Maharashtra
Likely pitfalls that could derail the Shinde-Fadnavis combination
After hijacking the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) 3-party �auto-rickshaw, new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde converted it into a �two-wheeler with an over zealous pillion-rider in Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Over 3 weeks after they were sworn-in, instead of zooming off, the government is still �parked’ on the road, but is busy clearing the route ahead by yanking off the MVA’s decisions, policies, schemes and projects.
Relegated to the pavement, the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress looked on gleefully as Fadnavis once snatched the microphone as a startled Shinde cast a brief bewildered stare at the audacity.
Many in the Opposition are wondering aloud �how soon’ before the Bharatiya Janata Party heavyweight Fadnavis grabs the reins of power to jump into the driving seat sidelining the ex-autorickshaw driver Shinde.
The challenges before the new regime are both daring and daunting, starting with the much-awaited Cabinet expansion, amid a storm raised by Shinde’s 40-strong band of restless rebel Shiv Sena MLAs.
Then, the Independents or fringes like the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to ensure a �Thackeray’ on board and the frightful prospects of humouring the BJP legislators, with many bigwigs ready to draw first blood at the first slight.
All these would test the best of Shinde’s balancing skills and Fadnavis’ claimed �Chanakya-esque’ mastery to ensure a turbulence-free ride for the new regime.
Among the secret worries are whether the Brobdingnagian BJP with 106 MLAs looking down, would try to grab the cake and leave only crumbs for the rebels, with at least 20 prime portfolios up for grabs and coveted by all.
The next concern for the breakaway group would be the Supreme Court verdict which could make or break the new government, with both sides of the Shiv Sena proclaiming they are the �real’ party.
While winning the trust vote in the House was easy, the next formidable challenge for Shinde would be to win the confidence of the masses and establish his own credibility — a dismaying proposition as many in the past, like Raj Thackeray of the MNS, and others who revolted in different parties all over India have experienced.
A major battle – legal and political – waiting to erupt between the Thackeray and Shinde sides, is over who will ‘conquer’ the Shiv Sena Bhavan (the party headquarters), bag its �Tiger’ logo, the iconic Bow and Arrow election symbol, the well oiled 56-year-old party apparatus, and most important, convincingly delink it from the magical Thackeray surname�
Shinde would have to prove his supremacy over the Thackeray side in the upcoming civic body elections but hurdles are already cropping up with a section of his group reportedly against allying with the BJP.
Retaining the CM’s traditional stronghold of Thane may be a cakewalk, but dislodging the MVA hold over many other civic bodies like Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nanded, etc could pose problems, with or without the BJP’s overbearing shadow.
Top MVA leaders like Thackeray, Sanjay Raut (Sena), Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar (NCP), Nana Patole, Balasaheb Thorat (Congress), have already predicted that the �E.D.’ (Eknath-Devendra) government could fall on its own and the state would be pushed to a mid-term election in a few months.
After Shinde-Fadnavis clear these teething hurdles, they have a table-full of major governance issues like the OBC quotas, handling Covid better than the MVA did, and fast-track or complete several big ticket ongoing projects, estimated to cost over Rs 5 lakh crores.
They are the Mumbai-Nagpur Super Expressway, the Borivali-Thane Tunnel, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, the Mumbai Coastal Road, the southern and northern extension to the Worli-Bandra Sea Link, the Navi Mumbai International Airport, and more than 375-kms of Metro Rail spanning the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Other mega projects are the Pune Ring Road, Marathwada Water Grid, the Jalna-Nanded corridor linking the Mumbai-Nagpur Super Expressway, augmenting the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, kickstarting the Konkan Expressway, the Sagari (coastal) Highway, Palghar-Raigad Multimodal corridor, and the long pending Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in the Arabian Sea and the Dr B. R. Ambedkar Memorial in Dadar.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Music banned at night on Shivaji Maharaj Road, temporary nighttime disruptions after residents were inconvenienced

