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Maharashtra

Lot of questions about Governor calling a group of people, SC to Shinde counsel

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eknathshindeg

 The Supreme Court on Wednesday shot a volley of questions at counsel representing Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde while hearing petitions filed by the Shiv Sena and its rebel MLAs on constitutional issues of splits, merger, defection, and disqualification.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, representing Shinde, contended before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana that there is no split in the political party rather, there is a dispute over its leadership, which can be said to be an “intra-party” dispute, not falling within the scope of defection.

As this, the Chief Justice told Salve: “I will ask one question to you, who came first to this court?” Salve replied that the rebel MLAs came to the top court when the then Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra assembly issued disqualification notices to them, even though a notice against him was pending. He added that to say that a Speaker (Rahul Narwekar), who has been elected by the majority should be stripped of all authority and the top court to decide the disqualification is unprecedented.

On July 11, the top court asked the new Assembly Speaker Narwekar, not to decide disqualification proceedings initiated against Shiv Sena MLAs, including Chief Minister Shinde, until the court hears the matter.

The Chief Justice told Salve that Shinde faction came first to the top court and it deferred the matter for 10 days and now the Speaker should decide when the issues are before the court. Salve clarified that he is not saying the Shinde faction got an advantage due to 10 days, instead things are misconceived and not infructuous.

At this, the bench said: “There are a lot of questions about the Governor calling a group of people… we can’t say all these are infructuous.”

The Chief Justice told Salve, the entertaining of that petition (Shinde and rebel MLAs) was contrary to Karnataka judgment where the top court said the high court should be approached first.

Senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing the rebel MLAs, said that “the reason we came here, as there was a serious issue of threats”.

“Protection was given here.”

The Chief Justice then pointed out that generally the person (in this case, the Speaker) decides the matter and those aggrieved challenge it. “Rightly or wrongly, we granted some relief and now you come and say that we can’t decide?”

Salve said the reason they came to the top court was that the Speaker cannot decide the issue, as there was a resolution seeking his removal, and also emphasised that his client has not given up the party’s membership.

The Chief Justice queried further, if tomorrow, a disqualification petition is filed before the Speaker, and some people send a notice against the Speaker, saying the Speaker can’t decide, then?

Salve submitted: “Till the speaker decides if I have given up membership, the question of demolishing my defences will not arise. Why raise ghosts and start slaying themaour argument is simple, we have not given up membership.”

After hearing arguments, The top court asked Salve to redraft the submissions on petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray faction, on the questions of law, and scheduled the matter for further hearing on next Thursday.

Crime

Mumbai Crime: CBI Arrests Long-Absconding Bank Fraud Accused After 21 Years

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Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully arrested the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot, a proclaimed offender in a high-value bank fraud case, pursuant to sustained and meticulous efforts made by the investigating team.

The case was registered on 31.05.2004 for defrauding Bank of Baroda. It was alleged that the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot, had dishonestly applied for housing loan by the use of forged and fabricated documents.

Charge Sheet Filed in 2007, Accused Remained Untraceable

After completion of investigation, a charge sheet was filed in the case on 30.04.2007, making the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot as one of the conspirators for cheating and defrauding the Bank of Baroda. The accused failed to join the trial or respond to summons/warrants and was untraceable since 2024.

Multiple Non-Bailable Warrants (NBWs) were issued against him. Finally, on 09.12.2024, the Hon. Special Judge for CBI, Greater Bombay ordered to issue Proclamation warrant against him. Despite sustained efforts over the time to trace him, the absconding accused had remained untraceable.

Absconding Accused Frequently Changed Residences

The accused Dinesh D. Gehlot had frequently changed residences. He had misled the local residents about his real identity and had maintained minimal interaction with locals, further hindering efforts to trace him.

CBI Employs Advanced Technology to Locate Accused

The CBI through the deployment of advanced technological tools and identity-tracking databases, meticulously analyzed the digital footprint of the absconding accused to ascertain his current identity and location. Supplemented by extensive field investigations and on-ground inquiries, the CBI team successfully located the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot in Noida.

Accused Apprehended and Remanded to Judicial Custody

Pursuant to his identification, the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot was apprehended on 20.08.2025 and produced before the Competent Court at Mumbai, which remanded him to judicial custody for the purpose of further trial proceedings. The accused is presently undergoing trial.

CBI Highlights Technology and Persistence in Law Enforcement

“This case is a classic example of how the integration of technology-driven intelligence platforms with the persistent and coordinated efforts of investigating officers on the ground can substantially augment the operational capabilities of law enforcement agencies in tracing and apprehending long-absconding offenders,” said a CBI official.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Rains: Vasai Streets Turn White As Milk Shop Stock Spills Into Floodwater

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Mumbai: In a bizarre and rare scene, the flooded streets of Vasai turned completely white after an entire milk shop’s stock spilt into the waterlogged roads on Wednesday. The unusual incident occurred due to heavy rainfall and waterlogging in the area, leaving locals stunned as the streets began to resemble a river of milk.

