Mumbai Weekly BY THE PHOTOJOURNALISM STUDENTS OF UDAAN SCHOOL OF PHOTOGRAPHY
VOL 3. ISSUE 1 | WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL, 2014
Economy
Metro
Sports
Culture
Death penalty for three repeat offenders
News in brief
On April 1, 2014, 26,000 bus drivers and conductors of BEST went on a flash strike that left commuters stranded. Despite the Bombay High Court’s order that they resume work, the workers continued the strike on 2 April, 2014. The strike was on account of a new scheduling system, which requires 20% of the BEST workers to work for 12-13 hours a day.
According to media reports an MMRDA official confirmed that the Wadala-Chembur Monorail line has been operating at a loss of Rs 1.5 crores a month, out of which 1 crore is spent on security.
On 20 March, 2014, a south-bound train from Kasara derailed near Titwala killing one passenger, Dhaval Lodaya (19), and injuring twentythree. The exact cause of the derailment is yet to be ascertained, it is believed the cause was either by the parting of trains or a track-related failure.
One of the accused in Shakti Mills gang rape stares out of the police vehicle at the Arthur Road jail, Mumbai on 21 March, 2014. In the two rape cases at the Shakti Mills compound, the Sessions Court sentenced 3 repeat offenders to the death penalty and two perpetrators were given life imprisonment. Rajesh Satpute/ Mumbai Weekly
In a strong and unambiguous decision coming out of the Sessions Court, Mumbai, on 4 April, 2014, 3 rapists involved in the brutal gang rapes of a telephone operator and subsequently, a photojournalist, at the Shakti Mills compound, (Vijay Jadhav, Kasim Shaikh alias Kasim Bangali, Salim Ansari), were found
guilty and sentenced to the death penalty as repeat offenders. In both the cases totally 5 adults and 2 juveniles were found guilty. The 2 adults aside from the 3 sentenced to death were given life imprisonment. The trials in the 2 juvenile cases will follow through the Juvenile Justice System. Principal judge Shalini Phansalkar-
Joshi was unwavering in her assertion that the p e r p e t ra t o r s should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, which would send ‘like minded persons’ a strong message that rape is simply unacceptable. The death penalty became an option in the second rape case of the photojournalist,
Building collapses, six dead March 14th Sankar Lok apartments collapsed to the ground partly destroying the nearby Catherine Chawl, which was home to 25 families.
An Indian rescue worker walks on debris at the site of a building collapse, Mumbai on 14 March, 2014. Six people were confirmed dead and scores were rescued from the debris of the disused building, according to rescue officials at the site of the collapse. Abhishek Chinnappa/ Mumbai Weekly
In yet another woeful tale of a Mumbai building collapse, a seven-storey struc-
ture crumbled unexpectedly in Santa Cruz on 14 March, 2014 taking with it
six lives including two children and injuring several. At 11.45 a.m. on
The BMC had issued three eviction notices to residents at Sankar Lok apartments since 2007, saying the structure was dangerous. One family’s refusal to move out of the building resulted in this fatal tragedy that could have been averted easily.
because of a recent amendment to the Indian Penal Code, Section 376 (E), which allows for the application of a maximum punishment of the death penalty in the case of repeat offenders in sexual crimes. Section 376 (E) was passed following the Nirbhaya case of a young woman who was gang-raped in a bus in the national
capital in December 2012 and died soon after. This is the first case in which Section 376 (E) was applied and the perpetrators were found to be guilty. The three committed to the death penalty will not face their sentences yet. The Bombay High Court will firstly have to confirm the Sessions
Court decision, after which it is expected that the guilty will challenge the decision in the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court decides to impose the death penalty on the three rapists, the President has to approve the decision. It is only after this that the death sentence will be carried out.
An hour for the Earth Earth Hour is a global grassroots movement initiated by the WWF. The movement raises awareness about environmental issues like energy conservation, forestation, biodiversity preservation, and sustain-
able natural resource management. It was started off as a ‘lights off’ event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. The initiative has grown exponentially since and several countries now participate. Every year on
29th March people are asked to switch off their lights from 8:30 to 9:30 P.M local time. Earth Hour tries to increase people’s consciousness about environmental damage and the impact our lifestyles have
on the resources of the earth. By taking the small step to switch off the lights for an hour, people acknowledge the value of our fast depleting natural resources and the urgent need to protect them.
The Gateway of India before & after it’s lights are turned off to observe Earth Hour 2014, Mumbai on 29 March, 2014. Abhiskhek Chinnappa/ Mumbai Weekly