Passengers undergo thermal screening as they wait for the Covid-19 testing after arriving at a railway platform on a long distance train at Dadar railway Station in Mumbai, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. (PTI)Mumbai News Today Live Updates: Mumbai on Saturday recorded 454 fresh Covid-19 cases and five fatalities. With 580 recoveries, the active number of cases in the city stand at 4,676.
Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray stated that cinema halls and drama theatres will be allowed to operate from October 22 provided all Covid-related protocols are followed. SOPs in this regard will be issued soon.
Meanwhile, the state government on Friday announced that schools and places of worship in the state will reopen in the first week of October. From October 4, 19 months after they shut down, schools will reopen their premises for in-person classes for students of classes 5 to 12 in rural areas, and from classes 8 to 12 in urban areas. The reopening will apply to government and civic schools, private schools and across boards. Residential schools, will, however remain shut. Pre-primary kindergartens and pre-schools will not reopen either.
Special Covid-19 vaccination sessions will be held by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for women on September 27, between 10 am and 6pm. For students and teachers the drive will be held on September 28, between 9am to 2pm.
The drive will be held at civic and government-run centres, PTI reported. Second dose beneficiaries will be vaccinated on Tuesday from 3pm till 9pm.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has recorded the statement of police inspector Bhimrao Ghadge in connection with its open inquiry in allegations of corruption against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, an official said on Saturday.
In his complaint, Ghadge had accused Singh of corruption and taking money for postings of senior inspectors. Ghadge's statement was recorded by ACB officials on Friday, PTI reported.
On Saturday recorded 454 fresh Covid-19 cases and five fatalities. With 580 recoveries, the active number of cases in the city stand at 4,676.
Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday welcomed the Maharashtra government's decision to open places of worship from October 7 after a coronavirus-induced shutdown, but said several other parts of the country had taken this decision almost six months ago.
He also attacked the state government over the last minute cancellation of the health department's recruitment exams, for which over 8 lakh people were set to appear on Saturday and Sunday to fill up 6,200 vacant posts. (PTI)
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday asked elected representatives and officials from Satara, Kolhapur and Sangli to sit together with NHAI functionaries and solve the issue of flooding of national highways due to heavy rains.
Speaking after laying the foundation stone of a highway project in Karad, the Union minister of roads, transport and highways said all stakeholders will need to understand the project details so that the problem can be solved permanently.
Speaking about waterway projects, he said 11 out of 17 issues that existed between states in 1970 have been solved, but those between Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa remain. "We don't have water scarcity, we have issues of water management," Gadkari remarked. (PTI)
A 60-year-old Nigerian national, Chima Collins Ejiofor alias Musiliu, was arrested near Mumbai Central railway station allegedly with 130 grams of cocaine worth Rs 39 lakh in the illicit market, an Anti Narcotics Cell official told PTI on Saturday.
The accused, currently living in New Delhi, was caught on a tip off by officials of the ANC's Worli unit on Friday evening, the official said, adding that the accused had claimed he had procured the contraband from Kharghar in Navi Mumbai.
Thane Municipal Commissioner Dr Vipin Sharma has suspended junior engineer Sandeep Gaikwad (Lokmanya-Savarkar Nagar ward), executive engineer Prakash Khadtare (Vartak Nagar ward), deputy engineer Sandeep Sawant (Lokmanya-Savarkar Nagar ward) and executive engineer Chetan Patel (Utalsar ward), an official said.
The action has come a day after District Guardian Minister Eknath Shinde took a tour of the pothole-riddled roads in Thane and warned of severe action against officials responsible for poor road conditions.
As per the order, the engineers were responsible for proper maintenance of roads and check the quality of repair work, which they had not done, resulting in the problems of the roads getting damaged. (PTI)
In a few weeks, Navi Mumbai may just be a water taxi ride away from south Mumbai. The Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) is planning to hold a trial run of the water taxi service between Belapur in Navi Mumbai and the domestic terminal at Ferry Wharf in Mumbai in October.
The trial will be the culmination of a three-decade-old plan which envisaged using Mumbai’s waterways for passenger transport, helping connect different points in the city as well as the satellite cities of Thane and Navi Mumbai.
“We are planning to start the trial run. I am in discussion with the chairman of the Mumbai Port Trust,” said MMB CEO Amit Saini. Read more.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray Saturday stated that cinema halls and drama theatres will be allowed to operate from October 22 provided all Covid-related protocols are followed. SOPs in this regard will be issued soon, PTI reported.
The CM was addressing the state Covid-19 task force at a meeting attended by Shiv Sena's MP Sanjay Raut, state chief secretary Sitaram Kunte, filmmakers Rohit Shetty and Kunal Kapoor, theatre personality Makarand Deshpande, and Marathi actors Subodh Bhave and Aadesh Bandekar.
Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis addressed a gathering of Mathadi workers at Navi Mumbai on the 88th anniversary of labour leader Annasaheb Patil, calling for a speedy resolution of the issues raised by them.
