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Maharashtra

Case filed against 4 people including Congress leader Vartak for cheating by posing as CBI officer

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Mumbai: The Kasturba Marg police on Friday registered an FIR against four people, including Maharashtra Congress’s environment cell state president Sameer Vartak, who are accused of allegedly forcibly entering the Borivali residence of builder Anil Gupta on September 2, 2024 by posing as Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers and advising a ‘raid’.

The CBI has registered a case against four people, including a Congress worker, for conducting raids at the builder’s house. After the case was registered, the Congress has sacked Sameer Vartak from his post. Congress leader Harshvardhan Sapkal has resigned. The CBI has registered a case against four people, including a Congress worker, for conducting raids at the builder’s house. Vartak, who heads the environment cell of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee, is accused of raiding the builder’s house along with three unidentified people posing as CBI officers after receiving a complaint and trying to extort money from him.

Gupta, 51, who owns a Vasai-based construction firm and is active in the Vasai-Virar area, lives in Kushal Heritage Building in Borivali East. Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had searched his premises in connection with a land grabbing case related to the construction of 41 unauthorised buildings in Aggarwal Nagar, Vasai East. In his police complaint, Gupta said that on September 2, 2024, two men went to his house and claimed to be CBI officers, saying they were investigating a complaint filed against him by Vartak. They asked him to come down for questioning. When Gupta refused and asked for a copy of the complaint, the men called Vartak, who was allegedly waiting outside the building. Soon after, Vartak and another man who claimed to be a CBI officer arrived there. Gupta alleged that the group of four men threatened to arrest him and demanded a financial “settlement” to settle the case.

Gupta refused, saying he would cooperate with any legal investigation. The men then left, warning him that he would be summoned to the CBI office. Gupta approached the CBI headquarters in Delhi to confirm the claim and was told that no such complaint had been filed by Vartak. On November 19, the CBI wrote a letter to the Maharashtra Director General of Police, requesting him to take action against those involved. Gupta then approached the Kasturba Marg police with a formal complaint and CCTV footage from his residence to identify the accused. The police have registered a case under sections 3(5) (common intention), 204 (cheating by impersonating a public servant), 205 (forgery of official symbols) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Naya Sangh (BNS).

Senior police inspector Jiraj Ranavare said, “We conducted a preliminary inquiry and confirmed that these people were not CBI officials. We are confirming the identity of the three people who were with Vartak.” Vartak has denied the allegations. I was called to the spot by some people who introduced themselves as CBI officers. I had filed a complaint against Gupta and was just cooperating. It seems this is part of political vendetta, I am ready to face any investigation.

Maharashtra

Impact of Maharashtra Bandh: Student protests intensify in Mumbai, road blockades in Chembur and Kurla, police alert, Chief Minister orders action

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Mumbai: Due to the Maharashtra bandh in Mumbai Shivaji Park, Kurla, Chambor, Chunabhatti, Mankhurd and other suburban areas, the VBA took out a protest demanding the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan. Meanwhile, the police detained protesters from Chembor, Kurla and other areas and later released the protesters. The normal system in Mumbai remained affected due to the Maharashtra bandh, but schools, colleges and public transport were running as usual. Along with this, in the Kurla area of ​​Mumbai, women protesters took to the streets and blocked the road in protest against the Net Paper Leak issue, due to which the traffic system was affected. Later, the police removed the women from the road and normal life returned to normal. The Maharashtra bandh has affected normal order in various areas of Mumbai. The Thackeray brothers and Amit and Aaditya Thackeray have also supported the protesters in Shivaji Park. Now the Thackeray brothers have made it clear in the press conference that they will march on July 26. If anyone tries to create chaos or stone pelting or violence like Delhi, they will not be tolerated and the MNS will respond to it. Along with this, Raj Thackeray has announced a peaceful protest and has threatened the government that if any attempt is made to create unrest in this protest, it will be responded to. Today, several protesters and leaders were detained during the protest.

