Three IAS officers transferred in Maharashtra

In a minor bureaucratic reshuffle in Maharashtra on Thursday, three Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers were transferred, including Astik Pandey, who has been appointed Additional Commissioner of the Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA), a state government official said.

Pandey is a 2011-batch IAS officer.

IAS officer Suhas Divse (2009 batch) was transferred and posted as Commissioner of the Sports and Youth Affairs, while senior bureaucrat Om Prakash Bakoria (2006 batch) was moved to the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) as its Managing Director, an order signed by Nitin Gadre, Additional Chief Secretary (Services), said.

Malvani youth takes own life over quarrel with girlfriend

A 16-year-old youth from Malvani area, allegedly hanged himself after being under mental stress due to his girlfriend not responding to his calls. The incident occurred late at night on Wednesday, he was rushed to the hospital by the family but was declared dead on arrival.

According to the Police, the mother of the young boy informed that he was under immense mental stress for over a month due to a fight with his girlfriend, who is also a minor, and had stopped responding to his calls. He wasn't eating or sleeping properly, she tried convincing him to let it go and begin with a fresh start but he did not listen to her, and ended up taking his life on Wednesday.

Mumbai: Malvani youth takes own life over quarrel with girlfriend

First day immersion sees renewed vigor at immersion points

As the lifeguard stepped backwards deeper into the water, Neha Jain ensured she managed to capture every move before the Lord Ganpati's idol was immersed. At Girgaon Chowpatty, Jain had come to give company to her neighbours whose one and half day Ganpati was being immersed.

"It has been 30 years since we got Ganpati at our home. For the last two years, there were restrictions so it felt nice to come again this year," saod Dhiresh Chauhan, resident of Sewri. Chauhan took a day off from work and came with his entire family. "Now there will be sadness and the absence of the Lord will be felt at home," said Chauhan who tried artificial ponds but switched back to Chowpatty for being closer to "nature" and the arrangement in place.

Mumbai: First day immersion sees renewed vigor at immersion points

20-year-old held for stealing cash, mobile phone in Panvel

The Panvel city police arrested a 20-year-old for allegedly stealing cash and a mobile phone from a house in the Karanjade area. The accused had entered the house through the window and of the house and decamped with cash and a mobile phone.

The arrested accused has been identified as Rambahor Idra.

20-year-old held for stealing cash, mobile phone in Panvel

New parking arrangements for devotees visiting Lalbaugh cha Raja

The Mumbai Traffic police on Thursday have prepared parking arrangements for the devotees visiting the Ganpati pandals in the Lalbaugh area of Parel. A total of four new parking lots are arranged by the police that has the capacity of holding 6,200 cars.

As per the notification issued by Mahesh Patil, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), it states this arrangement has been made as many devotees from Mumbai and outside visit Lalbaugh for Ganpati darshan during the ongoing 9-day festival. Since Lalbaugh has a high number of pandals, the possibilities of heavy traffic congestion are more in the area.

Ganeshotsav 2022: New parking arrangements for devotees visiting Lalbaugh cha Raja

Police seized objectionable and provocative material from Vijay Tarun Mandal in Kalyan

A Kalyan police on Wednesday seized an objectionable and provocative decoration material related to a recent split in Shiv-Sena at Vijay Tarun Mandal a Ganesh mandal at Kalyan in Thane district.

The police have also seized the cutouts put out as the decoration display for the ten-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival, which began on Wednesday.

Police seized objectionable and provocative material from Vijay Tarun Mandal in Kalyan

"Viral video depicting Vinod Argyle is not complete; we're not supporting it, MNS respects women but that woman kicked our party's banner & abused our party workers, which is edited out. Vinod Argyle also has temper issues. We have faith in judicial system": MNS leader Keshav Mulay

Three arrested for filming private videos of several women in Sewri

Three men were arrested by the Sewri police for allegedly filming several women in the Mumbai neighbourhood of Darukhana. According to Sewri Police, the trio had been secretly filming via the windows of their houses.

Mumbai logs 272 fresh COVID-19 cases, 4 deaths in a day

NMMT to run special night services during Ganpati from September 2

Maharashtra reports 781 new COVID-19 cases, 4 deaths; active tally below 10,000

The state recorded 781 fresh coronavirus cases, 638 of them in Mumbai alone and a steep drop from a day ago, while four more patients succumbed to the infection in the state, the health department said.

With these additions, the state's overall COVID-19 tally reached 81,01,119, while the death toll increased to 1,48,251, the department said in a bulletin

Pharmacy student held with sedative drugs in Maharashtra's Latur

A pharmacy student was held allegedly with 360 sedative drug tablets in Latur in Maharashtra, a police official said on Thursday.

He was held on Monday and the 22-year-old man has given details of several medical stores from where he bought these tablets, the official added.

Raids were conducted on some of these stores and a probe continued, the Shivaji Nagar police station official added.

