Mumbai: Twelve individuals from Mumbai and the Thane region, including two 17-year-old boys from Amravati and three women from Pune were booked under nine FIRs at Bandra police station on Sunday, the opening day of the week-long Bandra Fair that will continue till September 21. The suspects, aged between 17 and 35, are from Amravati, Pune, Nirmal Nagar (Bandra East), Santa Cruz and Ambivli in Thane district.

According to the police, the accused had travelled to the fair posing as devotees to steal mobile phones, gold chains and pickpocket worshippers. The Amravati teenagers were caught attempting to steal mobile phones, while the three Pune women who already have theft cases against them for incidents during the Dagdusheth Ganpati festival were nabbed while trying to steal gold ornaments.

Assistant Inspectors Vikram Patil and Bajrang Jagtap led a 35-member team from police stations between Bandra and Versova, working under the supervision of DCP-zone 9, Dikshit Gedam. Around 50,000 devotees visited the first day of the 300-year-old fair, which also marked the reopening of the restored Mount Mary Basilica.

Mumbai Police said they are developing strategies to counter organised thefts by criminals posing as devotees. In 2018, Bandra police had similarly arrested three women chain-snatchers from Chennai during the festival, for whom an interpreter was arranged as they spoke only Tamil.

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government’s decision to permit homoeopathic doctors to practise allopathy after completing a one-year pharmacology course has drawn sharp opposition from the state’s allopathic medical fraternity. Around 1.8 lakh allopathic doctors will observe a one-day statewide strike on September 18.

From September 17, the government will start separate registration of homoeopaths with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC), allowing those who have completed the CCMP course to practise modern (allopathic) medicine within a restricted scope.

In protest, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called for a one-day strike on September 18, with about 1.8 lakh allopathic doctors pledging support. All private hospitals and nursing homes will close their out-patient departments (OPDs) for new patients from 8 a.m. Thursday to 8 a.m. Friday, and private clinics will also remain shut. In-patient services and surgeries are expected to be affected.

Dr Santosh Kadam, president of IMA Maharashtra, said allowing homoeopathic doctors to practise allopathy after a short certification course “is playing with patients’ health.” Wrong medicines or misdiagnosis in emergencies could endanger lives, he warned. The resident doctors’ organisations of government and BMC medical colleges — Central MARD and BMC MARD — have also opposed the move.

The Federation of All India Medical Associations president Dr Akshay Dongardive warned that if the government does not roll back its decision, doctors will launch a nationwide agitation, even taking to the streets to alert the public about the risks.

The strike has also gained support from the Bombay Nursing Home Association, Maharashtra Senior Resident Doctors’ Association (MSRDA), the organisation of Medical Officers in Government Hospitals, Maharashtra Ophthalmological Society, and the Maharashtra unit of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, among several other medical bodies.

The much-anticipated Asia Cup 2025 clash between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on September 14, Sunday was a one-sided fixture as the Men in Blue sealed a comfortable seven-wicket victory. However, fans have the prospect of watching the two teams lock horns again on September 21 if Pakistan qualify for the Super 4.

Pakistan face a boom or bust defeat after a humiliating defeat to the Men in Blue on Sunday at the Dubai International Stadium. While the Men in Green still boasts of a positive net run-rate, they must beat UAE in their final group game on Wednesday. Should Pakistan qualify from Group A, they will play India on September 21 in Dubai.

If Pakistan lose their match to UAE and UAE beat Oman, UAE will have four points under their belt, enabling them to progress.

UAE are currently at the bottom of the points table in Group A with a net run-rate of -10.483. But two wins will take the net run-rate out of equation. UAE can still qualify if they beat Pakistan and their game against Oman is washed out due to rain as their points tally will be higher. For Oman to qualify, they must beat an in-form Indian side and UAE. Additionally, they must also hope for Pakistan to face a loss or no result against UAE.

Meanwhile, tensions boiled over after the match as the Indian team refused to shake hands with their Pakistani counterpart following the win. As a result, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha did not do the post-game presentation duties.

Hence, fans can expect heightened tensions should the two teams meet again in the multi-nation tournament.