Mumbai News Highlights: Father of actor Malaika Arora dies by suicide

The Mumbai civic body appointed the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay as a third party quality control agency to ensure that the quality of cement concrete roads in being developed in the city city remains high.

In a statement, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said it signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the IIT Bombay for checking the quality of cement concrete road works.

The BMC has initiated cement concretisation of the 701-km-long roads in the city in two phases - 392 km long roads in the first phase and 309 km in the second.

The premier engineering institute located in Powai will conduct quality control checks of the cement concrete road works, including cube tests, core tests, slump cone tests, durability tests and field density tests.

Deceased Anil Mehta's family in a joint statement, co-signed by actor-model Malaika Arora, her mother Joyce and her sister Amrita, said they are "in deep shock" after his demise.

"We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear father, Anil Mehta. He was a gentle soul, a devoted grandfather, a loving husband, and our best friend. Our family is in deep shock by this loss.

"And we kindly request privacy from the media and well-wishers during this difficult time. We appreciate your understanding, support and respect," read the statement shared on Arora's official Instagram page.

Mehta, the step father of Malaika and Amrita, allegedly died by suicide after jumping from his Bandra apartment.

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti visited Mumbai's Shree Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Sanstha, from where Ganesh festival was transformed into a public event by Lokmanya Tilak, and offered prayers to the elephant-headed God.

In his message, Garcetti said as "mayor of Los Angeles and as ambassador to India, I have always had Ganesha in my office and home as inspiration."

The deity has a place of honour in so many communities in the United States where many Amercians celebrate his power to clear obstacles and bring prosperity, he said.

Confirming details of the death of Anil Arora, Malaika Arora's father to The Indian Express officials from Mumbai police said that the incident took place at around 10.30 am in Ayesha Manor in Bandra West.

Anil lived with his family on the sixth floor from where he allegedly jumped to death, the police has said.

No suicide note has been recover for now. Inquiries are being done with the family members, the police said.

"Primary facie it's seems to be a case of suicide, but we are probing the incident from all angles. A process to file an accidenal death report is on," the officer said.

The body has been sent to Bhabha hospital for post-mortem, the officer said.

Father of actor-model Malaika Arora Anil Mehta, 62, has died by suicide after jumping off from sixth floor of a residential building in Bandra this morning.

With Maharashtra Assembly polls likely to be held in November, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has come up with an allegation against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Wadettiwar said,”Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has bypassed laws and given a parcel of land in Navi Mumbai to a trust owned by cabinet minister Sanjay Rathod to set up a community centre for the Banjara people.” In response to the allegation made by the leader of opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, a BJP leader said instead of worrying about land parcels, Wadettiwar should focus on protecting his assembly seat Brahmapuri in Chandrapur district, where a local MP has urged Kunbis to vote for their community member, PTI reported.

City police has formed a special team to trace a former scientist of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) who has gone missing from his Bandra residence, an official said.

A reward of Rs 10,000 has been announced for any information about Vinayak Kolvankar, 76, he said. Kolvankar, who suffers from dementia, went missing from his house in New MIG Colony on September 5, said inspector Ramesh Khilare of Nirmal Nagar police station.

As per the complaint lodged by his wife Vaishali, he left home to buy flowers but did not return. CCTV footage showed Kolvankar boarding a train at Bandra station and getting down at Santacruz, roaming in the area, then taking another train back to Bandra. He is last seen exiting the station from the Bandra West side.

Activist Manoj Jarange will launch an indefinite fast from September 16 midnight to press for the Maratha reservation demand.

Jarange said, "September 17 is Mukti Sangram Din (Marathwada Liberation Day). On the same day, (we) will start an indefinite fast with the same demands (for reservation)...will sit on the indefinite fast from September 16 midnight."

"September 17 is the liberation day (for Marathwada), when is the Maratha community going to be liberated?" he asked.

The Marathwada area of Maharashtra was under the rule of the Nizam of Hyderabad at the time of India's Independence.

Farmers and other people rose in revolt and defeated the Razakar militia of the Nizam and succeeded in merging Marathwada with India on September 17, 1948.