Sumit Kasale has been charged under Indian Penal Code as well as Narcotice Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, he said.

Malegaon blast case: Explosive material placed below two-wheeler's seat, says expert in court

The chemical analysis expert who had examined the motorcycle that was allegedly owned by BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and was used in the September 2008 Malegaon blast told the special NIA court here that, in his observation, the explosive material was placed below the seat of the two-wheeler.

The expert had last month recorded his testimony as a witness in the case before special National Investigation Agency Judge AK Lahoti, the details of which were made available recently.

Malegaon blast case: Explosive material placed below two-wheeler's seat, says expert in court

Woman attempts suicide at Aurangabad police commissionerate, hospitalised with burn injuries

A woman on Thursday set herself ablaze at the Aurangabad police commissionerate and has been hospitalised, an official said.

Savita Kale (32), a resident of Mandva village in Gangapur taluka, filed an application detailing her domestic violence allegations at the commissionerate and then set herself ablaze at around 12:30pm, he said.

"She has been hospitalised with burn injuries. The woman claims her husband did not take her side during a quarrel with neighbours. She has earlier filed a case at Waluj police station and action was taken," he added.

Mira-Bhayandar: Delivery boy poses as girl to get nude photos of minor, held

A 21-year-old youth has landed into the custody of the cybercrime unit attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) on alleged charges of posing as a female on a well-known social networking application to lure a minor school girl into sending her obscene pictures and videos.

According to the police, the accused who is said to be a college drop-out works as a delivery boy with a merchandise aggregator in Kashimira. The action followed in response to a complaint registered by the girl’s father on 27, August, that his minor school-going daughter was being threatened and blackmailed by the accused.

Mira-Bhayandar: Delivery boy poses as girl to get nude photos of minor, held

Cricketer Virat Kohli to open a restaurant in 'Gouri Kunj', a bungalow owned by the late actor-singer Kishore Kumar's family in Juhu.

Maha nutrition month: Minister says govt positive on anganwadi workers honorarium hike

The fifth state level 'nutrition month' programme was launched on Thursday in Thane by Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha.

He said the state government was positive about increasing the honorarium of anganwadi workers and a decision would be taken soon.

During the event, he distributed fruit baskets and baby care kits to pregnant women, children and breast-feeding mothers.

Rubal Agrawal, commissioner of state Women and Child Welfare department, said 'nutrition month' will be celebrated in all 1.10 lakh anganwadis in the state from September 1 to 30.

The weight of children, food, women and child health, education and several such issues would be discussed in events that will be held as part of the month, Agrawal added.

CM Shinde meets Raj Thackeray at his residence for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations

Several trains affected due to non-interlocking work at Bari-Brahman station of northern railway.

CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis leave Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani's residence after attending Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

Ambani came to drop the Maharashtra CM as the latter left from the residence after seeking blessings.

Yesterday, Eknath Shinde visibly moved when he paid a visit to Kisan Nagar in Thane district, from where he started his political and social life, and also visited various Ganesh mandals in the city.

Ganeshotsav 2022: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde visits Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani's residence for celebrations

Maha activist asks villages to publicise their move to ban widowhood rituals

A social activist spearheading a campaign for the enactment of a law to ban discriminatory practices related to widows appealed to gram panchayats in Maharashtra on Thursday to publicise their acts of prohibiting such practices.

Pramod Zinjade, in his appeal, said some 7,000 villages have passed such resolutions through their gram sabhas, and asked these areas to declare themselves as "villages that have freed themselves from evil practices related to widows".

MNS Gundagardi caught on camera: Party leader pushes and slaps elderly woman in Mumbai's Kamathipura

A video went viral showing a man hitting and pushing a woman in Kamathipura, Mumbai on Aug 28, allegedly over installing a bamboo stick (for an ad) in front of the woman's shop without consent. A non-cognizable offence was lodged at Nagpada PS.

It is being alleged that the man seen in the video is a leader of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

Two Bhiwandi cops acquitted in custody torture, abetment of suicide case

Two policemen from Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district were acquitted in a custody torture and abetment of suicide case by a local court.

Additional Sessions Judge AM Shete, in his order of August 30, a copy of which was made available on Thursday, acquitted Dheeraj Khairmode (35) and Jalinder Bhojne (37), both of whom were charged under sections 330, 342 and 306 of the Indian Penal Code.

The two police personnel had held a minor in 2014 for theft and a day after being let off, he died by suicide following which they were accused of torture. The court order said the post mortem report did not provide information of external injuries on the victim.

Thane: Two Bhiwandi cops acquitted in custody torture, abetment of suicide case

Police seize 'provocative' decoration material on Shiv Sena split at Kalyan Ganesh pandal

Police on Wednesday seized "objectionable and provocative" decoration material related to a recent split in Shiv Sena at a Ganesh pandal in Kalyan city in Thane district of Maharashtra, an official said.

