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Maharashtra

Democracy in peril amid signs of authoritarian shift: Shiv Sena(UBT) in ‘Saamana’

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4 months ago

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Mumbai, June 16: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Tuesday claimed that there was an alarming “downfall” of India’s democratic and political systems amid engineered defections, alleged EVM destruction, institutional silence and public distractions, which were signs of an authoritarian shift.

The Thackeray camp, in an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’, said the news of defecting MLAs and MPs has completely consumed India’s television channels and newspapers. While the burning down of four thousand Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) received zero debate on news channels, an MP missing a Shiv Sena meeting was sensationalised into a topic of national discussion. This is precisely what happens across the globe under dictatorial regimes: new controversies are manufactured daily to divert public attention from fundamental issues.

The party accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of becoming a “thief market of rumours”. “The harvest of rumours originating from this market is what they define as development. They have recently floated a rumour claiming that ‘Prime Minister Modi is the longest-serving Prime Minister’. However, they remained absolutely tight-lipped about the reality — not a rumour — that five crore rupees were embezzled from the Ayodhya Ram Temple,” it said.

“Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi failed to express even basic grief over the deaths of three Indian sailors killed in a US attack. Instead, he departed for a tour of France, immersing himself in dance and musical celebrations, while the bodies of those sailors lie rotting at a port in Oman. This desecration of the mortal remains of Indian citizens is deeply concerning,” it remarked.

The editorial argued that while these tragedies unfold, the BJP continues its relentless campaign of poaching MLAs and MPs from other political parties. BJP appears determined not to leave even a trace of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), founded by Mamata Banerjee. Consequently, TMC MLAs and MPs are defecting daily.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena alleged that the ruling dispensations showed no signs of stopping their arrogant onslaught to split opposition parties. “The BJP and its henchmen have begun bragging: ‘We broke the Trinamool, and now we will break the Shiv Sena again’. They are calling this ‘Operation Tiger’. In reality, a regime of cunning wolves is running the country and the state of Maharashtra, yet they boast about executing an Operation Tiger,” it commented.

The editorial said that during the BJP rule, the Speakers of the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies are effectively rolling up the Tenth Schedule and tossing it into the fireplace. Defectors openly march up to the Speaker’s doorstep, declaring, “We have split, give us recognition”, and the Speakers are seen openly participating in these illegal acts. Even the Election Commission and the Supreme Court appear to be functioning as protectors of the treacherous.

The Thackeray camp claimed that the BJP intends to impose single-party rule over the country. Their ultimate goal is to end democracy, alter the Constitution, and usher in a presidential system draped in dictatorship. “They aim to wipe out regional parties across states and destroy the country’s diverse political culture — and the process has already begun. This implies that, moving forward, elections will cease to exist, and a President will directly appoint their own cabinet. The country is rapidly heading towards this system of governance,” it noted.

“As the government maintains a calculated silence on pressing domestic crises — including severe inflation, exam paper leaks, rising unemployment, the crashing value of the rupee, and atrocities against women — the nation’s political landscape continues to be dominated by engineered political defections sold under the guise of development,” said the Thackeray camp.

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Maharashtra

Kasturba Marg Police recover 100 stolen mobile phones, return them to their original owners

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2 days ago

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October 3, 2026

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Acting on complaints regarding stolen and lost mobile phones within the jurisdiction of the Kasturba Marg Police Station in Mumbai, police analyzed data from the CEIR portal and conducted technical investigations. By verifying device details, IMEI numbers, and user information, officers from the Kasturba Marg Police Station tracked down and recovered a total of 100 mobile phones from locations across Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.

The total estimated value of the 100 recovered mobile phones is ₹2,270,658. Of these, 18 phones have already been returned to their respective owners/complainants, including: 1) Rajendra Puri, 2) Khush Saw, 3) Kripa Lodhiya, 4) Shreya Satam, 5) Atul Sathe, 6) Priyanka Mistri, 7) Banu Tarang, 8) Prem Gupta, 9) Adya Shaikh, 10) Shweta Shah, 11) Sandhya Pandit, 12) Deepak Sawdekar, 13) Saurabh Jhangar, 14) Ketan Shete, 15) Onkar Raut, 16) Jayalal Yadav, 17) Lakshmi Appa Kripagiri, and 18) Praveen Dubey. The process of returning the remaining phones to their owners is currently underway.

