Maharashtra
Bombay HC dismisses petitions challenging delimitation of BMC wards back to 227 from 236

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday dismissed petitions filed by former corporators challenging the Maharashtra government’s ordinance reversing the previous Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s decision to go ahead with the delimitation of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) wards.
The order was passed by a division bench of Justices SB Shukre and MW Chandwani while hearing petitions filed by two former councillors – Raju Pednekar and Sameer Desai.
“We find no substance in both the petitions. Both the petitions stand dismissed,” said the bench while dismissing the petitions.
In 2021, the MVA initiated the delimitation process and increased the number of electoral wards from 227 to 236. However, on August 8, the present government reduced the number of wards to 227. On September 8, the ordinance was replaced by the Act.
Pednekar, a former corporator belonging to Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), had approached the HC after the Supreme Court granted him the liberty to withdraw his plea and move the Bombay High Court regarding the issue.
He sought quashing the government’s decision stating that it was against the Constitution. Pending the hearing of his plea, he sought a stay on the decision. Further he prayed that the State Election Commission (SEC) conduct the BMC elections based on delimitation conducted earlier, as per the Supreme Court’s orders on May 4 and July 20.
His plea had contended that in February 2022, the HC had dismissed pleas against the delimitation initiated by the MVA government increasing the BMC wards to 236. It was after this, that the SEC published a final notification in the official gazette.
The government has contended that the plea has been filed with “ulterior motives”. An affidavit filed by Priyanka Chhapwale, Deputy Secretary of the Urban Development Department, contended that there was a miniscule increase in population from 2001 to 2021 census and hence wards were not increased for the elections which took place in 2012 and 2017.
The 2001 census showed Mumbai’s population as 1,19,78,450 which increased to 1,24,42,373 in 2011 which is an increase of only 3.87%. “It is a well settled principle of law that the right to contest an election does not have the status of fundamental rights. Instead the said right is a mere creature of a statute,” it said.
Stating that the law as it stood prior to Nov 30, 2021 (with 227 seats) was valid and constitutional, the government has sought that Pednekar’s plea be dismissed which has been filed with “malafide” intentions and due to “political influence”.
The State Election Commission’s (SEC) Deputy Commissioner Avinash Sanas had filed an affidavit stating that when the seats were increased by the government from 227 to 236, the SEC had to scrap the work already done by it with regard to the pre-election process and restart it. It said the previous MVA government then amended the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act by which powers of the SEC for delimitation were withdrawn and the power was entrusted with the state.
Maharashtra
Two arrested, three dead in Dahisar bloody clash

Mumbai: Three people died in a bloody clash in Mumbai’s Dahisar MSP Ganpat Patil Nagar. Due to an old enmity, a bloody clash took place between the Gupta and Sheikh families last night in which 4 people were seriously injured and three died. In this case, the police have claimed to have arrested two people on charges of murder. Last night at 4:30 pm, the Gupta family of the Sheikh family attacked them with a sharp knife at their coconut stall. Due to this attack, Ram Lal Gupta senior and Arvind Gupta succumbed to their injuries and died on the spot. This bloody incident created a sensation in the area while Haroon Sheikh of the Sheikh family also died. After this clash, a case of cross murder has been registered against both the families. In this case, two people from both the families were also injured. In this case, a minor from the Sheikh family has been arrested and presented in the children’s home.
DCP Anand Bhuite said that this matter was about an old grudge and there was a clash between the two families in 2022 and a case has also been registered in this matter. He said that a total of three people have died in this matter. The police have registered a case in this matter and further investigation is underway. He said that after the murder, additional arrangements have been deployed to maintain law and order in the area. He said that a member of the Gupta family has also been arrested and the police are investigating this matter. The DCP said that a member of the Sheikh family was also killed in 2022. Communal elements had started trying on social media to give this murder a Hindu-Muslim color, but the police have made it clear in the investigation that this is an outgrowth of an old grudge and there was no personal enmity in it. The DCP said that after this murder, there is definitely tension in the area, but law and order is maintained and the police have also increased patrols. In addition, arrangements have also been deployed.
Maharashtra
Wanted accused in attempted murder of VB Nagar, Kurla, arrested from Jangal police station

Mumbai: Mumbai’s Kurla Vinoba bhave Nagar police station has claimed to have arrested two criminal goons from a forest in a police station adjoining Mumbai. On May 13, at 11:30 pm, the complainant was returning home after giving money to a rickshaw puller when criminal goons Dutta Mangesh Patil called as Sheru and Mahesh Krishna Maharana called as Panda pushed and abused the complainant on the way. When his brother-in-law and father tried to end the dispute, Sheru slapped the brother-in-law and Panda attempted to murder the complainant’s father by attacking him. In this case, the police have registered a case under various sections including attempt to murder.
In this case, two teams were formed on the instructions of DCP Ganesh Gawde of Zone 5 and a search was started for the two absconding accused. The team was informed that the two accused were in the forest of the police station. Here, the police arrested the accused Dutta Mangesh Patil alias Sheru, 30, and Manish Sanatan Sahu called as Chintu, 24. Several cases have also been registered against these accused. This operation was carried out under the leadership of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Satyanarayan Chaudhary and DCP Ganesh Gawde. Senior Inspector Ravinder Sirsagar said that several cases have been registered against the accused. The police have arrested them after searching for the absconding accused. These two accused had also tried to create terror in the area.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Police crackdown on drug peddler gang, arrests drug peddlers from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, drugs worth over Rs 13 crore seized

Mumbai: The Anti-Narcotics Cell and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ANTS) of the Mumbai RCF police station conducted a joint operation and arrested a drug peddler from RCF. During his search, the police recovered 45 grams of MD from his possession. The RCF police arrested him and registered a case under the NDPS Act against him. After that, the Mumbai police investigated and the drug peddlers were exposed. The police arrested five accused from Navi Mumbai and Mumbai and seized 6 kg of MD from their possession, the total value of which is said to be Rs 13.37 crore. This was a big drug racket that the police exposed and now the accused are being interrogated to find out how many more people they were in contact with and from where the drugs are brought to Mumbai. This operation was carried out on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Satyanarayan Chaudhary and DCP Nunath Dhole. Mumbai Police has intensified its operation against drug peddlers.
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