Maharashtra News updates: State reports 338 Covid-19 cases, one death

Maharashtra on Tuesday recorded 338 Covid-19 cases, the highest since March 9, taking the tally in the state to 78,83,348, while one death put the toll at 1,47,857, an official said. The addition to the tally on March 9 was 359, while it was 208 on Monday, the official pointed out.

Local train services were disrupted on the mainline of the Central Railway after some cattle were run over on the tracks between Bhivpuri Road and Neral stations on Tuesday, an official said. The railway traffic was disrupted after some cattle were run over by a local train going towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) around 5.15 pm, said Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer of Central Railway.

Mumbai on Tuesday reported 218 Covid-19 cases, which is a substantial rise from the 150 cases registered a day earlier, taking the tally in the metropolis to 10,63,276, while the death toll remained unchanged at 19,566, a civic official said.

Maharashtra Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday accused the state government of not bringing down fuel prices from its end and claimed that while the state charges Rs 30 as excise duty on a litre of petrol, the Centre imposes Rs 19. The former chief minister was speaking at a state-level meeting of BJP leaders and officials in Mumbai.

Former Mira Bhayander MLA Narendra Mehta and his wife have approached a Thane court for pre-arrest bail after the Maharashtra Anti Corruption Bureau last week filed a disproportionate assets case. As per the complaint filed by the Thane unit of the ACB at Navghar police station, Mehta's assets are at least Rs 8.25 crore more than his known sources of income when he was corporator and MLA between January 2006 and August 2015.

Two people died after a boat carrying tourists capsized in the Arabian Sea off the Malvan coast in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district on Tuesday, police said.

A peon of a school has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a five-year-old girl in the premises of the institution in the eastern suburb of Mulund here, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place when the victim, who lived in the locality, arrived to play at the school ground on Monday, an official from Navghar police station said. The 51-year-old accused lured the child with a chocolate, took her to one of the rooms in the premises and sexually assaulted her, before fleeing the scene, he said.

Local train services on the harbour line in Mumbai were disrupted on Tuesday morning due to power issues, according to a Central Railway official. Following the disruption, a number of passengers, mostly office-goers, complained that trains on the harbour line, which provides connectivity to Navi Mumbai and western suburbs with south Mumbai, were running late by at least 15-20 minutes during the morning rush hour.

Money laundering case: Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is in Karachi, Pakistan - his sister Haseena Parkar's son Alishah Parkar tells ED; Alishah also tells ED that his family & he aren't in contact with Dawood & Dawood's wife Mehajabin contacts his wife & sisters during festivals.

To ensure that an elderly couple is not harassed by their daughter-in-law, the Bombay HC has directed Dadar police to check on them twice a week at their Prabhadevi residence. Justice Milind Jadhav’s order came on a petition by the daughter-in-law (43) challenging the Maintenance of Parents and Senior Citizens Tribunal’s February 15 order to vacate the 3BHK flat. Her mother-in-law told the court since the petitoner and her daughter had physically harmed them before, they feared it could be repeated.

After petrol and diesel, it’s kitchen staple tomato that has broken the 100-rupee barrier. The retail price of 1 kg of tomatoes crossed a century in Pali Market Bandra, Matunga, Mulund and Byculla, as well as on online stores. Elsewhere in Khar, Andheri Lokhandwala and Mahalaxmi, the rate swung between Rs 80 for the small yellow variety. Redder tomatoes sold for Rs 90 per kg. D’Mart display showed the fruit was out of stock.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau in Thane has seized documents from former BJP MLA Narendra Mehta’s houses and offices pertaining to properties, cars and jewellery, said sources, in a disproportionate assets case. During his tenure as a corporator in Mira Bhayander and as MLA from January 2006 to August 2015, he had earned income in excess of Rs 8. 25 crore by misusing his position as a public servant, said the ACB. His wife is also an accused for abetting him, reports Nishikant Karlikar.

With Maharashtra levying 26% VAT on petrol and 24% on diesel, state taxes (VAT and surcharge/cess) are now higher than the central tax (excise duty). On May 6, 2020, the Centre’s taxes on petrol were Rs 32.98/ltr and state’s Rs 21.5. Now, central taxes are Rs 19.90, state’s Rs 30.26.

In the biggest ever order in Indian electric mobility history, BEST has awarded a Rs 3,675-crore contract to Hyderabad-based Olectra Greentech for supply of 2,100 electric buses over a period of 12 months, reports Manthan KMehta. EVEY, a subsidiary of Olectra, will procure them either directly or through its special purpose vehicle. Olectra, which already operates 40 e-buses for BEST, will undertake maintenance of these new buses, which can run almost 200 km on a single charge, for 12 years, officials said.

About 2,000 employees living in Air India’s colonies in Kalina and posh Vasant Vihar in Delhi have to vacate latest by July 26, 2022, reports Saurabh Sinha. Overstaying staffers will be slapped with penalties of up to Rs 15 lakh and charged double the market rent for the unauthorised period of stay. The amount will be recovered from their dues. They were supposed to vacate within six months of AI’s divestment earlier this year. AI’s non-aviation assets will be monetised to pay off the airline’s debt retained by the government.