Mumbai: The Metro Line 9 rail service between Dahisar East and Mira Bhayandar will be inaugurated on April 6, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Friday. Talking to reporters, he said the inauguration of the service got delayed due to certain factors.

“We were waiting for the safety nod first, which we have received…Now the date is set for April 6 for the inauguration of the route,” Sarnaik said. Once this service starts, people in the region will be relieved as this was a long-pending demand, he said.

Meanwhile, A trial run for Phase 1 of Metro Line 9 was successfully conducted on April 2 between Kashigaon and Dahisar. The inauguration of the metro stretch, which was earlier scheduled for April 3, has now been postponed.

Earlier this month, MMRDA Chief Sanjay Mukherjee, alongside senior officials of MMRDA and Maha Mumbai Metro, conducted a site inspection and reviewed safety measures and overall operational readiness. The inspection focused on ensuring that all systems are prepared for public use.

Metro Line 9 Phase I spans 4.5 kilometres, connecting Dahisar East to Kashigaon, with stations at Pandurang Wadi and Miragaon. Though relatively short, the corridor is strategically important as it extends metro access deeper into the northern suburbs and integrates them with Mumbai’s wider transit network.

A key advantage of the project lies in its seamless connectivity. At Dahisar East, Metro Line 9 will connect with Metro Line 7, enabling direct travel from Mira Road and nearby areas to Gundavli in Andheri East without the need to change trains. Interchange access to Metro Line 2A will further improve connectivity towards Andheri West and other parts of the city, reducing reliance on road transport.

The Mira-Bhayandar region has witnessed rapid urban expansion in recent years but continues to depend heavily on road-based transport. The metro extension is expected to offer a faster, more reliable commuting option, easing pressure on arterial roads and improving travel efficiency.

Mumbai: A case has been registered at Chembur Police Station against a former municipal corporator for allegedly contesting elections using a fake caste certificate and defrauding the government and the public.

The complaint was filed by Chitra Anant Salunke (63), an advocate and resident of Chembur, who runs a legal firm along with her son. The accused has been identified as Ramesh Suresh Kamble, a former corporator from Ward No. 192 (Borla North–Deonar Abattoir).

According to the complaint, Kamble contested the 2002 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections from a seat reserved for Scheduled Castes by allegedly submitting a caste certificate claiming he belonged to the Hindu Mahar community. He won the election with 4,721 votes and served as corporator.

However, the runner-up candidate, Rajendra Vaman Waghmare, later raised objections and filed a complaint with the Divisional Caste Scrutiny Committee at Konkan Bhavan, Navi Mumbai. Following an inquiry, the committee, on November 11, 2005, concluded that Kamble was not from a Scheduled Caste but was a Christian by birth, based on documentary evidence including school records and a baptism certificate from a church in Matunga.

The committee declared his caste certificate, issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer, Mulund, in 1998, as invalid. Kamble challenged the decision in multiple courts, including the Small Causes Court, the Bombay High Court, and later the Supreme Court. However, all courts upheld the findings of the caste scrutiny committee.

Following the disqualification, Waghmare was declared elected and served as corporator for the remaining term. The complaint further alleges that Kamble knowingly used forged documents to obtain the caste certificate and subsequently contested and held public office from February 2002 to November 23, 2006, thereby gaining undue benefits.

Based on the complaint, police have registered a case against Kamble under IPC Sections 193, 199, 406, 420, 465, 466, 467, 468, 469, 470, and 471 for forgery, cheating, and criminal breach of trust. Further investigation is underway.

Mumbai: The body of a 55-year-old man was found between Jogeshwari and Ram Mandir railway tracks on Thursday at around 3 pm. Initially, the police suspected it to be a case of suicide. However, the deceased’s brother filed a complaint against the man’s wife, alleging abetment of suicide. Following the complaint, the Borivali Railway Police registered a case of abetment of suicide on Thursday.

The police identified the deceased as Nitin Chavan, an artist who made statues and lived in Nalasopara. His wife, Madhura Chavan, 47, works with an NGO. The couple reportedly argued frequently over household matters. The police said that initially they suspected it to be a case of suicide.

However, the deceased’s brother approached the GRP (Government Railway Police) and claimed that his brother had shared a video with him before his death. In the video, the deceased reportedly said that he was fed up with his wife and intended to commit suicide.

Passengers informed the police that a man had died after coming under a local train, though it has not yet been confirmed which train was involved. The police have registered a case and are investigating the matter.