Mumbai: A 55-year-old priest lost his life in a tragic road accident involving a BEST bus on the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) in Kurla, Mumbai, on Thursday afternoon. The deceased has been identified as Trivikram Shripad Acharya, a resident of Nehru Nagar in Kurla West.

According to police, the incident occurred around 12:30 pm when an electric bus operated by the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) allegedly rammed into his scooter. Following the collision, Acharya fell onto the road, after which the rear wheels of the bus reportedly ran over him, leading to his death on the spot.

The Kurla Police have taken the bus driver, Kamlesh Kumar Baranlal (42), into custody and booked him for causing death by negligence. Officials confirmed that prima facie there is no evidence of drunk driving, though the driver underwent a medical examination as part of standard procedure. A formal case is being registered and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events.

In a separate incident earlier the same day, a major accident was narrowly averted in Prabhadevi when another BEST bus lost control and mounted a road divider while trying to avoid a collision.

The incident took place around 7:49 am near the Bombay Dyeing bus stop. The bus, operating on route number 167, was travelling from P.K. Kurne Chowk towards Prabhadevi railway station when a car coming from the opposite direction suddenly took a U-turn. In an attempt to avoid a crash, the driver applied emergency brakes, causing the vehicle to veer off and climb onto the divider, where it got stuck.

Passengers on board experienced moments of panic due to the sudden jolt, but no injuries were reported among commuters or pedestrians. Authorities later managed to bring the situation under control and clear the obstruction.

New Delhi, March 27: The government on Friday said retail pump prices of petrol and diesel will not change, and the excise reduction is not being passed on as a price cut at the pump.

Instead, it directly reduces the under-recoveries being absorbed by public sector oil marketing companies (OMCs) — Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation — who have continued to supply fuel to Indian consumers at prices well below their cost of supply, the Petroleum Ministry said.

At current international crude prices, under-recoveries stand at approximately Rs 26 per litre on petrol and Rs 81.90 per litre on diesel.

The combined daily under-recovery being absorbed by OMCs is approximately Rs 2,400 crore.

The excise reduction offsets Rs 10 per litre of these losses, ensuring OMCs can continue to supply fuel without disruption while keeping retail prices unchanged, said the ministry.

The government has reduced excise duty by Rs 10 per litre on both petrol and diesel with immediate effect.

“This decision has been taken in response to the steep and rapid rise in international crude oil prices, which have surged from approximately $70 per barrel to around $122 per barrel over the past month — an increase of nearly 75 per cent in under four weeks, driven by the ongoing conflict in West Asia and associated disruptions to global energy supply chains,” the ministry said.

The contrast with global fuel markets is instructive. Fuel prices have risen by 30 to 50 per cent across South and South-East Asian countries, 30 per cent in North America, and 20 per cent in Europe since the onset of the current crisis. India has held the line. That stability carries a fiscal cost, and the government has chosen to bear it.

Earlier in the day, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to take a hit on government finances to safeguard the Indian citizen.

“The government has taken a substantial impact on its taxation revenues to reduce the high losses being faced by oil marketing companies at this time of sky-high international prices,” he mentioned.

Alongside the excise reduction, the government has simultaneously introduced an export levy on diesel. At a time when international diesel prices have surged sharply, the levy is designed to disincentivise exports and ensure that refinery output is directed first towards meeting domestic demand.

Keeping Indian pumps fully supplied takes precedence over export opportunities, however commercially attractive those may be at current global prices. The government will continue to monitor the evolving global energy situation and take all measures necessary to maintain supply stability and price protection for Indian consumers.

Mumbai: Morning rush hour in Mumbai was hit by disruptions on Friday, March 27, after a technical glitch at Borivali station delayed several suburban train services on the Western Railway line.

The delays, particularly on trains heading towards Churchgate, left office-goers and daily commuters stranded and frustrated. Services were reportedly running 10 to 20 minutes behind schedule, causing overcrowding at multiple stations during peak hours.

Several commuters took to X to express their frustration. A passenger travelling from Bhayandar highlighted recurring delays, stating that the fast local (No. 90186) scheduled to depart at 7:40 am arrived late, reaching Bandra nearly an hour later. Others pointed out that delays of 10–15 minutes have become routine, even after infrastructure upgrades like the addition of the fifth and sixth railway lines.

Responding to complaints on social media platform X, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Mumbai Division acknowledged the issue. “Dear passenger, your train got delayed due to technical failure at Borivali station. Inconvenience caused is deeply regretted,” the official said.

The ripple effect of the disruption was felt across the network, with overcrowding intensifying at key stations. Many passengers complained about missing multiple trains due to congestion and delays.

Meanwhile, commuters on the Central Railway line also reported issues, including last-minute cancellations and severe overcrowding. One user sarcastically described the situation as a “perfect start to the day,” citing packed trains and difficulties boarding both AC and non-AC services amid rising temperatures.

“What a great start to the day thanks to #CentralRailway. Train cancelled last minute. AC train = human stampede. Non-AC train = even worse. Had to leave 2 trains. And the #Mumbai heat just adding to the experience. 10/10 morning. Would totally recommend,” wrote a user, Shefali, in a frustrating post this morning.

Railway authorities have not yet provided a detailed explanation of the technical fault or a timeline for full normalisation of services. However, efforts were reportedly underway to restore schedules and minimise inconvenience.