Maharashtra
Congress to begin probe into MLAs’ cross-voting in Maharashtra MLC polls
Senior Congress leader Mohan Prakash will reach Mumbai on Saturday for a two-day probe into the alleged cross-voting by party legislators during the Maharashtra Legislative Council biennial elections held on June 20, officials said here on Friday.
He will also examine the chain of events concerning the vote of confidence by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in which 11 Congress MLAs were absent in the special cession of the Maharashtra Legislature held on July 3-4.
A former AICC General Secretary In-Charge of Maharashtra, Prakash is well-versed with the state Congress’s faction-ridden politics and is expected to submit his report to the party high command for necessary action and remedial measures next week.
For the 10 MLC seats, the Congress had fielded two candidates – Chandrakant Handore and Bhai Jagtap – with calculations in their favour given the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi strength then.
In the hotly-contested polls, the first candidate Handore was trounced while Jagtap emerged the surprise winner, proving to be a huge loss of face for the party.
A prominent Dalit leader and ex-minister, Handore is the Working President of state Congress, while Jagtap is the Mumbai Congress President.
The party has taken the embarrassing debacle of its first-choice candidate (Handore) – who secured less than the allotted votes – very seriously in the MLC polls, said party officials.
Prakash is slated to meet top leaders including state Congress President Nana Patole, Handore and Jagtap, other senior leaders and legislators, jointly or individually to get to the bottom of the cross-voting mystery.
An office-bearer said the party will find out who was responsible for Handore’s defeat considering the MVA’s numerical strength which could have ensured victory for both Handore and Jagtap easily.
Soon after the elections, ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan and ex-Minister Naseem Khan besides Handore had demanded a probe into the cross-voting fracas, while Patole met Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal in Delhi.
Prakash will also discuss the chain of events leading to the collapse of the MVA, the “absenteeism” of the 11 Congress MLAs during CM Shinde’s vote of confidence on July 4, and whether they comprised the 7 suspected of cross-voting in the MLC polls.
The absentees included MLAs Jitesh Antapurkar who was busy with his (own) wedding and Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde was abroad, besides Ashok Chavan, Vijay Wadettiwar, Dheeraj Vilasrao Deshmukh, Zeeshan Siddiqui, Shirish Chaudhary, Madhavrao Javalgaonkar, Kunal Patil, Raju Awale, and Mohan Hambarde.
Maharashtra
Three killed as car crashes into stationary dumper on Mumbai-Goa Highway

Ratnagiri, July 15: Three people, including two women, were killed and two others sustained critical injuries after a car rammed into a stationary dumper on the Mumbai-Goa Highway in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district early on Wednesday, officials said.
The injured were rushed to Lanja Rural Hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment.
Police have launched an investigation into the accident and are working to ascertain the identities of the deceased and inform their family members.
According to officials, the victims were members of a family from Mumbai’s Agripada who had travelled to Goa. The accident occurred while they were returning to Mumbai, when their vehicle collided with a stationary dumper near the Lanja Rest House on the Mumbai-Goa Highway.
Officials said the impact of the collision was extremely severe, leaving the car completely mangled. Local residents and passing motorists rushed to assist the occupants trapped inside the damaged vehicle.
The police were informed immediately, following which a team reached the scene and began rescue and relief operations.
Police shifted the injured to Lanja Rural Hospital for treatment and took possession of the bodies of those who lost their lives.
Officials said further legal proceedings are underway. Police are also attempting to establish the identities of the deceased and contact their relatives as part of the investigation into the incident.
The latest accident comes a day after another major road mishap in Maharashtra.
On Tuesday, a private luxury passenger bus lost control and overturned on the Yeola-Nandgaon State Highway in Nashik district.
In that accident, one passenger died on the spot while five others suffered serious injuries. Around 25 to 26 passengers were travelling in the bus when the incident occurred.
The bus was negotiating a ghat section when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn on the roadway.
Crime
Mumbai man attacks wife with stone, slits throat over domestic dispute

Mumbai, July 15: A woman was brutally killed by her husband in a brutal attack near a traffic signal in the Oshiwara area of Andheri West in Maharashtra’s Mumbai, officials said on Wednesday.
According to the police, the accused assaulted his wife with a large stone before slitting her throat with a knife following a heated argument.
He fled the scene after the incident but was arrested by the police a few hours later.
The incident took place near a traffic signal located a short distance from the Oshiwara Police Station late on Tuesday. Police said a dispute broke out between the couple over an issue.
According to the preliminary investigation, the argument intensified, following which the accused allegedly picked up a large stone and attacked his wife. He then allegedly used a knife to slit her throat.
The woman collapsed at the spot and suffered severe bleeding as a result of the assault, officials said.
After receiving information about the incident, a team from the Oshiwara Police Station rushed to the scene and shifted the injured woman to Cooper Hospital for treatment.
Doctors at Cooper Hospital examined the woman and declared her dead.
The accused husband had fled from the spot in an apparent attempt to evade arrest. Police immediately launched a search operation, and the accused was traced and arrested within a few hours of the incident.
A case of murder has been registered against the accused under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police said the accused is being interrogated to ascertain the exact motive behind the killing and to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the crime.
Maharashtra
The Chief Minister today inaugurated the beautification and lighting project of Art Avenue in the historically and culturally rich Kala Ghora area of South Mumbai.