Two persons were killed after a two-storey house collapsed amid heavy rainfall in Maharashtra's Gondia district in the wee hours of Tuesday, an official said.

Heavy rains lashed the district in the last 24 hours, with the Kamtha circle in Gondia tehsil recording the highest rainfall of 292.3 mm, the official said.

The Regional Meteorological Centre in Gapur has sounded a red alert for the district for the next 24 hours.

An order from Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Amol Zende notifies closure of 14 key roads in the central parts of the city from September 11 till September 18 starting 5 pm everyday till the time the crowd subside.

The restrictions will not be applicable to the government vehicles and vehicles involved in emergency services.

1) Laxmi Road: Hamze Khan Chowk to Tilak Chowk: Diversion via Daruwala Bridge, Maharana Pratap Road, Mirza Ghalib Road junction

2) Shivaji Road: Gadgil Statue Chowk to Deshbhakt Keshavrao Jedhe Chowk, Swargate; diversion via Alka Chowk and Kumbharves Chowk

3) Bajirao Road: Puram Chowk to Appa Balwant Chowk; diversion via Kelkar Road

4) Tilak Road: Mahratta Chamber of Commerce to Hirabaug Chowk; diversion via Bajaj Statue and Puram Chowk.

1) Sinhgad Garage, Ghorpade Peth to Rashtrabhushan Chowk to Hirabag Chowk.

2) Dinkarrao Jawalkar Chowk to Paigude Chowk to Hirabag Chowk

3) Late Anant Balkrishna Naik Path to Tilak Road

4) Sanas Road from Gotiram Bhaiya Chowk to Govind Halwai Chowk)

5) Panghanti Chowk to Ganj Peth Police Chowki

6) Ganj Peth to Veer Lahujee Vastad Talim Chowk

7) Gavkasab Masjid to Center Street Police Chowki

8) Kohinoor Chowk to Babajan Chowk

9) Jedhe Prasad Road, Subhanshah Road, Shastri Chowk

10) Subhan Shah Dargah

1) Jijamata Chowk to Mandai on Shivaji Road

2) Mandai to Shani Par

3) Shani Par to Futka Buruj on Bajirao Road

4) Appa Balwant Chowk to Budhwar Chowk

Police have arrested the driver of a luxury car, owned by Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son Sanket, after it hit several vehicles in Nagpur city, an official said on Tuesday.

The person driving the Audi car, Arjun Hawre, was arrested on Monday night and later released on bail (at the local police station), a senior police official told PTI.

"No action has been taken so far against Sanket Bawankule and two other occupants who reportedly escaped from the scene at Mankapur bridge," an official from Sitabuldi police station said on Monday.

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son Sanket Bawankule was called for inquiry on Tuesady after which he confessed that he was present in the car when the luxury car allegedly hit several vehicles in Nagpur's Ramdaspeth area, said Nagpur Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rahul Madane.

"The incident occurred at 12.30 am on September 9. A white Audi, registered under the name of Sanket Bawankule, was involved in the incident. We have questioned all three occupants of the car. We arrested the driver, Arjun but he was later granted bail as it was a bailable offence...Their medical samples have been sent for FSL, report is awaited," DCP Zone 2, Rahul Madane said, addressing a press conference.

Three accused have been arrested for sexually assaulting a 30-year-old woman in the Nalasopara area of Palghar district, said police officials.

The three accused have been identified as Narendra Morya (31), Prakash Singh (26) and Panchraj Singh (35).

The police said that they have been produced to the court and the court has sent them to police custody for five days.

On the basis of complaints from the woman, the Achole police had registered a case against them under sections 64, 70(1) and 351(2) of BNS.

The VP Road police have arrested a 52-year-old man for allegedly raping his two minor daughters on several occasions. The accused was arrested on Saturday.

The police have filed a case of child sex abuse on the complaint of the 18-year-old daughter of the accused.

According to the police, the teenager used to live with her family, comprising her father, mother, and a younger sister.

A few months ago when the accused allegedly sexually abused her, she was sent to an orphanage.

