Public transport buses in Maharashtra, including BEST buses, will soon sport saffron colour, replacing the current postal red, Thane District Guardian Minister Diwakar Raote has said. While inaugurating the Rs 2-crore Thane civic transport services administrative building here on Wednesday, Raote said the Shiv Sena would not allow the civic transport in Thane to be paralysed, but make it grow manifold. Transport Minister Gajanan Kirtikar was chief guest.

Agarwal to be charged for murder

Tony Agarwal, the Congress leader and main accused in the death of five Dalit youths by drowning in Mulund last week, will be charged under section 302 of the IPC, minister of state for Home, Ramdas Kadam, informed the state legislature today. Kadam was replying during a heated debate following an adjournment motion in Legislative Council on the incident in which the youths fell into a well while trying to escape police.

ACB nabs MPT employee

An employee of theMumbai Port Trust was arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch of CBI for allegedly possessing unaccounted cash and property worth over Rs 90 lakh on Wednesday. ACB sleuths raided the residences of the class IV employee of the MbPT at Kalina and Sion. Simultaneous raids were also carried out at three places in Mumbai and Solapur in this connection and unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs 19.05 lakh was recovered in addition to gold ornaments and share certificates. The accused was also in possession of agricultural land at Solapur.

Gangster killed at Worli

A special squad under Asst Commissioner of Police (south) Pradeep Sawant shot dead a gangster at Worli this evening. Ssources said the gangster was killed near Sir Pochkanwalla Lane at Worli at around 8.30 pm. He was rushed to Podar Hospital where he was declared dead before admission. With police conducting a panchnama late into the night, they could not give the identity of the gangster or details of his activities.