Netizens took to social media to express anger and disappointment after the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) headquarters witnessed no New Year’s Eve celebrations this year, breaking a long-standing annual tradition. The iconic NMMC HQ building is usually the attraction of the grand midnight festivities, featuring fireworks, decorative lighting, and large public gatherings to welcome the New Year.

Every year, thousands of residents flock to the headquarters building around midnight to witness the celebrations and ring in the New Year together. However, on the night of December 31, 2025, the venue remained dark and silent, leaving many visitors confused and disappointed.

Reportedly, the NMMC had officially cancelled the New Year’s Eve event due to the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the upcoming elections. Under these guidelines, government bodies are restricted from organising large-scale public celebrations or entertainment programmes funded by the state, to maintain neutrality during the electoral period.

To comply with these rules, the civic body decided to call off all official festivities at the headquarters this year. Despite the announcement, many residents claimed they were unaware of the cancellation. Large crowds reportedly gathered at the NMMC HQ, expecting the usual fireworks and light shows, only to be met with a complete absence of celebrations.

Clearer public messaging could have prevented confusion and unnecessary crowding. Some users also questioned why at least minimal decorative lighting was not arranged, even if large-scale celebrations were restricted. One user commented, “Bhai… Kya hogya, NMMC ko….they used to decorate so much on this day…inko kya hua. (What happened to NMMC, they used to decorate so much on this day.)”

While authorities announced earlier that the decision was taken strictly in adherence to electoral guidelines, the disappointment.

Navi Mumbai, Dec 31: The Navi Mumbai Police Crime Branch has busted an overseas job fraud racket by raiding three bogus HR and manpower supply companies in CBD Belapur that were allegedly cheating unemployed youth by luring them with foreign job offers without possessing the mandatory licence from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). During the coordinated operation, police seized 154 passports and arrested eight persons.

The action followed a tip-off received by MEA official Rajeshkumar, who alerted the Navi Mumbai Police after learning that several offices in CBD Belapur were illegally collecting money from job aspirants and falsely promising employment abroad despite lacking the required MEA authorisation.

Acting on the information, Crime Branch Unit-2, under the leadership of Senior Police Inspector Anil Patil, formed three teams and conducted simultaneous raids on December 26.

Police raided HR Global at Vishnu Complex in Sector 15, Vision Arabia HR Solution at Hilton Centre in Sector 11, and Bright Tech Marine Services at Sai Chambers.

During the searches, officers recovered 136 passports from HR Global, 18 passports from Bright Tech Marine Services, and several important documents from Vision Arabia HR Solution.

Investigations revealed that the owners and staff of all three firms were operating without the mandatory MEA licence and were illegally charging candidates while making false promises of overseas employment.

Accordingly, the Crime Branch registered a case at CBD Police Station under Sections 318(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Sections 10 and 24 of the Emigration Act, 1983.

The arrested accused include Rochak Joshi (30), Sachin Sathale (45), Amit Kadam (41), Devidas Dhangar (38), Sagar Chorat (33) and three others.

“The accused were running fake recruitment operations and collecting passports and money from candidates without any legal authority to send Indian citizens abroad for employment. We have seized a large number of passports and documents, and further investigation is underway to identify more victims,” said Senior Police Inspector Anil Patil.

Police said the exact number of people cheated by the racket is yet to be ascertained, and efforts are underway to trace victims of the fraud.

Meanwhile, the Navi Mumbai Police have urged citizens to remain cautious and verify the MEA licence of any overseas recruitment agency before making payments, warning that strict action will be taken against those involved in such fraudulent activities.

Kolkata, Dec 31: A “proxy” candidate appearing in the recruitment exam for Kolkata Police Sub-Inspector was caught red-handed in the city, police said on Wednesday.

According to police, Lakhai Ghosh, who was not the aspirant, appeared for the exam.

The fraud came to light when the signature on the admit card and that of Ghosh mismatched.

The actual aspirant was Abdul Khaleque, the police said.

Ghosh, who hails from Murshidabad, was sitting for the inspector’s recruitment exam on Khaleque’s behalf.

Ghosh had managed to sit for the exam without attracting attention. However, the examiner noticed that his face did not match the photograph on the admit card, raising suspicion. Soon, other documents were verified.

That’s when the discrepancy was discovered. It was found that Ghosh’s signature did not match the signature on the document.

Police officers immediately detained Ghosh and began questioning him.

Reports suggest that both hailed from Murshidabad and met there.

“The person who has appeared on behalf of the actual candidate has been arrested. He is being questioned,” said the police.

Police sources said the officers are trying to find the actual candidate who was supposed to appear in the examination. A search has started to catch him and bring him face-to-face with the proxy candidate.

Police are trying to find out whether any financial arrangement was made between the two and if a racket was behind the conspiracy.

It is worth mentioning that earlier, allegations of malpractice had surfaced surrounding the written examination for the Kolkata Police constable recruitment.

Several individuals were arrested in connection with that incident. Moreover, Gaighata Police arrested 12 people on charges of supplying fraudulent materials to the examination centres.

Bluetooth devices, electronic gadgets, and other incriminating items were recovered from those arrested.

Furthermore, during the investigation, the authorities uncovered a large-scale racket of “proxy” candidates.