Kolhapur administration removes 11 illegal structures from Vishalgad under heavy police security
Kolhapur: The forest department and revenue department of Kolhapur removed 11 structures — seven houses and four shops — from the historic Vishalgad under heavy police security on Saturday.
In July last year, the fort witnessed violence between two groups over the issue of encroachment. There were restrictions for visitors to the fort located in Panhal tehsil of Kolhapur district. The restrictions were relaxed in the last two months.
The administration designated 158 structures on the fort as illegal. Last year, 94 encroachments were removed. Recently, residents removed five encroachments, and 59 encroachments are still there.
The occupants of the structures had moved a petition in the Bombay High Court.
"As per the state govt order, the encroachments were to be removed before May 31. There was heavy rain in the last couple of weeks, and as soon as the weather cleared, we initiated the drive to adhere to the deadline. The forest department removed 11 structures which had no legal stay of any sort from court. The residents cooperated with the teams involved in the drive," Sameer Shingate, sub-divisional officer Panhala told TOI.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Experience three trade fairs with just one ticket
Explore
Undo
automatica 2025
Explore
Undo
Laser World of Photonics
Explore
Undo
World of Quantum
Explore
Undo
Visit automatica: June 24-27, Munich
Explore
Undo
The state govt has ordered removal of encroachments from forts before May 31 to ensure that their sanctity is maintained, and the followers of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj can visit the forts without inconvenience.
The forest department deployed a staff of 40, the revenue department deployed a similar number of staff, and there were 100 police officials on the ground. In total, around 250 people were involved in the drive.
"We had informed the occupants of the structures in advance, on Friday, that we were going to carry out the drive. For two days, we imposed restrictions. Now, a religious event is approaching in June, for which, after consultations with the police and other departments, we will impose the required restrictions," said Shingate.
The administration allowed visits to the fort between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm, beyond which no one was allowed to stay on the fort after the violence in June last year. A police chowki has been installed at the base to check the details of the visitors.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Not even worth a watchman': IndiGo trainee pilot alleges casteist abuse by seniors, says subjected to ‘unjustified' pay cuts, more
An FIR was registered against three officials of IndiGo Airlines under the the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and BNS, after a trainee pilot accused them of subjecting him to caste-based harassment and humiliation at the company's corporate office in the city, according to a TOI report. The case — under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and BNS — was initially filed as a zero FIR in Bengaluru, but was transferred to DLF-1 police station in Gurgaon. IndiGo Airlines did not respond to requests for comment on the FIR. What are the complaints? A 35-year-old trainee pilot from Bengaluru has accused his seniors, Tapas Dey, Manish Sahani, and Captain Rahul Patil, of verbal abuse and caste-based discrimination during a meeting on April 28 at Emaar Capital Tower 2, the airline's headquarters. According to the complainant, the harassment began as soon as he arrived at the office, with Dey allegedly ordering him to leave his phone and bag outside in a "demeaning manner," according to the TOI report. "His instruction set the tone for the abuse that followed," the trainee pilot said in his complaint. The trainee pilot claimed that the three officials made casteist remarks during the 30-minute meeting from 3.30pm, which included statements like "you are not fit to fly an aircraft, go back and stitch slippers" and "you don't even have the worth to be a watchman here". He alleged that the harassment continued for days and was designed to pressure him into resigning. "The statements they made were not only humiliating but clearly aimed at degrading my identity and status as a Scheduled Caste person," reported TOI citing the official complaint. Live Events The harassment included "professional victimisation" through unjustified salary deductions, forced retraining sessions, revocation of travel privileges, and unwarranted warning letters. Despite escalating the matter to higher officials and the company's ethics committee, the complainant claimed no action was taken, compelling him to approach the SC/ST cell for legal intervention. (with TOI inputs)
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Police say a man opened fire outside a church before staff fatally shot him, averting mass shooting
WAYNE: A man who opened fire outside a Michigan church filled with worshippers on Sunday was struck by a vehicle and then fatally shot by security staff who averted a potential mass shooting, police said. Churchgoers attending a morning service at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne spotted the gunman driving recklessly and then saw him exit his car wearing a tactical vest and carrying a rifle and a handgun, police Chief Ryan Strong said at an evening news conference. The man began firing as he approached the church, striking one person in the leg. "A parishioner struck the gunman with his vehicle as the gunman shot the vehicle repeatedly," Strong told reporters. "At least two staff members shot the gunman, causing the fatal wounds." Police described the suspect as a 31-year-old white male with no known connection to the church. His motive remains unclear, but it appears he was suffering from a mental health crisis, Strong said. The shooting occurred around 11 a.m. in Wayne, a city of about 17,000 people located about 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Detroit. The person who was shot in the leg was treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the chief said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 유일한 공식 무료 SOC 게임! 설치도 없습니다! 경복의 바다 게임 플레이 Undo Nobody else was hurt. Strong said a church member ran the suspect over with his pickup truck, giving security staff time to shoot him. "We are grateful for the heroic actions of the church's staff members, who undoubtedly saved many lives and prevented a large-scale mass shooting," the chief said. About 150 people were inside the church at the time. The church's website says it hosts a worship service on Sundays at 10:45 a.m. Worshipper Wendy Bodin said she heard a loud "boom" and when she looked outside, she saw a man sprawled out on the grass in front of the church. "I thought he got hit or crashed his car or was hurt," Bodin told WXYZ-TV. "And another lady saw and pointed to me and said, 'Oh my, call 911!'" Wayne Police Deputy Chief Finley Carter III said hours later that it was too early to know a motive. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino tweeted that bureau "leadership and support teams" were at the scene and helping with the investigation. Messages left by The Associated Press on Sunday on voicemail and a Facebook page for the church were not immediately returned.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Tied, gagged, and slit throat: Bihar man, 2 teens held for 'ritual killing' of woman in Thane; woman was murdered on tantrik's instructions
THANE: Two men were arrested, and a 17-year-old boy was detained by the Thane police in a spine-chilling murder case of a woman—all at the behest of a mysterious godman's ritualistic command for 'burkat' (prosperity). A police officer informed that last week, the lifeless body of Shanti Suresh Chavan (37), a daily wage labourer, was discovered in a pool of blood on the first floor of an under-construction building in Samrat Ashok Nagar, Kalwa East. Initial probe suggests that they tied her up and gagged and her throat was mercilessly slit, and a dupatta was found stuffed in her mouth with no signs of sexual assault. The police said three accused—Vishwajit Rajendra Singh (30), Devraj Madan Kumar (19), and a 17-year-old minor—travelled by train over 1,000 kilometres from a remote village near Patna, Bihar, with murder on their minds. It was the teenage boy who actually delivered the fatal blow, slicing through the victim's throat with chilling precision, the initial probe revealed. The police said that the initial probe revealed that the trio was under the spell of a shadowy godman who allegedly instructed them to procure gold ornaments through any means necessary for gaining prosperity and also to kill a woman. 'This dark spiritual command may have driven them to commit the heinous act. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The ritualistic angle makes this case particularly disturbing and is under probe to corroborate with evidence,' said a police officer. Commissioner of Police Ashutosh Dumbre personally supervised the massive manhunt that followed. Multiple specialised teams were deployed, and advanced CCTV analysis traced the killers' escape route from the crime scene to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and eventually to their Bihar hideout, said a police officer. The police also said that they sold four stolen gold beads from the deceased. Further probe is underway as the court remanded them to police custody for 11 days.
