Mumbai this week: Mira Road killing, hostel rape-murder send shock waves; govt attempts to tackle communal violence

What neighbours said: The accused was recently seen feeding stray dogs, something that they said he never used to do before; heard the sound of a spray from the flat; couple did not interact with neighbours or attend society’s events; accused told foul smell emanating from his flat could be from the society’s drainage system where cleaning work was going on.

What the accused told police: He had searched the internet for ways to dispose of a body; he was helping his partner with her Class 10 studies as she was a school dropout; he is HIV-positive and had never had physical relationship with the woman, as she was “like his daughter”.

South Mumbai hostel rape and murder

Around 50 kilometres away, a ‘one-sided affair gone wrong‘ raised anger among residents of a South Mumbai hostel, where a girl was raped and murdered by the watchman, with the latter dying by suicide later.

Friends and family claimed that the man has been repeatedly harrassing the girl and that the hostel authorities never acted on their complaints. Her father said the whenever he came to Mumbai to drop her at the hostel, the watchman would always greet her and assure him that he would take care of the girl.

While the 30 residents of the girls’ hostel have been shifted to a nearby government-run hostel, state higher and technical education department has formed two committees to look into the issue of safety at hostels.

Following are the other important updates from Mumbai in the past week (June 5-11):

On the political front

🏛 Cabinet expansion: The long-due second expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet is likely to place before June 19, the Shiv Sena Foundation Day. But what has delayed the cabinet expansion for almost a year?

🏛 The new guard: With Ajit Pawar by his side, NCP chief Sharad Pawar named Supriya Sule and Praful Patel as the working presidents. Alok Deshpande analyses if the appointment further impact the tenuous relationship that he shares with his uncle Sharad Pawar

🏛 First woman Mumbai Congress chief: Four-term MLA from Dharavi constituency, Varsha Gaikwad (48), was named Mumbai Congress president.

🏛 Death threats: Sharad Pawar received a death threat on social media, prompting daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule to meet Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut wrote a letter to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis alleging that he has been receiving death threats.

🏛 Road to 2024 polls: During his Nanded rally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah warned Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray against sailing in two boats. CM Eknath Shinde, meanwhile, said the BJP and Shiv Sena will contest the Lok Sabha polls together. In the Opposition, the Congress said it will not rush with the seat-sharing formula.

Communal unrest disrupt peace in various parts of state

👉 On June 5, four people were booked for allegedly carrying posters of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb during a procession in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. This was the beginning of a spate of incidents which marked communal unrest in Maharashtra.

👉 An FIR against a 14-year-old boy from Beed was registered for allegedly posting a social media ‘status message’ glorifying Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, while three school students were named in an FIR filed by Kolhapur Police for posting objectionable videos that led to protests by right wing organisations. The Nashik rural police also arrested two men in different cases for putting up posts that were seen as glorifying Aurangzeb.

👉 Many are criticising the police for the hesitancy shown in acting in time. Read the report by Mohamed Thaver on how Maharashtra has been on the edge since March

👉 The incidents drew the ire of the Opposition with NCP Sharad Pawar saying the ruling party “encourages” communal violence, while Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut sought Sanjay Raut sedition charges on netizens who shared such posts. What stood out was the reaction of Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Home portfolio. While he promised a stringent probe into these incidents, Fadnavis also blamed the unrest on ‘Aurangzeb ki auladein‘ (Aurangzeb’s kin).

Amid the unrest, here was a heart-warming story of Hindu-Muslim unity and brotherhood from Kolhapur

Other important news this week:

1. Ahead of monsoon, civic body depts pass the buck on removing garbage from nullahs
2. In Mumbai, only one in 110 rape cases referred to Sakhi Centres under Nirbhaya Fund
3. Bookie claims loss of Rs 1,000 crore in chats with Amruta Fadnavis
4. Bridge collapse in Bihar places contractor under BMC scanner
5. Navi Mumbai International Airport will be operational by 2024: CM
6. Auto-rickshaw driver robs and sodomises passenger after fight over fare
7. Not stopped adoptions, will clarify further on June 16: Bombay High Court
8. MLAs’ disqualification: Sanjay Raut to move SC again ‘if no decision in 90 days’
9. NCB special enquiry team gave clean chit to Aryan Khan by suppressing facts, evidence: Wankhede to HC
10. After completing Mumbai Coastal Road’s two undersea tunnels, TBM awaits next assignment

Photo of the week

The Dhobi Ghat in Mahalaxmi, captured here by Indian Express photojournalist Pradip Das, is often touted as the world’s largest outdoor laundry. It is a Grade-IIB heritage site, which means seen “contributing to the image and the identity of the city”. Constructed in 1890, the Dhobi Ghat is a major attraction for foreign tourists, has featured in many films and shows and holds a 2011 Guinness Book of World Records entry under ‘most people hand-washing clothes at a single location’.

News to watch out for next week:

1. Monsoon likely to make landfall in Mumbai by middle of this week. According to IMD, the onset of monsoon likely to happen between June 14 and 15.
2. Varsha Gaikwad to take charge as Mumbai Congress chieg
3. Possible change of guard in Maharashtra Congress
4. The Maharashtra Police will remain on alert all through next week with law and order problems in the state where youngsters have been uploading posts on Aurangzeb on social media platforms that are being reported to police by Hindutva groups. This has also led to bandh calls in certain parts of the state.
5. The Bombay High Court on June 13 will hear NCP Leader Nawab Malik’s plea challenging the November 30, 2022 special court order that rejected his bail plea in money laundering case registered by Enforcement Directorate (ED).
6. The Bombay High Court will clarify its stand on pending foreign adoptions and pass order in that regard on June 16.
7. On June 14, a special court is likely to decide on the anticipatory bail application of Sanville alias Sam D’Souza, booked by the CBI in connection with the corruption case filed against him, former head of Mumbai Narcotics Control Bureau zonal unit, Sameer Wankhede and others in connection with the case filed by the NCB in 2021 against Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan.

News from Mumbai: May 29-June 4

News from Mumbai: May 22-28

News from Mumbai: May 15-21