Local lifeguards, personnel of the Flood and Rescue Team, Mumbai Fire Brigade and police conduct the rescue operation. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)Mumbai News Highlights, June 13: The bodies of three of the four boys, who went missing on Monday after being washed off by the rough sea in Juhu, were found. Search operations are on to find the fourth boy. With Cyclone Biparjoy passing over the Arabian Sea, Mumbai experienced gusty winds, dust storms, and moderate rain on Monday and Tuesday.
Meanwhile, four people were killed and three injured when an oil-laden tanker caught fire following an accident and exploded on Pune-Mumbai Expressway. The accident took place on the expressway stretch between Lonavala and Khandala.
In other news, a sessions court in Mumbai acquitted two men arrested in the Best Bakery, Gujarat 2002 communal riots case. Harshad Solanki and Mafat Gohil were absconding when the others faced trial in the case, and hence the trial against them was separated. The Gujarat police had booked 21 people on murder charges.
Police and lifeguards are prohibiting people from venturing into the turbulent sea, in the wake of Cyclone Biparjoy. (Express photo by Amit Chakravarty)
Speaking to reporters, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that Rs 1,500 crore will be earmarked to provide compensation to farmers whose crop was damaged due to less rain.
The suburban services of the Western Railway were affected due to signal failure, delaying trains and inconveniencing commuters. Commuters claimed that the trains were delayed by 30 to 45 minutes from afternoon till evening.
According to the Western Railway, the signal failure had occurred due to a cable defect near Malad station, which disrupted the suburban services. The signal glitch occurred around 11.45 am and down slow line (Virar bound) was first restored, but it took nearly six hours to restore the system on all four lines (two for fast trains and two for slow lines), a spokesperson of the Western Railway said.
Maharashtra Police have registered cases against six persons in the last two days in three districts, including Kolhapur and Ahmednagar which had seen communal tension recently, over social media posts and arrested one of them, an official said.
The arrested person is identified as a 29-year-old man from Kolhapur who allegedly used Tipu Sultan's image with the caption 'Bharat Ka Raja' on social media, which caused enmity between two communities, he said. "Police have registered offences against six persons over the last two days in Kolhapur, Ahmednagar, and Nashik districts and arrested one of them from Kolhapur," the official said.
One of the six men booked by police include a 22-year-old from Parner in Ahmednagar district over his social media post, he said. Cases were registered against four persons hailing from Uttar Pradesh for causing enmity between two groups at Malegaon in Nashik district. (PTI)
Three years after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which took over the murder case registered by Bihar Police in 2020, has so far neither filed a chargesheet nor closed the case. The central agency has been tight-lipped about the progress of the probe.
Later, a panel of All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) doctors who had collected the actor’s viscera and autopsy reports in October 2020 ruled out any foul play. Read more
One of the largest Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) will be deployed by next year for digging India’s first undersea rail tunnel as a part of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.
Earlier, the country’s largest TBM of 12.2 meters diameter was used for the Mumbai Coastal Road project, but the TBM being to be used for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project will be even larger with a diameter of 13.1 meters. Read more
The Mumbai University has decided to deploy women security guards in all its hostels round the clock. The decision has been taken following the alleged rape and murder of a boarder by a watchman at a girls’ hostel in Mumbai recently.
“We already had women security guards for hostels which are catering to girls. But yet there were a few gaps. But now we have made it mandatory that for both shifts, there has to be a woman security guard on the job,” said Sunil Bhirud, registrar of Mumbai University. Read more
Poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar while deposing before a magistrate court on Monday in the defamation case he filed against Kangana Ranaut said the actor’s comments against him, part of an interview in 2020, were “nothing but a lie”.
Akhtar was being cross-examined by Ranaut’s lawyer after his deposition last month before the court, where he had said the interview given to a TV channel on July 19, 2020, defamed him. Read more
A 17-year-old from Beed district was forced into marriage for the third time in the last four years by her parents. The minor was forcefully married in 2020, and then again in 2022, but she subsequently ran away from the residence of the person she was betrothed too. On June 7, she was again forced into marriage but was rescued just hours after the ceremony by activists and the police. Read Pallavi Smart's report
Police have booked a group of unidentified persons for allegedly tampering with a multinational company’s 200 white-label ATMs installed across 18 states, and fraudulently withdrawing Rs 2.53 crore from there.
Based on a complaint filed by the company, an FIR was registered against the accused at the Vanrai police station in Mumbai on Saturday. Read more
What may have once been perched atop Mumbai’s forts, two 167-year-old cannons were discovered in dilapidated condition at Ghatkopar’s Lion’s Children Park a few years ago.
