Mumbai this week: Train firing, Nitin Desai death send shock waves; Chrisann Pereira returns to India

🔴 While some passengers pretended to be asleep on their berths, others hid beneath sheets. Yet others were asked by Singh to shoot his video. The video later went viral on social media where Singh is heard saying, “Pakistan se operate hue ye, aur media yehi coverage dikha rahi hai, unko sab pata chal raha hai ye kya kar rahe hain… Agar vote dena hai, agar Hindustan mein rehna hai to mai kehta hoon Modi aur Yogi, ye do hain.”

🔴 According to a senior RPF official, Singh got the job in 2009 on compassionate grounds following his father’s death in service, but had complaints accused him of “indiscipline and insubordination”.

🔴 While Singh is reportedly not cooperating in the probe, investigators recreated the crime scene from coaches B5 to S6, apart from recording the statements of over 100 individuals related to the case of which around 20 statements are of key witnesses.

Following are the other important updates from Mumbai and Maharashtra in the past week (July 31-August 6):

Nitin Desai’s death raises questions on lending ecosystem

Renowed art director Nitin Desai, who had worked on films like Lagaan, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas and Jodhaa Akbar, was found hanging at his ND Studio in Karjat on Wednesday. His death is being considered a consequence of the pressure he was facing owing to the Rs 252 crore debt he was facing.

• In audio clips seized from his studio, he is purportedly heard requesting the government to ensure his studio is not seized and rather used for promoting art.
• An FIR was registered against five employees of ECL Finance on charges of abetment to suicide, after his Desai’s wife alleged severe mental harassment by the company.
• Khalapur police station sent notice a to managing director of ECL Finance, seeking information on various aspects pertaining to loans sanctioned to Desai.
• ECL’s parent company Edelweiss said that no undue pressure was put on Desai over the loan he had taken.

Actor Aamir Khan pays tributes to art director Nitin Desai at ND Studio in Karjat. Desai was found dead at the studio on Wednesday. Police had said it was a suspected case of suicide due to the Rs 252-crore debt he was facing. (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)

Crane collapse on Samruddhi Expressway claims 20 lives

A crane came crashing down on a bridge slab during construction work for the third phase of the Samruddhi Expressway in Thane’s Shahapur, claiming the lives of 20 workers on the site.

While an FIR was registered against the agencies hired to construct Package 16 of Samruddhi Expressway, the kin of the deceased workers remained inconsolable. Among the workers was Pradeep Roy, who had last seen his family in April and was planning to visit them in West Bengal during the Durga Puja festival. Meanwhile, Premprakash Kumar was saved by local villagers who rushed to the spot, but lost three of his family members in the accident.

Chrisann Pereira returns home

After 26 days in a Sharjah prison, an extended stay in Dubai over getting necessary permission to travel back to India, and battling deteriorating mental health, actor Chrisann Pereira returned home to Mumbai. An emotional video from the airport brought relief to many who followed Pereira’s case where she was allegedly framed by a man named Anthony Paul, who hid drugs in a memento carried by her and informed the Sharjah Police about the same.

Addressing reporters after her return, Chrisann expressed gratitude towards her family, Mumbai Police and fellow inmates at the Sharjah prison. Chrisann’s return also brings the focus on the return of Clayton Rodrigues, a Mumbai-based DJ who is currently lodged in Sharjan prison on similar charges. Read Mohamed Thaver’s report from the press conference 

On the political front

NCP: Questions remained buzzing in the fractured party, with Ajit Pawar’s statement about a past difference with his uncle Sharad Pawar leaving many wondering whether the split is real. Meanwhile, Pawar senior loyalist Jayant Patil laid to rest speculation about him meeting Amit Shah and a possible switch of sides.

Monsoon Session: As the Assembly session concluded, CM Eknath Shinde called the proceedings successful, but the Opposition emerged as “confused and weak”. During the session, his deputy Devendra Fadnavis touched upon many issues, from denying a change in leadership to Pakistan benefiting from the delay in Barsu refinery to setting up an SIT to probe instances of communal colour. A logjam continued in the Assembly over the Opposition’s demand to discuss the situation in Manipur, with Uddhav Thackeray saying the BJP could not run a government.

Shubhangi Khapre writes on how the MVA’s biggest challenge is to build confidence and regain lost trust within

Other important news this week:

1. BEST bus strike continues; MSRTC lends a helping hand
2. White Paper on 4 mega projects gives clean chit to CM Eknath Shinde govt
3. Students wearing burqa denied entry; college says flouted new uniform policy
4. MU forms panel to inquire into NCC student beating his juniors
5. Justice Rohit B Deo resigns owing to ‘personal reasons’; had delivered key verdicts in key tenure
6. Witness: Chanda Kochhar may share room with Indrani Mukerjea, Dhoot warned Deepak
7. Out of jail after seven years, Divya Pahuja says she is getting used to being outside prison; read Sadaf Modak’s report on delayed trials, years spent in jails becoming ground for bail to murder accused
8. Bombay HC voices concern over rise in trend of women misusing Domestic Violence Act
9. Sambhaji Bhide’s Gandhi remark invites FIRs and criticism; Fadnavis says insult of national icons won’t be tolerated; PIL seeks guidelines to prevent “derogatory remarks about dead persons held in high esteem”

Photo of the week

Activists Vernon Gonsalves (Left) and Arun Ferreira, accused in the Elgaar Parishad case, released on bail from Taloja Central Jail. (Express photo by Narendra Vaskar)

Read the full story here

News to watch out for next week:

1. The Bombay High Court to hear a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking guidelines “to prevent utterance and unrestricted circulation of derogatory remarks about dead persons held in high esteem”.
2. Maharashtra Cabinet expansion likely to be discussed.
3. Chetan Singh, RPF constable arrested for killing four in a train, will be produced before court on Monday.
4. State government to attempt resolution of ongoing BEST bus strike.

News from Mumbai: July 24-30

News from Mumbai: July 17-23

News from Mumbai: July 10-16