Mumbai this week: Sameer Wankhede faces CBI’s music; ‘forcible entry’ row surrounds Nashik’s Trimbakeshwar temple

➡️ NCB’s vigilance report claimed that between 2017 and 2021, Wankhede had made six private foreign trips. It added that he bought four flats and a gold Rolex watch for Rs 22 lakh. SRK’s manager Pooja Dadlani‘s testimony was key in preparing this report.

➡️ Wankhede relied on a 10-minute phone recording to claim in the Bombay High Court that a draft complaint prepared by the NCB was changed to benefit Aryan Khan and some other suspects in the Cordelia case. He showed screenshots of text messages with Shah Rukh Khan, which he said “nowhere” showed that he made an extortion demand. He is set to appear before court on May 22.

Here are the other top news developments from Mumbai in the past week (May 15-21):

‘Forcible entry’ row surrounds Nashik’s Trimbakeshwar temple

Controversy shrouded the famous Trimbakeshwar temple in Nashik when news spread that a group of people purportedly belonging to a minority community forcibly tried to enter the Shiva temple through the main entrance.

While Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged incident, Muslim community leaders denied any attempt. to enter the temple. They added that the ritual of showing loban or frankincense from the temple entrance steps is a practice that has been followed by local Muslims over the last several decades. Read Zeeshan Shaikh and Vallabh Ozarkar’s report

Congress’ Karnataka win reinvigorates MVA’s hopes for civic body, Lok Sabha polls

From NCP’s Sharad Pawar to Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders welcomed Congress’ victory in the Karnataka election results declared on May 13. The victory infused new energy into the cadres of Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and Congress in Maharashtra, as leaders expressed confidence about the alliance’s prospects in the upcoming civic body polls and Lok Sabha polls.

With MVA constituents set to meet next week to discuss seat-sharing, Raut said the 19 seats won by then undivided Sena will remain with his party. He also said that the BJP is now scared to face polls, a statement the saffron party paid no mind to as Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis focussed on making a pitch for the long-overdue BMC polls.

Supporters celebrate the Karnataka election results at the Congress office in Mumbai on Saturday afternoon. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

Flooding in monsoon to continue this year?

With monsoon just weeks away, questions have been raised about the city’s preparedness for rains, raising worries about another year when Mumbai will see flooding that brings normal life to a halt. Last week, a BJP team had said that barely 25-30% of the desilting work was completed, even as the BMC pegged the figure at 70-80%.

Shortly after, the BMC announced a Rs 84 crore allotment to repair potholes and patches on the roads. The CM inspected desilting work and promised deployment of civic officials to monitor the work and a grievance helpline.

Other important news this week:

1. Temperatures rise across city: Doctors warn of blood clots due to dehydration; hot, humid conditions to prevail till next week
   
2. Got petitions to disqualify 54 MLAs, will hear each one of them: Speaker
3. BEST to introduce premium AC buses on new route between Khargar and BKC
4. Amruta Fadnavis extortion case: Friend of Anil Jaisinghani’s daughter recorded videos at bungalow, says police
5. Gokhale Bridge will be partially opened by October-end
6. BMC to use reserve water stock as water level in lakes dips to lowest in last 3 years
7. Akola clashes: Sole breadwinner of family was on way from work when violence claimed his life
8. 72 pc of pollution complaints with BMC in 5 years were on air quality
9. Police look for gang of women stealing clothes from luxury stores

Photo of the week

Mumbai saw rising temperatures in the week gone by. Seen here are people protecting themselves from the heat in Vashi. (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)

News to watch out for next week:

1. Senior leaders of the MVA will meet on Tuesday at the residence of Sharad Pawar to discuss the seat-sharing formula between the parties for the upcoming Lok Sabha and civic body elections.
2. The third environment and climate sustainability working group meeting to kickstart from this week as part of the G-20 Summit. The civic body will highlight the disaster resilience of the upcoming Mumbai Coastal Road Project as part of this session.
3. Four AC electric double-decker buses will be introduced from coming week onwards. The first e-double-decker bus was launched in Feb on route No. 115, between CSMT and NCPA, in South Mumbai.
4. Wankhede’s questioning by the CBI to continue in connection with the corruption charges against him in the Cordelia drug bust case.
5. A vacation bench of the Bombay High Court to hear plea by Wankhede against CBI’s cruise drug bust bribery case. HC on Friday had directed the CBI not to take coercive action against Wankhede till May 22, after which he appeared before central agency on Saturday. Wankhede, apart from seeking protection from arrest, has sought that the court directs the CBI to not file a chargesheet in the case, and sought a stay on the probe the proceeds post the CBI FIR.

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