Seeking to preserve these important artefacts of the city’s past, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has now restored the cannons back to their original glory. Read more
A court in Manmad, Nashik, on Monday denied bail to four of the five men who were arrested by the Government Railway Police on May 30 on charges of alleged child trafficking and sent them to judicial custody. The fifth accused was sent to judicial custody by a court in Bhusawal (Jalgaon) last week.
The five men, teachers at two madrasas in Pune and Sangli, were arrested on board a train in which they were travelling with 59 children from Bihar’s Araria district. Read Vijay Kumar Yadav's report here
Four people were killed and three injured when an oil tanker caught fire following an accident and exploded on Pune-Mumbai Expressway on Tuesday, police said, reported PTI.
Various emergency relief agencies have been deployed after an oil tanker which turned on its side on Pune Mumbai Expressway on a bridge near Lonavala was engulfed in fire after leakage of oil on Tuesday afternoon.
The leaking oil which was on fire, spilled down from the bridge and has caused grievous injuries to two persons, according to local police.
A Sessions court in Mumbai has acquitted two men arrested in the Best Bakery, Gujarat 2002 communal riots case. Harshad Solanki and Mafat Gohil were absconding when the others faced trial in the case and hence the trial against them was separated.
They were brought before the Mumbai court in 2013 and the trial against them began in 2019. The court pronounced them not guilty and ordered their release.
A major accident was reported on Mumbai-Pune expressway, after a tanker caught fire, affecting movement of vehicles.
The cause of fire is uncertain and speaking to Express, a spokesperson said that it was a minor fire and didn't cause any loss of life and property.
BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar says, "Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis himself had stated long back that BJP and Shiv Sena are going to contest all elections together under the leadership of CM Eknath Shinde."
He added, "When we formed alliance last year the BJP had taken decision to make Shinde CM. So, how can BJP be under alliance pressure."
The Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena has issued full page ads in all newspapers in Maharashtra projecting Eknath Shinde as the next CM of Maharashtra.
The ad cites a survey stating that 26 per cent of the states residents want to see him as the next CM as against 23 per cent support for Devendra Fadnavis.
The ads come in the backdrop of intense speculation over the unease in the ruling alliance and Shinde feeling pressure in his own home turf of Thane district where local BJP leaders have openly stated that they will not campaign for his son Shrikant Shinde in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections if he is granted a ticket.
The Maharashtra government has approved Rs 375.89 crores towards road safety in the state, after a committee headed by Chief Secretary approved the proposals of the Bombay HC-appointed Road Safety Committee. (ANI)
Amid extreme weather brought on by cyclone Biparjoy, four boys went missing off Juhu Beach on Monday afternoon. The body of one of the boys feared drowned at Juhu Koliwada was recovered on Tuesday even as the search for the other three boys was still underway.
The victim has been identified as Dharmesh Faujiya, 16, who was declared dead after he was brought to the civic-run Cooper hospital.
Meanwhile, the search for the other three boys is underway for over twelve hours now.
Mumbai Sessions Court is scheduled to pronounce judgement in Best Bakery case of Gujarat today.
As cyclone Biparjoy moves closer to the Gujarat coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch, the Western Railway has short-terminated more 67 trains, of which five are from Mumbai, leaving from Dadar, Bandra Terminus Station.
Two of the trains being cancelled are: train no. 22903 Bandra Terminus–Bhuj AC Superfast Express of June 14, and train no. 09415 Bandra Terminus – Gandhidham Special of June 16.
Four minor boys aged between 12 and 16 were feared drowned after five children who were sitting on the edge of the jetty at Juhu Koliwada, near Juhu beach, were washed away in a high tide on Monday evening.
While one of them has been rescued, a search operation for the remaining four was underway till 8.45 pm.According to the civic body officials, the incident was reported at 5.28 pm and personnel of the Flood and Rescue Team (FRT), Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) and police were called in for rescue operations. The Indian Navy deployed a chopper for the rescue operations at 8.20 pm.
Read
Palghar district administration has banned the movement of people near the coast from June 13 to June 15, due to cyclone 'Biparjoy'
Seeing the way religious riots are happening again and again in the state. We demand from the President of India that the current government at the centre should be dismissed and President's rule should be imposed because the law and order has deteriorated: Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said to news agency ANI.
Cycling through the streets of Mumbai
Do you remember those childhood days when the cycle was the only vehicle we had? The holidays would be spent cycling with buddies. What if we can do it again? Trek India is organising a midnight cycling event in an attempt to look at Mumbai nightlife through a different lens. Participants would gather at Colaba at 11 pm for orientation and distribution of cycles before heading to Worli Seaface and enjoying the breeze before the trip back to Colaba.
