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Maharashtra

Is Sanjay Raut causing more harm than good to Uddhav Thackeray?

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Mumbai: If there is near a consensus within Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, it is that party MP Sanjay Raut, 61, has caused huge damage to the organisation by his highly controversial statements.

Recently, Raut claimed, without providing any evidence, that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son and MP Shrikant Shinde had hired a goon of Thane to eliminate him. In the past, he had made even more outlandish statements that caused incalculable damage to the party.

Raut’s controversial statements

After the COVID pandemic, Raut alleged that most of the doctors and nurses had abandoned their responsibility and fled from the hospitals. This evoked howls of protests from the medical fraternity, after which Uddhav was forced to undertake damage control.

In January 2020, Raut, who is the executive editor of the party mouthpiece Saamana, claimed that Indira Gandhi used to regularly call on the late drug lord Karim Lala at Pydhonie in central Mumbai. It is a different matter that Karim Lala operated out of Dongri and not Pydhonie. The Congress was understandably furious over this bizarre claim and slammed Raut. The MP, most recently, alleged that Rs2,000 crore had changed hands to get Shinde’s faction recognised as the Shiv Sena along with the bow and arrow symbol. Raut promised to produce evidence and as usual failed to proffer any.

Many supporters of Uddhav Thackeray say that their leader is paying a heavy political price by not taking action against Raut despite the huge damage he continues to inflict. The only thing Uddhav has done is not promote Raut as the editor of Saamana. Instead, he has appointed his wife Rashmi Thackeray as the editor, while Raut continues to be the executive editor.

Sources: Raut is useful to Uddhav as a conduit between him & NCP chief

According to sources close to Uddhav, Raut is useful to him as a conduit between him and NCP chief Sharad Pawar. Though there is a perception that Raut is being used by Pawar to influence Uddhav, Raut’s proximity to Pawar can be gauged from the fact that when the MP was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the infamous Patrawala chawl multi-crore scam, the Maratha honcho personally called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought his intervention in taking Raut out of the hook. Incidentally, Pawar did no such thing for his own partyman Nawab Malik who, too, was arrested by the ED.

It is not that Uddhav has always obliged Raut. For example, when Raut insisted that his brother and MLA from Bhandup, Sunil Raut, should be made a minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which was helmed by Uddhav, the latter put his foot down and refused a ministerial berth for Sunil.

Raut’s career

Sanjay Raut started his career in Saamana as a journalist. When Bal Thackeray decided to publish a Hindi tabloid ‘Dopahar Ka Saamana’, Raut recommended Sanjay Nirupam as the editor. Thackeray Senior was so impressed with Nirupam’s aggressive propagation of the Hindutva line that he made him a member of the Rajya Sabha much to the chagrin of Raut.

Raut won over the confidence of Balasaheb by carrying a series called ‘Marathon Mulaquats’ or Marathon Interviews of the Sena founder. These interviews revealed Balasaheb’s thoughts on a host of issues and they were picked up by other newspapers and TV channels.

Balasaheb then decided to reward Raut by sending him to the Rajya Sabha. It is learnt that Raut does not share the same chemistry with Aaditya Thackeray as with Uddhav. “Given the widespread nature of resentment against Sanjay Raut within our party, I won’t be in the least surprised if he is politically downsized in the near future,” a top Sena source observed.

Maharashtra

Mumbai: SIM card used in cyber fraud, case registered against SIM card agents from Nagpara and Andheri

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Mumbai: The Cyber ​​Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch has now claimed to have registered a case against such SIM card sellers whose SIM cards were used in fraud. The Crime Branch has registered a case against five SIM card sellers. During the investigation of the Mumbai Crime Branch in the fraud case, it was found that the accused used to procure SIM cards through agents and shopkeepers for cyber fraud and these numbers were used for fraud. These SIM card sellers used to misuse the documents of the customers from their shop and if the customer asked for a SIM card, they would get one, two or three SIM cards issued on his document and then these people used these SIM cards for their own benefit and provided them to the absconding accused in cyber crimes. The Cyber ​​Cell has registered a case against the accused Muhammad Sultan Muhammad Hanif, Zeeshan Kamal, who sold SIM cards from Nagpara under other sections of the ID Act. Similarly, a case has been registered against Daya Shankar Bhagwan Shukla, Pradeep Kumar Burnalwala, Neeraj Shivaram for illegally selling SIM cards. This action has been taken by DCP Cyber ​​Cell Parshottam Karad on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti. The Cyber ​​Cell has appealed to the public to check their mobile number on the Sanchar Saathi app. If they find any other number in their name, they should report it and in this matter, the public can also file a complaint on the Sanchar Saathi app.

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Maharashtra

Large-Scale Land Record Irregularities in Maharashtra Spark Statewide Audit

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Mumbai: ( By Kamar Ansari )

A major irregularity involving land records has surfaced in Maharashtra, raising serious concerns about the misuse of legal provisions and the security of property ownership across the state. The issue is believed to have affected a significant number of families, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.

The controversy centers around the alleged misuse of a provision under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code that is meant strictly for minor corrections in official land records, such as clerical or typographical errors. Instead, this provision was reportedly used to make substantial and unauthorized changes to land ownership entries.

Officials suspect that in several cases, land ownership details were altered without proper verification or legal procedure, leading to disputes and possible illegal transfers. These actions have caused anxiety among landowners, many of whom fear losing their rightful property due to manipulated records.

In response to the situation, the state government has ordered a comprehensive audit of land record changes carried out under the concerned provision over the past few years. Authorities across districts have been directed to review mutation entries and verify the authenticity of all such changes.

Preliminary assessments indicate that the issue may not be limited to isolated incidents, but could point to a wider pattern of administrative lapses or deliberate manipulation. The audit aims to identify the scale of the problem and fix accountability.

Government officials have assured that strict action will be taken against those found responsible, including possible disciplinary and criminal proceedings. Efforts are also expected to be made to restore original ownership records wherever irregularities are confirmed.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have stated that protecting the rights of affected citizens and ensuring transparency in land administration will remain a priority.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Infra Update: JNPT Linked Expressway Connecting Mumbai-Pune -Goa Routes Moves Ahead, Bids Open April 16

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The proposed Pagote Chouk Expressway in Maharashtra has moved a step closer to execution, with the National Highways Authority of India initiating the process for Coastal Regulation Zone clearance. The development marks a key milestone for the greenfield infrastructure project aimed at strengthening connectivity between Jawaharlal Nehru Port and major national highways.

At the same time, construction bids for the project are scheduled to open on April 16, 2026, signalling progress in the pre-construction phase.

The 29.3 kilometre six lane expressway is designed to provide a direct, access controlled route between JNPT Port and key arterial roads including NH48, the Mumbai Pune Expressway, and the Mumbai Goa highway. The corridor is expected to ease congestion on existing routes and streamline the movement of goods and passenger traffic.

The project is particularly significant for freight movement from the port, offering faster and more efficient connectivity to inland regions.

The expressway will include a mix of complex engineering structures to navigate the terrain. Plans include six major bridges, five minor bridges, four viaducts, and two tunnels measuring 1.9 kilometres and 1.57 kilometres respectively.

These elements are aimed at ensuring seamless travel while maintaining speed and safety standards across the corridor.

The project has a targeted completion timeline of 30 months from the start of construction. Once operational, it is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune.

Motorists travelling from Pune will be able to exit the Mumbai Pune Expressway shortly after the Khalapur toll plaza and reach the Chirle interchange of Atal Setu in around 20 minutes. The development is likely to bring both cities closer while boosting regional connectivity and economic activity.

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