At the start of this week, Mumbai and several parts of Maharashtra witnessed heavy rains, leading to severe waterlogging in many areas. During this period, a video surfaced online showing a remarkable scene of a waterlogged road in Vasai completely turned white.

A video of the incident went viral on Instagram, shared by the accounts @unexplored_vasai and @nalasoparamerijaan_, drawing widespread attention. It showed the condition of the road, with gallons of milk mixed with the floodwater and flowing through the streets. The unusual visuals shocked many people on social media.

In another news story related to the Mumbai rains, flash floods caused by relentless rainfall on August 19 brought devastation to an animal shelter in Vasai’s Naigaon area. The JJ Foster Home (Jeet & Juhi) and Wagging Hearts Foundation, run by 20-year-old student and animal rescuer Jeet Bhatti, suffered a tragic loss, two dogs and three cats died in the flooding.

The shelter was home to 28 dogs and 63 cats, along with six stray animals kept in a temporary structure nearby. A disturbing video that has gone viral shows the heartbreaking condition of the shelter, with several helpless animals struggling in the rising water.

Bhatti, who has been rescuing animals since his teenage years, described the situation as “heartbreaking,” saying, “The animals were terrified and under immense stress. Even though our house was built a couple of feet above ground, the water rose nearly four feet inside.” He blamed the disaster on unchecked construction, destruction of mangroves, record-breaking rainfall, and high tides.

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Maharashtra

Bombay HC Orders SRA To Issue Commencement Certificate For Vile Parle Slum Redevelopment, Raps Officials For Delay

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Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has come down heavily on the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and other officials for allegedly stalling a slum redevelopment project at Vile Parle, Mumbai, and directed them to issue a commencement certificate (CC) to Sateri Builders & Developers LLP.

Court Clears Builder’s Plea

A bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Arif Doctor on Friday allowed the writ petition filed by Sateri Builders and a slum society, Shree Gurukrupa SRA CHS, challenging repeated obstructions to the project. The bench noted that despite the project having been cleared earlier by the court and the Supreme Court, the authorities were still raising fresh objections.

Redevelopment Dispute Since 2020
The dispute relates to a plot and an adjoining D.P. Road plot on Dayaldas Road, which the developer was appointed to redevelop under a Slum Rehabilitation Scheme in November 2020. The SRA had granted a Letter of Intent (LOI) and Intimation of Approval (IOA) in May 2022 after directing the developer to also accommodate persons affected by the road widening (PAPs).

However, some slum dwellers and a rival developer allegedly backed by a local MLA, Parag Alavani (respondent 9), challenged the approvals. Though the Apex Grievance Redressal Committee (AGRC) initially set aside the LOI in July 2022, the high court reinstated it in April 2024, and the apex court upheld that order in May 2024.

Petitioners Accuse MLA of Interference

Society’s advocates Mayur Khandeparkar and Rishi Bhatt too submitted that the project was unnecessarily being stalled due to interference by Alavani.

Developers Claim Project Stymied

Senior advocate Anil Sakhare and advocate Yogesh Sankpal, appearing for the builder, argued that “the entire redevelopment was being systematically stymied at every stage solely due to the interference of Respondent No. 9, acting in support of a rival developer.”

He pointed out that the SRA even issued a fresh notice on July 31, 2025, asking for another proposal for the D.P. Road plot despite its inclusion already being approved and upheld.

Court Pulls Up SRA for Abdicating Duty

The court observed: “It would indeed reflect a most sorry state of affairs when any statutory authority abdicates its statutory duties on account of any extraneous or extrajudicial intervention… Respondent No. 2 (SRA) appears to have done so in the present case.”

State Defends Housing Minister’s Role

Advocate General Birendra Saraf, appearing for the state, clarified that the Housing Minister “merely held a meeting and has not issued any binding directions nor any decision was taken,” and that the SRA must act independently.

HC Orders CC to Be Issued Without Delay

Noting that the builder had complied with its obligations, including rent deposits for PAPs, the court said there was “absolutely no reason” to withhold the CC. It directed the authorities to “complete the procedure and issue the CC” and restrained them from entertaining “any complaints and/or interference from Respondents 8 (Pagrani Universal Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, another developer) and 9 insofar as they pertain to the present slum scheme.”

The court emphasized that the Slums Act is a welfare legislation enacted to improve the living conditions of persons compelled to reside in slums, in poverty, filth and squalor.

“The primary object of the Slums Act is to ensure that slum dwellers are protected from eviction without rehabilitation and are provided with decent, secure, and hygienic housing/living conditions,” the bench added.

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