Mumbai: The police claim to have arrested a thief responsible for stealing a motorcycle from the Dongri area and have recovered the stolen vehicle from his possession.

A case regarding the incident was registered at the Dongri Police Station on September 12. Briefly, the facts are as follows: a Yamaha RX-100 motorcycle (registration number MH01C7815)—owned and used by the complainant, 60-year-old Vishnu Namdev Phadtare—was stolen by an unidentified thief from its parking spot at Podar Building, No. 09, Dr. Maheshwari Road, Dongri, Mumbai.

While investigating the case, Police Officer Jadhav and the Crime Detection Team examined CCTV footage from Sandhurst Road Railway Station (located within the Dongri police jurisdiction). The footage showed two unidentified individuals arriving on a motorcycle and then pushing the complainant’s parked motorcycle away on foot. Subsequently, a technical investigation tracing the suspects’ route led the police to the Shivaji Nagar area of ​​Govandi. Acting on information provided by an informant in that locality, the police identified a man named Firoz—a resident of Plot No. 34—who was found to be in possession of the stolen Yamaha RX-100 motorcycle (MH01C7815). The individual in question—Mohammad Firoz Nasir Khan (32), residing at Plot No. 34, Line B, Room No. 25, Road No. 5, near Ajmeri Masjid, Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, Mumbai—was brought to the police station for further questioning after police visited his residence. During interrogation, he revealed that he, along with his associate Dilshad Shahid Ali Khan (alias Bablu)—residing at Room No. 33, Plot No. 29, Line C, Road No. 05, near Ajmeri Masjid, Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, Mumbai—had stolen the aforementioned motorcycle from near Sandhurst Road Railway Station. The accused, Mohammad Firoz Nasir Khan, has been arrested in connection with the crime and remanded to police custody until September 22. During interrogation, the accused—Mohammad Firoz Nasir Khan (age 32)—admitted to stealing motorcycles from a total of four locations in collusion with his associate, Dilshad Shahid Ali Khan (alias Bablu, age 40); his arrest has resolved the case. Cases registered against him include:
1) Dongri Police Station (Case No. 625/2026, Sections 303(2) & 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita); Pant Nagar Police Station (Case No. 959/2026, Section 303(2) BNS); Koparkhairane Police (Case No. 598/2026, Section 303(2) BNS); and Govandi Police Station (Section 303(2) BNS).

The detection team successfully solved the case under the guidance of Additional Commissioner Shailesh Balkawade, DCP Zone 01 Manish Kalwaniya, and Mr. Tanvir Shaikh (Dongri Police Station) and Sagar Tilekar.

Mumbai, Sep 22: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced the election dates for five key Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) seats.

The election covers three Graduate constituencies (Aurangabad, Pune, and Nagpur) and two Teachers’ constituencies (Amravati and Pune), where the terms of the sitting members are set to expire on December 6, 2026.

According to official schedule released by the ECI, the notification will be issued on September 29, 2026, last date for nominations is October 6, 2026 while scrutiny of nominations will end by October 7, 2026. Polling will be held on October 23, 2026 from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM and the counting of votes will t take place on October 27.

Incumbent Representatives from Graduate Constituencies are Aurangabad Division – Bhanudasrao Satish Chavan (NCP), Pune Division – Arun Ganpati Lad( NCP SP) and Nagpur Division – Abhijit Govindrao Wanjari (Congress). The legislative members from the Teachers’ Constituencies include Amravati Division – Kiran Ramrao Sarnaik (Independent but officially joined Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena as an associate member) and Pune Division – Jayant Dinkar Asgaonkar (Congress).

The election declaration has set off discussion within the Mahayuti alliance—comprising Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and NCP, with all of the constituents eager to assert their presence across educated and influential voting bases.

The BJP views the Graduate constituencies as its traditional vote bank, having historically represented seats like Pune and Nagpur through senior leaders. Party strategists are keen to reclaim these seats after losing them in previous cycles. Ajit Pawar’s NCP holds strong grassroots claims, particularly in Pune Division while Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena has been actively consolidating outreach among educators, professors, and youth networks across Western Maharashtra and Amravati.

Key organisational leaders from Shinde’s party have conducted regional tours and secured endorsements from various teachers’ associations, making a compelling case for Shiv Sena candidates in the Teachers’ constituencies.

Mahayuti leadership emphasised that a unified seat-sharing formula will be finalised smoothly, with alliance leaders asserting that the coalition’s primary goal is to avoid vote fragmentation and leverage combined cadre strength to deliver a strong victory.

“Our focus remains on presenting a united front. Each constituent party brings a distinct organisational advantage among teachers, professionals, and graduates. A joint strategy will ensure a decisive victory across all five seats,” said a Mahayuti alliance source.

With polling scheduled for October 23, seat-allocation talks among top coalition leaders are set to accelerate before nominations open on September 29.

On the other hand, Opposition comprising Shiv Sena UBT, NCP SP and Congress will soon meet to decide their poll strategy. Sources indicated that three parties are expected to jointly contest the polls as Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance.

Mumbai, Sep 22: IIT-Bombay is set to replace ceiling fans in parts of its Powai campus with wall-mounted fans, according to sources, following the death of a 22-year-old student and amid demands for stronger institutional reforms and accountability.

The move comes days after Sahil Wakode, a second-year student of the Department of Energy Science and Engineering from Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his hostel room on Friday evening.

According to reports, the incident occurred hours after Wakode was allegedly caught using a mobile phone to access ChatGPT during a mid-semester examination.

Sources said the first consignment of wall-mounted fans has already reached the campus and installation work is expected to begin shortly. Although the replacement is being described as part of an ongoing renovation exercise, the development has attracted attention in the wake of the student’s death.

According to sources cited by media, discussions over replacing ceiling fans had been underway for around two months and the proposal was recently approved.

Students have also confirmed that the fans have arrived on campus. However, the institute administration has so far not issued an official statement on the reported replacement plan or commented on the matter.

The development has drawn criticism from NCP(SP) spokesperson Anish Gavande, who questioned whether changing the type of fans could address the broader issue of student suicides at educational institutions.

Gavande called for greater emphasis on suicide prevention measures and mental health support for students.

“Does IIT-Bombay really think that replacing ceiling fans with wall fans will solve the suicide problem affecting IITs across the country?” he said.

Wakode’s death subsequently led to protests on the IIT-Bombay campus, with students and political activists raising questions about institutional accountability and student welfare.

On Monday, IIT-Bombay removed Professor Suryanarayana Doolla from his position as Dean of Administrative Affairs following the protests. However, Doolla continues to remain a member of the institute’s faculty.

Wakode’s father, Ravindra Wakode, has alleged that his son was subjected to mocking, harassment and caste-based discrimination. He has sought an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his son’s death and the alleged role of the institute administration.

Following a complaint filed by Wakode’s family, the Mumbai Police have booked Professor Suryanarayana Doolla under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to abetment of suicide.

The investigation into the student’s death and the allegations raised by his family is underway.