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Maharashtra

Maharashtra govt sets up panel to collate information on inter-faith couples; minister says aim is to avoid repeat of Walkar case

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Mumbai, Dec 14 (PTI) The Maharashtra government has set up a committee to gather information on the inter-faith and inter-caste marriage couples and the maternal families of the women involved if they are estranged, with its head and state minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha saying the move is aimed at avoiding a repeat of the Shraddha Walkar case.

The opposition Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) called it a “retrograde” step and said the Eknath Shinde government had no right to spy on the personal life of people.

A Government Resolution (GR) issued on Tuesday by the state’s Women and Child Development Department said the “Intercaste/Interfaith marriage-family coordination committee (state level)” will be headed by Lodha.

The committee will monitor district-level initiatives for women involved in such marriages who may be estranged from their families, so that assistance can be provided if necessary, it said.

Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Lodha said setting up the committee was an attempt of the state government to ensure that the Shraddha Walkar case does not happen again.

“The fact that Walkar’s family was not aware that she had died six months ago is scary…We don’t want to have another Shraddha Walkar and this is the reason why the committee is being set up to ensure women in such marriages are not away from their families,” he said.

Walkar was murdered allegedly by her live-in partner Aaftab Poonawala in Delhi in May this year. Poonawala allegedly strangled Shraddha and cut her body into 35 pieces which he kept in a 300-litre fridge for almost three weeks at his residence in Mehrauli in south Delhi, before dumping them across the city over several days.

The GR said that the committee will be a platform for women and their families to avail counselling and resolve issues. It added that the panel will have 13 members from government and non-government fields to study policies of the state and central government regarding welfare schemes and laws related to the matter.

The committee will hold regular meetings with district officials and collect information of registered and unregistered inter-faith and Inter-caste marriages; on such marriage that took place in places of worship and marriages took place after elopement, it said.

Meanwhile, senior NCP leader and former state minister Jitendra Awhad said in a tweet, “What’s this rubbish of committee to check inter-caste/religion marriages? Who is govt to spy on who marries whom? In liberal Maharashtra this a retrograde, nauseating step. Which way is progressive Maharashtra heading towards. Stay away from people’s private life.”

However, Eknath Shinde-led ‘Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena’ spokesman Krishna Hegde welcomed the step..

Last month, minister Lodha had asked the State Women’s Commission to set up a special squad to identify women who married without family support and are estranged from them. This decision was taken in view of the Shraddha Walkar murder case.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had recently said that his government would study laws on freedom of religion, dubbed as legislations on “love jihad”, enacted by other states, but had not yet decided on introducing a similar law in the western state.

“Love jihad” is a term often used by right-wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage.

Maharashtra

Mumbai BMC Elections Samajwadi Party’s first list released but no decision on ward number 211

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Mumbai: In the Mumbai municipal elections, Mahayoti and Maha Vikas Aghadi have not yet reached an electoral agreement, while the Congress Party, Samajwadi Party and AIMIM have released their first list of candidates for the municipal corporation. The Samajwadi Party has released the first list of 21 candidates, in which Zeb-un-Nisa Malik has been appointed as the candidate from 213, along with Shahzad Abrahani from 212. There is a tug of war going on in the Samajwadi Party over ward number 211, so the party has not announced its candidate for this ward. SP leader Raees Sheikh has also introduced his brother Salim Sheikh as a candidate for this ward. The Samajwadi Party has not yet taken any decision regarding the ticket in this ward, while the candidature of Raees Sheikh’s brother is also being opposed. Local women have opened a front against Raees Sheikh and have also submitted a claim for the SP candidacy. In such a situation, who will be given a candidate from 211 in the Samajwadi Party is still pending. Samajwadi Party had announced to separate from Maha Vikas Aghadi and contest the elections alone, while Uddhav and Raj Thackeray have also reached an electoral understanding. Along with this, Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar’s NCP is also in talks regarding an electoral understanding. If there is an electoral understanding between Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar, then the Congress party is ready to contest the elections alone, this has been claimed by Congress leader Jaya Witward. In the Mumbai BMC elections, every political party is trying to outdo each other, while the two brothers have formed an alliance on the issue of Marathi Manas and banners of Marathi Manas being united are also being displayed in Mumbai city.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Municipal Corporation general elections: Attendance at election training mandatory for officers and employees, criminal action will be taken against absenteeism

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Mumbai: Municipal Corporation All officers and employees involved in the election process will be provided with necessary training to conduct the general elections in a transparent, fair and smooth manner. Training sessions have been organized from Monday 29th December 2025 to Monday 5th January 2026. The date, time and venue of the training have been intimated separately to all the concerned officers and employees. It is mandatory for the officers and employees to attend this training. The Municipal Corporation Administration has issued a strict warning that as per the instructions of the Hon’ble State Election Commission Maharashtra, criminal action will be taken against the officers and employees who are absent from the training or do not follow the orders. The State Election Commission, Maharashtra has announced the election schedule for the Municipal Corporation General Elections 2025-26. The voting process for the Municipal Corporation General Elections will be on Thursday 15th January 2026 from 7.30 am to 5.30 pm. Also, the counting process and results will be declared on Friday 16th January 2026 from 10 am.