Mumbai: Shivaji Maharaj Road will now be closed at night because barriers have been erected here so that the citizens do not suffer due to noise and disturbance, while the decibel of the music is within the prescribed limit. Music has not been completely stopped, but barriers have been erected on this music road only at night. Mumbai Dharamveer, Swarajya Kakkar, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Kinari Road Project (South) Sangeet Marg (Melody Road) has not been closed or removed. Therefore, it has been decided to erect barriers on this 500-meter long road at night. Apart from this, regular traffic will continue on this road during the day as well. Apart from this, when the complaints of the residents of the area were verified, it was found that the noise decibel here is within the permissible decibel limit. Various media outlets are publishing and broadcasting news about the Melody Road on Dharmavir, Swarajyarakshak, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road Project (South). This is the clarification given by the Municipal Corporation administration in this regard.
A 500-meter-long Melody Road has been constructed on the northern channel of Dharmavir, Swarajyarakshak, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road Project (South) on the road leading out of the tunnel. This road has been developed with the aim that the citizens can enjoy the music produced on this road while driving and for entertainment.
However, the local residents had informed the concerned department about the noise generated during the movement of vehicles on this Melody Road. As per the demand of the local residents, it has been ensured that the noise generated on Melody Road is within the permissible decibel limit keeping in mind the possibility of disturbing the residents.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Impostor Ashok Kharat sexually abused 150 women, several sensational revelations in the SIT investigation.

Mumbai: impostor Ashok Kharat has so far sexually assaulted more than 150 women, it has been revealed in the SIT investigation. When the victim was included in the SIT raid, more new revelations have emerged. The SIT has seized his mobile phone during the investigation. Two and a half thousand numbers were found in his mobile phone, which were in code form. Along with this, Ashok Kharat’s property worth crores of rupees has also been identified. New conclusions are also being made in the investigation related to Ashok Kharat. The SIT has also claimed to have collected several pieces of evidence related to sexual abuse in its investigation. The SIT has appealed to the victims of the impostor to file a complaint against Ashok Kharat and their names will be kept confidential. The police have also found important documents related to Ashok Kharat. Several medicine bottles and pills have also been seized from Kharat’s office and hideout. The SIT team is continuously conducting raids. A property belonging to Ashok Kharat was raided in Kond Corner area. During this raid, sexual abuse of more than 150 women has also been revealed and the SIT is also investigating whether he sexually abused the affected women and where the investigation is also underway. Today, the SIT seized medicine bottles during the raid. The SIT reached the above-mentioned hideout with the affected women. A case has been registered against Ashok Kharat in 8 cases of sexual abuse and two financial matters. Two mobile phones of Ashok Kharat have been seized in which the number of an influential person has been fitted as a dummy number. Several bank accounts of Ashok Kharat have also been frozen by the SIT. Other documents including mobile phones, laptops have been seized. The accused has been sent on remand till April 1.
Crime
Navi Mumbai Crime: Police Arrest 24-Year-Old Man Accused Of Raping & Impregnating 13-Year-Old Girl

Navi Mumbai: In a major breakthrough, Kharghar Police have arrested a 24-year-old man accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old minor girl and impregnating her, after tracking him down near the India-Nepal border. The accused, identified as Vishal Babu alias Anwar Ali Imtiaz Ansari, had been on the run since the case was registered earlier this month. A court has remanded him to police custody till April 1.
According to police, the accused worked at ‘Jagdish Autoparts’ garage in Kharghar, where he allegedly lured the minor to the premises in October 2025 and raped her. He continued to sexually assault her multiple times, threatening to kill her if she disclosed the incidents. The crime came to light after the girl was found to be pregnant.
Following a complaint lodged by the victim’s parents on March 7 at Kharghar Police Station, a case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (2023), including Sections 65(1) and 351 (3), along with Sections 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 of the POCSO Act, 2012.
However, the accused fled Kharghar soon after sensing police action and escaped to his native place in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. Acting under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Joshi, a team led by Police Sub-Inspector Suraj Jadhav camped in Uttar Pradesh to trace him. The accused had switched off his mobile phone, creating hurdles in the technical investigation.
“We faced significant challenges due to the ongoing Ramzan period and lack of cooperation from the accused’s relatives. However, after taking them into confidence, the we carried out a continuous 13-day search operation across Kushinagar, Gorakhpur, and areas along the Nepal border,” a police officer said.
Finally, on March 25, the police apprehended Vishal Babu near the Nepal border. He was subsequently brought to Navi Mumbai on transit remand. The operation was carried out by PSI Suraj Jadhav, along with Police Naik Khedkar and Constable Kadam, under the supervision of Senior Inspector Sanjay Joshi.
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