Maharashtra records 21 new Covid-19 cases, zero deaths

A fire broke out at the infamous Dagadi Chawl building in central Mumbai's Byculla area on Wednesday night but no one was injured in the incident, a civic official said. The building acquired fame, or notoriety, in the 1990s as gangster Arun Gawli lived and operated from there. Gawli is now lodged in prison. (PTI)

Maharashtra on Wednesday recorded 21 fresh coronavirus cases, but no new death linked to the infection was registered in the state. With this, the state's overall Covid-19 tally rose to 81,36,865, while the death toll remained unchanged at 1,48,418, the department said in a bulletin. (PTI)

A girl from Manipur and her male friend were beaten up by a drunk man in Mumbai, prompting the police to launch an investigation, an official said on Wednesday. The incident occurred on Tuesday night in Kalina area of the city when the duo was walking down a street. A video of the incident was tweeted to the Mumbai Police. (PTI)

Three policemen were injured in an accident involving three vehicles in Igatpuri tehsil of Nashik district on Wednesday, an official said. They were traveling in a police vehicle on the way to Mumbai from Nashik city. (PTI)

Police have registered a case of attempt to murder against three persons after they allegedly attacked a 31-year-old man causing injury to his private parts following a dispute in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Wednesday. The incident took place in Kalyan town on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, he said, adding no arrest has been made so far. (PTI)

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday dubbed "pressure politics" the Enforcement Directorate's action against former Maharashtra minister and NCP MLA, Hasan Mushrif. The Central agency conducted searches at multiple premises in Maharashtra as part of a money laundering investigation against Mushrif and others. The raids are understood to be linked to a probe related to alleged irregularities in the operations of some sugar mills based in the state that are linked to Mushrif, officials said. (PTI)

Chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis will launch RTO’s seven ‘faceless services’ during inauguration of Road Safety Week at NCPA on Wednesday. The ‘faceless services’ are 100% online and do not require citizens to come to RTO offices anymore. These services have helped reduce the visits of over 25 lakh applicants at 50 RTOs across Maharashtra in the past few years. With the addition of new services, 93 citizen services of RTO will be totally online, sources said. The services to be launched on Wednesday include duplicate learner licence, conductor’s licence, special permit for tourist buses, duplicate fitness certificates for autos taxis etc, an official said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will commence hearing on February 14 on pleas related to the Maharashtra political crisis triggered by the Shiv Sena’s division. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud was told by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), that he will seek reference of the cases to a sevenjudge bench to have a relook at a2016 judgment on powers of assembly speakers to deal with disqualification pleas.

Leader of opposition Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said the opposition is helpless over frequent adjournments given by the Supreme Court in the crucial case on the power struggle in the state. “For the last six months, the case has been adjourned umpteen times. We cannot question the apex court, it is the right of the Supreme Court. We cannot question the apex court as to why it is not taking up the case for hearing on priority,” Ajit Pawar said. He made these remarks after an NCP meeting on Tuesday presided over by state NCP president Jayant Patil. The meeting was held to discuss the current political situation in the state.

Maharashtra on Tuesday recorded 24 new coronavirus infections and zero pandemic-related deaths. There are 146 active cases in the state.