Maharashtra News Live Updates: Thane records 978 new Covid-19 cases; active tally at 5,634

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena rebel MLAs of Eknath Shinde faction on Saturday named their group as 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb'. Former minister of state for home and rebel MLA Deepak Kesarkar told ANI that Eknath Shinde-led MLAs formed a new group 'Shiv Sena Balasaheb'. The decision comes at a time when chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was holding the executive meeting of Shiv Sena. The Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government continues to be in a combative mode with 38 of its rebel MLAs are camping in Guwahati. READ MORE

Four cows and a calf were crushed to death by unidentified vehicles on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Saturday. The incident took place in Vivalvede village in Dahanu taluka of the district in the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, an official from the district rural police said.

At least four cows and a calf died on the spot after being knocked down by speeding vehicles on the highway, he said.The local police were alerted, following which the carcasses were removed and the road was cleared for traffic, the official said.

Police have arrested a 28-year-old man in Maharashtra's Thane district for his alleged objectionable and provocative post on Prophet Mohammad on a social messaging platform, an official said on Saturday. The accused, Nikesh Raju Pashte, a 'mathadi' worker (porter in wholesale market) from Sangampada in Bhiwandi town in the district, was arrested on Friday, he said.

"A plumber complained to the police about the objectionable and provocative post on the Prophet made in a WhatsApp group. Based on the complaint, the police registered the offence and arrested the accused. The complainant said that the post could trigger tension between two communities," the official of Nizampura police station said.

The complainant said that the post could trigger tension between two communities," the official of Nizampura police station said.

Less than a week after it was inaugurated, the flyover in Kora Kendra area of Borivli from Link Road connecting up to Western Express Highway (WEH) has run into problems. Several social media users have pointed out that the flyover has already started giving way with gravel coming off its surface. A Twitter handle @CharkopWarriors tweeted, “Check the condition of surface of road over Kora Kendra flyover built over RM BHATTAD road Borivali W. Within 3 days of opening to vehicular traffic the surface Tar has gone wearing out. Potholes will surely be seen within week. Thank you.”

The Maharashtra government has released a sum of Rs 5 crore for establishing a music school in the name of singing legend Lata Mangeshkar, an official here said on Friday. Ovla-Majiwada MLA Pratap Sarnaik in a release said that the state government released a sum of Rs 5 crore for the proposed music school in Thane city. As per a government resolution issued in this regard, the Thane Municipal Corporation will bear 25 per cent of the cost and the state government pitch in with 75 per cent for the project.

BJP stayed in a wait-and-watch mode as the Sena vs Sena battle seemed headed for the courts. "Unless Uddhav Thackeray resigns as chief minister, there is little BJP can do," said a source, adding it could be a long-drawn battle. "We are waiting for them to commit a mistake legally as they have done in the past by disqualifying 12 BJP MLAs," said the source.On Thursday evening, Devendra Fadnavis had left for Delhi to meet Union home minister Amit Shah. On his return on Friday, he was in meetings with state leaders at his official residence Sagar.

KALYAN: Heavy rain for few hours once again resulted in waterlogging at Shahad in Kalyan on Friday afternoon, due to which a school bus was also stuck. Students stuck in the bus were shifted safely by the local residents with help of driver and cleaner. READ MORE

A 60-year-old person has been booked for allegedly having unnatural sex with a stray dog in Kalyan. Police said that for the last three months, the accused was having unnatural sex with a female stray dog by luring biscuits. The incident came to light in Patripul area in Kalyan (West). READ MORE

A 32-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly stabbing and injuring his girlfriend, after she refused to elope with him, in Bhiwandi town of Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Friday.

The incident took place around 7.30 am on Thursday, when the accused Rajesh Bharti accosted the 30-year-old woman who was on her way to work and attacked her with a knife and injured her, the station house officer of Bhiwandi police station said.