Maharashtra
In a first, Mumbai now has a Commissioner of Police and a Special Commissioner of Police

In an unprecedented move in the state police administration, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday appointed senior IPS officer and Additional Director General of Police Deven Bharati as the Special Commissioner of Police for Mumbai, as per an official announcement.
The post of Special Commissioner of Police, Mumbai has been created for the first time by the state government. The present Commissioner of Police is Vivek Phansalkar, appointed in July 2022.
Bharti, an IPS officer of the 1994 batch, has earlier held several top assignments including Joint Commissioner of Police, Additional Commissioner of Police, head of Maharashtra ATS, and Joint Managing Director of Maharashtra State Security Corporation.
As per a government notification, the new Special Commissioner of Police (Bharti) will function below the Mumbai Commissioner of Police (Phansalkar), and supervise and oversee the works of all the Joint Commissioners of Police.
The state government’s decision has created a flutter in state police circles with apprehensions that this could lead to a “dual centre of power” and “clash of interests”, especially since the key responsibility areas are not specified for the new incumbent, besides raising many other questions.
A former DGP-level officer, preferring anonymity, observed that “political wisdom behind the decision” is not clear but it could prove detrimental to the overall interests of the elite Mumbai Police which enjoys a global reputation.
Slamming the move of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis government, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) said that this is an indicator of the power struggle at the political levels, particularly with the upcoming elections to the BMC and other major civic bodies.
“This is an attempt by Fadnavis (who holds the Home portfolio) to create his own ‘parallel system’ to divide the highly disciplined Mumbai Police force,” Congress chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said.
NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said the move lacks “rationale” and wondered if the government will consider appointing a Special Chief Secretary for the state, or a Special Municipal Commissioner for Mumbai, or even a Special Governor in the state to reduce the burden of the incumbents.
Flaying the move, Shiv Sena-UBT spokesperson Kishore Tiwari said that since the Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BSS-BJP) regime is at a standstill with just 20 ministers holding dozens of departments, Shinde-Fadnavis should seriously contemplate on a ‘Special CM’ and ‘Special Deputy CM’ to lessen their workload.
Former Additional Deputy Commissioner, Maharashtra State Intelligence Department Shirish Inamdar suspects this could be a prelude to split the Mumbai Commissionerate into the city and suburbs, given the huge expanse of the country’s commercial capital.
“This situation, akin to two swords in once scabbard, has the potential to create massive clashes, lead to a dual loyalty syndrome in the rank and file and result in groupism, indiscipline and loss of authority,” said a concerned Inamdar.
NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasteo said the move will result in a “checknut” in the police department and pointedly asked: “Has the government lost confidence in the current CoP (Phansalkar) to appoint a Special CoP below him, is the decision acceptable to all, and will it now be implemented in other Police Commissionerates in Maharashtra.”
Terming the move as “wrong and unacceptable” Londhe asked whether the stalled government will even divide the governance system to appoint Special Collectors for all districts, Special Superintendents of Police’, etc to defraud the people of Maharashtra for their political ambitions.
Tiwari and Tapase wonder that if the Special Commissioner of Police will oversee the work of the other Joint CoPs, “then what will the Commissioner (Phansalkar) do”, and warn that it can hit the morale of the entire police force.
Other former officers also questioned whether this post will be a permanent one or only “one-time situation or individual specific”, it will be for how long, and whether it would be replicated at all levels.
The Mumbai Police’s origins are traced to 1661, and the present formalised system of Commissioners of Police started in 1864.
Maharashtra
Dahi Handi 2025: One Injured After Falling From Govinda Pathak In Dadar

