Mumbai: Mayor Ritu Tawde conducted an inspection of road concretisation and desilting works on Saturday. During the visit, she instructed civic officials to ensure that completed concretised roads and their drainage pipelines are thoroughly cleaned so that cement-laden water does not enter and cause blockages in the drains. Tawde also directed that water should not be allowed to accumulate along roadside stretches.

Tawde visited in person and inspected the road concretization works in Chembur, as well as the desilting work of Mahul Nala, J.K. Nala, and the Mithi River. During her visit while talking to media she said that, Road concretisation work is progressing rapidly, and instructions have been given to the administration to complete the work before the monsoon. However, she emphasized that while speeding up the work, there should be no compromise on construction quality or standards. Completed roads and their drainage systems should be properly cleaned so that cement-mixed water does not cause blockages in the drains and water does not accumulate along the roadside.

Regarding desilting work, Tawde said that this year the target is to remove 8.28 lakh metric tonnes of silt from drains before the monsoon. As of May 1, 2026, about 45% of this target—approximately 3.76 lakh metric tonnes—has already been completed. She directed that the pace of desilting work should be increased and it must be ensured that all drains are cleared of silt before the monsoon. Protective walls should be constructed along drains wherever necessary. Tawde also suggested that CCTV monitoring facilities be provided so that not only the administration but also local representatives can review the actual status of drain cleaning work. Additionally, she instructed that vehicles transporting silt should be allowed on roads only after their wheels are properly washed, to ensure that mud is not spread on roads and cleanliness is maintained.

Pune: The entire country is currently shaken by the unfortunate events that took place in Nasrapur village of Bhor tehsil in Pune district on Friday evening. A four-year-old girl was raped and murdered. The brutal incident has sparked tensions and protests across Pune District, with residents of Nasrapur village blocking the forever-busy Pune-Satara Highway (part of the Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway) for hours since Friday night.

Although the crime is horrific and brutal, the case has gained attention for something much more serious, raising questions against Maharashtra’s Home Department, Pune Rural Police and the overall judiciary in India. The opposition leaders have pounced upon this and are targeting the ruling Mahayuti government over this issue.

The case has sparked a fierce political debate, with many leaders questioning how a “habitual offender” was allowed to roam free. On this topic, key leaders including Rohit Pawar, Harshavardhan Sapkal, Supriya Sule and others have reacted. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis offered a crisp response to their questions on Saturday — saying that the accused will be given a strict punishment.

Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed, Rohit Pawar, was one of the first people to question this. He had said, “The accused has a criminal record. He has allegedly assaulted two or three other minor girls in the past. If he was already known for such crimes, what was he doing on the streets? This is a serious failure of the administration and the law and order system. We demand a special one-day session of the assembly to pass the Shakti Act immediately.”

Indian National Congress Maharashtra Chief Harshavardhan Sapkal said, “Law and order in the state is at stake, and children are no longer safe. This is a total failure of the home department; the police have lost control over criminal elements. The accused is a repeat offender — why was there no surveillance on such a person?”

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) spokesperson Sushma Andhare said, “Maharashtra has become unsafe. When habitual offenders like this are free to commit such heinous acts again, it raises questions about the entire state’s security framework. Who is responsible for letting these monsters roam the streets?”

Baramati MP Supriya Sule of NCP-SP said, “The Maharashtra Women’s Commission does not have a chairperson today. Where are we supposed to go to ask for justice? The system caught this monster quickly, and I thank the police force for that. However, we are not satisfied with this. Considering the brutal manner in which this murder was committed, it is extremely horrific. Most importantly, this was the monster’s third crime. If this is his third offence, how did he get bail in the first two cases? Was the Maharashtra government waiting for our daughter to be murdered?”

On legal action and punishment, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “The incident is highly reprehensible and deeply saddening. The entire community is shaken. The accused has been arrested, and we will request the High Court to try this case in a fast-track court. We will appoint a special public prosecutor and seek nothing less than the death penalty for the culprit.”

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar said, ‘As a mother, I can truly feel the condition of the victim’s family. Criminals with such distorted mindsets must be dealt with an iron fist. This incident is numbing and infuriating. We will not rest until the victim’s family gets justice and the monster receives the harshest punishment.”

National Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar said, “Such acts constitute a severe violation of children’s rights. We have taken suo motu cognisance and urged the immediate filing of a charge sheet under the POCSO Act to facilitate a speedy trial.”

The Nasrapur case is a horrific criminal incident involving the sexual assault and murder of a four-year-old girl in the Nasrapur village of Bhor tehsil in Pune district. The incident occurred on Friday (1st May) and has triggered massive state-wide outrage due to the brutal nature of the crime and the accused’s known criminal history.

The four-year-old victim was visiting her grandmother for the summer holidays when she was lured away by a 65-year-old man while she was playing in front of her house. CCTV footage showed the accused, identified as Bhimrao Kamble, leading the child toward a cattle shed. He reportedly lured her by saying he would “show her a calf”.

After a frantic search by the family on Friday late afternoon and evening, her body was found hidden under a pile of cow dung in the shed. Forensic evidence confirmed she was sexually assaulted and then bludgeoned to death with a large stone. Angry villagers blocked the Pune-Satara highway for hours and observed a total bandh (shutdown) in Nasrapur. The police had to use a mild lathi charge to manage the crowds demanding that the accused be handed over to them for “instant justice”.

A Pune-based practising lawyer, speaking to media, explained the current situation on condition of anonymity. He said, “The Home Department is being blamed for not making the Shakti Act a reality sooner. This law would have provided much faster and harsher punishments. There is also no official list or registry to track people who commit such crimes after they leave jail. This lack of policy allows dangerous offenders to vanish back into neighbourhoods.”

He further said, “The local police also failed to monitor a known criminal. Bhimrao Kamble had been arrested twice before for similar acts. However, he was living in the village without any police check-ins or supervision. The police did not use their power to move him out of the area or keep him under watch. This allowed him to walk the streets freely.”

He also explained that the legal system is facing criticism for how easily it grants bail. In India, getting bail is often seen as a right even for serious crimes. Because the courts are slow and trials take years, dangerous men often get back on the streets. If the earlier cases against Kamble had finished quickly, he would likely have been in prison on the day of the attack.

According to available details, other countries handle these situations much differently. In places like the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK), sex offenders are put on public lists. Neighbours are warned when a predator moves nearby. In some cases, these offenders must wear tracking devices for life. Canada can even keep dangerous people in prison indefinitely if they are a permanent threat.

However, in India, the system is fragmented and does not share information well. Once a person gets bail or finishes a short sentence, they simply disappear back into society. This creates a high risk of them hurting someone else. The Nasrapur case has pushed the public to their breaking point. Now, the government is rushing to use fast-track courts to finally find justice.

Mumbai: A shocking incident has come to light in the Vasai-Virar region, where abandoned quarries are once again proving to be fatal.

The body of a 12-year-old girl, Ruksar Habiullah Khan, who had been missing for two days from the Bapane area in Naigaon East, was found floating in the water of an abandoned quarry near Chinchoti. Preliminary investigations have indicated that the minor died due to drowning.

The report states that the girl had stepped out of her house on April 28 to play with her friends. However, when she did not return home, her family began searching for her in the surrounding areas.

On Thursday, local residents noticed a body floating in the quarry water and immediately alerted the police. After the body was retrieved, it was identified as that of the missing girl. Acting swiftly, a team from Naigaon police station reached the spot, recovered the body, and sent it for post-mortem examination.

Police officials said that further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is currently underway.

Meanwhile, the incident has once again raised concerns over the safety hazards posed by abandoned quarries in the region. Residents have demanded that authorities implement adequate protective measures to prevent such tragedies. Parents have also been urged to keep a close watch on their children.

A 15-year-old girl fell nearly 70 feet into the water below from the Naigaon flyover in Vasai after reportedly losing her balance while sitting on the bridge’s parapet. The incident took place around 11.30 pm on Saturday when the girl was chatting with a friend near Udanpur in Naigaon.

According to information shared by media on Instagram, the teenager was seated on the edge of the flyover when she suddenly slipped and plunged into the water below, triggering panic among locals present in the vicinity.

In a swift and courageous response, Harekishan Mitna, who was fishing nearby at the time, immediately jumped into the water and managed to rescue the girl, preventing what could have turned into a fatal accident.

The girl was subsequently rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention and is reported to be safe.