Mumbai: In a move aimed at bringing greater transparency and regulation to street vending, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will issue QR codes to 10,500 licensed hawkers across the city by the end of April 2026. The initiative is expected to help citizens easily differentiate between authorised and unauthorised vendors.

Each licensed hawker will be provided with a unique QR code containing details of their licence and other relevant documents issued by the civic body. Hawkers will be required to display these codes prominently at their stalls, enabling Mumbaikars to scan and verify their authenticity in real time.

This news comes in after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced the issuance of QR code-based certificates to authorised hawkers as part of its 2026 Budget. The civic body mentioned that the initiative is expected to bring greater transparency and accountability to Mumbai’s street vending ecosystem.

The QR-coded certificates will help distinguish licensed hawkers from unauthorised ones, thereby curbing illegal encroachments. The civic body has been undertaking demolition drives across key areas to keep major roads, narrow footpaths, spaces beneath flyovers, and areas surrounding hospitals, schools and railway stations free from obstructions. Several stretches have also been designated as “vendor-free zones” due to recurring traffic congestion, pedestrian safety concerns and accident risks caused by unauthorised stalls.

The move is not only aimed at enforcement but also at creating safer and more accessible public spaces for citizens. By digitally verifying licences, the administration hopes to streamline regulation while protecting the rights of legitimate hawkers.

The BMC is also set to evaluate around 22,000 unlicensed hawkers who had registered with the civic body in 2014 during the formation of the Town Vending Committee (TVC). Based on this assessment, eligible vendors will be allotted designated pitches for street vending across the city.

The pitches will be finalised by the 13-member TVC, which plays a key role in regulating street vending in Mumbai. Notably, eight members of the committee were elected on March 28, 2026, following elections conducted in 2024.

Mumbai: In view of a traffic block undertaken for pre-cast portal beam launching work as part of the bullet train project, Western Railway has announced temporary changes in the originating and terminating stations of select trains on April 13, 2026.

According to information shared by Western Railway via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, three prominent services, Train No. 12009 Mumbai Central–Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express, Train No. 20901 Mumbai Central–Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Express, and Train No. 20902 Gandhinagar–Mumbai Central Vande Bharat Express, will be impacted due to the operational block.

According to the update, Train No. 12009 Mumbai Central–Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express will depart from Mumbai Central with a 1 hour and 15 minutes delay on the affected day.

Meanwhile, Train No. 20901 Mumbai Central–Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Express will be short-terminated at Vatva station instead of its scheduled destination at Gandhinagar Capital. In a corresponding change, Train No. 20902 Gandhinagar–Mumbai Central Vande Bharat Express will originate from Vatva station instead of Gandhinagar Capital on April 13.

The railway authorities have clarified that these operational changes are applicable only for the specified date in connection with infrastructure work under the bullet train corridor project.

Passengers are advised to verify train schedules and updates through the official Indian Railways website or relevant railway inquiry platforms before commencing their journey.

According to a press release issued by the Public Relations Department of Western Railway, a five-hour jumbo block will be carried out on the UP and Down fast lines between Santacruz and Goregaon stations from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. The block has been scheduled to facilitate maintenance of tracks, signalling systems and overhead equipment.

During this period, all fast line trains will be diverted to operate on the slow lines between Santacruz and Goregaon. As a result, several suburban services will remain cancelled. Additionally, some Borivali and Andheri-bound services will operate only up to Goregaon on the Harbour Line.

Mumbai: The Jogeshwari police have booked a constable for allegedly submitting forged medical documents with fake signatures to obtain leave. The police investigated the matter up to Nashik before registering a case. This is likely one of the first cases against police personnel in Mumbai for allegedly remaining absent from duty using fake medical documents. The police have also booked an unidentified individual in connection with the case. The accused has been identified as Gajendra Rajput.

A police officer of Jogeshwari police station said, “The accused constable was earlier arrested by the Juhu police in an extortion case. We took his custody through the court in connection with the fake medical documents case, arrested him, and produced him before the court. The court granted him bail, and he has since been released.”

According to the FIR, the accused is Gajendra Rajput, who is attached to the Jogeshwari police station. In November and December last year, he informed his seniors that he was suffering from haemorrhoids and sought medical leave. He submitted prescriptions and treatment papers allegedly issued by Tulasi Hospital, a private hospital in Nashik, and availed 49 days of medical leave.

His seniors grew suspicious and initiated an inquiry. The police approached the hospital in Nashik and sought Rajput’s medical records. As there are two hospitals with the name Tulasi Hospital in Nashik, the police verified details with the second hospital. A police personnel from Jogeshwari police station visited the hospital, where it was revealed that Rajput had not undergone any such treatment. Although his name appeared in the hospital records as a patient, he had not received treatment for the claimed period.

Further investigation revealed that Rajput had allegedly created four forged documents. One was a medical certificate dated November 2025 stating that he required 15 days’ rest due to prolapsed haemorrhoids. The second, dated December 2025, recommended bed rest and follow-up treatment. A third document claimed that he was fit to resume duty, while a fourth was a fake discharge card. 
Based on these documents, Rajput allegedly availed 49 days of leave in two phases.

Dr Yogesh Shinde informed the police that he had not signed any of these documents and that his signature had been forged.

Following this, Sandesh Pawar, 29, Marketing Director of Tulasi Hospital, lodged a complaint on behalf of the hospital against Rajput and an unidentified individual.

The police have registered an FIR under Sections 336(3) and 336(4) (forgery), 340 (using forged documents as genuine), and 3(5) (general explanation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on April 3.