The Maharashtra Congress on Thursday took out a protest march in Mumbai over the rising fuel rates and inflation, and warned it will make the BJP-led government at the Centre “run helter-skelter” if soaring prices of essential commodities are not brought under control to provide relief to common citizens.
State Congress president Nana Patole led the march — taken out from Bhavans College (in Girgaum) to August Kranti Maidan here, a party statement said.
The march and subsequent rally at the Maidan were the culmination of the Congress’s week-long protest over the price rise issue. Maharashtra Ministers Balasaheb Thorat, Nitin Raut and party leaders Naseem Khan, Chandrakant Handore and others took part in the rally. (PTI)
The Bombay High Court Thursday was informed that alleged Naxal operative Nirmala Uppuganti’s health is deteriorating. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2018. Uppuganti, booked in the Gadchiroli security personnel attack case, was admitted in a hospice care centre on the orders of the High Court in September for palliative care after her cancer began spreading to multiple organs. A division bench of the High Court allowed her husband and co-accused Satyanarayana Rani to meet her.
Eknath Khadse being a witness in phone tapping case reached Colaba police station to record his statement. IPS officer Rashmi Shukla, who formerly headed the State Intelligence Department of Maharashtra Police, is accused of recording NCP leader Khadse and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut’s conversations over phone.
After finding several illegalities and unauthorised construction in BJP leader Mohit Kamboj’s flats, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Wednesday issued a notice to him and other flat owners and the developer of the building for unauthorised construction in designated parking areas, basement and flats in the suburb of Santacruz.
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The illegalities mentioned were merging of two flats into one on each floor, covering of open spaces, merging of flour beds in the living room, converting the kitchen into a theatre, vertical amalgamation from 9th to 12th floor into one flat, construction of internal staircases, construction of walls to create habitable areas, sheds and gazebo on the terrace, among others.
Mumbai recorded 41 new coronavirus infections on Thursday after reporting more than 50 cases for two days in a row, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said. The city also recorded one pandemic-related death, its first this month. The financial capital of the country had recorded a Covid death last on March 28.
The tally of Covid cases in the city rose to 10,58,277, while the death toll reached 19,560. On Wednesday and Tuesday, Mumbai had reported 51 and 56 new cases. (PTI)
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Maha BJP MLA Nitesh Rane seeks exemption from appearing before police over show-cause notice
BJP MLA Nitesh Rane on Thursday sought exemption from appearing before the assistant commissioner of police (Malvani division) to file his reply to a show-cause notice issued to him and requested for two weeks’ time for the same, an official said.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Malvani) Shailendra Dhiwar, who also has powers of a special executive magistrate, had issued a show-cause notice to Rane on April 1 under section 107 of CrPC, which empowers the police to take action against a person to maintain law and order in an area, he said.
The BJP leader was asked to appear before the ACP on Thursday to file his reply to the notice, which was based on the report of a senior inspector of Malvani police station in which cases against Rane were examined, he said. (PTI)
Mumbai court grants CBI transit remand of four persons arrested for Birbhum killings
A sessions court here on Thursday granted the CBI transit remand till April 10 of four persons arrested for alleged involvement in the Birbhum killings in West Bengal.
The Central Bureau of Investigation earlier in the day arrested West Bengal residents Bappa S K alias Sal Mohamad, Sabu S K alias Sadril S K, Taj Mohammad alias Chand and Serajul S K alias Poltu from Mumbai.
“The arrested accused were produced today before the jurisdictional court and were granted transit remand till April 10,” the central agency said in a release. A transit remand enables an investigation agency to take arrested persons to a different city or state. (PTI)
It’s no secret that I am Sharad Pawar’s man: Sena MP Raut
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday said it is a well-known fact that he is NCP president Sharad Pawar’s man and the two share a good bond which helped form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra in 2019.
His remarks come a day after Pawar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and raised the issue of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attaching the assets of Raut.
The BJP immediately took a jibe at Raut, saying the Rajya Sabha MP’s comments show he is closer to Pawar than his own party president and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. (PTI)
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut (File)
Mumbai man held for circulating, stocking child pornography on social media
A 23-year-old student has been arrested here for allegedly circulating, stocking and distributing child pornography through messaging application on Instagram, police said on Thursday.
Piyush Satish More, a resident of Panvel in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, was apprehended on Tuesday by a team from Nodal Cyber police station of Maharashtra Cyber, an official said.
More had created an account on Instagram under fake identity to circulate, stock and distribute pornographic content for money, he said. (PTI)
Dombivli residents face day-long power cut amid sweltering heat
Power supply to over 9,000 homes in Dombivli, a satellite town near Mumbai, has been disrupted due to a faulty cable since early Thursday morning, an official said.
The supply was likely to be restored by 9 at night, he said, even as the area, 41 km from Mumbai, saw the mercury rising to 40 degrees Celsius during the day.
