Maharashtra
Diamantaire Nirav Modi’s HCL House price slashed, DRT orders re-auction in Feb

Finding no takers for fugitive diamantaire Nirav D. Modi’s one property, its price has been slashed and the DRT has ordered its re-auction, along with certain other prime assets, in one of the cases pertaining to the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam.
Last week, the DRT-I Recovery Officer Ajeet Tripathi put up the HCL House in Marol for e-auction — plus three other lots of properties — to recover a portion of the outstanding of a staggering Rs 22,13,16,39,411.
When it went on the block in September 2022, the unsold HCL House, comprising the entire building with the land, carried a reserve price tag of Rs 52 crore, which has now been slashed to Rs 40 crore, as per the DRT-I announcement.
Besides, the DRT-I has put on the auction block other assets of Modi, including Offices No. 2001-2002 on the 20th floor of the posh Peninsula Park B in Lower Parel with a reserve price of Rs 66 crore, plus over Rs 1.72 crore outstanding maintenance dues till December 2021.
Another property of Modi, the 6th floor of the Mafatlal Centre in Nariman Point along with four parking slots will also go under the e-hammer with a reserve price of Rs 62 crore, besides unpaid maintenance charges for five years coming to over Rs 1.17 crore till May 2022.
Modi’s huge residential 4-BHK flat in Grosvenor House at Peddar Road is going up for auction sale with a reserve price of Rs 15.87 crore, further details of which are not available. Modi also has another address in the prestigious Al Shera Towers, Dubai.
The encumbrances or outstandings on HCL House and Grosvenor House are not known and all the properties shall be auctioned off on the basis of ‘as is where is’ and ‘as is what is’.
The e-auction is scheduled for February 10 — a week after the DRT-I ordered the sale of Modi’s two tony flats in the YOOPUNE housing scheme in Pune, valued at a total of Rs 18 crore, on February 3.
In the fresh auction list concerning PNB versus Firestar International Ltd, the names figuring are Modi and his group companies like Bentley Properties Pvt. Ltd., MAK Business Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., ANM Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., NDM Enterprises Pvt. Ltd., Neeshal Trading Pvt. Ltd. — all operating from a common address at Opera House.
The other companies are: Firestone Trading Pvt. Ltd., Paundra Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. and Radashir Jewellery Co. Ltd. — all registered in a single address at the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) in Bandra Kurla Complex.
The February 3 and 10 e-auctions may help the PNB and a consortium of around 15 banks to recover a miniscule portion of massive dues, pending since the past five years after the country’s mega-banking scam was admitted by these banks in February 2018.
After the PNB’s complaint on the scam, estimated at over Rs 14,000 crore, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered the first offence in January 2018 — but by then Modi, his wife Ami and other accused had already fled India.
Later, other probe agencies like Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax Department (ITD) entered the picture targeting the two prime accused — Modi and his maternal uncle Mehul C. Choksi — but both had flown the coop well before the scam erupted to shake the roots of the Indian banking sector.
Later it came to light that Modi was holed up in London and Choksi has cosily settled as a citizen of Antigua & Barbuda Isles, West Indies, and both are awaiting their extradition to India — expectedly soon.
In the past, the ED-ITD had auctioned off certain movable and immovable assets — like properties, expensive paintings, artefacts, high-end vehicles, etc., — to recover small amounts of its dues.
“Proclamation of Sale under Rules 38, 52(2) of the Second Schedule of the Income Tax Act, 1961, read with the Recovery of Debts Due to Bank and Financial Institutions Act, 1993,” said the latest DRT-I order of January 5.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: ‘All New Local Trains To Feature Automatic Door Closers,’ Says Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