All the stages related to the election process have been strictly planned to conduct the Municipal Corporation General Elections in a completely transparent, fair and smooth manner. Since it is necessary to provide necessary training to the Polling Station President (PRO), Assistant Polling Station President (APRO), Polling Officer (PO) and the employees involved in this election process, special training sessions have been organized by the Municipal Administration. This training session has been organized from Monday, December 29, 2025 to Monday, January 5, 2026. Training will be implemented in various stages during this period. The training will provide detailed guidance on the responsibilities of the election process, code of conduct, voting and counting process, legal matters and steps to be taken in emergency situations. The main objective of the election training is to make the election process credible and transparent by avoiding any kind of error, ambiguity or malpractice.

The date, time and venue of the training have been communicated to all the concerned officers and employees through separate appointment orders. It is mandatory for all officers and employees to attend this training. Absence will not be accepted for any reason. As per the directions of the State Election Commission, the Municipal Corporation Administration is giving a strict warning that officers and employees who are absent from the training session, do not comply with the orders or fail to perform their duties in the election process, will be subject to disciplinary action including criminal proceedings under Section 28 (a) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888. Please take this matter very seriously and attend the training and discharge your duties honestly.

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Crime

मुंबई के पायधोनी में करोड़ों रुपये के ड्रग्स के साथ 9 आरोपी गिरफ्तार, इनमें 3 महिला तस्कर भी शामिल

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मुंबई : ड्रग्स के खिलाफ एक बड़े ऑपरेशन में, पायधोनी पुलिस ने 1 करोड़ रुपये से ज़्यादा की हेरोइन ज़ब्त करने और दो पुरुष और दो महिला ड्रग पेडलर को गिरफ्तार करने का दावा किया है। जानकारी के मुताबिक, 16 दिसंबर को दोपहर 2:30 बजे पायधोनी पुलिस स्टेशन की सीमा में पी.डी.मेलो रोड पर एक सर्च के दौरान, 37 साल के राम नटवर ठक्कर और 27 साल के वसीम सैयद के पास से 326 ग्राम से ज़्यादा हेरोइन बरामद की गई। आरोपियों को गिरफ्तार कर लिया गया और उन पर एनडीपीएस एक्ट के तहत मामला दर्ज किया गया। जांच के दौरान, आरोपियों ने बताया कि वे ड्रग्स कहां से लाए थे। उसके बाद, पुलिस ने 30 साल की रुबीना सैयद को गिरफ्तार किया। उसने बताया कि वह शबनम शेख के संपर्क में थी। उसे राजस्थान के अजमेर से गिरफ्तार किया गया। जब यह पता लगाने के लिए जांच की गई कि इन दोनों महिलाओं ने ड्रग्स कहां से हासिल किए थे, तो शबनम शेख को ड्रग्स बेचने वाले व्यक्ति, मुस्कान समीउल्लाह शेख 19 साल को मस्जिद बंदर इलाके से गिरफ्तार किया गया। पुलिस को जानकारी मिली थी कि अब्दुल कादिर शेख और मेहरबान अली मुस्कान को ड्रग्स सप्लाई करने आ रहे हैं, जिस पर पुलिस ने जाल बिछाकर अब्दुल कादिर को गिरफ्तार कर लिया। उसके पास से ड्रग्स भी बरामद हुए। जोगेश्वरी में उसके घर की तलाशी के दौरान नवजीत गुलाबी खान, शारिक सलमानी, समद गुलाबी के पास हेरोइन मिली। उनके पास से कुल 33 करोड़ से ज़्यादा कीमत के ड्रग्स ज़ब्त किए गए। इस ऑपरेशन में पुलिस ने तीन महिलाओं और 6 पुरुषों को गिरफ्तार किया और करोड़ों रुपये के ड्रग्स ज़ब्त किए। यह ऑपरेशन मुंबई पुलिस कमिश्नर देविन भारती के निर्देश पर डीसीपी विजय सागरे ने किया।

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