Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the investigating officer (IO) of the Mumbai police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) to remain present on Tuesday with the case diary in connection with a massive corporate fraud involving forged share certificates and illegal transfer of assets worth over Rs 1,000 crore.

The court was hearing a plea filed by Mamta Digvijay Singh, one of the arrested accused, seeking quashing of the magistrate’s order directing the registration of an FIR under Section 156(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code, as well as the FIR itself. Singh, along with co-director Mangesh Pandurang Kadam, was arrested on September 10 in the alleged scam. On Monday, a bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gauram Ankhad questioned the necessity of immediate arrests.

“There are so many such cases. What was the need to arrest these two immediately?” the bench asked, while directing the IO to place on record whether notices were issued to other accused and what inquiries were made prior to the arrests. The court noted that several accused, including Suketu Shah, Nilkanthan Iyer, Nirmal Jain, Balaji Raghuram and Mohammad Shahid do not have any interim protection from arrest.

The matter will be heard further on Tuesday after the IO furnishes details from the case diary. Public prosecutor KV Saste assured the court that the IO would remain present in the court with the case diary. Meanwhile, counsel for the complainant raised a preliminary objection to the maintainability of Singh’s petition, arguing that an order under Section 156(3) CrPC can only be challenged through revision proceedings.

The complaint was filed by businessman Rajat Jhunjhunwala, who alleged that his stake in Shajas Developers Pvt Ltd and its subsidiary JLS Realty Pvt Ltd was fraudulently wiped out by the accused. EOW alleged that nearly 3.9 million shares were illegally dematerialised and transferred through shell firms using fabricated signatures. Forged documents were also submitted to the Registrar of Companies. Witnesses have alleged that fake pledges of shares were created in favour of IDBI Trusteeship Services, raising questions over the involvement of other entities.

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) has demanded that the Maharashtra government publish a White Paper on the construction and quality of the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, popularly known as Atal Setu, after potholes appeared on the bridge within just 18 months of its inauguration.

Haji Shahnawaz Khan, AIMIM’s in-charge for Navi Mumbai, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts and state general secretary of the party’s students’ wing, raised serious questions over the project’s execution. He pointed out that the state government spent Rs 7,840 crore on the project, yet within a year and a half, the road surface has deteriorated.

The state administration has imposed a fine of Rs 1 crore on the contractor. However, Khan argued that such a penalty is negligible compared to the massive cost of the project and the likely profits earned by the contractor. “Allowing contractors to get away by paying small fines sets a dangerous precedent for other developmental works,” he said.

AIMIM has demanded that the contractor be blacklisted, criminal cases be filed against those responsible, and the company be barred from securing future government projects. The party has also called for a White Paper detailing the total expenses, land acquisition costs, and the list of companies and contractors involved in the construction.

Khan stressed that the people of Maharashtra have the right to know the truth about the Atal Setu project and urged the government to ensure accountability.

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to light to moderate rainfall on Tuesday morning. After a short respite over the weekend, Mumbai was lashed by heavy rain on Monday, leading the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to place the city under a yellow alert for the coming days. With thunderstorms, lightning, and spells of heavy rainfall expected, Mumbaikars have been advised to brace for another week of wet weather.

On Tuesday, the IMD issued a yellow alert covering Mumbai and its adjoining areas, warning of thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and intense showers. The alert signals a shift back into rain-heavy conditions for the city, which had just begun to recover from previous downpours. The department has further forecast that while scattered showers will continue midweek, another spell of heavy rainfall is likely on Friday, September 26.

According to official data, the city recorded moderate rainfall in the 24 hours between 8 am on September 22 and 7 am on September 23. The island city received 46.18 mm of rainfall, while the eastern suburbs registered 27.62 mm and the western suburbs 38.79 mm. The heaviest showers were recorded between 6 am and 7 am on Tuesday, although rainfall in that period was categorised as light across all regions.

Despite the intensity of Monday’s showers, no major disruptions were reported on Tuesday morning. Subways across the city remained operational and no waterlogging-related traffic snarls were recorded. The suburban railway network, often referred to as Mumbai’s lifeline, reported only minor delays. Services on the Central and Harbour lines were behind schedule by 5 to 10 minutes, while operations on the Western line continued without incident.

Looking ahead, the IMD has outlined a mixed forecast for the city. On Wednesday, September 24, Mumbai will see generally cloudy skies with moderate rainfall, with no warnings issued. Thursday, September 25, is expected to bring similar conditions, with maximum and minimum temperatures hovering at 30 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius, respectively.

However, by Friday, September 26, another spell of heavy rain is likely under cloudy skies, for which the IMD has again sounded caution. The weekend, September 27 and 28, is expected to see moderate rainfall, but without any formal warning in place.