Maharashtra
BMC elections 2023: FGGL to middle-class to press NOTA to highlight pending demands in Mumbai

Mumbai: The Federation of Grantees of Government Land (FGGL) has decided to appeal to all activists and voters to press the None Of The Above (NOTA) button in the next BMC elections. FGGL is an organisation demanding conversion of land allotted to thousands of cooperative housing societies by the government into freehold land.
The organisation is, in fact, toying with the idea of forming a NOTA Party of India to give an institutional framework to their movement.
President of FGGL, Salil Rameshchandra, and General Secretary Vikaramaditya Dhamdhere said that for the past several years their organisation has been trying to persuade the Maharashtra government to convert government-allotted land to freehold for them to undertake redevelopment of thousands of old and dilapidated buildings.
FGGL said at present the State Government is demanding 60-70 % of the ready reckoner rate which is beyond the middle-class bandwidth. The federation has instead suggested 5% for redevelopment to be viable.
“We have been pressing for this for the past several years, but politicians of all persuasions are only giving false promises. Hence, we have decided to appeal to the middle-class, which forms a substantial portion of the electorate, to press the NOTA button in protest against the indifferent attitude of politicians,” Mr Rameshchandra said.
Several activists contacted by the Free Press Journal supported the pro-NOTA campaign. Prominent activist Dr Gaurang Vora said the support for NOTA is the need of the hour. “All political parties are the same. They make tall promises but forget the very voters who sent them to office when they come to power. It’s high time their cheating is stopped. NOTA is a powerful weapon in the hands of the common man, and he should exercise it,” he observed.
Noted activist Sameer Jhaveri said, “I fully support the demand. Politicians simply don’t care for the common man. For each and every problem, ordinary people have to move the courts to get justice, which is time-consuming.”
Neeraj Pattath of the Petition Group, too, supported the demand. Jaypal Shetty of the group also backed the demand for NOTA. He said, “I was a part of the Anna Hazare movement. Our main demand was better governance, free of corruption. But the movement didn’t succeed for several reasons. The call to press the NOTA button is an alternative before the people. They should press it to demonstrate their exasperation at growing corruption and an indifferent government.”
However, Vasant Patil, who is part of the Samvidhan Morcha, said NOTA is not an option. “It is like running away from the problem. Political parties must be tackled politically,” he said. Another activist Naseer Jahagirdhar, too, said pressing the NOTA button is not an option. “There’s need for something like the criminal procedure and civil procedure codes that will make the administration accountable,” he said.
A meeting of activists is likely to be held in the coming few weeks to decide upon ways to mobilise public opinion around NOTA, especially among the middle-class. According to political observers, slum votes are managed by political parties with huge funds at their disposal. It’s the middle-class that has been taken for granted all these years.
Maharashtra
Local Police Arrest Suspect in Mira Road House Looting Incident

Mumbai: In an unusual turn of events, Mira Road police have successfully apprehended a suspect believed to be involved in a recent house looting incident that had left local residents unsettled. The arrest, which was made early Friday morning, follows an intensive investigation launched after the break-in was reported to authorities.
According to the police report, the incident occurred earlier this week when the occupant of the residential property returned home to find it ransacked. Valuables, including jewelry and electronic devices, were reported missing. The meticulous efforts by the investigating officers, including gathering CCTV footage and conducting neighborhood inquiries, played a crucial role in identifying and locating the suspect.
The accused, whose identity has been withheld pending further investigation, was apprehended after a brief chase and later confessed to the crime during police interrogation. Authorities recovered a significant portion of the stolen items from the suspect’s possession.
Residents of Mira Road have expressed relief following the arrest, praising the police force for their rapid response and dedication to maintaining community safety. “We feel more secure knowing that the police are actively working to protect us,” said one local resident.
This incident has prompted the police to urge residents to enhance home security measures and report any suspicious activities immediately. The authorities have reiterated their commitment to maintaining peace and order in the area.
The suspect is currently in custody and will be presented in court later this week, as the police continue their investigation to determine if he is connected to any other recent burglaries in the vicinity.
Maharashtra
Former SIMI Office-Bearer & Key Accused In Delhi-Padgha ISIS Terror Module Case, Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan, Dies Following Brain Stroke

Mumbai: Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan (63), a former office-bearer of the banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and a key accused in the Delhi-Padgha ISIS terror module case, died after suffering a brain stroke. He was undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital and died about an hour before official sources confirmed the development.
Nachan was under investigation for his alleged involvement in aiding ISIS-linked operatives and was facing serious charges under anti-terror laws.
Nachan who was under judicial custody in Tihar Jail, was admitted to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital on Monday after suffering a stroke.
Due to the severity of his condition, he was shifted to Safdarjung Hospital on Wednesday morning for advanced medical care. According to National Investigation Agency (NIA) sources, Nachan was under close observation in the ICU prior to his death.
Maharashtra
59-Year-Old Laundryman Dies After Drinking Stain Remover Mistaken For Cough Syrup In Lower Parel

Mumbai: A 59-year-old laundryman from Lower Parel died after accidentally consuming a chemical used for removing stains from clothes, mistaking it for cough syrup. The incident occurred near Deepak Cinema in Jia Masoom Chawl, where the deceased, Sambhajit Rajai Dhobi, ran a small ironing shop. The NM Joshi Marg Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in the case.
Speaking to the media report, Senior Inspector Arvind Chandanshive of NM Joshi Marg Police Station said the incident occurred on the night of June 25 around 11:00 pm, when Sambhaji mistakenly consumed the stain remover chemical that had been stored in a cough syrup bottle. The next morning, between 7 and 8 am, he began vomiting blood and was rushed to KEM Hospital for treatment. However, despite efforts, he was declared dead by doctors at 3:20 pm on June 26.
Police said Sambhaji, who also worked as a clothes washer, had kept the chemical used for stain removal in a bottle typically used for cough syrup, which led to the fatal confusion.
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