Mumbai: Encroachments on railway land are a major reason for delays in railway projects in Mumbai city. Due to delay in its acquisition, projects have been delayed and their estimates have also increased, this has been revealed in an RTI information filed by RTI activist Anil Gilgali. RTI has revealed that 1,574 encroachments have been identified for two major MRVC rail projects, occupying about 17,000 square meters of land. Information sought by RTI activist Anil Gilgali under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 has revealed that a total of 1,574 encroachments were identified during the acquisition of land for two major rail projects of the Mumbai Rail Development Corporation (MRDC). Out of these, 998 encroachments have been removed so far, while encroachments were found on about 17,068 square meters of land. According to information provided by MRVC to RTI activist Anil Gilgali on July 14, 2026, this information relates to the Kalyan-Badlapur 3rd and 4th rail line projects and the Airoli-Kola elevated corridor project.

Kalyan-Badlapur 3rd and 4th rail line project
According to MRVC, 706 encroachments were identified during the acquisition of land for the 3rd and 4th railway lines of the Central Railway between Kalyan and Badlapur. These include hutments and other structures located on railway land and newly acquired land. Out of these, 620 encroachments have been removed, while encroachments were found on about 9668 square meters of land. MRVC also said that each encroachment occurred in different years, hence it is not possible to identify a specific year. The encroachments identified for the project are located between Kalyan and Badlapur railway stations.
Airoli – Kalwa Elevated Corridor Project.

During land acquisition for the Airoli – Kalwa Elevated Corridor Project, 868 encroachments were identified. These included constructions on railway land and newly acquired land. So far, 378 encroachments have been removed while about 7400 sq m of land was found to be occupied. These encroachments are located between Digha village and Kalwa station. The MRVC also clarified that all the encroachments occurred in different years.

Information on re-encroachments not available
The RTI application also asked in how many areas encroachments were re-established after the encroachments were removed. The MRVC replied that the relevant information was not available.
Anil Gilgali raised important questions.

RTI activist Anil Gilgali said that encroachments have become a serious challenge in railway projects in Mumbai. Encroachments are a major reason for project delays, cost overruns and additional burden on public funds, he said. Mere removal of encroachments is not enough. Railways and MRVC should ensure that no encroachments are created again in the removed areas. Regular monitoring, safeguards and accountability are essential to achieve this.

Gilgali also demanded that information on land acquisition, encroachments, rehabilitation and progress in removal of encroachments for all rail projects be made available on a public portal from time to time, to enhance transparency and provide real-time information to citizens.

He said that availability of land is very important for Mumbai’s rapidly developing rail network. If encroachments are not effectively controlled, many public transport projects in the future may be affected. Therefore, the government, railways and local administration should come together to find a permanent solution.

Thane, July 16: In a major crime-solving breakthrough, the Thane Crime Branch on Thursday unravelled a brutal murder case in which two brothers allegedly killed their close friend, dismembered the body, and dumped the remains at different deserted locations.

The case came to light after Senior Police Inspector Rajesh Gajjal of the Ulhasnagar Unit-4 Crime Branch received a confidential tip-off that auto-rickshaw driver brothers Faiz Malim (24) and Alban Malim (23) had murdered their friend Aman Shaikh (23), a resident of Mumbra. The information further revealed that the accused had allegedly slit the victim’s throat, severed the body into parts, and disposed of the remains separately in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Acting swiftly on the intelligence input and under the directions of Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre, a special Crime Branch team was formed under the leadership of Additional Commissioner of Police Punjabrao Ugle, Deputy Commissioner of Police Amar Singh Jadhav, and Assistant Commissioner of Police Shekhar Bagde. The team included Senior PI Rajesh Gajjal, API Shrirang Gosavi, and Head Constable Ganesh Gawde.

Police traced and arrested both accused brothers and subjected them to intensive interrogation. During questioning, the brothers allegedly confessed that on the night of July 13, 2026, they murdered Aman Shaikh by slitting his throat. They then dismembered the body, separating the head, hands, and legs, and dumped the remains at isolated locations in Kharadi village to conceal the crime.

Investigators are now working to establish the motive behind the murder, recover all remaining evidence, and reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the killing. Police officials said further investigation is underway.

Mumbai: Crime Branch Unit 11 has claimed to have arrested two people for adulterating milk. They used to adulterate the milk of a renowned company by mixing dirty water in it and re-sealing the bag at Anchor Building Siddhi Vinayak Seva Mandal Prem Nagar on Goregaon Link Road. During the raid, the Crime Branch seized 224 bags of adulterated milk worth Rs 39,000. In this regard, the Crime Branch took the Municipal Officer along with the Health Department to the spot and raided, after which both of them were arrested and the adulterated milk was seized, which is harmful to human health. The Crime Branch is investigating the matter further. The case has been registered with the police. This information was given here today by DCP of Mumbai Crime Branch, Nonath Dhola.