An angel or a molester? Anand Munje, a tutor with the Bhonsala Adventure Foundation, has been called both depending on which side of the political fence does the name-calling. But few things can cause more disillusionment than women's groups allowing political hues to colour their perceptions in a matter as sensitive as this.

When a group of girls studying at the Bhonsala Military College run by the Central Hindu Military Education Society (CHMES) approached the local Mahila Hakk Sanrakshan Samiti with complaints of molestation, the organisation immediately took up cudgels on their behalf. Keeping the heat on Munje, they finally managed to get the CHMES, which also runs the adventure foundation, to institute two inquiries against him. The tutor was finally cleared of all charges but that is a different story.

However, during the samiti's crusade, another women's group - the Bharati Stree Shakti founded by Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Nishigandha Mogal - joined issue, insupport of Munje. Claiming the charges were baseless, they went to great lengths to paint a picture of innocence of a man accused of misbehaving with students on a trekking expedition. The reason: the CHMES has members of the Sangh Parivar at the helm of its affairs. Clearly, when the political stakes are high, the truth ceases to be perceived as a matter of black-and-white.

Seat of Obsession

Politicians, we all know, are obsessed with chairs. But when this simple article of furniture costs the exchequer a colossal Rs 63,000, the obsession, well, turns into an expensive fetish. And, Tanaji Jaibhave, Communist Party of India (Marxist) corporator is the perfect example.

In a House of 87 elected representatives, the CPM has a lone member - Tanaji Jaibhave. Still, the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) recognises him as a separate group. And like all other group leaders in the corporation, Jaibhave has been allotted a separate cabin. But the comforts extended by the NMC do not end there.

Jaibhave,who is known to be close to Independent member, Amol Jadhav, is said to have taken an unusual interest in seeing that his friend was elected as chairperson of the civic Standing Committee. Jadhav, during his first ever meeting of the Standing Committee that he chaired, returned the favour by clearing a proposal to buy a dozen - you guessed it - chairs for Jaibhave's cabin!

His friendly gesture cost the public exchequer Rs 63,000. But then, what are friends for?