2 in police net for forging solvency certificates

NAGPUR: Police have arrested two persons, including a ``kotwal'' of Igatpuri tehsil in the district for forging solvency certificates to secure bails for notorious criminals in Mumbai, Thane and Ulhasnagar. Police said around 150 criminals had been given these bogus certificates to secure bail.Police said the ``kotwal'', Raju Baburao Gosawi, had stolen the rubber stamp of Igatpuri tehsildar from his office and forged the certificates to secure bail for criminals belonging to the notorious Gopal Rajwani gang from Ulhasnagar. Gosawi used to get the documents signed from a Thane resident Kanti Shah, an ``expert'' in forging the signature of the tehsildar, P R Gadhe.

Local body tax mandatory in MP

BHOPAL: Local body tax (``sthaniya nikay kar'') would be levied in all local bodies of Madhya Pradesh from today. A notification to this effect had been issued by the government, according to an official release. Local self-government minister Tanwant Singh Keer has said it would be compulsory for every local body to levy the tax and action would be taken against the erring local bodies. The objective of the new system was to strengthen the local bodies financially so that various development works could be executed expeditiously, he said. The rate of tax on food items and other essential commodities would be one per cent, the release added.

Farm books released to Gujarat ryots

AHMEDABAD: ``Khedutpothi'', a legal document for farmers, was released by Chief Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela, on the occasion of the Gujarat day today. Distributing ``khedutpothi'' (farm book) to farmers at a function at Hansol village near here, Vaghela said it would work as a credit card for farmers if they want to avail of a bank loan and help them maintain records of land, loan, land record for 7/12 documents, annual crops and bank and cooperative societies loan record. The ``khedutpothi'' would be distributed free of charge to 48 lakh farmers in the state, he added.

4 killed in truck-tanker collision

JALGAON: FOUR persons were killed and eight others injured when a tanker and a truck collided with each other on the national highway, 15 kms from Parola in Jalgaon district yesterday. According to reports recieved here today, the tanker was coming from Mumbai and was on its way to Nagpur. The Ahmedabad-bound truck was coming from Vijaywada. The truck dashed against the tanker killing both the drivers and two other people travelling in the tanker on the spot. The injured have been admitted to the Parola cottage hospital, the reports added.

Brooms await drunken husbands

JHABUA: IN a novel way to enforce prohibition, tribal women of Doomarpada village in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh have decided to resort to mass beating of drunk men with brooms. Liquor has for long been a big stumbling block in the development of tribals and therefore these women have decided to deal with the menace in their own way. At a meeting held here recently, the women decided to take action against men who beat up their wives after getting drunk. Sensing the militant mood of the enraged women, the local gram panchayat had passed a resolution stating that those who drink would be punished with a fine.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.