A fisherman sorts dried fish as the sun sets in Mumbai, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Sanjay Raut released from prison: 'My arrest will be biggest mistake of your political career'
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut was granted bail by a special court on Wednesday (November 10) in connection with the Patra Chawl case. The court called his arrest illegal and a "witch-hunt", and rapped the Enforcement Directorate for using the exceptional powers of arrest "very casually". As he stepped out of Arthur Jail last evening, Raut reaffirmed his commitment to Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership and later said his arrest "will be the biggest mistake of their political career".
Luxury train Deccan Odyssey may start ferrying tourists again next year
Deccan Odyssey, a luxury train launched to promote Maharashtra tourism in a joint collaboration between the Indian Railways and state government, may start ferrying tourists again next year. The train service has been at a standstill for over 30 months due to the pandemic. Deccan Odyssey is one of India's five luxury trains – the others are Palace On Wheels, Golden Chariot, Royal Rajasthan On Wheels and the Maharajas’ Express.
Flyover at Parel TT to be demolished, built again
Adding to the traffic woes of Mumbaikars, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to demolish and reconstruct the flyover at Parel TT, on Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, in Parel near Dadar. The bridge is likely to be closed in the next one month, senior BMC officials said. Just a day ago, the BMC had closed the Gokhale Bridge in Andheri for traffic, after it was found unsafe and dangerous, as its girders had eroded. The civic body had issued work orders for the project in October, and is now awaiting a no-objection certificate. The entire project will take six months to complete, including demolition and reconstruction.
Protests over 'Har Har Mahadev' in Maharashtra
protests against the Marathi historical action film “Har Har Mahadev” over alleged “distortion of facts” continued for the second day in a row on Tuesday in Maharashtra with activists of the NCP and an organisation founded by Sambhaji Chhatrapati, a descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, disrupting the screening at a multiplex in Nashik city, PTI reported. Earlier in the day, the Thane Police registered a case against senior NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad and at least 100 others for allegedly roughing up spectators at a multiplex screening in Thane on Monday night.
Bharat Jodo Yatra in Maharashtra: Jairam Ramesh addresses media at Naigaon
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, speaking to the media at Naigaon in Nanded district, said that as party leader Rahul Gandhi was not given adequate time by the Speaker of Parliament to speak on issues of national significance, the Bharat Jodo Yatra was an attempt by the Congress to reach out directly to the public. "The Speaker doesn’t give him time. He is a member of the standing committee on defence but is not allowed to ask questions on China. He decided to instead talk to people directly, which he is doing through the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Ramesh said.
Wednesday marked the third day of the Maharashtra leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut speaks to the media outside his residence in Mumbai on Thursday. (Express Photo: Deepak Joshi)
The Supreme Court Thursday allowed Bhima Koregaon violence case accused Gautam Navlakha to be shifted to house arrest.
In its order, the bench noted, “We consider it appropriate to grant house arrest given his age. Still further, our attention is drawn to the multiple medical problems the petitioner is faced with, and that charges have not been framed in a trial that will not happen in the foreseeable future.”
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A day after he was released on bail, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut reached Matoshree in Bandra east to meet party chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray welcomed Raut at the Thackeray family's residence.
At 273, Mumbai’s air quality index (AQI) continued to range in the ‘poor’ category on Thursday, according to the System of Air Quality Forecast and Research (SAFAR) readings. Experts have said that the AQI will continue to range between the ‘poor’ and ‘moderate’ categories in the winter season owing to low wind speeds.
Mumbai’s Mazgaon area in the western suburbs recorded the worst AQI of 350, followed by Malad with 262 and Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) with 242. Read more
The Bombay High Court has dismissed an interim application of former CEO of ICICI Bank Chanda Kochhar in a case seeking post-retirement benefits from her former employer, reports Bar and Bench.
“I will not criticise or speak against anyone, be it the central agencies or the government. I have suffered what I had to. We won’t oppose anyone just for the sake of opposing. If they have done good work. we will appreciate and welcome them,” Raut said, speaking to media Thursday. “The current dispensation has also done some good work. Those decisions that are good for the country or the state should be welcomed. I welcome the decisions taken by Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.”
A day after he was released from prison, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut Thursday praised Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the “good decisions” he has taken for the state. He said he would soon meet Fadnavis, and also Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to “convey what he has faced” in the last 100 days.
The NIA has cast doubts on the current medical report of private hospital on the health of Bhima Koregaon accused Gautam Navlakha. It has claimed one of the doctors is related to the accused, and sought an independent medical report before deciding his plea for house arrest.
Welcome banners have been put up outside Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut's house. On Wednesday, he had said, “My family members did not cry when I was arrested, but today, when I was released, they cried. But it’s not the time to cry now, it is the time to fight. I have become free now so I will not stop and I will take off with full force (against the opposition). Now, we have to fight with full force,” he said to the Sainiks who had gathered near his residence in Bhandup, adding, “They arrested me from this place… while leaving the house, I had told them that I will prefer death but I won’t bow down or surrender in front of Delhi.”
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Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who was released on Wednesday after being in jail for his alleged involvement in the Patra Chawl housing project scam, will meet NCP chief Sharad Pawar at Silver Oak bungalow and Sena president Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree bungalow on Thursday afternoon. Before heading to meet Pawar and Uddhav, Raut will first get his medical check up done at a private hospital in Bhandup as he is not feeling well. (Vallabh Ozarkar reports)
Patra Chawl is the popular name for Siddharth Nagar, located in the northern Mumbai suburb of Goregaon. It had a total of 672 houses, spread over an area of 47 acres. In 2008, the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) took up the redevelopment project and gave the contract to Guru Ashish Construction Private Limited (GACPL) to rehabilitate 672 tenants and to redevelop the locality. A tripartite agreement was signed between GACPL, the tenants’ society, and MHADA. It has been 14 years since then, and the people of Patra Chawl continue to wait to get their homes. So how is Sanjay Raut linked to this? Read here
Good morning, and welcome to our live blog! Today, we're tracking news from across Maharashtra, especially Mumbai.
The biggest news of the day on Wednesday was Sanjay Raut's release from prison after being granted bail by a sessions court. He was arrested in connection with a money-laundering case linked to a redevelopment project in the northern suburbs of Mumbai. After being released, he said, “They don’t know what a big mistake they made by arresting me. It will be the biggest mistake of their political career. They will come to know soon. Every second of my life is dedicated to the Sena .Today, the court said the arrest was illegal. Arrest me as many as times you want but I will not leave the Sena.” Read more here