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Maharashtra

Quash Governor’s decision to invite Shinde to be Maharashtra CM: Shiv Sena plea in SC

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The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear on July 11 a fresh plea by General Secretary of Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray faction, challenging the governor’s action of inviting Eknath Shinde to be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, representing Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai, mentioned the matter before a bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and J.K. Maheshwari and said that they seek listing of the fresh plea along with other pending petitions which are scheduled for hearing on July 11.

“We are challenging the appointment of Eknath Shinde as chief minister,” Kamat said.

The top court said it will be listed before an appropriate bench on July 11.

The plea said: “It is submitted that the action of the Governor dated June 30, 2022 in calling Respondent No. 4 to be the Chief Minister is completely arbitrary and unconstitutional.The president of Shiv Sena is Uddhav Thackeray. The last organisational elections were held in 2018 and the same was intimated to the Election Commission of India. There is no change to the organisational structure of the Shiv Sena and the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray is undisputed and unchallenged.”

A rebellion by Shinde-led Shiv Sena MLAs resulted in the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

The plea submitted that the Governor cannot recognise rebel MLAs as a political party as that would ring a death knell on the working of a multi-party democracy.

The plea said there is no merger as envisaged under para 4 of the Tenth Schedule and the President of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) had publicly and admittedly not aligned/supported the BJP. “These rebel MLAs have not merged in any other political party or formed a new political party, therefore even if it is assumed they formed 2/3rd strength of the Legislature party, para 4 of the Tenth Schedule is not at all attracted,” it added.

The plea contended in these circumstances, the satisfaction of the Governor for the purpose of calling upon Shinde to be the Chief Minister as the head of 39 rebel MLAs of Shiv Sena (which is not endorsed by the Shiv Sena) is by itself ex facie unconstitutional.

“The Constitution prohibits recognition of rebel MLAs of a political party under Tenth Schedule, and the action of the Governor legitimises what is expressly prohibited by the Constitution. The Governor has sought to recognise what the Constitution prohibits,” said the plea.

In these circumstances, the Governor in his ipsi dixit guided by his political masters acted malafide and in the teeth of the provisions of the Constitution granted de-facto recognition to the 39 rebel MLAs by inviting Respondent No. 4 to be the Chief Minister.”

The plea sought a direction from the top court to quash the decision of the Governor to invite Shinde to take oath as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and form the government.

“Pass an appropriate writ/order/direction quashing the illegal proceedings of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly held on 03.07.2022, and consequently the election of the Speaker; and/or c. pass an appropriate writ/order/direction quashing the illegal proceedings of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly held on 04.07.2022, and consequently the Confidence Motion in favour of Respondent No. 4 (Shinde),” it added.

Maharashtra

‘Gujarat Portion Of Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project To Be Completed By December 2027’: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

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New Delhi: The Gujarat portion of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project between Vapi and Sabarmati is planned to be completed by December 2027, while the entire 508 km project is expected to be completed by December 2029, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Wednesday.

However, the bullet train project is a very complex and technology-intensive and the exact timelines for its completion can only be reasonably ascertained after the completion of all associated works of civil structures, track, electrical, signalling & telecommunication and supply of trainsets, the minister added.

MAHSR is under execution with technical and financial assistance from the Japanese government. The project is passing through Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli with 12 stations planned at Mumbai, Thane, Virar, Boisar, Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, and Sabarmati, the minister said.

A cumulative financial expenditure of Rs 78,839 crore has been incurred on the project till June 30, 2025, he said.

The total estimated cost of the MAHSR project is approximately Rs 1,08,000 crore, out of which Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is funding 81 per cent of the project cost which works out to Rs 88,000 crore while the balance 19 per cent cost amounting to Rs 20,000 crore will be funded through equity contribution from Ministry of Railways (50 per cent) and Maharashtra and Gujarat state governments (25 per cent each).