Mumbai: All newly manufactured local trains will be equipped with automatic door closing systems to enhance passenger safety, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Saturday in Mumbai.
The Minister was speaking to the media on the occasion of a breakthrough in a 4.8 km tunnel for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project.
Highlighting the importance of Mumbai’s suburban rail network, which is often referred to as the city’s lifeline, Vaishnaw said, “In view of passenger safety, we are working to install automatic door closers on all local trains.” He added that efforts are underway to retrofit existing local trains with the automatic door closing system.
“In the future, all newly built non-AC local trains will come with provisions for automatic door closers,” he confirmed. He also noted that all AC local trains already feature this system.
The Minister further stated that the tendering process to procure 238 new AC local trains for Mumbai has already been initiated. “Soon, the face of Mumbai’s suburban rail network will be completely transformed,” he said.
“The move is expected to significantly improve passenger safety and convenience, particularly during peak hours when overcrowding can lead to accidents related to open train doors” said an official.
Maharashtra
Government money is not anyone’s father’s, Abu Asim Azmi is angry at Muslims being told that salt is forbidden, BJP leaders’ hatred, Bihar and the secular public need to consider

Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has strongly condemned BJP leader and MP and Union Minister Giriraj Singh for calling Muslims as salt haram and traitors and has appealed to the secular people and Muslims to teach the BJP a lesson in the Bihar elections. He said that the way hatred against Muslims has become common in the BJP government, communalism is on the rise and the situation is so bad that BJP leaders are sowing the seeds of hatred against Muslims and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent on it and does not even open his lips.
Giriraj Singh, who called Muslims traitors, should understand that government money does not belong to anyone’s father. I want to tell the Muslims of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh that Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu are supporting a government whose ministers have such hateful views about Muslims. Azmi said that the BJP government looks for an opportunity to humiliate Muslims and its hateful leaders constantly spread venom against Muslims. Nitish Rane in Maharashtra and Mumbai also spreads venom against Muslims. In such a situation, it is necessary to restrain the language of these ministers. It is because of such ministers and leaders that communalism is on the rise. Along with calling Muslims as forbidden salt, Giriraj Singh said that Muslims take advantage of government schemes and do not even vote. They are forbidden salt and traitors. On this, Azmi said that the government collects money by collecting taxes on everything, therefore government money does not belong to anyone’s father. The minister should keep this in mind.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Indian Coast Guard Conducts Beach Cleanship Drive At Girgaon Chowpatty And Juhu On International Coastal Cleanup Day 2025

Mumbai, 20 Sep 25: On the occasion of International Coastal Cleanup Day, observed worldwide on the third Saturday of September, the Indian Coast Guard, Regional Headquarters (West) spearheaded a Beach cleanship Drive at Girgaon Chowpatty and Juhu beach, Mumbai.
Being a central coordinator for the marine pollution response, the Indian Coast Guard with a motto We Protect, has been coordinating the Coastal clean-up activity since 2006 wherein approx. 75,000 kgs of waste is cleared from the Indian shores annually.
The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from numerous organisations including NCC, NSS, NGOs, Schools, Colleges, other government agencies alongside media personnel and people from various walks of the life, who voluntarily contributed to the noble cause of cleaner seas.
During the four hour drive, approximately 3000 Kgs garbage/litter was collected and subsequently disposed off with the assistance of the BMC.As part of the awareness campaign, a painting competition was also organized by the Indian Coast Guard for children in the age group of 6 to 8 years, with over 50 students showcasing their creativity on the theme of environmental conservation.
The outstanding paintings were appreciated and felicitated in the presence of Dr Bhushan Gagrani, IAS, Municipal Commissioner BMC, who graced the noble cause as a special guest of the Indian Coast Guard and Inspector General Bhisham Sharma, PTM, TM, Commander, Coast Guard Region (West).
In total, around 1000 participants actively took part in the Beach cleanship, reiterating the collective commitment towards Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar.
The annual activity of the Indian Coast Guard taking along the civil populace has once again reaffirmed the resolve to safeguard the oceans, protect marine life and bequeath a cleaner, healthier environment to the generations yet to come.
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