Maharashtra
6,871 Officers and Employees Issued Notices for Absence from Election Duty Warning of Criminal Action Against Defaulters: Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Ashwini Joshi
Mumbai: Under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation General Elections 2025–26, show-cause notices have been issued to a total of 6,871 officers and employees for remaining absent from their assigned election duties. Out of these, 2,350 officers and employees subsequently participated in the election process. However, police action will be initiated against 4,521 officers and employees who failed to attend training sessions, the actual polling process, or election duty despite repeated notices since Monday, 12 January 2026.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi has adopted a strict stand and warned of severe action against those found negligent. In this connection, an important meeting was held on Saturday, 11 January 2026, at the Municipal Corporation Headquarters. The meeting was attended by Joint Commissioner (Taxation and Collection) Vishwas Shankarwar, Deputy Commissioner (General Administration) Kishor Gandhi, Assistant Commissioner (Taxation and Collection) Gajanan Bele, Zonal Deputy Commissioners, and Assistant Commissioners of all administrative departments.
As per the Mumbai Municipal Corporation General Elections 2025–26 schedule, polling will be held on Thursday, 15 January 2026. Attendance at training sessions was made mandatory for all officers and employees appointed for election duty. Those who remained absent from training were given a final opportunity on Saturday, 10 January 2026. Dr. Ashwini Joshi had earlier warned that strict disciplinary and legal action would be taken under the Representation of the People Act, 2020, against officers and employees who remained absent or showed negligence during the election process. Accordingly, action has now been initiated.
The ongoing action includes officers and employees of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation as well as those from nationalised banks, BEST, BSNL, HPCL, insurance companies, LIC, MHADA, MTNL, the Postal Department, Railways, RCF, NABARD, and other government, semi-government, and public sector undertakings.
Dr. Ashwini Joshi stated that elections are a constitutional and legal responsibility, and negligence in this regard is considered a serious offence. As per the directive, police notices will be served at the offices of the concerned 4,521 employees starting Monday, 12 January 2026.
For the Mumbai Municipal Corporation General Elections 2025–26, the total number of voters is approximately 1 crore 3 lakh 44 thousand 315 (10,344,315). Conducting an election of this magnitude requires a large workforce. Polling will take place on 15 January 2026, while vote counting is scheduled for 16 January 2026. The administration is currently facing a significant shortage of staff, making it necessary to take strict decisions.
The administration is committed to conducting the election process in a free, fair, transparent, and disciplined manner. Dr. Ashwini Joshi has therefore made it clear that any delay, negligence, or violation of instructions will not be tolerated. All officers and employees are directed to immediately accept and faithfully discharge their assigned election duties, failing which legal and administrative action will be unavoidable.
Maharashtra
Clash at Bhiwandi Dindigad Hill Leaves Six Injured; Tension Reportedly Erupts Again at Hospital

Bhiwandi, Maharashtra: A dispute between two groups of youths at Dindigad Hill near Bhiwandi escalated into a physical confrontation on Sunday afternoon, leaving six people injured, according to preliminary information.
The incident reportedly began after a disagreement at the hill area. The dispute is understood to have been linked to objections over non-vegetarian food being brought to the location. What started as a verbal argument soon turned violent, with members of the two groups allegedly assaulting each other.
The injured were taken to Bhiwandi Sub-District Hospital for medical treatment. However, tension reportedly flared again when members of the two groups came face-to-face at the hospital. Police personnel were deployed at the hospital to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the confrontation and are examining the claims made by those involved. Further legal action is expected after statements are recorded and the facts of the incident are established.
The incident has raised concerns over the need for restraint and peaceful resolution of disputes, particularly in public places where clashes can quickly create tension in the surrounding area.
Maharashtra
MIDC Police Station operation: Heroin worth Rs 35 million seized, suspect arrested

MIDC Police Station Anti-Narcotics Squad PI Kholam and his team were patrolling the night of August 22 to take action against people using, buying and selling drugs within their limits.
On the 23rd, at around 12:10 am, the police saw a person moving around suspiciously in front of the gate of Hemant Karkare Garden, near Sahakari Bhandar, Poonam Nagar, Jogeshwari (East), Mumbai. PI Kholam found the person’s movements suspicious and the police team tried to stop him. On seeing the police, the said person tried to run away from there, however, with the help of the police team, he was arrested on the spot. During interrogation, the person initially gave evasive answers. Later, after taking him into confidence and conducting further detailed interrogation, a dark colored powder, which was said to be Heroin, was recovered from his possession.
The police searched the said person in compliance with all the legal requirements of the NDPS Act, 1985. Heroin weighing 302 grams, worth approximately ₹3,50,00,000 (Rupees 3 crore 50 lakhs), was recovered from his possession.
In this case, a case has been registered under Section 8(c) read with Section 21(c) of the NDPS Act under Case No. 943/2026 on the basis of a complaint received at MIDC Police Station, Mumbai. During the investigation, it was also revealed that the said drugs were being supplied in the area of MIDC Police Station. Further investigation of the case is underway.
Thus, PI Kholam, Officer of the Anti-Narcotics Team of MIDC Police Station and his team carried out a remarkable operation of timely arresting the accused drug dealer Tauseef Liaquat Qazi (29) and seizing 302 grams of heroin, worth ₹3.50 crores, from his possession. The successful operation was carried out under the guidance of senior police officers, including Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Dr. Manoj Kumar Sharma, Additional Police Commissioner Dr. Abhinav Deshmukh, Deputy Police Commissioner Datta Nalawade and Assistant Police Commissioner Yogesh Shinde. The operation was directly supervised by Senior Police Inspector Ghanshyam Nair and Police Inspector (Crime) Sunil Karande.
Maharashtra
FIR registered in Ganpati idol desecration case, situation under control in Mazgaon; DCP Jayant Meena targeted by Hindu organizations

Tension prevailed in the Mazgaon area of Mumbai when an incident of eggs being thrown at the Ganpati procession from a high-rise tower took place, after which the situation became tense and the police brought the situation under control and restarted the Ganpati procession. According to the details, the Ganpati procession was passing through the Mazgaon area when some unknown mischievous anti-social elements tried to desecrate the Ganpati idol by throwing eggs, after which Hindu organizations blocked the road and started a full-scale protest. DCP Jayant Meena reached the spot and tried to control the situation, but at the same time he was also surrounded by the crowd, but despite this, the DCP acted courageously and controlled the situation and established peace. But now the same DCP Jayant Meena has come on the hit list of Hindu organizations. He is being targeted on the social media accounts of Hindu organizations. This makes it clear that this raises the question that Hindu organizations do not have faith in the administration and the police. In the case of desecration of the idol of Ganpati, the police have registered a case under sections 299, 196 of the Bharatiya Naya Sanhita BNS. The accused has been identified. The police have identified him from the CCTV footage. At present, tension persists but peace is prevailing. The police have made strict security arrangements at the places. After this incident, a conspiracy to incite communal violence has also started in Mumbai city by the sectarians and after throwing eggs at the procession, Hindu extremist organizations are also criticizing the role of the DCP. DCP Jayant Meena has come under the target of Hindu extremist organizations, right wing. At present, the DCP said that the situation is peaceful and the police is taking necessary action in this matter. The police are also investigating whether more people are involved in this matter and what is the conspiracy behind it. This is the second incident of throwing eggs at Ganpati. Earlier, an egg was thrown at the idol of Ganpati in Kamatipura. Such an incident The police are also investigating why this is happening, but after this incident, it has become clear once again that Hindu extremist organizations do not trust the police action, which is why they are confronting the DCP. The police have not made any arrests in this matter so far, while the search for the accused is ongoing.
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