KALYAN: Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde has been selected for the prestigious Sansad Ratna Award 2026, marking the second time he will receive the honour for his performance in Parliament and contribution to public issues.Dr Shinde had earlier received the award in 2024. The Sansad Ratna Award is presented to outstanding parliamentarians for their effective participation in legislative proceedings, raising public issues and contribution towards strengthening parliamentary democracy.According to the award committee, Dr Shinde’s selection was based on his active participation in parliamentary debates, consistent follow-up on public issues, quality interventions in discussions and introduction of six private member bills over the past year.The committee stated that MPs are evaluated on several parameters, including attendance in Parliament, participation in debates, questions raised, legislative contribution and overall parliamentary performance. This year, 10 Lok Sabha MPs, two Rajya Sabha MPs and members of four parliamentary committees have been selected for the honour.The award was instituted in 2010 by Prime Point Foundation following the suggestion of former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. The selection process relies on official parliamentary records, PRS Legislative Research data and inputs from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha secretariats.Among the six private member bills introduced by Dr Shinde are proposals related to Deepfake Regulation, National Natural Disaster Control and Welfare Board, Cow Protection and Conservation, Orphan Child Welfare and Development, amendments to the Right to Education Act and the Advocates Act.Sources close to the MP said the bills focused on emerging technological challenges, disaster management, legal reforms, education and social welfare issues.Over the past few years, Dr Shinde has actively raised issues related to the Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency, including railway infrastructure, urban development, healthcare facilities, transport, employment generation and environmental concerns.Apart from his parliamentary role, Dr Shinde recently led an all-party Indian delegation to the UAE, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo after Operation Sindoor. During the visits, he highlighted India’s stand against terrorism and presented the country’s zero-tolerance policy on terror at international forums.

Raj Thackeray at the Thane court on the day of the verdict

THANE: A Thane court on Thursday acquitted Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and five others in a 17-year-old case where candidates from other states who had come for the railways recruitment exam were attacked at Kalyan railway station.The court cited insufficient evidence and the prosecution’s failure to establish the presence or involvement of the accused at the scene of the alleged incident in 2008. Of the eight accused named in the chargesheet, two died during pendency of the trial. The court extended the benefit of the doubt to the remaining six accused.Chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Abhijeet A Kulkarni delivered the verdict in the 2008 Kalyan station violence case on Thursday, clearing Raj Thackeray and five others of charges including rioting, unlawful assembly and assault. The case dates back to Oct 19, 2008, when MNS activists were accused of assaulting candidates who had arrived from other states for the Railway Recruitment Board examination. The incident also led to clashes between police and the agitators.The alleged violence, said to have affected nearly 150 students, became one of the more politically charged criminal cases to emerge from the MNS’s early agitations against north Indian migrants. Police had alleged that MNS workers protested outside several exam centres, blocking roads and shouting slogans.The incident had also sparked a big political controversy, with many politicians from Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar criticising the MNS stance. Police had registered 130 cases, of which 15 are pending.Advocate Sayaji Nangre who, along with Shailesh Sadekar, represented the accused, argued before the court that none of the seven prosecution witnesses nor any digital evidence, including a video CD central to the case could confirm Raj’s presence at the ticket booking office of Kalyan railway station between 8:30pm and 10:15pm on Oct 19, 2008. Since the prosecution could not establish that Raj was physically present, Nangre contended, the charges of rioting and inciting violence against him were inherently unsustainable.The defence further pointed to procedural lapses in the prosecution’s case, including inconsistencies in police witness statements and discrepancies in the timing of panchnamas. Despite the prosecution’s claim that 150 students were affected, no admit cards, identity proofs or official examination records were ever produced to corroborate the allegation, the defence had argued.CJM Kulkarni found the video CD legally insufficient and devoid of evidentiary value. Witnesses had also failed to identify the accused during the trial, further weakening the prosecution’s case, the defence lawyer stated.Thackeray, who had appeared in court on May 13 to deny all charges and say he was in Nashik at the time of the incident, was present in the courtroom when the verdict was delivered on Thursday.

ULHASNAGAR: Panic gripped Ulhasnagar’s Camp No. 5 area on Thursday evening after assailants allegedly opened indiscriminate fire at Kailash Colony Chowk, killing two brothers, including a minor, and critically injuring their uncle in what police suspect was a fallout of an old rivalry and extortion dispute.The deceased were identified as Anil Harkesh Chauhan, 22, and his younger brother Aman Harkesh Chauhan, 17. Their uncle, Arjun Surajbali Chauhan, 26, sustained serious bullet injuries and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital.According to family members, the incident took place around 7.30 pm when around 10 to 12 persons allegedly arrived at the spot in cars and two-wheelers. The family has named Sagar Patil as the prime accused in the firing incident.Eyewitnesses said the attackers opened fire in the middle of the road in full public view, triggering chaos in the busy locality. Residents and shopkeepers ran for safety as multiple rounds were allegedly fired.Police rushed to the spot after receiving information and shifted the victims to Central Hospital. However, Aman Chauhan succumbed to his injuries before he could receive treatment.An eyewitness said Aman, after being shot, managed to approach him and informed him about the firing. “We first rushed him to a private Balaji Hospital, but since there was no surgeon available there, we shifted him in an autorickshaw to Central Hospital. He died on the way,” the eyewitness said.Preliminary investigation suggests the attack stemmed from an old dispute between members of the Chauhan family and a group of criminals, allegedly linked to the Ambernath gaon area.Speaking to TOI, the deceased’s elder brother, Vicky Chauhan, alleged that the accused were demanding money every month from Anil, who worked as a tempo driver. “About a month ago, Sagar Patil, Balvindar Birajdar and Shekhar Birajdar demanded hafta from my brother to allow him to operate his tempo in Ambernath gaon. When he refused, he was threatened,” Vicky claimed.He further alleged that Anil initially lodged a non-cognisable complaint, or NC, at the Hill Line police station, following which the same group allegedly assaulted him. “My brother later registered an FIR against them, but no strict action was taken. The accused got bail and continued threatening him. Had the police acted seriously, my brother would have been alive today,” he alleged.Another relative claimed that several accused involved in the firing were history-sheeters with multiple criminal cases registered against them. They also alleged that the accused enjoyed political backing, which is why no stringent police action was taken against them earlier.Senior police officers, including officials from Hill Line police station, visited the crime scene after the incident. Police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace the absconding accused.A senior police officer said investigators were probing the extortion angle. “During the preliminary inquiry, it has come to light that the accused allegedly demanded hafta from the deceased, and the firing occurred after he refused to pay. Further investigation is underway,” the officer said.The double murder has sparked tension in the area and raised serious concerns over law and order in Ulhasnagar.