Mumbai: Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) began raids in the Mithi River desilting scam case on Tuesday. Since morning, EOW teams have been conducting raids at more than 8 locations in Mumbai, including offices and residences of contractors and BMC officials.

An FIR was filed in the case, which names five contractors, three middlemen, two company officials, and three BMC officials, accusing them of causing wrongful loss to the BMC by submitting false claims for debris removal. The scam, part of the larger Rs 1,100 crore Mithi River desilting and beautification project, has come under intense scrutiny.

Earlier in April, EOW questioned 10 contractors and asked the BMC to submit CCTV footage uploaded on its official portal that allegedly documented the quantity of debris removed from the riverbed. Cops are examining whether the debris was actually removed, and if the removal process was documented through weighing, videography or photography, as mandated in the contracts.

The investigation also includes an audit of contracts awarded for both desilting and beautification, reviewing terms and conditions, and verifying records maintained by the BMC and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

This probe marked the sixth SIT formed by EOW to investigate civic contract irregularities in Mumbai, following earlier cases such as the Khichdi scam, COVID-19 centre scam, Lifeline Hospital scam and body bag procurement scam.

In March, EOW officials had already recorded statements from six civic officials directly involved in tender processes and monitoring of debris disposal. Field inspections were also conducted along a 17-km stretch of the Mithi River, with focus areas including Bandra and Kurla, to collect physical evidence.

The Mithi River desilting project dates back to post-July 2005 floods, when the Maharashtra government decided to desilt and widen the 17.8-km river stretch. Of this, the BMC was assigned responsibility for an 11.84-km section from Powai to Kurla, while the MMRDA took charge of the remaining six kilometres, from Kurla to Mahim Causeway.

In August 2024, the Maharashtra Legislative Council had directed the formation of an SIT to probe alleged financial misappropriation after BJP MLCs Prasad Lad and Pravin Darekar raised concerns in the Council.

As part of the preliminary inquiry, the EOW SIT had earlier summoned and questioned three contractors, Rishabh Jain, Manish Kasaliwala and Shersingh Rathod. The probe was later widened to include BMC officials, as evidence of irregularities in tender execution began to surface.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena(UBT) on Monday claimed that all is not well in the Mahayuti government as, despite a roaring majority, the alliance partners — BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP — are involved in proxy war and all the top leaders want to become the Chief Minister.

The editorial attacked the May 3 meeting held by the state government to mark the completion of 65 years of the formation of Maharashtra state, where all former CMs were invited, but none from the opposition camp attended. Former CM Eknath Shinde also stayed away and sent a representative.

The Thackeray camp in the party mouthpiece Saamana editorial said that everyone in the grand alliance is testing each other. Ajit Pawar has launched a drive to bring in discipline in the finance department, while the Chief Minister has curbed the dominance of the contractors, which has made former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde uneasy, and his party ministers are feeling the pinch.

“Shiv Sena Minister Sanjay Shirsat called Ajit Pawar ‘Shakuni’ (cunning and manipulative villain) after the funds of the Social Justice department held by him were diverted to Ladki Bahin Yojana. As a result, the minister’s bungalow, car and two peons were left in the social justice department. The war in the state government has reached such a point that the concerned minister angrily demanded the closure of the social justice department. Now, the latest is that the former Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, skipped the felicitation of former chief ministers organised by NCP on May 3 to mark the completion of 65 years of the formation of Maharashtra state,” the Saamana editorial said.

“The question is that those who call Ajit Pawar ‘Shakuni’ today will not hesitate to call Fadnavis ‘Duryodhana’ (Villain in the Mahabharata story; the eldest and greatest of the Kauravas) tomorrow. Prakash Ambedkar (the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi founder) says, the moment of ‘swallowing’ is approaching. “It’s just a matter of watching who will swallow whom (in the Mahayuti),” said the editorial.

Prakash Ambedkar has warned that ‘Shinde-Pawar should be careful. “You never know when the python will swallow you. Ambedkar likened Fadnavis to a python, but those who sacrificed 56 male buffaloes at the Kamakhya Devi temple will not hesitate to attack the python’s head,” claimed the editorial, indicating that former CM Eknath Shinde will not leave his chase for the CM’s post.