Mumbai: has gained a new artistic niche thanks to the beautification and lighting project of the Kala Ghoda Art Avenue. The BMC has further enhanced the beauty of the Kala Ghoda area by creating an artistic zone in harmony with the existing historical architecture, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lauded the project. The beautification and lighting project of the Art Avenue in the historically and culturally rich Kala Ghoda area of South Mumbai was inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today (July 14, 2026). The inauguration ceremony was held at Kala Ghoda Plaza, B Bharucha Marg, Mumbai.
Deputy Chief Minister Sunitra Pawar was also present on the occasion. Legislative Assembly Speaker and local MLA Advocate Rahul Narvekar, Minister for Information Technology and Cultural Affairs and Guardian Minister of Mumbai Suburban District Advocate Ashish Shelar, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde, Leader of the House Ganesh Khanna; Leader of Opposition Kishori Pednekar; Shiv Sena Group Leader Ramay Ghole; Standing Committee Chairman Shri Prabhakar Shinde, Committee Chairperson Scindia Doshi Sakre; BEST Committee Chairperson Triushna Vishwasrao and local corporator Advocate Makrand Narvekar, Corporator Harshita Narvekar, Corporator Dr. Gaurav Shivalkar Narvekar, Corporator Kamlakar Dalvi, Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Prajakta Vermalongare, Deputy Commissioner (Zone 1) Chanda Jadhav, and Assistant Commissioner (A-Ward) Gajanan Belle were present along with residents and business owners of Kala Ghoda area. Chief Minister Fadnavis said that the planning of Kala Ghoda area has included attractive pedestrian paths, public open spaces and designs in harmony with historical architecture. As a result, high quality and aesthetically pleasing public amenities are now available for the citizens. Local business owners have also contributed significantly to this initiative. He said that the area is set to become a major tourist attraction for Mumbai visitors. The Kala Ghoda area of South Mumbai, which is rich in historical and cultural heritage, is considered to be a symbol of the city’s historical, cultural and artistic legacy. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken up the task of beautifying various roads in the area with a view to providing citizens and tourists, both domestic and international, with a safer, more enjoyable and world-class walking experience, and also adding a new dimension to the ‘Heritage Walk’. The historical heritage, ancient structures, art galleries, museums and cultural wealth of South Mumbai have given Kala Ghoda a unique identity. The annual ‘Kala Ghoda Arts Festival’ further enhances the global cultural stature of the area, making it a centre of attraction for tourists from the country and abroad.
Beauty of up to 500 metres
With an aim to provide Mumbaikars and tourists with a rich ‘Heritage Walk’ experience, five roads—Gandhi Marg (Forbes Street), Rutherford Street, and B. Bharucha Marg—have been developed. In the first phase, an area of about 3,443 square metres has been transformed, measuring about 500 metres in length.
Attractive open-air seating with tables and chairs
Adorned with famous eateries, cafes, restaurants, jewellery galleries, stylish clothing showrooms, art galleries, and heritage sites, the area now offers an experience reminiscent of the open-air cultural streets of Europe. Like many European cities, attractive open-air seating arrangements including tables and chairs have been set up outside roadside cafes and eateries. This allows tourists to enjoy tea, coffee, snacks or various delicacies while soaking in the artistic atmosphere of the area. As a result, the Kala Ghoda area is poised to become a distinctive tourist destination not just for sightseeing, but for leisure and a truly immersive experience.
Pedestrian-friendly walkways
The project will see heavy vehicles barred from entering the area, and modern barricades will be installed on all sides. An attractive ‘Kala Ghoda Plaza’ has been developed at the junction of B Bharucha Marg. The plaza features a combination of grey and black granite with basalt paving. Aesthetically pleasing, winding and pedestrian-friendly pathways have been created throughout the area. This enables tourists to enjoy leisurely strolls, shopping, and culinary delights. The streets included in the Kala Ghoda area include Sai Baba Marg, Rope Walk Lane, Dr. V.B. Gandhi Marg (Forbes Street), Rutherford Street, and B. Five streets along Bharocha Marg will remain closed to vehicular traffic and will be open exclusively for pedestrians between midnight every Saturday and Sunday.
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