Residents complained that power went out in areas like Ayare village and Mhatre Nagar at 6.30 am without any warning, and there had been no updates about restoration or the reasons for the problem. (PTI)
WR to get Vistadome coach for Mumbai-Gandhinagar Shatabdi Express from Apr 11
The Western Railway has decided to attach a Vistadome coach, which provides panoramic view, to the Mumbai Central-Gandhinagar Shatabdi Express on a temporary basis from April 11, an official said on Thursday.
The Shatabdi Express is the second train on the Western Railway to be attached with a Vistadome coach, and its first train from Mumbai to have the coach with a panoramic view.
On the Central Railway, the Deccan Express on the Mumbai-Pune route and some other trains departing from Mumbai are being run with Vistadome coaches. (PTI)
Online free study module for Ukraine-returned medical students launched in Maha
The Maharashtra government on Thursday launched a three-month-long online course, designed by the state’s health sciences university, for medical students who have returned home from war-torn Ukraine after stopping their studies midway.
The Nashik-headquartered Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), in association with a private entity, Elsevier, has prepared the digital content.
State Medical Education Minister Amit Deshmukh and MUHS vice-chancellor Lt Gen Madhuri Kanitkar (retd) launched the study module, which is free of cost. (PTI)
HC orders costs recovered in two cases be spent on Taloja prison library, which does not stock Wodehouse
The Bombay High Court on Thursday said that following the hullabaloo over an Elgar Parishad case accused being denied a P G Wodehouse book, it has ordered that costs recovered in two civil matters be spent for improving the library at the Taloja prison.
A bench of Justices S B Shukre and G A Sanap told government lawyer Sangeeta Shinde, who was present in the court for an unrelated case, that it imposed costs of Rs 5,000 and 10,000 in two civil matters earlier in the day, and this money will be spent on buying books for the Taloja prison library.
“We have said in our orders in these two matters that the cost paid by the parties will go to Taloja jail,” the bench said. (PTI)
Bombay High Court (File)
Maha PSU, NTPC to set up 2,500 MW solar park
The Maharashtra cabinet on Thursday gave the approval to build a 2,500 MW solar park in a joint venture with the state-run Mahanirmiti company and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
As per a statement issued by the chief minister’s secretariat, both the companies will infuse 50 per cent funds each. Mahanirmiti, a public sector undertaking of the state government, will build 21 projects with a capacity of 17,360 MW by March 2025, of which 12,930 MW power will be generated in solar projects.
The state has 9,305 MW energy projects, of which 2,123 MW power is generated in solar plants, the statement read. (PTI)
Centre should also reduce tax on fuel to provide relief to people: Ajit Pawar
Amid a demand that states need to reduce tax considering the rise in petrol, diesel prices, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said the Centre, too, should bring down tax to provide a relief to people.
Speaking to media persons in Mumbai, Pawar noted that the Centre’s tax is higher than the states.
Pawar, who is state Finance Minister, made the comment while replying to a question whether the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was thinking about reducing tax on fuel in line with some other states which have done so. (PTI)
Ajit Pawar (File)
Deshmukh mastermind, brain behind money laundering conspiracy; misused official position: ED to HC
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday told the Bombay High Court that Maharashtra’s former home minister Anil Deshmukh was the “mastermind and brain” behind the money laundering conspiracy and that he had misused his official position to amass wealth.
The agency also alleged that Deshmukh exercised undue influence to pass favourable transfers and postings of police officials.
The ED filed its affidavit in the high court in response to the bail plea of Deshmukh.
The affidavit filed by Tassine Sultan, assistant director of ED, sought for Deshmukh’s plea to be rejected as it was “devoid of merits” and said that Deshmukh may influence the probe as he was an influential person. (PTI)
Striking MSRTC employees can resume duty by April 22 without fear of administrative action: HC
Observing that “in a fight between lamb and lion, the lamb has to be protected”, the Bombay High Court on Thursday said it would extend time for striking employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to resume their duties by April 22 without any fear of administrative action.
The MSRTC said it would review its decision on disciplinary or suspension action taken against those who resume by the stipulated date.
The MSRTC also added it would take back those employees against whom FIRs have been lodged for criminal offences, including violence, injuring people or damaging property, but proceedings against them in the FIR would continue as per law.
No action against those MSRTC employees who resume work by Apr 22: Anil Parab
Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab on Thursday assured that no action will be taken against the employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) if they rejoin duty by April 22, the deadline set by the Bombay High Court.
Earlier in the day, the high court extended till April 22 the deadline it had given to the MSRTC workers who have been on strike since November 2021, demanding that they be treated on par with the state government employees and the corporation be merged with the state government.
