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Wednesday,24-September-2025
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Bombay HC Slams Thane Municipal Corporation For Illegal Construction On Govt Land, Orders Demolition

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Mumbai: Coming down heavily on the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) for shielding illegal constructions allegedly raised with the blessings of a former municipal corporator, the Bombay High Court has ordered demolition of three multistorey buildings and an unauthorised bar and restaurant built on government land meant for cattle grazing. A bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe on September 22 expressed shock at the civic body’s inaction.

“This is another case which would shock the conscience of the Court inasmuch as on the land in question,” the court remarked. It noted that there are “three buildings which are illegally constructed without obtaining any permission whatsoever from Thane Municipal Corporation, which clearly appears [to have] the blessings of the then Municipal Corporator, as alleged in the petition.”

The HC was hearing a plea by one Niraj Kabadi alleging that three buildings — Wings A, B and C — were erected on plots at Mauje Majiwada, Thane, without conversion permission from the state government. Additionally, former corporator Bhushan Bhoir and others had started “Mogambo Bar and Family Restaurant” (later Madhushala Bar) in their wives’ names without approvals. The facilities have been used for parties and events, it alleged. The court noted that despite a coordinate bench granting police protection for demolition in January 2025, TMC failed to act.

“It appears that the Municipal Corporation had adopted an approach to subsist such illegality and was not very keen to implement the law of the land,” the bench observed, questioning why action was delayed despite repeated orders. The judges also referred to earlier proceedings in a plea filed by one Subhadra Takle, where 17 similar unauthorized structures in Thane were razed after court orders — a decision upheld by the Supreme Court. Senior advocate Ram Apte, representing TMC, claimed demolition was obstructed by attempts to gather public crowds.

“It appears that the Municipal Corporation had adopted an approach to subsist such illegality and was not very keen to implement the law of the land,” the bench observed, questioning why action was delayed despite repeated orders. The judges also referred to earlier proceedings in a plea filed by one Subhadra Takle, where 17 similar unauthorized structures in Thane were razed after court orders — a decision upheld by the Supreme Court. Senior advocate Ram Apte, representing TMC, claimed demolition was obstructed by attempts to gather public crowds.

The bench, however, refused to accept the excuse: “If the real intention of the Municipal Corporation was to undertake demolition, then the first step would have been disconnection of electricity and water supply.” Accepting Apte’s undertaking, the court directed TMC to issue notices within a week, disconnect electricity and water in 15 days, and carry out demolition thereafter with police protection if needed.

The concession of notice was granted only due to the festive season, the bench clarified, stressing that the occupants had long known they were in unauthorized premises. Ordering demolition of the “rank illegal and unauthorized” buildings, the court stressed that the civic body must show “real intention” this time.

National News

Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation Registers 13 FIRs Against Illegal Hoardings, Banners And Posters In City

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The Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) has registered 13 FIRs against unauthorized hoardings, banners, and posters displayed across the city during a special drive. The action was taken under the instructions of Commissioner Manisha Ovhal, in line with directives of the High Court.

The drive was carried out across all four wards of the UMC region, where several illegal hoardings, banners, and posters had been put up without permission.

A team led by Additional Commissioner Dr. Dheeraj Chavan supervised the removal of the unauthorized material. UMC registered 13 criminal cases across different police stations in Ulhasnagar — two at Central Police Station, three at Vitthalwadi Police Station, six at Ulhasnagar Police Station, and two at Hill Line Police Station.

Ganesh Shimpi, Nodal Officer of UMC, said, “Under the instruction of the Commissioner, we will continue to monitor unauthorized banners, hoardings, and posters, and take action against them if they do not have permission.”

The civic body has appealed to citizens, political parties, and organizations to avoid defacing the city with illegal banners and posters. UMC warned that strict action will be taken against anyone violating the norms.

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National News

Mumbai: Central Railway Disrupted As Buffaloes Get Stuck Under Local Train

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Mumbai: Morning commuters on the Central Railway line faced unexpected trouble after two buffaloes got trapped under a local train between Vangani and Badlapur on Wednesday. The incident, which occurred around 11:07 am, brought train movement on the up-line towards Mumbai to a complete halt, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

The mishap took place when a herd of buffalo crossed the tracks near Vangani. While most managed to pass, two buffaloes came under a Mumbai-bound local train that had departed from Vangani minutes earlier. The train came to a sudden stop and remained stuck for over an hour as railway staff and local residents rushed to the scene to assist.

Both buffaloes were trapped under the train and sustained serious injuries. Rescue operations began immediately, with railway employees and villagers working together to remove the animals. The train crew remained on standby while officials coordinated efforts to restore traffic.

The disruption came during peak office hours, leaving hundreds of daily commuters helpless at stations across the Central line. With no trains running from Karjat to Mumbai, platforms at Badlapur, Ambernath and Kalyan quickly grew overcrowded. Passengers complained of long waits, uncertainty and possible delays in reaching their workplaces.

Officials confirmed to media that efforts were still underway to clear the line and resume services. Until then, local trains heading towards Mumbai remained halted, creating a ripple effect across the Central Railway network. While such incidents are rare, they highlight the vulnerability of suburban train services to unexpected disruptions.

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Crime

Mumbai Crime Branch Nabs Fugitive Wanted For Murder, Robbery & Extortion In Jammu

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch has apprehended a notorious fugitive wanted in connection with murder, robbery, and extortion cases registered in Jammu.

The accused, identified as Royal Manjeet Singh (37), a resident of Dalpatian Mohalla, Pir Mitha, Jammu, was wanted in Crime registered at Bus Stand Police Station, Jammu under Sections 333, 111, 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

According to officials, the Crime Branch’s Unit 8, Unit 9, and the Criminal Intelligence Cell received a tip-off that Singh would be arriving at Lucky Hotel, Bandra West, Mumbai, on September 23. Acting swiftly on this intelligence, a joint team of the three units carried out a raid and successfully apprehended the accused.

During interrogation, Singh’s direct involvement in the Jammu case was confirmed. Following due procedure, the Mumbai Crime Branch informed the Bus Stand Police Station, Jammu, and the accused was formally handed over to their custody for further legal action. This operation highlights the coordination between state police forces in tracking and capturing fugitives attempting to evade justice by moving across states.

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