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Maharashtra

Maharashtra: ED attaches Shiv Sena (UT) leader Anil Parab’s Rs 10.20cr assets

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 In a huge jolt to Shiv Sena (UBT), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached properties worth Rs 10.20 crore belonging to former minister Anil D. Parab, here on Wednesday.

In a statement, the ED said that the provisional attachments were slapped in connection with the alleged money-laundering case probe against Parab, Sai Resorts NX and others in Ratnagiri.

The attachments comprise lands of one acre at Murud worth around Rs 2,73,91,000 and the resort constructed on it valued at Rs 7,46,47,000.

Following a complaint by the Ministry of Environmental Forest and Climate change under the PMLA, the ED has launched a probe against Parab, Sai Resorts NX, Sea Conch Resorts and others last year, and a complaint was lodged against them with Dapoli Police Station for deceit and causing loss to the Maharashtra government.

The ED probe revealed that Parab, in connivance with one Sadanand Kadam acquired illegal permission from the local SDO office to convert the land from agricultural to non-agricultural uses and constructed the resort in violation of CRZ norms.

Parab also got illegal clearance from the revenue department to construct a ground+one floor twin-bungalow over a piece of land falling under CRZ-III or No Development Zone and then he built the Sai Resorts NX with ground+two floors.

The ED said that in order to hide his identity as the owner, Parab obtained the permissions from the revenue department in the name of the previous owner Vibhas Sathe by forging his signatures on the application.

Parab is also accused of deliberately suppressing the fact that the land came under the CRZ-III with the Gram Panchayat, and later pressuring the GP to transfer the lands and buildings in his name though there was no mention of any construction in the original deed.

Later, the ex-minister cheated the GP by making an application for taxation purposes before completing the resort/building constructions.

The ED said that the payments for the construction of the resort was deliberately made in cash and the building work started before the registration of the land in Parab’s name though payments were made and the property was in his physical possession.

This, the ED contended, was done in order to hide his identity as the real owner of the building so that in future, the building construction expenses and any other violations came to the fore, the earlier owner Vibhas Sathe could be blamed.

When various complaints regarding the illegal resort construction came to light, including those lodged by Bharatiya Janata Party ex-MP Kirit Somaiya, Parab sold the land on paper to Kadam to conceal all the illegalities and irregularities in constructing the resort in a No Development Zone, said the ED.

Maharashtra

Thief who came from Mumbai and committed several thefts arrested

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Mumbai: Police have claimed to have arrested a thief who committed theft in the limits of Milind police station, against whom several cases of theft and burglary are registered in Mumbai. Mumbai Zone 7 DCP Vijay Kant Sagare, while addressing a press conference here, said that the accused came to Mumbai by flight with the intention of stealing and broke into several 5 houses.

Theft cases are registered against him in Nehru Nagar, Milind, Alwaye, Navi Mumbai. One and a half lakh silver ornaments weighing two kg, totaling Rs 15 lakh have been seized. Cases of stalking are also registered against the criminal Rajesh in Dombivali, Vishnu Nagar, Vishai, Vitthalwadi, Manpara, Pan police stations.

The accused told that he came to Mumbai from Varanasi by plane on March 13, 2025 and robbed five houses in 15 days.

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Maharashtra

Struggle Against Land Mafia in Waqf Properties: New Amended Bill Adds to the Challenges

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New Delhi : In the ongoing battle to protect Waqf properties and ensure their benefits reach the deserving, land mafias, encroachers, and illegal groups were already a major hurdle. Now, the government’s newly amended bill has emerged as another significant challenge. Advocate Dr. Syed Ejaz Abbas Naqvi has strongly criticized this move and demanded immediate reforms. He stated that the primary objective of Waqf was to benefit the needy, but unfortunately, this objective has completely failed. On the other hand, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the largest Sikh religious organization, has been actively involved in the welfare of its community for decades. As a result, the Sikh community has nearly eradicated beggars and human rickshaw pullers.

Illegal Encroachments and Misuse of Waqf Lands Exposed :
According to Dr. Naqvi, Waqf properties have suffered the most due to unlawful encroachments by vested interest groups. The most unfortunate fact is that many Waqf lands were originally donated for the shrines (Dargahs) of Syed families, but they have been grossly misused. He revealed that a well-known individual shamelessly sold an acre of prime Waqf land on Mumbai’s Altamount Road for just 1.6 million rupees, a blatant violation of Waqf principles and laws.

Demand for a Stricter Amendment in Section 52 :
Dr. Naqvi has called on the government to take strict action against those who illegally sell Waqf properties. He has urged for an immediate amendment to Section 52 of the Waqf Act to introduce

capital punishment or life imprisonment* for unauthorized Waqf land sellers. This issue is a major setback for those fighting to safeguard Waqf properties, who are already battling corrupt elements and illegal land grabbers. It remains to be seen whether the government takes these concerns seriously and enacts effective legislation to protect Waqf lands.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Cleanup Marshal and Swachh Mumbai campaign ended, fine collection from citizens also stopped, BMC helpline number released

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Mumbai: Mumbai BMC has abolished the clean-up marshal policy, after which now the clean-up marshal has disappeared from the streets of the city. The Municipal Corporation has completely banned the clean-up marshal and the Swachh Mumbai Mission has been stopped. This means that now no clean-up marshal will be able to force citizens to pay fines or take any other punitive action. After complaints against clean-up marshals, Mumbai BMC has decided to stop and suspend the service of clean-up marshals from today.

The Solid Waste Management Department of Mumbai Municipal Corporation, under the Department of Garbage and Sanitation, oversees public cleanliness in Mumbai and the ‘Swachh Mumbai Mission’ has been closed from April 4, 2025. However, the Municipal Corporation administration has appealed to the citizens that if any fine has been imposed on them despite this, then they can complain about it. Complaints regarding cleanup marshals can be made to the divisional control room of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation at 022-23855128 and 022-23877691 (extension number 549/500).

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