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Maharashtra

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Repetitively Tries To Avoid State Cabinet Meetings Ahead Of Assembly Elections

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Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Repetitively Tries To Avoid State Cabinet Meetings Ahead Of Assembly Elections

The state cabinet can overrule objections of any department, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said on Friday, when asked about the negative remarks by the finance department headed by him on the populist schemes announced by the state government ahead of the assembly elections. This, sources said, was a tacit admission on his part that he is being bypassed.

Pawar’s brief appearance at 4 crucial cabinet meetings in Mumbai on Thursday had raised eyebrows, particularly as numerous financially significant decisions were taken in his absence, even though he is the finance minister.

Thirty-eight decisions — many of them having major financial implications — were taken in the two and a half hours after he had left. “I had to leave early to attend a scheduled programme at Ahmedpur in Marathwada region,” the NCP chief said.

“All the cabinet decisions taken on Thursday have my approval,” he added. Pawar had left his cabinet colleagues wondering on October 4 as well when he first tried to skip the state cabinet meeting. Though he was at his official residence in Mumbai, Pawar did not turn up initially and had shown up later only after some frantic calls were made from Mantralaya.

Likewise, on October 7, though the state cabinet meeting was scheduled at 4:30 PM, he had his own itinerary fixed for Baramati. His decision to visit his hometown was seen by Mantralaya officials as an attempt to show his displeasure, since no minister avoids the cabinet meetings ahead of the assembly elections. And, the absence of a minister who heads the crucial finance department is taken as a virtual no-no — signifying his dissent on proposals being moved and approved.

Maharashtra

Digital Rakshak secures money of five complainants who were scammed in the name of Digital Arrest

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Mumbai: Five complainants who were scammed on social media in the name of digital arrest through the Mumbai Police’s Digital Rakshak (Digital Protector) have been protected by the Digital Rakshak. In Mumbai, CBI, ED and police officers send notices on social media and WhatsApp in the name of Digital Arrest, demanding huge money for video calling in the name of investigation and saving them from the case in the name of investigation. Accordingly, Mumbai Police has developed the Digital Rakshak app. The complaint of five victim complainants was processed on this helpline. In Mumbai’s Chembur area, a video call was made to an elderly person on social media calling him Digital Arrest and it was said that he had huge money in his bank account and his documents, Aadhaar card and PAN card were used in illegal activities.

The caller on the call told the elderly person that he was a CBI officer and demanded money without disconnecting the video call. During this, the victim When the daughter entered the house, she found her father scared and then she asked her father why he was scared. On this, the father told her that it was a call from a CBI officer and that he had transferred money in this matter. After that, the victim contacted the Mumbai Police’s Digital Rakshak helpline and then informed the police about this notice. After that, it was confirmed that this notice was prepared by the CBI and ED by creating a fake notice and sending it on WhatsApp. The police have resolved five cases of digital arrest and have appealed to the citizens that no security agency does digital arrest and neither is investigation done on WhatsApp, so be careful of such elements.

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Maharashtra

Indian army’s major action on Pakistan, action should also be taken against those who target Kashmiris after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, Abu Asim Azmi

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi expressed happiness over the success of Operation Sindoor and said that by conducting air strikes on Pakistani terrorist bases, the Indian government has given an important message and made it clear that we will take strict action against terrorists. We congratulate the armed forces on the success of Operation Sindoor, but at the same time we also say that terrorists have no religion and the way Kashmiris were tortured after the Pahalgam attack is completely wrong. He said that the hospitality shown by Kashmiris to tourists after the terrorist attack is obvious. Adil sacrificed his life and Nazakat behaved kindly, despite this, the sectarians are targeting Kashmiris under the guise of the Pahalgam attack.

He said that after the Pahalgam attack, a doctor in West Bengal refused to treat a pregnant woman. Sectarians raise the slogan of Pakistan Zindabad and Muslims are trapped in it. This has been proven in Agra. He said that such sectarians Action is also necessary against those who target Muslims. Abu Asim Azmi has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah to take action against such elements who disrupt the peace and order of the country. He said that a burqa-clad woman in Mumbai was forced to chant the slogan of Jai Shri Ram. Action is necessary against such elements who create hatred in the name of Hindus and Muslims in the country.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Police Launches Probe In Mithi River Desilting Scam; EOW Raids At Several Locations

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Mumbai: Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) began raids in the Mithi River desilting scam case on Tuesday. Since morning, EOW teams have been conducting raids at more than 8 locations in Mumbai, including offices and residences of contractors and BMC officials.

An FIR was filed in the case, which names five contractors, three middlemen, two company officials, and three BMC officials, accusing them of causing wrongful loss to the BMC by submitting false claims for debris removal. The scam, part of the larger Rs 1,100 crore Mithi River desilting and beautification project, has come under intense scrutiny.

Earlier in April, EOW questioned 10 contractors and asked the BMC to submit CCTV footage uploaded on its official portal that allegedly documented the quantity of debris removed from the riverbed. Cops are examining whether the debris was actually removed, and if the removal process was documented through weighing, videography or photography, as mandated in the contracts.

The investigation also includes an audit of contracts awarded for both desilting and beautification, reviewing terms and conditions, and verifying records maintained by the BMC and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

This probe marked the sixth SIT formed by EOW to investigate civic contract irregularities in Mumbai, following earlier cases such as the Khichdi scam, COVID-19 centre scam, Lifeline Hospital scam and body bag procurement scam.

In March, EOW officials had already recorded statements from six civic officials directly involved in tender processes and monitoring of debris disposal. Field inspections were also conducted along a 17-km stretch of the Mithi River, with focus areas including Bandra and Kurla, to collect physical evidence.

The Mithi River desilting project dates back to post-July 2005 floods, when the Maharashtra government decided to desilt and widen the 17.8-km river stretch. Of this, the BMC was assigned responsibility for an 11.84-km section from Powai to Kurla, while the MMRDA took charge of the remaining six kilometres, from Kurla to Mahim Causeway.

In August 2024, the Maharashtra Legislative Council had directed the formation of an SIT to probe alleged financial misappropriation after BJP MLCs Prasad Lad and Pravin Darekar raised concerns in the Council.

As part of the preliminary inquiry, the EOW SIT had earlier summoned and questioned three contractors, Rishabh Jain, Manish Kasaliwala and Shersingh Rathod. The probe was later widened to include BMC officials, as evidence of irregularities in tender execution began to surface.

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