Mumbai: Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide visited the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo in Byculla (East) today (September 17, 2026) to review the various ongoing projects and initiatives there.

During the visit, Ashwini Bhide viewed the hibiscus exhibition at the garden. She also planted a ‘Century Palm’ sapling within the premises as part of the Central Government’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ (A Tree in Mother’s Name) campaign and to commemorate Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s birthday.

Furthermore, she inspected the construction progress of the ‘tunnel aquarium’ being built within the garden and zoo complex and issued instructions to complete the construction work by January 2027.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (Eastern Suburbs) Dr. Avinash Dhakne, Deputy Commissioner (Gardens) Ajit Kumar Ambi, Director (Zoo) Dr. Sanjay Tripathi, and Garden Superintendent Jitendra Pardeshi, along with other concerned officials and staff, were present on the occasion. A hibiscus exhibition has been organized at the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo, showcasing approximately 50 varieties of hibiscus flowers in various colors. The exhibition is open to the public. On this occasion, Ms. Ashwini Bhide appealed to citizens to visit the exhibition and view the diverse varieties of hibiscus flowers.

Mumbai: The administration of Sanjay Gandhi National Park announces the death of the tigress Bijli (T2), aged approximately 18 years and 4 months, who passed away at 9:45 PM on September 16, 2026, due to age-related health issues.

She had been a beloved member of the Sanjay Gandhi family since 2016. Over the years, she captivated the hearts of countless visitors. A gradual decline in her food intake had been observed over the past month, prompting close monitoring of her health. Appropriate veterinary and supportive care was being provided by the veterinary officer under the guidance and technical advice of the Technical Veterinary Advisory Team from Western Maharashtra. Despite their tireless medical efforts and constant monitoring, Bijli peacefully breathed her last at 9:45 PM on September 16, 2026. Bijli had been brought to Sanjay Gandhi National Park from Pench Tiger Reserve on July 11, 2016, and remained under the care and protection of SGNP for over a decade. Her long association with Sanjay Gandhi National Park was a significant part of the park’s wildlife management, conservation education, and captive animal care initiatives. Although Bijli (T2) passed away due to old age, a standard post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death. The SGNP administration appeals to all wildlife enthusiasts and animal lovers to share their memories and photographs of Bijli (T2) on social media platforms so that we may honor her legacy and her contribution to wildlife conservation. The park administration once again expresses its sorrow over the loss of the tigress Bijli (T2). This announcement is issued by the Sanjay Gandhi National Park administration, Borivali, Mumbai.

Following its crackdown on cyber fraudsters, the Mumbai Crime Branch has claimed the arrest of seven additional suspects from Goa. Three individuals had previously been arrested in connection with the same case; this latest action follows progress made during the investigation. On September 11, acting on confidential information, Unit 5 of the Mumbai Crime Branch initiated proceedings against three individuals for cyber fraud, registering a case under Sections 318(4), 61, 45, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Subsequent developments led Unit 5 to take further action. The accused—along with their associates—would open bank accounts in their own names and the names of others, while also purchasing SIM cards in various names to link to these accounts. After opening the accounts, they retained direct possession and control of the passbooks, ATM cards, chequebooks, SIM cards, and other linked credentials, utilizing the accounts to commit cyber fraud. Items seized from them included 88 passbooks, 143 chequebooks, 100 ATM cards, 24 mobile phones, 167 SIM cards, and two laptops. Further investigation, utilizing technical analysis and AI, led to the arrest of seven more suspects on September 13; they were apprehended at a villa in a Goa resort where they had been operating the cyber fraud racket. The following items were recovered from them: 1) 59 mobile phones from various companies, 2) a total of 19 SIM cards from various companies, 3) 9 laptops, 4) 51 ATM cards, 5) 12 passbooks, and other materials. It has been revealed that the accused developed and utilized their own application to transfer funds obtained through financial fraud.
The court has granted police custody remand for the accused until September 24.
This successful operation was carried out by Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner (Crime) Krishnakant Upadhyay, and DCP Raj Tilak Roshan.