Maharashtra
Ethanol blending target responsible for surge in sugar and jaggery rates: Shiv Sena UBT
Mumbai, Aug 22: The Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, on Saturday claimed that the Union Government’s ethanol-blended petrol (E20) policy is the primary catalyst for the current supply shortage and sharp rise in domestic sugar prices.
It pointed out that the spike has sparked widespread public dissatisfaction ahead of the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri festivals, with retail sugar rates surging by Rs 17 in the last 15 days to reach Rs 65–Rs 70 per kilogram.
The Thackeray camp, in the party mouthpiece Saamana editorial, said that the core issue stems from the diversion of sugarcane towards ethanol manufacturing to meet the government’s target of 20% ethanol-blended petrol. Despite annual sugar production increasing from 25.8 million tonnes last year to 27.6 million tonnes this year, domestic availability remains inadequate to cover total demand alongside ethanol processing commitments.
The editorial said that sugarcane typically processed for refined sugar is increasingly being routed to produce ethanol under government incentives, directly constricting the domestic sugar supply.
“As usual, the ruling authorities have woken up late. Now, the government claims to have taken strict measures against the sugar price hike, tightening rules and restrictions against sugar hoarding. Why do the government’s ‘strict’ and ‘tough’ measures regarding inflation and price hikes always arrive a day late and a dollar short? Why can’t the government foresee that a sugar shortage might occur in the country, causing a price blow to the public?” asked the editorial.
The Saamana editorial characterised recent government measures—such as tightening anti-hoarding limits on traders and proposing ethanol production restrictions—as delayed actions that failed to foresee the market shortfall. According to the editorial, new regulatory limits restrict traders from holding more than 10% excess stock for longer than 15 days. Additionally, plans are underway to import 1 million tonnes of sugar to stabilise domestic supply.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena said that if policymakers in government lack the basic foresight to realise that an ethanol policy would cause shortages of sugar and other grains, hitting the public with inflation, they should be deemed unfit to govern. Due to their incompetent governance, not just sugar, but jaggery prices have also skyrocketed. Is this price hike benefiting sugarcane farmers? Not at all; as usual, the profits are going straight into the pockets of traders.
“The price increase is not limited to refined sugar; jaggery (gur) prices have also escalated sharply. Furthermore, the financial benefit of these higher prices is largely accruing to market intermediaries and traders rather than sugarcane farmers. The surge in sugar costs adds to broader inflationary pressures currently impacting household essentials, including fuel, dairy, onions, potatoes, and public transportation fares,” observed the editorial.
The Thackeray camp said that the Modi government confidently boasts about a five-trillion-dollar economy, yet the ‘Vishwaguru’ lacks the simple foresight to see that their own ethanol policy would create a sugar shortage, causing unprecedented price hikes that make the common man’s Ganesh and Navratri festivals bitter.
“The Modi government’s administration operates entirely on guesswork. As a result, a wildfire of price hikes has spread from petrol and diesel to gold and silver, jaggery and sugar to milk, onions, potatoes, and even auto-rickshaws, taxis, and state transport buses. The common man is getting scorched in the process, and this sin belongs entirely to the Modi government, claimed the editorial.
Maharashtra
Kasturba Marg Police recover 100 stolen mobile phones, return them to their original owners

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

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

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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