Mumbai: Mumbai woke up on Friday to an unusually cool and refreshing November morning, offering residents a brief but welcome break from the city’s otherwise warm, muggy climate. Minimum temperatures dipped below 22°C, and early risers enjoyed clear skies, light winds and a mild chill, conditions that made the metro city feel closer to winter than its typical tropical setting.

But alongside the pleasant change came a stark reminder of the city’s environmental challenges. A thin, lingering layer of smog settled over the skyline, softening visibility and muting the otherwise serene morning. While the cool breeze provided comfort, it failed to disperse the pollution that has been steadily building through the month.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said clear skies are expected to persist through the day, with maximum temperatures likely to climb to 34°C by afternoon. The early-morning coolness is likely to continue for the next few days, meteorologists added, although improving air quality remains uncertain.

Mumbai’s overall AQI touched 263, keeping it consistently in the unhealthy category by Friday morning. This marks a sharp escalation from earlier this month, when the city recorded moderate air quality. Several pockets across the city reported alarming pollution levels, especially in industrial and densely populated zones.

The Wadala Truck Terminal recorded the day’s highest AQI at 375, classified as severe. Malad and Mazgaon followed closely at 305 each, also falling in the severe category. Worli (303) and Chembur (302) were similarly placed, showing how widespread the pollution surge has become.

Suburban areas showed slightly better air quality but still remained within worrying bands. Govandi registered an AQI of 167 and Kandivali East 180, both falling in the poor category. Parel-Bhoiwada (207), Borivali West (220) and Mulund West (220) reported unhealthy air, highlighting that few pockets of the city were spared.

For perspective, AQI between 0–50 is considered good, 51–100 moderate, 101–150 poor, 151–200 unhealthy and anything above 200 severe or hazardous.

Kalyan, Nov 20: A deeply distressing incident has been reported from Kalyan East, where a 19-year-old college student, Arnav Khaire, died by suicide after allegedly being assaulted in a crowded local train during a heated argument over speaking Marathi.

According to the complaint lodged at Kolsewadi Police Station the incident occurred on 18 November. Arnav a first-year science student at Vaze-Kelkar College Mulund boarded the Ambernath–Mumbai local train from Kalyan at around 8:40 am.

As the compartment was packed with passengers he was pushed back repeatedly by the heavy crowd. Arnav politely requested the commuters ahead to move slightly forward so he could stand properly.

However this simple request escalated unexpectedly. A group of two to four passengers allegedly confronted him aggressively, asking: “Are you ashamed to speak Marathi?” Arnav reportedly clarified that he was Marathi himself, but the group refused to listen and began assaulting him between Dombivli and Thane stations inside the moving train.

Shaken, injured, and deeply traumatised, Arnav alighted at Thane instead of travelling onward to Mulund for college. He returned to his home in Sahjeevan Residency, Kalyan East, and informed his father, Jitendra Khaire, about the assault over a phone call. The incident had left him in a state of severe emotional shock.

A short while later, when no family members were at home, Arnav died by suicide by hanging.

Arnav lived with his parents and younger brother. His father, who works in a private firm, expressed profound grief and demanded strict action:

A dispute over language should never reach such an extreme. No family should suffer what we are going through. I want justice for my son.

The Kolsewadi Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR). Confirming the development ACP Kalyan jee Ghete stated that an ADR has been registered and a detailed police investigation is currently underway.

Since the assault took place aboard a running suburban train, the case may be transferred to the Kalyan Railway Police for further investigation. Officials said that the identity and linguistic background of the accused will be established only after a thorough inquiry.

Despite Arnav himself being Marathi he was allegedly assaulted by individuals who questioned his use of the language a fact that has sparked serious concern among local residents. The incident has raised alarming questions about rising intolerance and commuter safety in Mumbai’s suburban railway network.

The Khaire family, devastated by the loss of their son, continues to urge authorities for a fair, transparent, and swift investigation into the events that pushed the young student to end his life.

Venugopal alias Bhupati had surrendered in Mumbai Gadchiroli, now after the encounter of Maoist Hedma, he has released a video and appealed for the second time that there is a need to put down weapons and work among the common people, there is a need to fight a legal battle for the rights of the people through democratic means.

Venugopal, after releasing his latest video, has made a heartfelt appeal to the Maoists that the way they are living with the common people after surrendering, there is a need to fight for development through democratic means. After surrendering, the Maoist said that his faith in democracy has been restored, now the situation has changed, there has been a change in the previous situation and the current situation. Along with this, the lives of many comrades have been lost and in such a situation, the lives of 6 comrades including Hedma have been lost, so now it is necessary to give up arms because it is impossible to continue the war through weapons and violence. Now we need to focus on development work along with the government in a democratic way and work for the rights of the people. This is our responsibility. Therefore, you can also contact me. Venugopal has appealed to the comrades for the second time to give up violence and lay down arms. Earlier, he had appealed to surrender in Gadchiroli because the Maoists had started calling Bhupati a traitor. Bhupati had denied this too and invited them to give up arms. Similarly, he has invited the Turks to lay down arms for the second time. A video of Venugopal Bhupati is viral in which he is saying that now the situation has changed, so the situation cannot be changed through violence, the path of non-violence is better for him.