A large-scale anti-encroachment drive is currently underway on railway land between Goregaon and Malad on Mumbai western suburban corridor, with authorities demolishing dozens of illegal structures as part of a court directed operation.

The demolition action is being carried out on the eastern side between kilometre markers 28/3 and 28/6. The operation aims to clear nearly 1,500 square metres of encroached railway land occupied by both permanent and temporary structures.

Officials said the drive includes the removal of 36 hard structures and 24 soft encroachments. So far, 26 permanent structures have already been demolished as authorities continue the exercise with heavy police deployment and machinery support.

The action is being conducted in compliance with directions issued by the Bombay High Court in Writ Petition No. 4938 of 2026 dated February 26, 2026.

To ensure smooth execution of the demolition process, a significant security and operational setup has been arranged at the site. Teams from the City Police, Railway Protection Force, Government Railway Police and various railway departments have been deployed.

JCB machines and dumpers were also brought in to clear debris and remove demolished material from the railway premises.

Officials said the operation was being monitored closely to prevent any untoward incidents during the clearance work.

The latest action comes just days after Western Railway completed a major anti encroachment drive at Garib Nagar in Bandra East, where around 500 illegal structures marked for demolition were cleared.

Railway authorities confirmed that the demolition work at Garib Nagar has now entered its final phase, with the remaining activity focused on partially dismantling upper floors constructed above nearly 100 protected ground floor structures.

Officials stated that around 50 per cent of this manual dismantling work has already been completed to minimise inconvenience to residents staying in the protected portions.

According to railway authorities, the demolition drives are part of ongoing efforts to clear land required for future railway infrastructure expansion projects. Officials also said that planning for rehabilitation of eligible families residing in protected structures is currently underway.

A senior Western Railway official said residents had been served notices well in advance and sufficient time was provided before the demolition action began.

A social media post detailing an alleged confrontation with an autorickshaw driver near Mumbai Airport has triggered concern among commuters and renewed discussions around passenger safety in the city.

The incident was shared on Sunday by an X user, who described her experience after exiting Terminal 2 of Mumbai Airport. According to her post, the auto driver allegedly refused to operate the vehicle by meter and later became aggressive during the journey.

The woman claimed that matters escalated near Sahar Cargo Signal, where the driver allegedly threatened her. She further alleged that he snatched her mobile phone when she attempted to dial the emergency helpline number 100.

In her post, she stated that she had noted down the autorickshaw registration number and tagged Mumbai Police, Mumbai Traffic Police and the Commissioner of Police while seeking action.

Responding to the complaint on X, Mumbai Police acknowledged the incident and assured that the matter had been forwarded to the concerned department.

“Thanks for bringing this to our notice. Sahar Traffic Division has been informed about this,” the official handle replied.

The woman later responded to the police message, expressing hope that strict action would be taken against the driver.

“Thank you. I am hoping strict action is taken against such people,” she wrote.

The post quickly drew reactions from several social media users, many of whom expressed frustration over repeated complaints involving autorickshaw drivers in Mumbai.

One user commented that such incidents continue because some drivers allegedly feel they can escape consequences easily. Another advised the complainant to file a Right to Information application with the Sahar Traffic Division to seek updates on the case.

A third user alleged that corruption and bribery weaken public trust in enforcement systems and embolden offenders.

The incident has once again highlighted concerns regarding commuter safety, refusal by some drivers to use meters and the need for stricter enforcement against misconduct involving public transport operators in Mumbai.

Mumbai: Eight persons were killed after a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) plunged into a deep gorge in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, police said on Monday.

The accident occurred in the Ambenali Ghat area on Poladpur-Mahabaleshwar road between 5 am and 6 am on Sunday when the victims were on their way from Dapoli to Satara. The vehicle was found in the gorge on Monday morning, a senior police official said.

The victims left from Harne in Dapoli at around 2 am in the SUV. When they did not reach Satara, their relatives launched a search in the afternoon and later approached the police.

During the investigation, the victims’ last location was traced through a mobile tower near Poladpur. While searching in the Ambenali Ghat section, the police spotted the SUV about 800 feet deep in the gorge on Monday morning, the official said.

The police suspect that the accident occurred after the driver lost control of the vehicle in the ghat area, following which it plunged into the gorge, he said.

So far, two bodies have been recovered with the help of the local disaster management team, while three more have been traced, the official said, adding that the search operation was underway.

The victims have been identified as Ritesh Lokhande (22), Suhas Lokhande (20), Utkarsh Shingte (21), Nikhil Shingte (25), Mahesh Pawar (25), Aditya Salunkhe (21), Rajesh Katkar (35), all the residents of Satara, and Ansh Chavan (19), belonging to Ratnagiri, the police added.