Where: Kailash Parbat Restaurant, Colaba Causeway
When: June 17 and 18, 11 pm – 5 am
Price: Rs 300 and 750 (for those who need bicycle)
To book, visit insider.in
A tribute to Pink Floyd
Psychedelic-progressive rock band from Bengaluru, Dark Light, whose music has been compared to a soulful blend of stadium rock’s ferocity and fury with progressive elements and ambient psychedelic soundscapes, is coming to Navi Mumbai this weekend. The five-piece band, which draws inspiration from artists such as Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, U2, Opeth and Guns N’ Roses, will be paying a tribute to Pink Floyd. The event is strictly for people aged 21 years and above, and the ticket cost includes cover charges. (Read More)
A 26-year-old man allegedly killed his neighbour, covered his body in a bedsheet and concealed it in his house in Dharavi area of central Mumbai, police told PTI.
The murder came to light on Sunday when some people in the neighbourhood went to collect maintenance charges from the accused and noticed a foul smell emanating from his house in Sethwadi locality of Dharavi, an official from Shahu Nagar police said. The police were subsequently informed and the victim's decomposed body was found covered in a bedsheet in the accused's house, he said.
A probe revealed that the accused had invited the victim to his house for a drink on Friday night and allegedly attacked him following an argument and killed him on the spot, the official said. The accused took the victim's mobile phone and watch and kept his body in his room, he said.
The accused roamed around casually in the neighbourhood since the crime, before the police laid a trap and nabbed him, the official said. The accused, who worked as a food delivery agent, has been arrested under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, he added.
At least 1,118 cases of snake bite were reported in Maharashtra's Raigad district in the last 17 months and 14 persons have died in such incidents, an official from the civil hospital said.
A total of 1,118 cases of snake bite were reported in the district from January 1, 2022 to June 3 this year, and 14 persons have died in these incidents, he said. Most of the cases were reported in Alibag, Panvel, Khalapur, Mahad and Mangaon talukas, the official said, adding that there are 14 locations in the district where treatment for snake bite is available. (PTI)
The Mumbai traffic police on Monday said it will observe "No Honking Day" on June 14 and urged Mumbaikars to participate in the drive against unnecessary honking.
Unnecessary honking causes noise pollution and has an adverse impact on one's health. Hence, the traffic police has decided to observe "No Honking Day" on June 14, an official said.
Motorists have been advised to ensure that the horns in their vehicles are as per the guidelines under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, he said. (PTI)
Four persons are feared to have drowned at Juhu Koliwada, near Juhu Beach on Monday afternoon. According to BMC’s disaster cell, while two people have already been rescued by locals, a search operation for four missing persons is in progress. The incident took place 5.28 pm and currently, Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) and Police officials are on the spot.
The Bombay High Court on Monday issued notice to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seeking its response to Elgaar Parishad case accused Gautam Navlakha’s fresh appeal challenging a special NIA court’s order that had rejected his bail application in April this year.
Navlakha’s previous bail plea, filed before the special court, was rejected last September. Following this, he filed an appeal before the Bombay High Court. In March, this year, the high court directed the special court to conduct a fresh hearing and give a reasoned order, observing that the special court’s September order was “cryptic” and did not consider an analysis of evidence relied on by the prosecution. (Read More)
Four persons were killed and as many seriously injured after a car rammed into the divider on the Nashik stretch of the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway in the early hours of Monday, a police official said. The incident took place a little after midnight in Khambale Shivar in the district's Sinanr taluka, he said.
"The Toyota Innova car was on its way to Shirdi from Mumbai. The incident took place between midnight and 1am. Prima facie, a tyre burst led to the vehicle going out of control and ramming into the divider," he said.
The deceased have been identified as Razzaq Ahmed Sheikh (55), Sattar Sheikh Lala Sheikh (65), Sultana Sattar Sheikh (50), who died on the spot, and Faiyaz Dagubhai Sheikh (40), who succumbed to injuries in a nearby hospital, the official informed. (PTI)
Mumbai recorded a sharp drop in minimum temperature on Monday as the city experienced light to moderate rainfall from Sunday evening, triggered by Cyclone Biparjoy.
India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) Santacruz observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 24.5 degrees Celsius on Monday, while the Colaba observatory recorded 24 degrees Celsius, both of which are two degrees below normal level. On Sunday, the Santacruz observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 29.2 degrees Celsius while in Colaba it was 27 degrees Celsius.
On Sunday, the IMD issued a Yellow alert for light to medium rainfall in Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts and on Monday officials said rain will continue to lash Mumbai for the next 24 hours. Read more
Four persons were killed and as many seriously injured after a car rammed into the divider on the Nashik stretch of the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway in the early hours of Monday, a police official said.