The delay in land acquisition in Maharashtra impacted the project till 2021. However, currently, the entire land (1389.5 hectares) for the MAHSR project has been acquired. The Final Location Survey and Geotechnical investigation has also been completed, and alignment finalised. All Statutory Clearances relating to wildlife, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and Forest clearance have been obtained, and all the civil contracts of the project have been awarded, Vaishnaw said.

Till now, 392 km of pier construction, 329 km of girder casting and 308 km of girder launching have been completed. The work on the undersea tunnel (21 km approx.) has also started. In order to expand the high-speed rail (HSR) network in India beyond the MAHSR corridor and to meet the growing passenger demand between major cities of commercial and tourist importance, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) are being prepared by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), he added.

HSR projects are highly capital-intensive, and any decision to take up a new project is based on many factors such as technical feasibility, financial & economic viability, traffic demand and availability of funds & financing options. The commercial operation of the MAHSR project involves an affordable fare structure for the services, taking into account the socio-economic conditions of the clientele for optimum patronage of the HSR sectors, the minister added.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Airport Makes It To The Top 10 Airports In The World: Report

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Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has once again made India proud by securing a spot among the world’s top 10 international airports, as ranked by New York-based Travel + Leisure magazine in its World’s Best Awards 2025.

Recognised under the category of Readers’ 10 Favourite International Airports of 2025, CSMIA is the only Indian airport to feature on this prestigious list for the third consecutive year, earning an impressive reader score of 84.23.

The recognition highlights CSMIA’s dedication to creating a tech-enabled, future-ready and passenger-first airport ecosystem. Passengers lauded the airport for its world-class hospitality, efficient services, vibrant retail and F&B offerings, and overall seamless travel experience.

Spread across 1,900 acres, CSMIA is currently the world’s busiest single-runway airport and India’s second busiest by passenger traffic. The airport handles nearly 1,000 flights daily, offering connectivity to 54 international and 67 domestic destinations, operated by over 50 international and 7 domestic airlines. In FY 2024-25, the airport saw a footfall of over 55 million travellers.

Over the past year, CSMIA has introduced several passenger-focused innovations, such as:

DigiYatra and FTI-TTP integration for paperless, biometric-based boarding

A new Airport Operations Control Centre (AOCC) for real-time operational efficiency

68 e-gates, self-check-in kiosks, and a digital parking payment system

In line with its Digital First vision, these upgrades aim to reduce wait times, enhance security checks, and simplify overall passenger movement. Meanwhile, the airport has also expanded its culinary and shopping offerings, blending local and global flavours to cater to diverse traveller preferences.

Notably, CSMIA is the first airport in India and the third globally to receive Level 5 ACI Accreditation – the highest global standard for airport service quality and customer experience.

With a sharp focus on sustainability, digitisation, and customer satisfaction, CSMIA continues to set benchmarks for airport excellence, solidifying Mumbai’s place on the global aviation map.

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Crime

Maharashtra: 31-Year-Old Govt Officer Accuses Husband Of Installing Spy Cameras In Bedroom, Dowry Harassment; Case Filed

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Pune: A Maharashtra government officer has alleged her husband secretly installed spy cameras in their bedroom to record her private moments, and subjected her to mental and physical harassment by demanding Rs 1.5 lakh dowry, police said.

About The Case

The 31-year-old woman alleged her husband, also a government employee, had installed cameras in the bathroom, too, the police said on Tuesday.

Based on the woman’s complaint, the police have registered a case against her husband, mother-in-law, three sisters-in-law and husbands of two sisters-in-law under sections 85 (cruelty by a husband or his relatives towards a woman), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, they said.

The woman, a Class-2 officer in a state government department, was harassed physically and mentally by her husband and his family members, the police said, citing the complaint.

“The woman has alleged she was subjected to mental and physical harassment by her husband and his relatives, who pressured her to get Rs 1.5 lakh from her parental home to pay installments of car. When she refused to bring the money, she was beaten up,” an official from Ambegaon police station said.

The woman also alleged her husband installed spy cameras in their bedroom to record her private moments and threatened to make them viral if she did not fulfil his demand, the official said.

A probe was on into the complaint, the police added.

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