He stated that BJP "will again get an opportunity to come to power. Ups and downs are part of democracy."
Fadnavis added the issues of Mathadi workers would have been resolved had his government got more time. "Now, this (MVA) government has the opportunity to resolve the problems of Mathadi workers. I am confident that the issues will be resolved. Even if the issues are not resolved..we will get another opportunity (to solve them)," the former CM was quoted as saying by PTI.
In a bid to provide better civic facilities, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has completed 3D mapping of the Worli, Mahalaxmi area as a pilot project.
“The G-South ward has adopted new technologies and corresponding tools and is now the first administrative ward in Mumbai to do 3D mapping of about 10 sq km of Worli and has prepared a digital ‘twin’. With this, Mumbai has also entered the list of international cities with 3D mapping,” the BMC said in a statement.
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A former corporator tendered an unconditional apology before a special court on Friday after he was pulled up for “not maintaining decorum” as he clapped during BJP MLA Mangalprabhat Lodha’s address seeking a permanent exemption from appearance in a case they are both booked in.
The court said that Sanjay Ambole, who, along with 20 others, has been booked for restraining the BEST General Manager during a protest last year over power supply, had clapped “as if a speech has been given” by Lodha.
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BJP Saturday demanded a CID investigation into the fiasco that led to the postponement of the examinations of the state Public Health Department to fill up 6,205 vacant posts of Group C and D categories.
BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar said, “Health minister Rajesh Tope should resign. The state government should order a CID investigation and within one month, it should submit its report. Three months back, we had cautioned the state government against giving the contract to the said private firm. All those responsible for hiring a blacklisted company to conduct the examination should be punished.”
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An assistant police inspector of the Mumbai crime branch was caught taking a bribe of Rs 2 lakh, which was part of the amount that he had demanded for not initiating any action against an accused in a car theft case, an official of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said on Saturday.
API Nagesh Ambadas Puranik, 45, was caught red-handed at the crime branch's property cell in Byculla of central Mumbai on Friday, he said. Puranik had demanded Rs 12 lakh bribe from the wife of a man, who is an accused in a luxury car theft case. He had told her that if the money is paid, no action would be taken against her husband and his friend, the official said.
Puranik had already received Rs 4 lakh bribe and was demanding the remaining Rs 8 lakh from the complainant, he said. However, she approached the officials of the ACB unit in Worli. After verifying the complaint, a trap was laid and Puranik was caught while collecting Rs 2 lakh bribe from the complainant, he said. (PTI)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued fresh summons to Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab for questioning next week in the money laundering case registered against former state minister Anil Deshmukh and others, officials said on Saturday.
This is the second summons issued to Parab, 56, who also holds the parliamentary affairs portfolio in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. The three-term party legislator in the Maharashtra legislative council was first summoned by the agency to depose on August 31, which he had declined citing official engagements and had sought more time.
The officials said the minister has now been asked by the ED to depose before the investigating officer of the case at the agency's office in south Mumbai on September 28. They said Parab is to be questioned in the money laundering case being investigated against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh after certain 'disclosures' have been made by other accused and those involved in the case. (PTI)
Car designer Dilip Chhabria’s son Bonito Chhabaria was arrested by the Mumbai crime branch in the case registered last year in connection with the FIR registered last year on the basis of a complaint by actor Kapil Sharma. Kapil Sharma had alleged that he was cheated of Rs 5.3 crore by Dilip and Bonito among others.
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Maharashtra DGP Sanjay Pandey has proposed to the state Home department that IPS officer Parambir Singh and all other policemen named in five FIRs registered against former Mumbai Commissioner on charges of extortion be suspended.
The proposal seeks the suspension of over 25 police officers, including Singh, a DG rank officer, and at least four DCP rank officers, along with several ACP rank officers named as accused in the various cases.
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Former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer-turned lawyer Y P Singh’s daughter Isha Singh qualified for the IPS in the civil service exams, whose results were declared on Friday. Isha (26) works as a lawyer with Singh and his wife Abha.
Y P Singh, an IPS officer of 1985 batch, had quit the service a few years ago, and qualified as a lawyer. His wife Abha, who was in the Indian Postal Service, had also quit to become a lawyer.
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The Borivali Government Railway Police (GRP) early Friday arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly stealing the cellphone of a woman commuter.
The police said the woman was travelling in a south-bound train, when the accused, Pradeep Kumar Jaiswar, entered the compartment and tried to escape with her phone. However, as she held on, the woman was dragged till the gate of the compartment until she let go. The police identified the woman as Reshma Khatuun Sayyed, a resident of Malad.
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Most visitors who come to Zaveri Bazaar or Crawford Market in Mumbai come here in search of a bargain. But only a few of them are dimly aware of the extraordinary vitality of the arabesque architecture of Juma Masjid, one of the largest and oldest mosques in Mumbai that lies at the intersection of the city’s premier commercial streets.
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