The incident took place a little after midnight in Khambale Shivar in the district's Sinanr taluka, he said.
"The Toyota Innova car was on its way to Shirdi from Mumbai. The incident took place between midnight and 1am. Prima facie, a tyre burst led to the vehicle going out of control and ramming into the divider," he said. (PTI)
The Bombay High Court on Monday sought the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) response on the bail plea of activist Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Elgar Parishad Maoist links case.
A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and S G Dige said it would hear Navlakha's plea on June 28.
The bench also directed the activist's lawyers to ensure all dates in relation to the case are placed on record correctly, as his bail plea was heard twice by the special NIA court. (PTI)
With the Palkhi of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj set to arrive in Pune on Monday afternoon, the Pune police have deployed around 7,000 personnel and a security cover comprising bomb detection squad, quick response teams and anti-theft squads, aided by a network of CCTV and drone-mounted cameras. Lakhs of warkaris (pilgrims) and devotees are expected to walk along the processions as part of the centuries-old tradition.
The Palkhi or the procession of the palanquins carrying the Paduka or revered symbolic footwear of Sant Tukaram Maharaj and Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj started their three-week-long journeys on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, from the temple towns of Dehu and Alandi and are slated to reach Pandharpur on June 29. Read more
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday blamed migrant workers for the bad condition of drains and rivers in Mumbai.
Speaking at the fifth foundation of his party’s disaster management wing in Dadar, he said, “The migrants come to Mumbai and ‘illegally’ settle around these drains and rivers by erecting huts, creating menace and putting burden on amenities.” Read more
A point failure was reported at Churchgate at 11 am due to which trains are running late by 10 -15 minutes, the Western Railway has informed. Work is in progress to set it right, it said.
The TATA Memorial Centre in Kharghar has selected the first five cancer patients—children up to the age of 12 years–for the world’s most sophisticated forms of cancer treatment as it is expected to initiate proton beam therapy in the next 2-3 weeks.
Proton therapy is a type of radiation therapy that uses protons rather than X-rays. It works by disrupting the tumour’s DNA and destroying tumour cells. It is more precise and less harmful. Tata Memorial Centre has become the first government facility in the country and one of the 100 centres world-wide to provide the cutting-edge radiation treatment. The 500-crore worth project is ready but waiting for the final green signal from the government’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. Read more
The IMD's Santacruze observatory in Mumbai recorded 4 mm of rainfall till Monday morning, while the Colaba observatory recorded 7 mm of rainfall. According to the IMD's latest forecast, rains may continue to lash Mumbai for the next 24 hours.
The IMD officials have said that the rains are the result of the cyclone - Biparjoy that has developed in the Arabian Sea and couldn't be attributed as monsoon onset. Mumbai also recorded a drop in minimum (night) temperature owing to the rains on Monday, as the night temperature recorded in IMD's Santacruze observatory showed 24.5 degrees, while the Colaba observatory showed 24 degrees. Both of which are two degrees below normal.
The Mumbai police, which had registered an FIR in connection with an alleged ‘morphed video’ of a former corporator in March and arrested eight persons including the one handling social media account linked to Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, said they will be charging the accused for adding an “obscene” audio track to the video and sharing it on social media handles. The chargesheet in the case is likely to be filed soon.
The police, however, said that since they were “unable to find the original video” of the incident, they will not be able to comment whether the video too had been tampered with or not. In the video, the former corporator is purportedly shown to be kissing a legislator on the cheek even as they are part of a rally by Shiv Sena and standing next to CM Eknath Shinde. Read more
A 30-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping a nine-year-old-girl on knifepoint.
The accused, who is relative of the minor, took her to his house offering her ice-cream. He then allegedly raped her at his house on knifepoint.
After abusing the girl, he made her take bath. The accused also recorded the entire act and threatened to send it to their relatives if she tells anyone about the incident. Read more
A midnight jail break from Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, a motorcycle stolen from a policeman in Maharashtra’s Satara, a crucial link from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh and clues from a bungalow in Karnataka’s Dharwad.
These are the key dots from across the country that were connected in a painstaking investigation by Maharashtra’s Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) to trace the perpetrators of the blast that injured five people near the famous Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh temple in the heart of Pune around 2 pm on July 10, 2014. Read more
The Mumbai police crime branch Sunday arrested a 34-year-old man for allegedly issuing death threats to NCP leader Sharad Pawar on Facebook. The accused, Sagar Barve, an employee of a well-known IT company in Pune, had put up the threat post under a different name.
A senior officer said Barve was arrested in Pune and produced before a court in Mumbai which remanded him in police custody till Tuesday.
An officer said as per the primary probe, Barve is not linked to any party. He added that it is not clear why he posted the message. Read more