This operation was carried out under the supervision of the DCP (North, Zone 3), Mumbai, by the team at Kasturba Marg Police Station, led by Balasaheb Bunkar.

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Crime

CBI books Mumbai firm, officials in Rs 93.44 crore loan fraud case

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2 days ago

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October 3, 2026

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Mumbai, Oct 3: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at multiple premises in Mumbai and registered a Rs 93.44 crore bank fraud case against officials of Hanjer Biotech Energies on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, an official said on Saturday.

The CBI conducted searches on Friday at multiple premises linked to the directors of Hanjer Biotech Energies in Mumbai, the CBI said in a statement.

The CBI registered the instant case on September 30, 2026, on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, SAM Branch, Mumbai, against Hanjer Biotech Energies, its directors and guarantors, unknown public servants and unknown private persons.

The accused were booked for offences of criminal conspiracy for cheating and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, resulting in alleged wrongful loss of approximately Rs 93.44 Crore to the bank.

It was alleged that the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy, obtained term loan of Rs 135 crore on the invoices of its related party and diverted/siphoned off the funds for other purposes for which it was not sanctioned, causing loss to the bank, the CBI said.

During the searches on Friday, incriminating bank documents and property documents relevant to the investigation were recovered and seized.

Investigation is continuing to ascertain the full extent of the conspiracy, identify the role of all involved persons, including public servants and private individuals, and trace the end-use of the loan funds, the CBI said.

In a separate case on Friday, the CBI arrested an Executive Engineer of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Mumbai, his relative and three officials of a Mumbai-based real estate group, in a Rs 50 lakh bribery case related to the issuance of a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a land parcel.

Vikrant Verma, Executive Engineer, CPWD Mumbai; Saurav Gupta, Verma’s relative based in Pune; and Arvind Semwal, Vice President, Baya Company, were among those named in the FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday, an official said.

The arrested accused were produced before the Special CBI Judge in Mumbai on Friday, the official said in a statement.

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Maharashtra

Monsoon Withdraws Further from Maharashtra; Hot and Humid Weather Alert Issued for Konkan Region

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2 days ago

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October 3, 2026

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MUMBAI PRESS — The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Saturday, October 3, 2026, that the Southwest Monsoon has withdrawn from parts of Maharashtra, as well as the remaining regions of North India, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

The current withdrawal line of the Southwest Monsoon passes through Harnai, Baramati, Parbhani, and Brahmapuri in Maharashtra, extending northeastward through Raipur, Ranchi, and Supaul. Weather officials stated that conditions are favorable for further retreat from most parts of Marathwada, Vidarbha, and additional areas of Madhya Maharashtra over the next 2 to 3 days.

Hot and Humid Stretch for Coastal Maharashtra
Residents in the coastal belt should prepare for elevated discomfort over the weekend. The IMD has issued a hot and humid weather warning for Konkan & Goa prevailing from October 3 through October 5.
Following this dry and muggy stretch, mild weather activity is expected to return to the region. Isolated to scattered rainfall is forecast across Konkan & Goa and Madhya Maharashtra between October 6 and October 9.

Southern and Northeastern Forecast
While monsoon forces retreat from central and northern parts of India, southern states are bracing for heavy downpours. Isolated heavy rainfall is predicted over Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal from October 4 to October 6, with South Interior Karnataka expected to receive heavy spells on October 5 and 6.

In the northeast, isolated heavy rainfall is expected to continue over Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh through October 3.

Advisory for Fishermen
Due to lower-tropospheric cyclonic circulations over the Arabian Sea, the IMD has urged fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the Kerala coast, Lakshadweep, Maldives, and the Comorin area on October 3. Farmers in heavy rainfall zones have also been advised to ensure proper field drainage and move harvested crops to covered storage to prevent crop damage.

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