in response to a question raised by BJP MLA Parag Alvani, who sought accountability regarding unauthorised construction on a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) plot in Vile Parle (East). Responding during the Question Hour, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured the House that stern action would be initiated against erring officials, including assistant municipal commissioners, if found shielding illegal constructions. He said instructions would be issued to Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani to prepare a category-wise list of unauthorised structures in the city and take necessary action. 'The government will not support any illegal construction. If officials are found protecting such structures, strict action will be taken against them,' Shinde said. The Deputy CM further clarified that while several illegal structures in the Vasai-Virar region have already been demolished, some remain due to stay orders from the courts. 'Those too will be removed as soon as the legal restrictions are lifted,' he said. Shinde, however, noted that immediate action at some locations during the monsoon may not be feasible, as residents are currently occupying these structures. 'After monsoon, we will take steps to remove even those constructions,' he added. Referring to the case flagged by Alvani, Shinde informed the House that unauthorised sheds had been erected on BMC-owned plot number 256 in Vile Parle East. The civic body demolished the sheds on March 24, 2025. A subsequent complaint regarding illegal parking on the same plot led to further action, and the encroachments were cleared on June 3, 2025. Several legislators, including Yogesh Sagar, Jitendra Awhad, Dilip Walse Patil, Varun Sardesai, Murji Patel, Ajay Choudhari, and Bala Nandgaonkar, raised supplementary questions over the issue. Minister of State for Urban Development Sandhya Misal informed the House that action against illegal constructions is being taken under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act. She urged MLAs to report instances from their constituencies, assuring that departmental action would follow and concerned officials would be held accountable.
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Main intent behind PSA is to crush dissent: Mihir Desai
Mumbai: At an event to mark the 19th anniversary of a series of bomb blasts on local trains in the city, popularly known as the 7/11 blasts, senior advocate Mihir Desai on Friday questioned the motive of the state government after the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly passed the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill on Thursday, and said the main intent behind it was to crush dissent. Senior advocate Mihir Desai (HT Photo) 'Laws like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) already have provisions to ban an organisation. So what was the need for a new law,' Desai, who practises in the Bombay high court, asked. Organisations like the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) had been banned under the UAPA in the past, he said. 'But under the new law, if the government thinks you are an organisation, it can ban you.' It would not matter in such cases if the organisation was registered or unregistered, he mentioned. Though the Bill was purportedly targeted against 'urban naxals', it did not define who an urban naxal was, leaving scope for anyone to be implicated, Desai said. He said the new legislation was aimed at 'crushing dissent'. It was important to hit the streets and protest against the law, he noted, referring to massive protests in 2020 over the three farm laws which were eventually repealed by the central government. 'Such laws need to be protested against, so that they are taken back or at least, not misused,' the senior advocate said. Desai was speaking at an event organised by the Innocence Network founded by Abdul Wahid Shaikh, the only person acquitted by the special Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) court in the 7/11 bomb blasts trial in 2015. Among twelve other accused convicted in the case, five men were sentenced to death while seven others were sentenced to life imprisonment. All twelve accused subsequently challenged their conviction before the Bombay high court, which reserved its judgment in the case after hearing both the prosecution and the defence at length. Shaikh Sohail, son of Mohamed Ali who was sentenced to life imprisonment, hoped his father would return home soon. 'We have faith in the judiciary. My father has been in jail for 19 years and we have faced great hardship in these years. We are hopeful that he will return home,' he said. Lawyers and relatives of the other accused read statements issued by their families, recounting their fight for justice over the past 19 years.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Fadnavis orders criminal case in Shani Shingnapur scam
A criminal case will be registered against trustees of the Shani Shingnapur temple trust in connection with a massive scam involving fake employees and donation fraud, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Friday, adding that external agencies will be appointed to investigate the matter thoroughly. The revelation follows a report by the Charity Commissioner, highlighting serious financial irregularities at the Ahmednagar-based temple. The trust allegedly listed 2,447 ghost employees, diverting crores through inflated payrolls and fake donation apps. Fadnavis cited examples from the report stating that the trust hospital listed 327 employees, but only 13 were found genuine. As many as 200 staff were shown working at a 109-room Bhakt Niwas, where only a handful were present. Departments such as parking, sanitation, and even non-existent gardens had dozens of fake staff. 'A fake mobile app was used to collect donations fraudulently, with funds siphoned to private accounts,' said Fadnavis. 'This is a clear case of faith being exploited for personal gain. Misuse of public trust in the name of religion will not be tolerated,' said the Chief Minister, adding that trustees considered public servants will face scrutiny of their assets. The issue was raised in the Assembly by MLA Vithhal Langhe, with support from MLA Suresh Dhas. Fadnavis assured the House that strict action will follow and those involved will not be spared.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Maharashtra's ‘urban Maoism' Bill, the concerns it raises
