-Deccan Herald Mumbai: Palghar that grabbed headlines late last year for all the wrong reasons continues to simmer with news trickling from interiors  that communalist forces have barred Christian adivasi families from drawing water or collecting firewood to cook food. The ostracising of Christian adivasis in the tribal taluk of rural Thane district reached its peak on Sunday when a mob raising slogans disrupted a worship service and assaulted worshippers. Delayed reports...

-The Indian Express Shiv Sena has called for a bandh in Palghar, in the adjoining Thane district, on Wednesday in protest against the suspension of police officers who had arrested two girls over a Facebook post, criticising shutdown during Bal Thackeray's funeral. Shiv Sena MLA from Thane Eknath Shinde said the call for the bandh was given by the party's local unit. Criticising the suspension of the two police officers, he said, "The...

-Outlook Mumbai: The Maharashtra government today suspended two police officers, including a Superintendent of Police, following the row over the arrest of two girls from Palghar in neighbouring Thane district for a Facebook post on the shutdown in Mumbai for Bal Thackeray's funeral. SP (Thane rural) Ravindra Sengaonkar and senior police inspector Shrikant Pingle have been suspended in the case, state's Home Minister R R Patil told reporters. He said action has been...

-The Hindu Mumbai: Two young women were arrested here on Monday on charges of “promoting enmity between classes” and “sending offensive messages through [a] communication service,” after one posted, and the other ‘liked,’ a message on Facebook on Sunday, questioning the Mumbai bandh that followed Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray’s death. Both of them were released on bail by a local court on Monday afternoon. “With all respect, every day, thousands of...

-The Times of India THANE: With 252 infants reported to have died soon after birth in the last four months (April -July 2012) in Thane district, the health department's initiatives to save premature babies or those affected by illness has come under severe scrutiny. The cause of major worry is the high rate of new born mortality here as, out of the 252 infants who died 152 were less than a year...