Mumbai this week: Month after Raigad landslide, families attempt to rebuild lives; probe finds RPF constable ‘acted out of hatred

Many of the containers in Chouk – at least 13 of the 42 — are now home to the orphans of Irshalwadi. Playing PuBG, playing parents and what else these youths are doing in an attempt to move on

Two families — the Pirkad’s and Pardhi’s — were wiped away entirely, while a family was reunited with their dog after a month. Read the story by Sadaf Modak and Nayonika Bose here

Following are the other important updates from Mumbai and Maharashtra in the past week (August 14-20):

Train firing: Constable acted out of hatred, had faced similar cases earlier

➡️ Railway Protection Force Constable Chetansinh Chaudhary, who allegedly gunned down four persons on board a train, is also alleged to have threatened a burqa-clad woman passenger and forced her to say “Jai Mata Di” at gunpoint.

➡️ Investigation found that he may have killed assistant sub-inspector Tika Ram Meena in a fit of rage, but the remaining three passengers were killed one by one, very selectively, out of hatred.

➡️ Further, The Indian Express found that has a past service record of involvement in at least three incidents, including a “hate case” involving the alleged harassment of a Muslim man at a RPF post.

On the political front

As Sharad Pawar continued to keep Maha Vikas Aghadi allies on tenterhooks by his repeated meetings with rebel nephew Ajit Pawar, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) are planning to keep a strategy ready to face the 2024 general elections without Pawar on board.

With the MVA seat-sharing math yet in the dark, Uddhav Thackeray began a constituency wise review of the party’s poll preparations. Sanjay Raut maintained that the MVA stands strong and united, and he believes that Sharad Pawar will never join BJP. Read Alok Deshpande’s analysis on Sharad Pawar’s reengineering poll strategy to include frequent rallies, new leaders & social equations

Other important news this week:

1. Dead rat found in food at Bandra restaurant; FDA slaps closure notice
2. Bank to auction Sunny Deol’s Juhu bungalow to recover Rs 56 crore dues
3. Mumbai records only 5% of average August rain
4. Muslim youth beaten up over ‘love jihad’ claim, railway police to file FIR as video surfaces
5. Two students held over social media posts on Pak’s I-Day
6. Thane can ensure 22 per cent dip in emission by 2025-26: Union ministry report
7. 4,000 and growing: List of people awaiting organ donation in Mumbai gets longer
8. Improving safety, curbing violations: Plan to equip nine key highways with ITMS
9. MHADA declares 4,082 winners of housing lottery scheme
10. BMC to crackdown on retailers using banned plastic items

Photo of the week

An artist gives a finishing touch to a miniature Ganesh idol at a workshop in Parel.
(Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

News to watch out for next week:

1. BMC, along with a set of independent experts and lawyers, will inspect manholes of Mumbai on Monday. The Bombay HC had given the civic body August 21 deadline to get all the manhole covers ready.

News from Mumbai: August 7-13

News from Mumbai: July 31 – August 6

News from Mumbai: July 24-30