Mumbai: One person was injured after falling from the top of a human pyramid during Dahi Handi celebrations in Mumbai’s Dadar area on Saturday. The incident occurred as a group of Govindas attempted to break the handi by forming a human pyramid, a traditional highlight of the Janmashtami festival.
The injured participant received immediate medical attention and is reported to be in stable condition. The Dahi Handi celebration in Dadar draws massive crowds each year, and this year was no exception, with enthusiastic participation despite safety concerns.
11-Year-Old Boy Dies During Dahi Handi Practice In Dahisar; Pathak President Booked For Negligence
In another news story related to the Dahi Handi, a tragic incident unfolded in Hanuman Nagar, Ketkipada, Dahisar East, on Sunday, where an 11-year-old boy, Mahesh Jadhav, lost his life while practising for the upcoming Dahi Handi celebrations. Mahesh was a member of the Navtarun Govinda Pathak.
The Dahisar police registered an FIR on Monday against Balu Soornar, the President of the Navtarun Mitra Mandal Pathak, under Sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 223 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Fall During Practice Turns Fatal
According to police reports, Mahesh was a resident of Dharkhadi, Dahisar East. His family comes from a modest background; his mother works as a domestic helper, his father is a labourer, and he has three younger brothers aged 8, 5, and 1. As the eldest child, Mahesh had taken part in the Dahi Handi practices held by his group.
In preparation for Gokulashtami, the Navtarun Govinda Pathak had been conducting practice sessions. However, reports suggest that no safety measures or protective equipment were provided to the participants. Being the smallest in the group, Mahesh was assigned the topmost position in the human pyramid. During Sunday night’s practice, he lost his balance while standing at the top and fell straight to the ground due to the absence of sufficient members below to cushion the fall.
He sustained critical injuries from the fall and was immediately taken to a multispeciality hospital in Dahisar East, where doctors declared him dead. His body was later transferred to Shatabdi Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: 32-Year-Old Dahi Handi Participant Dies In Mankhurd, 30 Injured Citywide

Mumbai witnessed tragedy during the Dahi Handi celebrations on Saturday when a 32-year-old participant from Bal Govinda Pathak in Maharashtra Nagar, Mankhurd, lost his life in an accident.
About The Incident
The incident was reported around 3 pm and confirmed by Shatabdi Hospital, Govandi.
The deceased, identified as Jagmohan Shivkiran Chaudhari, was tying the Dahi Handi rope from the first floor of a G+1 structure when he slipped inside the grill of the house. His family members rushed him to Shatabdi Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Apart from this fatal mishap, several Govinda participants across the city sustained injuries while attempting human pyramids and other celebratory activities. By 3 pm, hospitals had reported a total of 30 injuries. Of these, 18 cases were reported at Cooper Hospital, where 12 people remained under treatment and six were discharged. At Sion Hospital, six injured Govindas were admitted, with three undergoing treatment and the rest sent home after primary care. Another six cases were recorded at Nair Hospital, with one person still under treatment and five discharged.
In all, 30 people were injured during the day’s festivities, 15 of whom continued to receive medical care while the other 15 were discharged after treatment. Civic authorities stated that apart from the Mankhurd incident, no other major untoward episode was reported in the city during the celebrations.
Maharashtra
‘Eknath Shinde Won Matka Not Lottery’: MP Sanjay Raut Takes Dig At Maharashtra Deputy CM; MNS-Sena Collaborate For BEST Patpedhi Elections

Mumbai: In numerous locations, employees from both parties are uniting and engaging in various activities. You inquired about the MNS alliance in the Municipal Corporations of Mumbai, Thane, and Kalyan, and I just provided an answer. The employees from both organizations are collaborating in the BEST Patpedhi elections.
A large march will occur in Nashik, where MNS will participate alongside Shiv Sena in this significant event. We are currently negotiating to contest the elections jointly. “Our focus is on Mumbai,” stated Sanjay Raut, an MP from the Thackeray group.
Sanjay Raut engaged with the journalists. On this occasion, Sanjay Raut stated that the focus of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and their business group is Mumbai. They aim to seize control of Mumbai, and the Thackeray brothers’ goal is to ensure that Mumbai is not given to the Gujaratis.
The position of Chief Minister is not a gamble; it’s a matka, stated BJP leader and minister Ganesh Naik regarding Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. When Sanjay Raut was asked for his thoughts on this, he mentioned that lottery is an esteemed term.
In the past, the government operated a lottery. However, matka is currently being played unlawfully in the state. Despite Devendra Fadnavis being the Chief Minister, the figures are being manipulated. Ganesh Naik referred to the term lottery; he made this indicative comment in Thane.
However, the term matka must have been on his mind. He must have intended to imply that there should have been a matka for the position of Chief Minister. However, matka numbers are unpredictable, and individuals participate in four or five matkas, stated Sanjay Raut.
In the meantime, fundamentally, Girish Mahajan is not Maharishi Vyas. He ought to notice what is igniting beneath him. He ought to consider what will occur for him on the day he is no longer in power, where he will find himself. “On the morrow, when the Thackeray brothers join forces politically, they will be aware.” Sanjay Raut criticized that the thieves and robbers surrounding Fadnavis will struggle to walk the streets when they are out of power.
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