The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed by a voice vote the stringent Special Public Security Bill, 2024 that seeks to tackle 'unlawful activities of left-wing extremist organisations'. The Bill criminalises a wide range of actions – from interference with the maintenance of public order and administration of the law, to generating fear and apprehension in the public, and encouraging or preaching disobedience of the law. It also prescribes penal consequences for alleged offences, including forfeiture of property even before a trial is conducted and the accused is found guilty. Concerns have been raised that the overbroad definitions in the Bill and the wide powers that it confers on the police could possibly be misused. The Bill will now be introduced in the Legislative Council where it is expected to pass. It will then be sent to the Governor for his assent, following which it will become law. Bill and its journey An earlier version of the Bill was introduced in the Assembly in July 2024, on the last day of the monsoon session. The state went to polls in November, and the Bill effectively lapsed. It was introduced again in December last year, after a joint committee cleared the Bill. In its Statement of Objects and Reason, the Bill states that it seeks to tackle 'the menace of naxalism'. 'The spread of active frontal organizations of the Naxal groups gives constant and effective support in terms of logistics and safe refuge to their armed cadres. The seized literature of Naxals shows 'safe houses' and 'urban dens' of the Maoist network in the cities of the State of Maharashtra,' the Bill states. The government can declare an organisation as 'unlawful', and the Bill prescribes penalties for individuals associated with such unlawful organisations. This is similar to how the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967, operates. However, the provisions of the Maharashtra Bill cover a wide range of 'unlawful activities'. What the Bill prescribes The Maharashtra Bill's definition of unlawful activity includes: 1. Interference with the maintenance of public order, or with the administration of law; 2. Overawing a public servant by criminal force; 3. Indulging in or propagating, acts of violence, vandalism, or other acts generating fear and apprehension in the public; 4. Indulging in or encouraging the use of firearms, explosives, or other devices, or disrupting communications by rail, road, air, or water; 5. Encouraging or practising disobedience to established law and its institutions. The Bill prescribes punishment ranging from two years to seven years of jail term, along with fines for (i) for being a member of an unlawful organisation, (ii) when not a member, for raising funds for an unlawful organisation, (iii) for managing or assisting in managing an unlawful organisation and, (iv) for committing an 'unlawful activity'. Offences under the proposed law are cognizable, which means arrests can be made without a warrant, and are non-bailable. The government's declaration of an organisation as unlawful has to be confirmed by the Advisory Board consisting of 'three persons who have been or are qualified to be' a judge of a High Court. The Bill also prescribes some serious pre-trial consequences against the property of the accused. For instance, when an organisation has been declared 'unlawful', the District Magistrate or the Police Commissioner may take possession and evict individuals from 'any place which in his opinion is used for the activities of such unlawful purpose of organization'. This forfeiture is permitted in the Bill with a notice of 15 days to the affected party. The Bill also states that 'where any such place contains any apartment occupied by women or children, reasonable time and facilities shall be provided for their withdrawal with least possible inconvenience'. This means that forfeiture could include residence of an accused. The Bill states that the affected party can move the High Court within 30 days of forfeiture. Concerns about the Bill Stringent legislation such as the UAPA and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) have features similar to the Maharashtra law. In the UAPA, unlawful activity includes 'cession or secession' activities; actions that 'disrupt the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India' and 'cause disaffection against India'. However, this is a higher threshold for terror-like activities. Maharashtra's proposed Bill contains loosely worded definitions for unlawful activity such as 'practising disobedience' or 'disrupting communication by road', which have raised fears that it could criminalise ordinary, valid acts of protest or dissent against the state. In the landmark 1962 Kedar Nath Singh case, the Supreme Court, while upholding the sedition law, drew a line – that speech or criticism of the government cannot be labelled 'sedition' unless it is accompanied by an incitement or call for violence. In the PMLA, there are provisions for attachment of property. However, that is limited only to property that is considered 'proceeds of crime'. A quasi-judicial body, the PMLA Appellate Tribunal, vets the attachment made by the Enforcement Directorate. Significantly, the UAPA and PMLA are extraordinary laws, which are exceptions to ordinary criminal laws. Ordinary criminal laws have constitutional safeguards, such as the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and the burden of proof lying with the state to establish the crime against the accused. In special laws, for high-stakes offences, these principles are diluted, but not for every criminal law.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
‘Curbing urban Naxalism': Maha CM defends Public Security Bill
Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday defended the passage of the Public Security Bill, stating that the legislation has been brought in specifically to curb the spread of urban Naxalism and the activities of banned Maoist-affiliated groups in the state. Addressing the media, Fadnavis said, 'The Public Security Bill has been passed to counter Urban Maoism. A deliberate strategy was being employed to promote Naxal ideology. While such laws already exist in four other states, Maharashtra lacked the legal teeth to act against 64 such organisations operating here. This bill empowers the state to take concrete action.' He explained that while laws like the UAPA apply only when a clear terror element is established and MCOCA targets individuals and not organisations, this new legislation fills a critical gap. "This law will allow us to act against organisations directly. It is aimed purely at dismantling the infrastructure that promotes Naxalism,' CM Fadnavis clarified. The bill, passed in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Thursday, has drawn mixed reactions. While some in the opposition supported its intent, others raised concerns about its potential misuse. NCP (Sharad Pawar group) MLA Rohit Pawar said, 'We are against Maoism and Naxalism. Any bill that helps fight these threats, we support it. However, the definitions of 'group' and 'individual' in the bill are vague. There must be clarity to prevent misuse.' He also urged the government to ensure that no innocent person is targeted. 'We told the Chief Minister that the law should not be misused to harass individuals. Safeguards must be ensured.' On the other hand, NCP (SCP) leader Jitendra Awhad strongly opposed the bill, branding the state government as 'anti-democratic' and 'authoritarian'. 'This is a policing state now. The government is using laws to silence dissent. In states like West Bengal, Kerala, Jharkhand, and Odisha, some Left-linked organisations are banned. But, this law targets those who merely speak against the government,' Awhad said. The Maharashtra Public Security Bill, 2025, provides the state with broad powers to ban organisations and prosecute individuals suspected of aiding or abetting Naxal or Maoist activity. The law will impose punishments ranging from two to seven years in prison for members of unlawful organisations. Offences under the Act will be cognisable and non-bailable in nature, and grant the government the authority to seize and forfeit funds belonging to such groups.
