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Maharashtra

‘Hounded’ by ED, Shiv Sena Dy. Leader flees to Eknath Shinde camp

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 Under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Maharashtra ex-minister and Shiv Sena Deputy Leader Arjun Khotkar announced that he is joining the rebel faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, here on Saturday.

Declaring his intentions at a crowded media conference, Khotkar said that he held detailed discussions with Shiv Sena President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut on his decision.

“I have explained to them the compulsions – which all are aware – behind my decision, the harassment to my family… I am forced to make certain decisions… And they (Thackeray-Raut) have understood my predicament,” said an emotional Khotkar, without naming the ED.

To a query, he said that when a person is facing a crisis, he will seek protection from somewhere – an indirect indictment of the central agency which is probing him and his family since the past over two years.

On the central agency probe against him, Khotkar reeled off figures of financial deals pertaining to the alleged illegal auction sale of the Jalna Cooperative Sugar Factory Ltd. by the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) and claimed he was innocent.

A couple of days ago, Raut lauded Khotkar for displaying courage and admitting to the harassment by the ED which had compelled him to take the decision (to switch sides to Shinde camp).

Seven months after he was raided in November 2021, last month (June 2022), the ED attached Khotkar’s properties under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the FIR lodged by the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police.

Among other things, the investigators claimed that the sugar mill was fraudulently sold by the MSCB to the relatives or associates of the bank’s officials and directors flouting norms.

Khotkar’s move came after he called on Shinde, another rebel ex-minister Abdul Sattar and a union minister in the past couple of days.

Crime

Intoxicated Woman Seen Pushing & Scuffling With Cop; Creates Scene Outside Wine Shop In Malad Malvani

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Mumbai: A video showing a young woman, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, creating a ruckus outside a wine shop in Mumbai Malvani area of Malad West has gone viral on social media. The incident reportedly stemmed from a payment dispute, and visuals also showed her scuffling with a woman police official who arrived at the scene.

The now-viral video, shared by Media on its official handle on X (formerly Twitter), shows the woman pushing and scuffling with the police official who tried to stop her.

The woman had reportedly arrived at the liquor shop in an intoxicated state to purchase alcohol. However, an argument soon broke out with the shop staff over payment, and she reportedly smashed a liquor bottle. As the situation went out of control, Malvani police were called in to manage the chaos.

The report further added that it took nearly an hour to bring her under control, after which she was taken to the police station. She was later taken to a hospital for a medical examination, which confirmed that she was under the influence of alcohol.

Meanwhile, in another case, the Pant Nagar police registered a case against two security guards for allegedly misusing a licensed firearm and violating provisions of the Arms Act. The accused, identified as Sunil Ramshankar Mishra, 51, and Sunil Pandey, 45, were found carrying and using a double-barrel gun and live cartridges for commercial purposes at a wedding venue in Ghatkopar East.

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Maharashtra

Bombay HC Highlights Gaps In 2017 Street Vendors Policy, Maharashtra Forms Committee To Align Vendor Policy With Law

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Mumbai: After facing sharp criticism from the Bombay HC over glaring gaps in its street vendors policy, the Maharashtra government has appointed a panel to draft a comprehensive and uniform scheme.

The move comes even as civic bodies intensify drives against illegal hawkers. An estimated 7 lakh legal and illegal street vendors operate within the limits of BMC, but only about 99,000 have been officially recognised as eligible under the current regulatory framework.

During the hearing of Writ Petition No. 3890/2021, the High Court on March 26 observed that the state’s 2017 scheme suffered from several critical omissions.

It failed to incorporate key provisions under Section 38 and Schedule II of the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, which mandate a comprehensive framework to safeguard livelihoods while regulating vending activities.

Schedule II lays down norms for surveys, issuance of vending certificates and identity cards, fee structures, revenue collection, and licence validity and renewal.

The court further noted that the scheme was silent on crucial aspects such as issuance of licences between survey cycles, eviction protocols, confiscation and return of goods, relocation of vendors, and social audits. Acting on these observations, the Urban Development Department has constituted a 12- member committee under the Commissioner of the Directorate of Municipal Administration.

The panel includes senior officials from municipal corporations in Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, along with representatives from Malegaon, Badlapur, Khamgaon, Alibag and Wada.

The Deputy Commissioner of the Directorate will serve as Member-Secretary. The committee has been given one month to submit its report. Its mandate includes reviewing gaps in the 2017 government resolution, aligning the revised scheme with statutory provisions, and drawing on best practices from other states.

Before final notification, the draft will be circulated among local bodies and Town Vending Committees (TVCs). Civic authorities have also been directed to constitute TVCs, conduct vendor surveys, and hold elections where necessary. Local bodies will consult TVCs and submit their feedback to the panel before the scheme is finalised.

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Maharashtra

Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) Dr. Vipin Sharma reviewed Manohar Wiman Desai Hospital in Malad

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Mumbai: Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) Dr. Vipin Sharma today (April 20, 2026) visited the Manohar Wiman Desai Hospital of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation located in Malad East area. During this visit, he visited the outpatient department, intensive care unit and various departments of the hospital. During this visit, he also interacted with the patients coming for treatment at the hospital. Along with this, he also interacted with the doctors, nurses and related officers and employees working in the hospital and got information about the situation there. During today’s visit of Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Vipin Sharma, Dr. Chandrakant Pawar, Chief Medical Superintendent and Head of the Suburban Hospitals Department of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation were also present. During today’s visit, Dr. Sharma inspected the machinery, ambulance and various issues related to the hospital and discussed the situation there in detail with the concerned persons. Besides, while interacting with the doctors, nurses and concerned officers and employees providing medical services, Dr. Sharma directed that all the doctors and concerned employees providing medical services in the hospital should speak more politely with the patients coming to the hospital for medical treatment and consult the patients properly. Dr. Sharma expressed satisfaction about the cleanliness and service facilities in the hospital. Manohar Wiman Desai Hospital is a major hospital of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation located in the Malad East area. This 180-bed hospital has been providing medical services to the people of Mumbai since 1976. The hospital administration also informed on this occasion that the outpatient registration of this hospital is open between 8 am and 11 am on office working days.

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