Bus strike stalls Maharashtra

Mumbai (PTI): Schoolchildren and office-goers in Maharashtra had a harrowing time on Monday as around 40,000 private buses went off the roads for a day to protest the state’s decision to hike passenger tax by 100 per cent.

Traffic on the western express highway that connects Mumbai to Gujarat came to a standstill as hundreds of private bus operators took out a vehicle rally to the transport commissioner’s office.

Further, there was a commotion outside the commissioner’s office as the operators were asked to leave by police as the Election Commission was holding a meeting of police officials for the coming byelections to Mumbai Northwest Lok Sabha constituency, police sources said.

The police resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse the bus operators, who later handed over a memorandum to the transport commissioner.

The president of the Maharashtra Rajya Truck Tempo Bus Vahatuk Mahasangh, Prakash Gavli, said the state government announced the hike in passenger tax on September 19 without giving transport contractors and bus owners a fair chance to discuss the matter.

Hooch kills 6 at party

lucknow (PTI): Six persons have died and 12 were seriously ill after drinking spurious liquor in a Uttar Pradesh village, police said on Monday.

The victims had taken the intoxicant on Sunday night at a party thrown for the residents of Arer Khurd and Karhiya villages by a candidate for the upcoming panchayat elections. While nine of those taken ill were rushed to a Kanpur hospital, three have been undergoing treatment at the Unnao district hospital, police said.

Landlord held

jaipur (PTI): A man allegedly injured a woman and her five-year-old son by splashing acid at them after being refused sexual favours.

The woman and her family had been living in the man’s house in Kotputali town near here as tenants. Her husband, a labourer, was not at home when the incident took place. The landlord has been arrested, police said.

Bachchans

basti (PTI): The names of Amitabh Bachchan and his family have been struck off from the voter list of Basti. A list prepared in 2000 had also carried their names and were stated to be living in the same house mentioned in the present list, which was found to be non-existent. Bachchan’s grandfather was once a resident of Basti and later moved to Allahabad.

Boy flees

sonepat (PTI): A boy, arrested on charges of theft, escaped from police custody by jumping out of a moving bus on Sonepat-Rohtak road near here. Ramesh complained of vomiting and fled through the gate.

A Ganesh idol was immersed in Thames for the first time on Sunday as Indians in London celebrated a belated Ganesh chaturthi. Over 10,000 people witnessed the immersion.