The seizure included the cutouts put out as the decoration display for the ten-day Ganesh Chaturthi festival which began on Wednesday.

Vijay Tarun Mandal president Vijay Salvi said the action by the police was unwarranted and amounted to "autocracy".

Thane: Police seize 'provocative' decoration material on Shiv Sena split at Kalyan Ganesh pandal

NIA announces Rs 25 lakh reward on gangster Dawood Ibrahim

The National Investigation Agency has announced a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, a key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, an official said on Thursday.

The probe agency has also announced a cash reward of Rs 20 lakh on Ibrahim's close aide Shakeel Shaikh alias Chhota Shakeel, and Rs 15 lakh each on associates Haji Anees alias Anees Ibrahim Shaikh, Javed Patel alias Javed Chikna and Ibrahim Mushtaq Abdul Razzak Memon alias Tiger Memon, he said.

All of them are wanted accused in the case of 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.

Mumbai: NIA announces Rs 25 lakh reward on gangster Dawood Ibrahim

Ganapati pandal hopping for senior citizens (60 yrs and above) organised by Directorate of Tourism, Govt of Maharastra in BEST buses during Ganesh festival.

Mumbai Police Crime Branch seized banned tobacco, worth Rs 88 Lakhs and a truck from Goregaon; two accused arrested.

Ganeshotsav fervour in Mumbai at an all-time high, devotees throng to Lalbaug.

Thane: 4 labourers injured after car runs over them at bus stand

Four labourers sleeping near a canteen at a bus stand here were injured when a car ran over them, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place around 2.30 am on Wednesday at the state transport bus stand in Kalyan town of Maharashtra's Thane district and no arrest has been made so far, they said.

The four labourers, in the age group of 30 to 60 years, were sleeping on a pavement near the canteen when the speeding car ran over them, an official from Mahatma Phule police station in Kalyan said.

Thane: 4 labourers injured after car runs over them at bus stand

Sikkim Governor lays foundation stone of Sushwasthya Bhawan in Kharghar

The foundation stone laying ceremony of the Sikkim Sushwasthya Bhawan was held on August 30 in Kharghar in presence of Ganga Prasad, Governor of Sikkim and Prem Singh Tamang, chief minister of Sikkim.

Last year, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) allotted a 4,000-square meter plot in sectors 19 and 20 at Kharghar to the Sikkim government to build Sikkim Bhavan.

Navi Mumbai: Sikkim Governor lays foundation stone of Sushwasthya Bhawan in Kharghar

Navi Mumbai civic body gears up for Ganesh visarjan, creates artificial ponds

Ahead of immersion of one and a half day Ganpati, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has created 134 artificial ponds. The civic chief Abhijit Bangar inspected a few of the sites to check the arrangement.

Bangar has directed municipal officials and employees to take care of the devotees by making a physical inspection of the natural and artificial immersion sites.

Bangar also directed to ensure that the wet nirmalya like garlands, flowers and dry nirmalya like kanthi, crowns, artificial garlands, decorative materials are put in separate nirmalya kalash kept at the immersion site. He gave clear instructions to take strict vigilance that Nirmalya is not dumped into the reservoir under any circumstances.

Navi Mumbai civic body gears up for Ganesh visarjan, creates artificial ponds

Mumbaikars, don't forget to carry your umbrellasif you're pandal hopping! IMD forecasts the possibility of thunderstorms

The India Meteorological Department has forecasted a generally cloudy sky with a possibility of light rain or thundershowers in city and suburbs for the next 48 hours.

The temperature is expected to hover between 27 degree Celcius to 32 degree Celcius.

Angered by train delay on Vasai-Diva route, commuters manhandle station master

A station master was manhandled by a mob of commuters on the Vasai-Diva railway route in Maharashtra as MEMU trains were running behind schedule, the Railway Police said on Wednesday.

Angry commuters staged a protest at Kaman Road railway station in the Palghar district on Tuesday for over 90 minutes before charging at the station master. A quick intervention by the Government Railway Police (GRP) prevented the situation from going out of control.

No arrest is made so far.

Thane: Angered by train delay on Vasai-Diva route, commuters manhandle station master

From citizens, celebrities to CM, Maharashtra marks festive season with joy and happiness

Devotees welcomed Lord Ganesh on Wednesday in their homes and pooja pandals with fervour, marking the commencement of the ten-day festival which is being celebrated without any COVID-19 restrictions after two years.

Excitement reigned with calls of "Ganpati Bappa Morya" as people in urban and rural areas and noted personalities, including Bollywood celebrities, welcomed Lord Ganesh and offered 'modaks', a traditional Maharashtrian delicacy as 'prasad'.

Devotees thronged prominent Ganesh pandals like the Lalbaugcha Raja in south-central Mumbai in large numbers, standing in queues for several hours.

Read more about celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi here

Ganeshotsav 2022: From citizens, celebrities to CM, Maharashtra marks festive season with joy and happiness