Kalyan Police launches drive against drug addicts, unauthorised establishments

The Kalyan Police have launched a crackdown against drug addicts unauthorised establishments and people violating traffic norms in Kalyan town of Maharashtras Thane district an official said on Friday reported the PTIAt least 222 cases have been registered during the drive that began on Thursday the official saidDeputy Commissioner of Police Atul Zende said 40 cases were registered against establishments found operating beyond prescribed time limits while 81 drug addicts were rounded up from different areasHe said 101 cases of road traffic violations including speeding were registeredThe operation will intensify in the coming days in the Kalyan zone police said as per the PTIThane court acquits 6 men booked under MCOCA for extortion assault cites lack of evidence lapsesMeanwhile in an another incident the Thane court acquitted six persons including a former corporator booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act MCOCA for allegedly extorting and assaulting a mobile shop owner citing lack of evidence and procedural lapses by the prosecution reported news agency PTIThe special court hearing MCOCA cases in Thane district delivered the judgement on Wednesday giving the accused a benefit of doubt for the above reasons as well as for unreliable testimonies of witnesses reported PTIIn 2022 an FIR was registered at the Mahatma Phule Chowk police station in Kalyan The accused were booked for extortion attempted murder and involvement in an organised crime syndicateThe accused who have been acquitted are identified as Satej alias Bala Suresh Pokal 30 Sachin Samsan Khema 44 a former corporator of the Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation and a construction contractor Nitin Samsan Khema 41 Prem Haribhau Chaudhari 33 an agriculturist Tohit alias Bablu Majid Shaikh 24 and Ganesh Vilas Rokade 29 a construction supervisor reported PTIAdvocates Poonit Mahimkar and Saghar Kolhe representing the accused vehemently contested the prosecutions charges and raised questions over the investigationIn January 2022 the accused had allegedly demanded Rs 5 lakh from the complainant to allow him to operate his business and threatened him with dire consequences if he failed to do soThe prosecution claimed that the accused assaulted the complainant and his friends with weapons leading to serious injuries stated PTIThere were several significant shortcomings in the prosecutions case said Special MCOCA court judge Amit M SheteAccording to PTI the judge highlighted the substantial delay in sending crucial seized articles to the Forensic Science Laboratory FSLwith PTI inputs