Mumbai News Live Updates: City sees 226 Covid-19 cases, two deaths, 282 recoveries

With the arrest of three persons, including two scrap dealers, the police on Friday claimed to have solved the cases of motorcycle theft in Thane and Mumbai cities. The police have so far recovered 12 stolen motorcycles from the trio, an official said. "A number of cases of motorcycle theft were reported at the Mumbra police station in Thane city of late," Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone-I Thane) Ganesh Gawade said.

Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar has conveyed to the party that he is unable to attend its day-long convention in Mumbai on Friday due to his prior commitments elsewhere, which has raised eyebrows in political circles as speculation about his next political move refuses to die down. Speaking to reporters in Pune, Pawar played down the buzz saying that he is not able to attend the NCP meeting as he has to remain present for some other programmes happening at the same time. The NCP also said that Ajit Pawar's inability to attend the party meeting does not mean he is planning to quit the organisation.

A 30-year-old man who strangled his two-year-old son and threw his body into a creek, in a bid to marry another woman, was arrested along with his girlfriend by Shahu Nagar police in Dharavi. Police said the initial plan was to kill his wife, but why he killed his youngest son is a mystery.

Pune Police on Friday registered FIR against Sujit Patkar, Sanjay Raut's business partner in Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS), along with several others for fraudulently obtaining a contract of Shivaji Nagar Pune Jumbo Covid Center as alleged by complainant BJP's Kirit Somaiya, confirmed Police.An FIR has been registered under Indian Penal Code.

The post-mortem of the Kharghar tragedy victims in Maharashtra has confirmed that they died due to sunstroke, a health official said on Friday. At least 14 people died after suffering from sunstroke during the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony held in Kharghar area of Raigad district neighbouring Mumbai on Sunday. "The autopsy was conducted on 12 out of the 14 deceased at the Sub-District Hospital in Panvel. The procedure confirmed that they died due to heat stroke," a medical officer attached to the facility said, adding that the post-mortem of two other victims was conducted at some other hospitals. It was also found that two of these deceased also suffered from co-morbidities, he said.

All schools affiliated to the state board in Maharashtra will remain closed from Friday in view of the prevailing heat wave conditions, the government has said. Schools of other boards can take a decision about closure after considering their curriculum and activities, the School Education Department said in its order on Thursday. It also issued instructions regarding commencement of the next academic year after the summer vacations. Except for the Vidarbha region, schools in the state will reopen on June 15.

The Cyber Crime police of Mumbai Crime Branch claimed to have solved 24 out of 81 cases of fraud involving 'PAN card update' by arresting eight Jharkhand natives who are part of the 'Mandal gang'. In 16 days - February 21 to March 8 - they siphoned off Rs 99.12 lakh from bank customers, including actors Malavika aka Shweta Menon and actor-politician Nagma.

Ajit Pawar's name is missing from the list of invitees for NCP's one-day convention in the city on Friday, triggering fresh speculation in party circles that he was being sidelined for political reasons.NCP president Sharad Pawar will address the convention on the subject of NCP's aim "to develop Mumbai as a world-class city". State NCP president Jayant Patil will preside over the inaugural session. Besides Patil, Praful Patel, Supriya Sule, Sunil Tatkare, and former ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Jitendra Awhad and Anil Deshmukh will interact with party workers.

Saturday’s festival of Akshay Tritiya could bring mixed fortunes for the gem and jewellery industry. Gold stands at Rs 60,000 per 10 gm and rates are expected to rise further. Meanwhile, fewer weddings are scheduled this day because planet Jupiter remains ‘ast’ or combust till the end of the month.Akshay Tritiya is one of the most auspicious three-and-a-half mahurats of the Hindu almanac for performing religious rites and making purchases. Pandit Bharat Bhushan Mishra of Malad said, “The Akshay Tritiya mahurat starts at 7. 50am on Saturday April 22, and ends at 7. 47amSunday April 23. But the festival will be celebrated on Saturday alone. This time, fewer weddings will be performed because planet Jupiter (Guru) iscombust ('ast'). It will rise on April 29, after which there are big wedding mahurats on May 1, 2 and 10. ”

In a relief to commuters, Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Ltd (MMOCL) will have eight more services on Metro 7 and 2A (Gundavali-Dahisar-Andheri west) corridor from Monday. MMOCL chairman SVR Srinivas said, “The services will now touch 253 from 245. We have taken this decision due to increase in passenger load. ” The frequency will improve to 7. 29 minutes instead of 8 minutes during peak hours.

The state’s higher education department has finally set things in motion for the implementation of the four-year undergraduate degree programme with multiple entry-exit options as recommended in the National Education Policy 2020 by issuing a government resolution (GR) late on Thursday.The four-year programme with honours or honours with research will be implemented from 2023-24 to all undergraduate and postgraduate programmes other than those regulated by the AICTE, the Bar Council of India, and the National Council for Teacher’s Education. The fourth year will be effective from 2026-27. The state has set a deadline of April 30 for all autonomous colleges and universities to set up an NEP implementation cell and adopt government regulations. Colleges are to submit an action taken report within 10 days of the deadline.

The state crossed 50 Covid-19 deaths for April on Thursday, after adding three fatalities from Mumbai, Satara and Wardha. Fresh detections in state remained over 1,100 for the second day in a row, while for Mumbai the daily tally continued to hover at more than 200 (207).The deceased from Mumwoman with multiple comorbidities, including, diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, ischemic heart disease and interstitial lung disease. State authorities have confirmed 75 Covid-19 deaths since January. Of them, 73% have occurred in individuals above 60 years of age. Importantly, 71% of the deceased had comorbidities, health authorities added. recorded death of an 86-yearold man, who died of heart attack a day after being discharged from Koparde hospital where he was being treated for suspected Covid. The patient died due to cardio respiratory arrest on Thursday.

Observing that the accused had knowledge that a single blow to his 88-year-old mother who was on oxygen support, was dangerous and in all probability would cause her death, a sessions court convicted and sentenced a 50-yearold man to life imprisonment for hitting his ailing mother in 2016 at their Goregaon flat over a property dispute. The woman died a day later.“The intention and knowledge on the part of accused can be ascertained from the very fact that though accused knew the fact that the deceased was 88 years old andwas suffering from various diseases, he assaulted the deceased on various parts of body,” Judge S N Salve said.