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Maharashtra

Navi Mumbai International Airport: 94% Work Completed, Target Set For Launch On September 30, Says Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited and inspected the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) on Saturday, July 12. He was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Forest Minister Ganesh Naik during the site visit. The inspection aimed to assess the overall progress of the airport’s construction.

Addressing the media following the inspection, Fadnavis stated, “Today, we came here to review the progress of the airport. We saw a detailed presentation on the work’s advancement from the runway to the terminal building, and got all the information regarding it. Approximately 94 per cent of the physical progress is complete,”

The chief minister mentioned that the runway is fully constructed, while interior work inside the terminal is still in progress. Work on the terminal’s exterior, including the façade and ceiling, is being expedited, with all other construction activities continuing at a steady pace.

He also observed the advanced baggage-handling system at the airport. “We saw the baggage-handling system, which is the most efficient, in which the barcode of the baggage can be read through 360-degree scanning systems, ensuring it reaches the right place. We have asked the authorities that the baggage claim system in this airport should be the fastest not only in the country but in the entire world, and efforts are being made in that direction,” Fadnavis said, as reported.

The airport, once operational with two runways, will have the capacity to handle nine crore passengers annually. Highlighting the scale of the project, Fadnavis mentioned that NMIA will be many times bigger than the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai.

CM also mentioned that, “This will be the most modern airport in the country. As we have to seek the appointment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi (for the project launch), we have set the target of September 30 before them. It is an ambitious target.”

He added, “Currently, 13,000 to 14,000 workers are involved in the work daily, and we have asked the authorities to increase their strength by one-and-a-half times or double by September 30, because other licences are complete, but for commercial operations, all work has to be finished.”

Crime

NCB Attaches Properties Worth ₹2.36 Crore Of Ganja Smuggling Kingpin In Maharashtra

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Mumbai: The office of Competent Authority and Administrator under the SAFEMA & NDPS Act has confirmed the orders of attachment issued by NCB Mumbai concerning the movable & immovable properties worth Rs 2.36 Crores of a kingpin who was found involved in smuggling of Ganja.

The seized movable properties include three bank accounts & one Mahindra Thar and immovable properties include a piece of land at Uruli Kanchan, Taluka Haveli, Pune, Maharashtra.

The matter pertains to seizure of 111 Kgs of Ganja at Pathardi Road, Ahilyanagar by Narcotics Control Bureau, Mumbai leading to arrest of five individuals. The drug was found sourced from Andhra-Odisha Border area (AOB) and was destined to Pune, Maharashtra. In course of investigation, the kingpin & mastermind, operating this interstate drug syndicate from Pune had been arrested.

This case exemplifies NCB’s commitment to effectively identifying drug trafficking networks and disrupting their ecosystem by freezing assets acquired through money generated out of drug trafficking.

To fight against drug trafficking, NCB seeks support of the citizens. Any person can share information related to sale of narcotics by calling on MANAS- National Narcotics Helpline Toll Free Number-1933. The identity of the caller is kept confidential.

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Maharashtra

Maratha Reservation Protest Day 4: Agitators Throng Mumbai’s Marine Drive, Park Vehicles ‘Illegally’ On Promenade; Vehicular Traffic Blocked

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Mumbai: Mumbai’s daily life was thrown into turmoil on Monday as Maratha activists intensified their agitation for reservation in education and jobs. Protesters disrupted traffic at multiple points across South Mumbai, including Marine Drive, Mantralaya and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), forcing police and civic agencies to roll out emergency measures.

One of the most dramatic scenes unfolded at Marine Drive, where activists blocked the iconic seafront stretch by parking vehicles in violation of regulations. Protesters were also seen blocking roads and disrupting vehicular traffic. The move caused major disruption during peak hours and drew swift attention from authorities scrambling to ease the logjam.

Meanwhile, the security was tightened around key government establishments, with heightened focus on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ residence, Varsha, in Malabar Hill and the Mantralaya at Nariman Point. Amid fears that demonstrators might march toward the state secretariat, the Mantralaya was turned into a fortress.

Police erected a three-tier barricade system, sealing Madame Cama Road at both ends. Free Press Journal Marg, the arterial link between Vidhan Bhavan and Mantralaya, was shut to the public, while traffic was also suspended on General Jagannath Bhosle Road leading to the YB Chavan Centre. Only officials and staff were allowed entry as policemen stood guard at every point.

The ripple effect was visible at CSMT, one of Mumbai’s busiest railway hubs, where a huge crowd of protestors converged, choking access and creating gridlock during rush hour. Commuters faced long delays as railway authorities and police put contingency plans into action to maintain passenger flow and prevent overcrowding on platforms.

Adding to the congestion, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking announced diversions for several bus routes since morning. Buses that normally operated through Jagannath Bhosale Marg, D.N. Road, and Mahapalika Marg were rerouted via Sant Sewalal Chowk, Rambhau Salaskar Marg, and M.G. Road, though traffic snarls continued across the southern parts of the city.

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Crime

Mumbai: One Year On, No Progress In Kalina Drug-Planting Case Against 4 Cops

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Mumbai: After a year, there has been no significant progress in the drug-planting incident in Kalina involving four police personnel. The incident occurred on August 30, 2024. However, the police registered an FIR against the four personnel only after more than three months, following directions from the Human Rights Commission. Apart from this, there has been no major development in the case.

The Vakola police have neither taken any action against the accused nor filed a chargesheet or properly recorded eyewitness statements. They have also not added additional NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) sections to the case, applying only bailable sections instead. As a result, the accused were granted anticipatory bail.

The victim’s lawyer, Advocate Akshay Bhole, stated, “There has been no progress in the case and no chargesheet has been filed. The police have not contacted us. The victim has been at home for a year, as no one is willing to offer him a job out of fear. The Human Rights Commission’s hearing date is scheduled for December.”

The incident dates back to August 30, 2024, when PSI Vishwanath Omble and three constables — Imran Shaikh, Sagar Kamble, and Yogendra Shinde (also known as Dabang Shinde) — in plain clothes from the Khar police station visited Shahbaz Khan’s livestock farm in Kalina, Santacruz East, where Dylan Estbeiro, 31, was working. They allegedly frisked Dylan and planted 20 grams of mephedrone in his pocket during a staged search, later accusing him of drug possession.

The entire incident was captured on CCTV, which was later reviewed and shared publicly by Shahbaz Khan. Following the release of the footage, Dylan was released by the Khar police. The video sparked public outrage, prompting then-Deputy Commissioner Raj Tilak Roushan to suspend all four police personnel on August 31. Dylan told FPJ, “It has been one year since the incident occurred, yet there has been no major development in the case.

The investigating officer has also been changed. The police came to my residence and told my father that I should visit the police station after Ganapati. My career is over, and I do not know when I will get a new job. The police have not added NDPS sections so far against the accused police personnel.”

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