Mumbai: A 55-year-old Nagpur resident lost over Rs1.40 crore in a cryptocurrency investment scam, cyber police said. According to officials, on July 25, while browsing the internet, the complainant came across an advertisement offering high returns on crypto investments. Clicking on the link, he was redirected to a fake trading website, where he registered and contacted a scammer posing as a trading expert. Following instructions, he first invested Rs1 lakh and soon received Rs4.5 lakh in his bank account, convincing him the platform was genuine.

Between July 11 and August 19, the man transferred Rs1.40 crore in multiple transactions to different bank accounts. Later, when he sought to withdraw his apparent profits, the scammers demanded more money as ‘taxes.’ Realising he had been duped, he approached police. A case has been registered by cyber crime police for cheating and forgery under several sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Mumbai: Who won? Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil or the Mahayuti government. While the former has claimed a thumping victory, sources say the BJP-led Mahayuti government is all set to reap the agitation’s political benefits in the impending local body elections. The government has taken subdued credit for the decisions that successfully ended the five-day agitation, while claiming that it has also protected its core vote back – the Other Backwards Classes (OBCs).

So cleverly has the political manoeuvring begun that OBC leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal have begun consolidating their political base by opposing the two c (GRs) by the government. Surprisingly, a cabinet member cannot oppose a decision taken by the government he is part of.

Since the OBCs have been the core voter base of the Mahayuti in general, and the BJP in particular, nobody from the alliance, not even Bhujbal’s party boss, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar (a Maratha), is likely to question him about his posturing.

Furthermore, the muchtalked-about boycott of cabinet meeting by Bhujbal on Wednesday does not fit into the rulebook of the code of conduct for ministers. But nobody will question him on this as well.

As things stand now, the Mahayuti is clearly trying its best to outsmart the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). However, the opposition stalwarts such as Sharad Pawar fully understand how effective the decision taken by the government was for Maratha protesters as no leader can speak against the OBCs while taking Jarange Patil’s side.

When reviewed carefully, the Maratha community has not received anything significant, as the process for acceptance of the Hyderabad Gazetteer and distributing Kunbi certificates to Maratha families engaged in farming is not going to be smooth due to multi-level scrutiny and the caste validity process as per law. In the end, the Mahayuti will reap the political benefits from both the Marathas and the OBCs. So who won?

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to cloudy skies and scattered showers on Thursday. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast cloudy skies and spells of moderate to heavy rainfall across Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) today. The weather department also issued a yellow alert for today and tomorrow, September 5.

According to the forecast, the city is likely to witness light showers in the morning and afternoon, with heavier downpours expected in the evening and late night hours. The IMD attributed this increase in rainfall activity to a low-pressure belt currently active over the Bay of Bengal, which is pushing moisture-laden winds towards the western coast.

In Navi Mumbai, light rainfall is expected through the early hours, followed by moderate to heavy showers later in the day. Thane and Kalyan-Dombivli are likely to witness intense spells by evening, which could lead to water accumulation on several roads. Officials have warned commuters to plan their travel accordingly, as traffic congestion may worsen during peak hours.

In the western suburbs, including Vasai-Virar and Mira-Bhayander, moderate rain is expected through the day. However, IMD has not ruled out the possibility of heavy showers in some pockets, particularly along coastal areas.

The advisory further states that rainfall activity may remain high across Mumbai and MMR through the day, before easing between September 5 and 7. Cloudy conditions, however, will persist across the region during this period. The monsoon’s influence is likely to continue until mid-September, after which the intensity of rainfall will gradually decline, according to the weather department.

The Konkan region stays under orange alert with districts like Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg expected to see heavy rains today. The weather department has warned of very heavy showers in isolated areas.