During a visit to the orphanage in March this year, her mother told her that her father was allegedly sexually abusing her 14-year-old younger sister.

The 18-year-old told her mother that her father had raped her on several occasions since 2011 when she was around five years old.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday denied speculation that he had during a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanded that he be made the chief minister after the upcoming Assembly elections, citing the Bihar precedent.

"This is not true. I met Amit Shah, who was on a two-day tour of Mumbai. There was no such discussion about the chief ministerial post with him,” the NCP chief told reporters in Pune.

Pawar also said he was not in favour of any friendly fights as is being speculated. "My view is that there should be no friendly fights in the election ring,” he said.

The ‘bow-string’ arch bridge connecting the Mumbai Coastal Road with the Bandra Worli Sea Link (BWSL) is scheduled to open partially from September 12, as announced by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

Currently, the Coastal Road is operational only up to Worli. Civic officials have stated that vehicles will be permitted to use the new connector from September 12 morning.

However, there will be no formal inauguration event.

This new connector will provide direct access for northbound vehicles to the Bandra Worli Sea Link, eliminating the need to exit at the Worli interchange.

On Monday 7 trains including the Daund Pune local left Pune junction without being cleaned.

The reason was that regular cleaning staff like Mukesh Bhosale (27) stopped their work to protest against their working conditions and non-payment of salary on time.

Bhosale is among the over 300 cleaning staffers who manually clean railway coaches including toilets at Pune station. Trouble for these workers began last October when the old contract ended, and a new contractor took over.

“Payments became irregular and our working conditions worsened,” he said.

Back in August, Bhosale had tried to take his life by consuming poison after a heated argument with the contractor.

“My salary had not been paid for two months. Most of us are either receiving half our salary or delayed salary,” said Bhosale, a coach cleaner for 8 years.

Gearing up for the assembly elections, state NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil on Monday said that he suspected the BJP and Shiv Sena in Mahayuti will ask the Ajit Pawar-led NCP to stay out of the pre-poll alliance so that they can overcome the fall in their popularity in public and let Pawar and his party rejoin after the elections.

“The BJP’s credibility took a beating across the country after including the Ajit Pawar-led NCP in the Mahayuti. So, it is possible that the BJP will ask the Ajit Pawar-led NCP to stay at a distance during the elections, and after the assembly elections, it will again be included in the alliance.

They might be asked to contest elections separately and will again join hands after elections,” Patil said.

He also pointed out that BJP and Shiv Sena leaders were criticising the NCP as well as Ajit Pawar not making public appearances with them.

BJP and Shiv Sena state leaders have openly taken on the NCP for the latter taking credit for the popular Ladki Bahin Yojana — which assures Rs 1,500 per month to eligible women in the state — by projecting it as a scheme started by Ajit Pawar.

Former Maharashtra home minister and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday claimed that state Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was trying to get him arrested with the help of CBI in a four-year-old incident.

"It has been alleged that four years back, when I was the home minister of Maharashtra, I pressured a Jalgaon police officer to take action against BJP leader Girish Mahajan," he said.

"As per my information, Devendra Fadnavis is trying to get a raid conducted on me and get me arrested. I want to tell Devendra Fadnavis, who with the help of Delhi (Centre) and ED-CBI has brought Maharashtra politics to a very low level, ' Devendra Fadnavis, I am waiting for my arrest," Deshmukh said.

Who all are involved?

The CBI has registered an FIR against Deshmukh, the then special public prosecutor Pravin Pandit Chavan, and two police officials for alleged conspiracy to frame top state BJP leaders in a false case in 2020, officials said last week.

What is Anil Deshmukh accused of?

The CBI lodged the case after a two-year preliminary enquiry, which originated from a pen drive handed over to the then Maharashtra assembly speaker by Fadnavis, who was in the opposition in 2020, they said.

The "pen drive bomb" contained purported videos showing Chavan had allegedly conspired with trustee of Jalgaon Zilla Maratha Vidhya Prasarak Sahakari Samaj and lawyer Vijay Patil and the then home minister Deshmukh to frame BJP leader Mahajan, who is now a minister.