Mumbai, Sep 29: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday reacted to the joint protest march announced by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, stating that while protesting is a democratic right, political leaders must examine the authenticity of their claims.

The Thackeray brothers announced a mega protest march in Mumbai on October 4 to highlight alleged bias and irregularities in the Election Commission of India (ECI) under CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

Addressing reporters after chairing the weekly cabinet meeting, CM Fadnavis said, “Everyone has the right to protest in a democracy. I will not criticise who is protesting. However, one must understand how serious the issue is and verify the reality behind the examples cited before taking to the streets. A detailed response will be given after their protest.”

The march will begin at 10 a.m. on October 4 from the Richardson & Cruddas company premises in Byculla and proceed to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters, culminating in a joint public rally around 11:30 a.m.

Raj Thackeray took a direct jab at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after it dismissed the allegations against CEC Gyanesh Kumar as fabricated.

He asked, “If our protest is directed against the Election Commission, why is the BJP feeling the sting? There is a Marathi proverb, Khai tyala khavkhave (a guilty conscience needs no accuser).”

He reiterated that the demonstration transcends party politics and invited all political parties, including ruling coalition members dissatisfied with the ECI’s recent decisions, to join.

In the same briefing, CM Fadnavis addressed two other updates. Following a rally by the Matang community demanding sub-categorisation in reservations, he said a panel chaired by the Chief Secretary will examine their demands, emphasising that benefits must reach deprived sections without creating caste divisions.

He also announced that returning Agniveers will be absorbed into state security forces and police services without mandatory entrance exams or additional basic training. Age relaxations of up to four years and supernumerary posts will be provided to ensure full integration into public service.

Mumbai, Sep 29: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that to make the country’s youth employable, it is essential to integrate skill development, training and employment alongside education.

He stressed that merely acquiring a degree is not enough, and with rapidly changing technologies such as AI, semiconductors and quantum computing, continuous upskilling is the need of the hour.

He added that there is huge demand for human resources in over 28 countries worldwide, and the government is actively working to provide international employment opportunities to Maharashtra’s youth.

He was speaking at the online inauguration of the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Maharojgar Melava across all districts of the Konkan and Nashik divisions. The event was organised by the Department of Skills, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) Women’s University in Mumbai.

During the event, the Chief Minister personally presented appointment letters to Sahida Parmanik and Kanti Shambhu Chavan, both hired by Crewa Capital Services Pvt. Ltd.

CM Fadnavis said the job fair was organised under the Sewa Sankalp Abhiyan to mark 25 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

He said the fair would open up maximum employment and self-employment opportunities for youth in the Konkan and Nashik divisions.

He said education, training and employment form the critical triad required to fulfil PM Modi’s vision of a Developed India (Viksit Bharat).

He emphasised that human resource development through education, training and employment is the foundation for achieving a Developed India by 2047.

“To realise our dream of a poverty-free, unemployment-free and disease-free India, we must build our ecosystem on this three-pronged strategy. Today, 65 percent of the country’s population is an active youth workforce. While entrepreneurs need skilled human resources, young people need jobs. These job fairs serve as a robust bridge connecting both sides,” he said.

Skill Development, Employment and Entrepreneurship Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha stated that under the Chief Minister’s guidance, initiatives are no longer limited to ITI students. At least three mini-job fairs are being organised in every taluka for youth from all educational backgrounds.

He said the department provided seven days of free pre-employment training, benefiting 61,000 young men and women. With over 1,00,000 registrations for the fair, the department aims to connect at least 70 per cent of participants with job or self-employment opportunities.

Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil said his department is working with the Skill Development Department to ensure employment avenues match the number of graduating students. Beyond job fairs, the initiative focuses on preparing candidates for interviews through soft skills, communication, personality development and management training.

Minister Jaykumar Rawal highlighted Maharashtra’s position as a top investment destination in Asia and the country’s “Startup Capital.”

He said the government is prepared to provide foreign language and skill training to youth seeking employment abroad. Additionally, under the Mobility project, Rs 2,500 crore is being invested in agriculture and marketing sectors to connect farmers’ children with industry and employment.

Across 12 districts in the Konkan and Nashik divisions, over 1,500 employers and 1,00,000 job aspirants registered for the Maharojgar Kumbh. Employers posted requisitions for more than 25,000 vacancies. Candidate-employer matching was coordinated with local educational institutions, government ITIs, district administrations, MIDC, universities and industrial associations.

To encourage women’s participation, an exclusive job fair was organised at SNDT Women’s University, with 36 companies recruiting women across sectors. State corporations also set up informational stalls to promote self-employment schemes.

Surat, Sep 29: The Surat City Cyber Crime Branch has arrested three men from Mumbai in connection with an alleged Rs 1.10 crore share market investment fraud, with police finding that the bank account used in the case had been linked to complaints from multiple states.

The arrested accused have been identified as Rahul Rajak (27), Ashish Sonar (37), and Bhushan Sendane (34).

Police said Rajak allegedly created a firm in his name, obtained an Udyam certificate and opened a current account with IDFC Bank, which he handed over to Sonar for Rs 10,000.

Sonar allegedly passed the account to Sendane for Rs 30,000, while Sendane subsequently handed it to another accused for Rs 20,000.

According to the police, transactions worth Rs 2,41,03,506 were carried out through the current account between October 18, 2025 and January 9, 2026.

A check on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) found 29 complaints from different states linked to the account, involving alleged fraud of Rs 16,13,44,790 or about Rs 16.13 crore.

DCP (Cybercrime Cell) Bishakha Jain said, “The three arrested accused had together received Rs 60,000 as commission for facilitating the bank account.”

The case began after the complainant was allegedly contacted in the name of share market investment and promised high returns.

Police said the accused sent him an APK file of a fake Axis Bank application and falsely claimed to be calling from the bank’s customer care service.

The complainant was allegedly asked to download the application, create a demat account and carry out trading through it.

After the account was created, the complainant was instructed to transfer money to different bank accounts for trading.

Police said he transferred Rs 1,10,90,000, but when he later sought to withdraw his investment and the purported profits, the accused demanded additional payments towards withdrawal and other charges.

“The complainant was allowed to withdraw only Rs 5,000, while Rs 1,10,85,000 remained blocked, following which he realised that he had been defrauded,” police said.

A case was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station under Sections 318(4), 336(2), 338, 336(3), 340(2), 61(2), 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Amendment Act, 2008.

Police said efforts are continuing to trace other accused persons allegedly involved in the fraud.

The Cyber Crime Branch has appealed to people to be cautious of advertisements promising high returns through online share market investments and not to transfer money to unknown persons without verification.