KALYAN NEWS

The Kalyan GRP has arrested a suspended ticket checker (TC) for allegedly cheating commuters in local trains since the last five years by posing as an on-duty ticket checker (TC). Cops also found Central Railway's original batch and receipt book with the accused which he was allegedly using to cheat commuters.

The accused has been identified as Sudhir Uttekar, 35, who resides in Guru Chhaya Complex in Badlapur (E).

On Tuesday, Chirag Taneja, 40, a resident of Ulhasnagar, was accosted in a local train between Vitthalwadi and Ulhasnagar stations by Uttekar, who-posing as a TC-asked for his ticket. Taneja, who noticed that Uttekar was trying to take bribe from all commuters, asked the ticket collector to show his identity card, but the latter then started making excuses. When the train reached Ulhasnagar station, Taneja called a constable, Anil Jagdale. When Jagdale made enquiries with Uttekar, he showed him a batch number and receipt book. 


Jagdale observed that the receipt book Uttekar was carrying was very old. When he asked Uttekar about his senior officer's name, the latter was started fumbling. Jagdale then took him to the Kalyan GRP police station. "When I told Uttekar to come with me to the police station, Uttekar started pleading that he be let off. He claimed that he had taken to cheating people for the sake of his wife and children. "But I took him to the police station, where a complaint was lodged against him," said Jagdale.

The police have booked Uttekar under Section 170 (impersonating a public servant) and 420 (cheating) of the IPC. "We found that Uttekar was working as a junior TC at Chinchpokli station, but in 2006, he was caught by vigilance officers while accepting money from commuters and suspended.," said Arun Jagtap, senior inspector, Kalyan GRP. Uttekar has been remanded in police custody.

BUKAD NEWS

Candidates may no longer have to spend sleepless nights agonizing over election results as the State Election Commission (SEC) wants to declare civic poll results on the same day as the polls. The SEC has written a letter to municipal commissioners asking them for feedback by December 15. The civic polls in Mumbai, Thane, Ulhasnagar, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad , Nagpur and Nashik are scheduled in early 2012.

"At present immediately after the election process, the electronic voting machines (EVM) used for the polls are taken to a secured place. The process requires lot of manpower and security personnel to guard the ballot box. Since the voting is done through EVM, the SEC is of the opinion that counting should be done on the same day," Neela Satyanarayan, State Election Commissioner, said.

"The SEC will decide on the issue after receiving the feeback from the authorities ," Chand Goel, additional chief secretary, State Election Commission told BUKAD.


Meanwhile to encourage more voters to participate in the exercise, the SEC has decided to allow setting up of polling stations at housing societies where voters' population is more than 1000. "The idea is to increase voter turnout . We have asked municipal corporations to give publicity to the plans by giving advertisements in newspapers, television channels and cable networks ," Neela Satyanarayan said. "Those housing societies meeting the eligibility criteria can send their request to the concern municipal commissioners and accordingly the arrangements would be made," she added.