Mumbai: A social media post featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a red saree triggered political drama in Dombivali, where BJP workers retaliated by making a Congress leader wear a saree in public. The incident followed a viral morphed video of the Prime Minister, shared on Facebook by senior Congress leader Prakash alias ‘Mama’ Pagare.

Pagare, a veteran Congress functionary from Dombivali, had posted the edited video on Monday with the caption, “Sorry girls, I too want to stay in trend.” The clip was set to a popular Marathi song “Mi Kashala Arshaat Pahu Ga,” showing a morphed image of Modi draped in a saree. The post quickly drew sharp reactions from the BJP’s Kalyan district unit, which accused Pagare of insulting the Prime Minister.

Determined to give a ‘fitting reply,’ local BJP leaders devised their own symbolic protest. Acting on a tip-off that Pagare usually spends mornings near Manpada Road in Dombivali (East), district BJP chief Nandu Parab, mandal president Karan Jadhav, and party functionaries, including Sandeep Mali and Datta Malekar, confronted him on Tuesday morning.

Pagare, dressed in a white kurta, pyjamas and polished black shoes, was caught off guard when BJP workers surrounded him. They forcibly draped him with a brand-new ornate saree (shaloo), worth Rs 5,000, purchased earlier that day from a local cloth shop.

“What are you doing?” Pagare reportedly shouted, but BJP workers completed the act, warning him against repeating such actions. One party member even patted him on the cheek in a sarcastic gesture before the group dispersed.

Speaking to the press later, BJP’s Kalyan district president Nandu Parab justified the act, saying, “If anyone attempts to malign our senior leaders on social media, we will respond in kind. Today, Pagare had to face this in public because he disrespected the Prime Minister. Let this be a warning.

Mumbai: Protests are continuing in Maharashtra and Mumbai in response to the case filed in Kanpur for writing “I Love Muhammad.” Following the controversy surrounding the removal of an “I Love Muhammad” banner in Mumbai, police in Mumbai are now monitoring social media. Additionally, to address the banner controversy, police have appealed to Muslims to refrain from displaying banners in public places, fearing the potential for law and order problems. Police sources have not ruled out the risk of damage to the banners or unrest in Mumbai due to incitement by miscreants against the banners, but the police are monitoring all aspects. “Come to Muhammad (PBUH)” banners are being displayed not only in Mumbai but throughout Maharashtra. Processions are being held under the “Come to Muhammad” banner in all districts of Maharashtra, including Beed, Parbhani, Nanded, Ahmednagar, Nashik, Malegaon, Aurangabad, Osmanabad, Bhiwandi, and Thane. Last night, a protest was held in Ahlia Nagar, Ahmednagar, against the case filed in Kanpur for writing “Come to Muhammad.” During the protest in Ahlia Nagar, Ahmednagar, devotees of the Prophet (PBUH) carried placards reading “Come to Muhammad.” Between 1,000 and 1,200 protesters participated. Slogans such as “La ilaha Allah, I have fulfilled my intentions,” “I am a slave, I am a slave to the Prophet,” “Look, O Prophet,” “Look, O Prophet,” and “Look, my child is sacrificed for the Prophet’s honor” were also raised. Police made tight security arrangements for the event. Protests are also being held in Maharashtra and Mumbai, with banners displaying “Come to Muhammad.” Controversy erupted over the display of banners in Mumbai’s Byculla, Sakinaka, and Govindpur. A case was also filed in Byculla for protesting with placards reading “Come to Muhammad.” Police said the case was filed for holding a procession without permission.

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the investigating officer (IO) of the Mumbai police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to remain present on Tuesday with the case diary in connection with a massive corporate fraud involving forged share certificates and illegal transfer of assets worth over Rs 1,000 crore.

The court was hearing a plea filed by Mamta Digvijay Singh, one of the arrested accused, seeking quashing of the magistrate’s order directing the registration of an FIR under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, as well as the FIR itself. Singh, along with co-director Mangesh Pandurang Kadam, was arrested on September 10 in the alleged scam. On Monday, a bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gauram Ankhad questioned the necessity of immediate arrests.

“There are so many such cases. What was the need to arrest these two immediately?” the bench asked, while directing the IO to place on record whether notices were issued to other accused and what inquiries were made prior to the arrests. The court noted that several accused, including Suketu Shah, Nilkanthan Iyer, Nirmal Jain, Balaji Raghuram and Mohammad Shahid do not have any interim protection from arrest.

The matter will be heard further on Tuesday after the IO furnishes details from the case diary. Public prosecutor KV Saste assured the court that the IO would remain present in the court with the case diary. Meanwhile, counsel for the complainant raised a preliminary objection to the maintainability of Singh’s petition, arguing that an order under Section 156(3) CrPC can only be challenged through revision proceedings.

The complaint was filed by businessman Rajat Jhunjhunwala, who alleged that his stake in Shajas Developers Pvt Ltd and its subsidiary JLS Realty Pvt Ltd was fraudulently wiped out by the accused. EOW alleged that nearly 3.9 million shares were illegally dematerialised and transferred through shell firms using fabricated signatures. Forged documents were also submitted to the Registrar of Companies. Witnesses have alleged that fake pledges of shares were created in favour of IDBI Trusteeship Services, raising questions over the involvement of other entities.