“The Maharashtra government has a majority, but is the government stable? The government is not stable and the government’s mental health is not good, as can be seen from the daily developments,” taunted the Thackeray camp.

“Devendra Fadnavis is currently the Chief Minister. At the same time, Ajit Pawar also wants to become the Chief Minister, and he has openly said so. Ajit Pawar has become the Deputy Chief Minister six times, which is a record, but he has not become the Chief Minister with such a strong hold yet. If he stays with the BJP, his desire to become the Chief Minister will never be fulfilled. Why would Amit Shah make a rival’s nephew the Chief Minister? This is a simple question,” said the editorial.

“For many years, I have also wanted to become the Chief Minister, but that combination has not come together anywhere,’ Ajit Pawar admitted again on Saturday. Even though Ajit Pawar said this, Fadnavis is not scared. The felicitation of former chief ministers was organised last week by the Amit Shah-led NCP, though Ajit Pawar looks after the party work in Maharashtra,” claimed the Thackeray camp in a stinging swipe.

“Ajit Pawar took the initiative to felicitate the former Chief Ministers of Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar, Sushilkumar Shinde, Prithviraj Chavan and Uddhav Thackeray did not turn up at the ‘felicitation ceremony’ for former Chief Ministers, but the ever-vivid former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also boycotted the felicitation ceremony and sent his representative to the event. Shinde avoided attending the felicitation ceremony as a former Chief Minister. Because his mind is not ready to accept that he is no longer the state Chief Minister,” said the editorial.

“Even after the Assembly elections, his (Eknath Shinde) party chief, Amit Shah, had told him that he would be the Chief Minister, but Fadnavis snatched away the crown. Since then, this gentleman (Eknath Shinde) has been walking around with a knot in his beard while hinting that he will become the CM again,” said the editorial in a dig at Eknath Shinde and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“In fact, if Shinde is not ready to call himself ‘former’, then he should always call himself ‘future’ Chief Minister. Overall, there is confusion in the current government of Maharashtra. Maharashtra is suffering from this confusion. Two former Chief Ministers were present at the felicitation ceremony organised by Ajit Pawar’s group. One of them, Narayan Rane, was the Chief Minister in the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government. Later, he changed many parties, but did not become the Chief Minister. This means that the Shiv Sena chief has turned many stones into gods. ”If it were not for the Shiv Sena, the police would have conducted our encounter. We survived because of the Shiv Sena,” Rane has admitted in the past,” said the editorial.

“The other former Chief Minister who was present was Ashok Chavan, who lost his Chief Ministership in the Adarsh scam of the Defence Department. Now he has joined the BJP. Such a (former) Chief Minister was felicitated by the Ajit Pawar group. It is not clear whether Fadnavis was felicitated as ‘former’ or ‘present’, but the ‘recent’ former Chief Minister did not come, which made Ajit Pawar’s ceremony dull,” said the Thackeray camp in its sarcastic comments.

“They say that the meetings between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar have increased, but Sharad Pawar did not attend Ajit Pawar’s political ‘Gaurav’ programme (felicitation ceremony). It would have been better if all the former Chief Ministers had come to the glorious Maharashtra festival, Fadnavis said. Let alone all the other former Chief Ministers, tell us why even the recent former Chief Minister in the government did not come,” said the editorial.

House Arrest Show Had Also Invited the Model

Mumbai: A rape case has been registered against film actor Ajaz Khan at the Charkop Police Station in Mumbai. Ajaz Khan allegedly developed a relationship with a 30-year-old model-actress under the pretense of getting her roles in films and TV serials, and then sexually exploited her. Following this, the victim filed a complaint against him with the police.

Ajaz Khan allegedly had non-consensual sexual relations with the victim on April 4. The police have registered the case under relevant sections of the BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), including Sections 69, 74, 64, and 64(2)(M).

Ajaz Khan first met the victim during the “House Arrest” show, which he was hosting. However, the victim later declined to work in the show. Around that time, Ajaz took her phone number and began communicating with her. On March 24, he called her and later initiated video calls, during which he spoke of his belief in God and even tempted her with a promise of marriage.

The victim stated that when she mentioned her sister was still unmarried, Ajaz Khan proceeded to establish a physical relationship with her at Bhoomi Park in Kandivali, against her will. Later, on April 4, he called her to SV Road and sexually exploited her again.