UP minister, 3 BJP MLAs quit, it's Akhilesh Yadav’s gain

On April 27, 2025, the Consulate General of India in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, in partnership with Ekata (Unity) and Aim India Forum, organized a vital health and financial awareness session at the PAN Gulf Labour Camp in Sharjah, UAE.

This event aimed to educate blue-collar workers on important health and financial matters, providing them with practical information to better manage their well-being and finances. Shaikh Muzaffer, the Founder President of Aim India Forum, expressed his gratitude to Mr. Anshul Gupta, CEO of Pan Gulf International Metals Industries UAE, for facilitating the platform, and to Dr. Satish Krishnan, Neurosurgeon at Al Qasimia Hospital Sharjah and President of the EKATA group, for his excellent coordination of the event.

The Consulate General of India invited the Aim India Forum to conduct informative lectures on various crucial topics, including financial scams, economic crimes, cyber fraud, SIM card fraud, and the dangers posed by fake recruitment agencies. Shaikh Muzaffer from Aim India Forum, alongside BCCI President Mr. Hidayath Addoor, also participated in a focused discussion on SIM card fraud and its risks.

The session concluded with important remarks from Shri Yatin Patel, the Deputy Consul General of India to Dubai. Shri Patel highlighted the significance of timely passport renewals and the need to protect passports as a form of identity. He also cautioned against scammers who target blue-collar workers, exploiting their identities to obtain illegal loans from banks. He urged all workers to remain vigilant and avoid falling prey to such fraudulent activities.

Mr. Deepak Dagar, Vice Consul for Labour and ICWF at the Indian Consulate, was also in attendance, adding valuable insights and contributing to the event’s success. This informative session provided blue-collar workers with essential knowledge to safeguard both their health and financial security in their daily lives.

The Supreme Court Tuesday dismissed a plea by former IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, undergoing life imprisonment in connection with a 1990 custodial death case, for bail and the suspension of his sentence. While denying him the relief, a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta also directed that the hearing of his appeal be expedited.

“We are not inclined to enlarge the appellant Sanjiv Kumar Bhatt on bail. However, we make it clear that the observations made herein above are restricted to the prayer for bail only and will have no bearing on the appeals of the appellant and the co-accused. The prayers sought by the appellant, Sanjiv Kumar Bhatt, for the grant of bail are dismissed. Hearing of the appeal is directed to be expedited,” Justice Mehta said while reading out the order.

The case dates back to 1990 when Bhatt was posted as the additional superintendent of police in Gujarat’s Jamnagar. He had detained around 133 people under the stringent Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) (TADA) Act during a communal riot in Jamjodhpur town.

On November 18, 1990, one of those detained, Prabhudas Vaishnani, died in a hospital after he was released, allegedly due to torture while he was in custody. A complaint of custodial death was registered against seven policemen, including Bhatt, by Amrutlal Vaishnani, the brother of the deceased, following which the investigation was transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) branch in Gandhinagar.

In 1995, the CID investigating officer requested sanction from the government to prosecute Bhatt as is required for the prosecution of a government officer when on duty. However, the government did not grant the sanction. After that, CID filed a summary report, which is a closure report, in the court. However, the court rejected this report in December 1995 and instead took cognisance of offences alleged against Bhatt and six others.

An A-summary report was filed in this case in 1995 after the Gujarat Government refused to grant sanction for prosecuting Bhatt. However, after Bhatt’s deposition in relation to the 2002 communal riots before the Nanavati and the Mehta commissions between May and July 2011, the state government withdrew protection granted to him, and the Jamnagar court began framing charges soon after.

A Jamnagar sessions court sentenced Bhatt to life imprisonment in June 2019. This was subsequently upheld by a Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court.

A new chapter is unfolding for football in Mangaluru as the football ground adjacent to Nehru Maidan receives a modern artificial turf, with completion expected by the end of May. This long-awaited upgrade promises to significantly enhance the playing experience for both budding and seasoned footballers in the region.

The project, spearheaded by Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL), involves laying synthetic turf across the 90,000 sq ft ground at a cost of ₹2.5 crore. Equipped with efficient drainage systems, the revamped ground will support uninterrupted play throughout the year, regardless of weather conditions.

“This is a long-pending demand of the football community here,” said D.M. Aslam of the Dakshina Kannada District Football Association. “We expect the turf work to be completed in the next two weeks. Currently, around 150 children practice regularly at the ground, and we anticipate that number to rise once the new surface is open.”

MSCL General Manager (Technical), Arun Prabha K.S., noted that while the project had been planned for some time, groundwork officially began after last year’s monsoon league concluded in August. “Once completed, this facility will be a full-fledged synthetic turf suitable for training, local tournaments, and league matches,” he said.

With the inauguration expected soon after the final touches are completed, the new astro turf is set to elevate the city’s football infrastructure and serve as a springboard for talent development across the district.