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Maharashtra

After woman MLA attends session with infant, Maharashtra Legislature gets ‘Hirkani Room’

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A day after a woman MLA attended the Maharashtra Assembly session with her 10-week-old infant son, the state Legislature here got a small baby-care centre, here on Tuesday.

The centre is named ‘Hirkani Room’ symbolising the legendary courage of a milkmaid who was stranded in the Raigad Fort during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, but showing courage, she climbed down the steep hillock at the dead of the night to be reunited with her little child awaiting her in a village below the mountain.

The Hirkani Room was inaugurated by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA from Deolali (Nashik) Saroj Ahire Wagh – who shot to fame when she carried her two-and-half-months old son, Prashansak to the legislature on Monday.

In the presence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Ahire Wagh inaugurated the room – Hirkani means ‘diamond dust’ – with a cradle with a folding mosquito net, a small medical facility manned by a lady doctor and two nurses plus other requirements for child-care.

Present were Ahire Wagh’s family members, Ministers Tanaji Sawant, Deepak Kesarkar and other dignitaries at the small ceremony in the Room No. 106 of the legislature extension building.

Scores of excited legislators cutting across party lines met Ahire Wagh, played, blessed and clicked photos with the ‘youngest’ entrant to the state legislature since Monday.

On hearing of the development, Shinde had felicitated the MLA Saroj, her husband, Pravin Wagh and other relatives on Monday evening in his office.

On Tuesday, NCP’s Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar and other leaders also met the lady MLA and her child and lauded her efforts to combine her duties towards her constituents and responsibilities to her baby boy.

The Hirkani Room will enable young mothers to bring their minor kids to the legislature, feed them and take care as required while they can also fulfil their legislative duties as elected representatives, said an official.

On Monday, Wagh Ahire had also expressed a desire to have such a day-care facility or a creche to enable women legislators to bring their children during the sessions.

Crime

Mumbai Crime: 26-Year-Old Man Arrested For Sexually Assaulting 10-Yr-Old Boy In Lower Parel Railway Yard

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Mumbai: The Churchgate Police have arrested a 26-year-old man under the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy in the Lower Parel railway yard area on January 31. The accused is currently in police custody.

According to the Government Railway Police (GRP), the incident occurred on January 31 between 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM. The accused, a native of Madhya Pradesh, is unemployed and lives on footpaths in Mumbai. He has a criminal history, with several cases of theft registered against him at various police stations.

The investigation revealed that the accused lured the boy by promising him Rs.10,000 for watching a bag. He told him that his bag was stuck in the local train. He took the boy from Churchgate on a local train and alighted at Lower Parel. There, he led the boy inside the yard to a parked train and sexually assaulted him before fleeing.

The victim was found crying by the Mumbai Central Railway Police, who then traced his mother. The boy’s family resides on a railway platform. A case was registered and transferred to the Churchgate Railway Police Station.

Using CCTV footage and human intelligence, the police arrested the accused. The Churchgate Railway Police have registered a POCSO case against him. The boy is in the 3rd standard. 

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Crime

Mumbai Police’s Anti-Narcotics Team Attacked By Suspected Drug Traffickers In Navi Mumbai; Several Injured

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Navi Mumbai: In a shocking incident, the anti-narcotics team of the Mumbai Police was attacked by suspected drug traffickers during an operation in the Ulva area of Navi Mumbai last week. The incident occurred when the team conducted a raid in the Ulva locality while tracking suspects linked to a drug trafficking case who were located near Shagun Chowk.

When officers attempted to arrest them, the accused allegedly launched a violent attack on the police team using sharp weapons, including choppers, swords, hockey sticks and a village axe. In the attack, Assistant Police Inspector Kiran Mandhare of RCF Police Station was injured in the attack. Other police personnel, including Firoz Siddiqui, Ahmed Raza Qureshi and Atul Jaisawal, also sustained injuries and are currently undergoing treatment.

Following the attack, the senior police inspector at the Ulva Police station immediately sent a team of police for help. Moreover, a case has also been registered against all eight accused.

The report also stated that the Mumbai Police team did not seek help from the local police station before conducting the raid and had not informed the Navi Mumbai Police in advance about the operation.

Earlier In January 2026, three men were taken into custody for allegedly arguing with and assaulting traffic police personnel during a vehicle-checking drive at a naka bandi in Panvel on New Year’s Eve, leaving a traffic constable injured.

The incident took place around 2.30 am on December 31 at Shivshambho Naka, where traffic police had intensified checks as part of security arrangements for New Year celebrations.

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Maharashtra

BMC Announces Strict Sanitation Fines In Mumbai: ₹250 Fine For Spitting, ₹500 For Littering & ₹25,000 For Transporting Garbage Without License

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The Mumbai Municipal Corporation has stepped up efforts to improve cleanliness and sanitation across the city by intensifying awareness around solid waste management rules and imposing penalties for violations. The move is part of a broader push to ensure cleaner public spaces and better waste handling practices across residential, commercial and public areas.

The civic body is creating awareness about regulations related to waste generators, establishments, waste service providers and solid waste processing. These rules govern the storage, segregation, transportation, and disposal of waste. Officials have made it clear that strict penalty action will be taken against citizens and establishments that fail to comply.

Under the revised enforcement, fines have been specified for common violations. A penalty of Rs 250 will be imposed for spitting in public places. Dumping garbage will attract a fine of Rs 500, while failure to segregate wet and dry waste will result in a fine of Rs 200. Transporting garbage without a valid licence will invite a penalty of Rs 25,000.

As per the directions of Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, regular action is being taken to maintain cleanliness within municipal limits. Additional Municipal Commissioner City Ashwini Joshi, under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner Solid Waste Management Kiran Dighavkar, said continuous efforts are being made to strengthen solid waste management systems in the city.

Special cleanliness drives and activities are also being organised from time to time to reinforce these measures.

The bylaws will apply to all waste generators and to public and private places. This includes residential buildings, business and commercial establishments, professional and industrial premises, government and semi-government offices, educational institutions, religious places, recreational spaces and all other areas of public use.

The focus of the rules is on preventing littering and nuisance, ensuring clean premises and mandatory segregation of solid waste at source.

The regulations lay down detailed responsibilities regarding storage and collection of municipal solid waste, duties of producers, municipal authorities, representatives and contractors, and the handling of material recovery facilities. They also cover biomedical waste, e-waste, construction and demolition debris and plastic waste.

Additional fines have been announced for specific offences. Throwing garbage on roads, footpaths, gardens or public places will attract a fine of Rs 500. Bathing in public places will result in a fine of Rs 300. Urinating or defecating in public places will attract a fine of Rs 500 each. Feeding animals or birds in public spaces will also invite a fine of Rs 500.

Failure to keep courtyards or premises clean can result in fines ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500.

Dr Ashwini Joshi appealed to citizens and establishments to strictly follow the bylaws and cooperate with the municipal corporation in keeping Mumbai cleaner and more beautiful.

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