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Maharashtra: Congress to probe MLC cross-voting, MLAs absence in trust vote

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Taking serious cognisance of the instance of cross-voting in the June MLC biennial elections and absence of 11 legislators during the July 4 vote of confidence by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Congress ordered a high-level probe, party sources said here on Friday.

The Congress has directed national spokesperson Mohan Prakash to conduct the enquiry into these lapses on an urgent basis.

“The Congress President has deputed Mohan Prakash to Maharashtra to make an enquiry and submit a report in the wake of the recent political developments in the state, with immediate effect,” said an announcement from AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal.

The developments came quick on the heels of meetings between Rahul Gandhi and ex-minister Naseem Khan and Chandrakant Handore — the party’s official nominee who lost the MLC polls on June 20.

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole had met Sonia Gandhi on Thursday and demanded action while the candidate Chandrakant Handore had met Rahul Gandhi and had complained about the seven MLAs who had cross-voted which was a precursor to the fall of MVA government where Sena rebels also cross voted .

Mumbai Congress president Bhai Jagtap had said: “High Command should take action against the seven MLAS and the party has sent notice to 11 others who were absent during the trust vote.”

Similarly, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole has sought disciplinary action against the errant legislators who may have cross-voted in the MLC polls and also 11 others — including ex-Chief Minister Ashok Chavan — for absenteeism during the Shinde government’s vote of confidence on July 4.

Khan has pointed out to the party top brass how Handore — the Congress official candidate was allotted 29 votes against the 26 quota, but managed to bag only 22, indicating a cross-voting by at least seven party MLAs.

Earlier, ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan had also accused 7 Congress MLAs of alleged cross-voting and demanded action against them.

Last month’s fast-paced developments, starting with the Rajya Sabha (June 10) and MLC (June 20) polls saw the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi nominees suffering major reverses with the Bharatiya Janata Party getting advantage on both occasions.

Later, on June 20, the MVA ally Shiv Sena was beset by a sudden revolt that saw the collapse of the 31-month-old government in just 10 days, with the BJP-supported Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis sworn-in on June 30.

Crime

Maharashtra: Gadchiroli Police Destroy Maoist Monuments, Arrest Naxal Supporter During Anti-Maoist Operations

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Gadchiroli: Police recently destroyed two Maoist-erected monuments and arrested a Naxal supporter actively involved in violent activities against security forces. Officials said both actions were part of ongoing anti-Maoist operations aimed at eliminating fear from local communities.

On September 30, a police team from Poste Katezari, along with SRPF personnel, was conducting a search operation in the Katezari and Marma forest areas of Mauja Katezari. During the operation, they found two Maoist monuments, erected two to three years ago, intended to spread fear and show Maoist presence in the region.

After inspection by the bomb disposal team, both monuments were demolished and destroyed. Police said that, with the cooperation of local citizens, trees were planted at the site as a symbol of peace.

Superintendent of Police, Gadchiroli, Nilotpal, said: “The Gadchiroli police is trying to free citizens from the terror of the Maoists. Such memorials have no place in society, and people are urged not to participate in such illegal constructions.”

In a separate incident on September 29, while security forces were conducting an anti-Maoist operation in the Bhamragad area, they received information about a suspicious person allegedly conducting reconnaissance of security forces.

The man was detained and later identified as Sainu alias Sannu Amlu Mattami (38), a resident of Poyarkothi, Bhamragad. Investigations revealed he was a staunch Naxal supporter involved in violent activities, including an encounter between police and Maoists in the Koparshi-Phulnar jungle area on August 27, 2025.

Mattami was arrested on September 30.

According to officials, since January 2022, Gadchiroli police have arrested a total of 110 Maoists, a result of sustained anti-Maoist operations in the district.

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National News

Mumbai: ₹500-Crore Bhagwati Hospital In Borivali To Open By December After Delays

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Mumbai: After years of anticipation and multiple setbacks, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Shri Harilal Bhagwati Hospital in Borivali is finally nearing completion. The ₹500-crore super specialty hospital will be ready by November 15 and is expected to open its doors to patients by December, bringing long-awaited relief to residents of the city’s western suburbs.

The hospital’s redevelopment has been a prolonged process marked by repeated delays. The project was planned in two phases. The first phase, launched in 2009, became partially operational in 2016 with 110 beds, though it missed its original deadline by two years. The second phase, which began in August 2019, was scheduled for completion by October 2022. However, the deadline stretched nearly three years, pushing the project’s completion to November 2025.

Officials have cited several factors for the delay, including lapses by contractors, administrative hurdles, and rising costs. The COVID-19 pandemic further slowed progress as manpower and resources had to be diverted toward emergency healthcare. Additionally, project costs escalated due to design changes aimed at transforming Bhagwati into a modern super specialty hospital, equipped with facilities such as a Cath Lab, modular operation theatres, and advanced diagnostic units.

Once fully functional, the hospital will have 373 beds, with plans to eventually expand to 490 beds. It is expected to significantly reduce the patient burden on major civic hospitals such as Cooper, KEM, and Nair, while also serving patients from Palghar and Dahanu.

“The full-scale operation of Bhagwati Hospital will help decentralize healthcare in Mumbai and ease pressure on central civic hospitals,” said BMC Additional Commissioner (Health) Sharad Ughade.

Departments including Medicine, Surgery, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, and Ophthalmology have already been revived and reopened. In the coming months, super specialty services in Nephrology, Cardiology, and Neurology will also be introduced, alongside a state-of-the-art Cath Lab.

For the rapidly growing western suburbs, the opening of Bhagwati Hospital marks a vital step in improving access to advanced healthcare closer to home, ending years of dependence on distant hospitals for specialized treatment.

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Bombay High Court Upholds SBI Decision To Declare Anil Ambani’s Account As Fraud

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The Bombay High Court on Friday refused to quash the order passed by the State Bank of India (SBI), which had classified the loan account of Reliance Communications and its chairman, Anil Ambani, as ‘fraud’.

The classification was made on June 13, 2025, under the Reserve Bank of India’s Master Directions on Fraud Risk Management and SBI’s internal policies.

Ambani had challenged the move, arguing that the bank had not followed principles of natural justice. He claimed that he was not given an opportunity to be heard before the account was flagged as fraudulent. He also stated that some crucial material used in the classification was initially withheld and only provided to him after a delay of six months.

The High Court, however, upheld SBI’s decision, noting that the classification was in line with regulatory guidelines.

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