Parab, who is also the chairman of the cash-strapped corporation, warned of action against employees who fail to resume duty within the deadline set by the court. (PTI)
Veteran lyricist Maya Govind dies after heart attack
Legendary Hindi film lyricist Maya Govind passed away on Thursday at the age of 82. She lived in Juhu, Mumbai. Her funeral will take place in Mumbai this afternoon. Her son Ajay told Indianexpress.com, “She died in her sleep at home this morning, around 9.30 am. She had blood clots in her brain and had other health issues like urine infection.”
Ajay further shared that his mother was not keeping well for a few months. He said, “She was hospitalised twice, once in December last year, and then in January this year.”
Maya Govind was 82 (Photo: Ajay Govind/Facebook)
HC seeks state’s stand on Centre’s letter to reconsider shifting of metro car shed to Kanjurmarg, appeals to resolve conflict
The Bombay High Court Thursday said that the conflict between the Centre and Maharashtra government over the 102-acre plot in Kanjurmarg to build a metro car shed and an interchange station for proposed corridors can be resolved by forgetting the past differences considering “escalating costs” putting a burden on “public money.”
“Please forget past conflicts of opinion and try to make a new beginning. Everyday costs of the project are escalating. After all, it is people’s money,” said the division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish S Kulkarni orally.
Mumbai: Eknath Khadse called for questioning in phone tapping case
NCP LEADER Eknath Khadse has been called for questioning at the Colaba police station on Thursday in connection with the phone tapping case.
Senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla, who formerly headed the State Intelligence Department of Maharashtra Police, is accused of tapping the phone calls of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and NCP leader Khadse.
“His statement is important for the investigation and that’s why he has been called,” said an investigator.
Teen dies, two labourers injured as part of building roof collapses during construction
A 15-year-old boy was killed and two labourers injured after a portion of the roof of a building collapsed during its construction in the premises of the state-run J J Hospital in central Mumbai, civic officials said on Thursday. The incident occurred around 2.30 pm on Wednesday when some construction work of the Metron Building was on, they said.
“The roof of the Metron Building inside the J J hospital premises collapsed during its construction. Five labourers were working at the site at that time, of whom three suffered injuries in the incident,” an official said. (PTI)
Mumbai: Bike thief caught in Jogeshwari, 11 two-wheelers recovered
The Meghwadi police in Jogeshwari (east) arrested a 30-year-old man and his aide for allegedly stealing 11 bikes and a scooter from different areas of Mumbai and recovered the vehicles.
On March 28, the complainant Mangesh Sawant, 30, a resident of Jogeshwari (Eeast), approached the Meghwadi police to complain about his stolen bike. The previous day, Sawant had parked his TVS Apache bike below a building near Shyamnagar pond in Jogeshwari from where an unknown person stole it, he alleged.
Based on Sawant’s complaint the police registered a first information report and started sifting through CCTV footage in the vicinity. Based on the lead, the police traced one Amit Tawde (30) from Andheri and arrested him.
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, son booked for alleged swindling of money collected for INS Vikrant
The Mumbai police Thursday registered a First Information Report (FIR) against BJP leader Kirit Somaiya and his son Neil on charges of cheating. The case was registered in connection with allegations of misappropriation of over Rs 57 crore collected for the restoration of INS Vikrant, the Indian Navy’s first aircraft carrier.
An officer said that an FIR was registered against the Bharatiya Janata Party leader and his son at Trombay police station on Thursday based on a complaint received by a former Indian Army personnel. As per the complaint, between 2013 and 2014 former MP Kirit Somaiya and his son Neil had collected money from the general public for the restoration of INS Vikrant.
“However, instead of depositing the money in the government account, they swindled the money,” the complainant said.
Why this division, asks Ajit Pawar on Raj Thackeray’s warning against use of loudspeakers at mosques
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has attacked MNS president Raj Thackeray over the latter’s demand for removal of loudspeakers from mosques, saying the state cannot afford the alleged divisive call given “to please someone eyeing polls”.
Without naming Thackeray, Pawar asked what the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief was going to achieve by making such statements and whether “provoking” people will solve the issue of their livelihood.
“The Maharashtra of Shahu, Phule, Ambedkar cannot afford the speeches made to please someone keeping eye on elections,” Pawar said at an event in Shirdi in Ahmednagar district on Wednesday.
Shiv Sena protests against Somaiya
Sena protested both at Lions gate and Kalaghod. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)
After Mumbai police Thursday registered a FIR against BJP leader Kirit Somaiya and his son Neil on charges of cheating, the Shiv Sena protested against kirit Somiya at Lions gate and Kalaghoda.
The case was registered in connection with allegations of misappropriation of over Rs 57 crore collected for the restoration of INS Vikrant, the Indian Navy’s first aircraft carrier.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/mumbai-news-today-mohit-kamboj-faces-bmc-notice-for-alleged-unauthorised-construction-7857261/