Police driver threatens to implicate students in drug case
After the video of Shivaji Park threatening to implicate students in drug case went viral, an inquiry has been started against the constable in this matter and in this matter, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the inquiry of the constable is going on and he has been removed from here. It is unfortunate that the video has gone viral in this matter. Devendra Fadnavis said that under the guise of this protest, Uddhav Thackeray is trying to save his existence. He said that in Maharashtra too, the paper has been leaked in the Uddhav Thackeray government.

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Maharashtra

A public movement in Mumbai warns against UP government’s action on Jauhar University! Meeting of scholars and intellectuals at Islam Gymkhana, appeal to the state governor to intervene

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Mumbai: The Uttar Pradesh government’s order to demolish parts of Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar University in Rampur has drawn strong reactions in Mumbai. An important meeting was held today at the famous ‘Islam Gymkhana’ in Mumbai against this action. The participants made serious allegations and said that instead of establishing new centers for higher education, the government is destroying an institution that shapes the future of thousands of students. The speakers in the meeting stressed that this issue is not limited to a single building but is related to the educational future of thousands of students, the education system and the rights of minorities. They were of the view that if there were any technical irregularities in the operations or construction of the university, the government should have tried to correct them within the legal framework and save the institution. Instead of finding any constructive solution, this action is being taken only in the spirit of political revenge. The meeting unanimously condemned this unfair policy in the strongest terms. Important resolutions were passed in the meeting to determine the future course of action. It was decided that a delegation would immediately meet the Governor of Maharashtra and submit a memorandum, urging him to direct the Uttar Pradesh government to intervene in the matter. A warning was also issued that if the government took further action against Jauhar University, a massive public movement would be launched in Mumbai. This important meeting was attended by a large number of prominent scholars, social workers, and intellectuals of Mumbai, including MLAs Abu Asim Azmi, Yousuf Abrahani, Meraj Siddiqui, Maulana Anis Ashrafi, Aamir Idrisi, Saleem Alwar, Saeed Hamid, Sarfaraz Arzoo, and Dr. Zeba Malik.

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Maharashtra

Modak Sagar Lake, which supplies water to Mumbai, also overflowed, with the total water storage in all 7 lakes at 69.74% capacity.

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Mumbai: Modak Sagar Lake, one of the seven lakes supplying water to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) area, started flowing at 2:07 am today (July 23, 2026). The BMC’s Hydraulic Engineering Department said that a gate of the lake has been opened. The water level in the reservoir has increased rapidly due to continuous, heavy rainfall in the areas occupied by the lakes over the past few days. The maximum water storage capacity of Modak Sagar Lake, which started flowing from tonight, is 12,892.5 crore litres (128,925 million litres). In previous years, Modak Sagar Lake started flowing on July 9, 2025, July 25, 2024 and July 27, 2023.

The total maximum water storage capacity of the seven dams supplying water to Mumbai is about 1,44,736.3 crore litres (1,447,363 million litres). As of 6:00 AM today, the total water storage in all seven lakes is 1,00,943.2 crore litres (1,009,432 million litres). This water storage is 69.74% of the maximum water storage capacity of the lakes, which is 1,447,363 million litres.

Additional Information
1) The Modak Sagar Project, built on the Vetarna River in Shahpur taluka of Thane district, is a key water source meeting the drinking water needs of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

2) The construction of the project was completed in 1954, and it is managed by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

3) Located 120 km from Mumbai, the project has a structure length of 548.64 metres and a height of 82.296 metres.

4) The total catchment area is 450.625 sq km, and it contributes 11.22% to the total water supply provided to Mumbai.

5) Out of the seven lakes supplying water to the BMC area, Modak Sagar Lake has started flowing from today. Ahead of this monsoon season, Tansa Lake started flowing at 8:51 am on July 22, 2026. ‘Vihar’ Lake started overflowing at 9:00 pm on July 7, 2026, and ‘Tulsi’ Lake also started flowing at 11:43 pm on the same day (2026). Thus, as of July 23, 2026, four of the seven lakes supplying water to the BMC area have filled and overflowed.

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