Despite claims by the Railways that suburban train services are operating normally, thousands of commuters across Mumbai faced severe inconvenience on Monday due to the ongoing Maratha reservation protest. Chaos gripped Central Line stations, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), which were overwhelmed with protesters.

Large crowds of demonstrators occupied platforms, leaving little to no walking space for passengers. Boarding and deboarding trains became a major struggle. Protesters were seen shouting slogans and dancing on platforms, causing further disruption. Although security personnel were deployed at key stations, they appeared ineffective in controlling the crowd. Protesters were seen arguing with officers who attempted to stop them.

The impact was felt even more drastically on the city’s bus transport system. Several key routes operated by Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) were either curtailed or diverted, forcing thousands of office-goers to walk long distances to reach their destinations.

According to the BEST control room, several roads in South Mumbai were either blocked or overcrowded, making it impossible to maintain bus schedules. Police closed multiple major roads, including:

Jagannath Bhosale Marg

Mahapalika Marg

DN Road

Hajari Somani Marg

Madam Cama Road

JJ Bridge Road

Due to the closure of Jagannath Bhosale Marg, bus routes 25, 45, C-10, 86, and 305 were diverted via Sant Sevalal Chowk, Rambhau Salaskar Marg, Mahadev Chowk, MK Road, and Poddar Chowk.

Similarly, Bhagat Singh Road near the GPO was completely blocked, suspending bus operations in that area. The closure of Mahapalika Marg led to the diversion of routes 66, 69, 126, and 28 via MG Road and Hutatma Chowk.

With DN Road shut down, buses on routes 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 14, 25, 45, 51, 10, 103, 124, 126, and 69 were rerouted via MG Road towards Metro, LT Road, and Crawford Market.

The closure of Hajari Somani Marg forced rerouting of routes 1, 6, 9, 19, 21, 26, 25, 14, 45, 51, 66, 8, and 69 via Metro Cinema.

Additionally, JJ Bridge was closed for both heavy vehicles and buses from 9:35 AM onward, leading to further diversions and curtailments.

With key transport arteries blocked and services running off-schedule or not at all, large parts of Mumbai witnessed a near shutdown in mobility. Office-goers, students, and daily wage workers bore the brunt of the disruptions.

Mumbai: Mumbai woke up to cloudy skies and scattered rain on Monday. Even as the city received only intermittent rainfall over the past few days, temperatures have shown a slight decline, according to the weekly forecast. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued no rain alert for Mumbai, indicating generally calm weather with occasional showers. However, a heavy rain alert was issued for September 3 and 4.

Currently, the city and suburbs are witnessing light spells of rain during the day, with some areas receiving moderate showers. However, prolonged dry spells have led to a noticeable dip in daytime temperatures. On Sunday, Santacruz recorded a minimum temperature of 26 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 29 degrees Celsius. Compared to Saturday’s 24/30°C reading, this marked a rise in the minimum but a slight fall in the maximum temperature.

Weather officials expect Monday to witness similar conditions. However, by Tuesday, temperatures are likely to rise again, with the mercury expected to touch the 30°C mark. Despite the slight cooling, residents continue to experience muggy conditions, as humidity levels remain high. On Sunday, relative humidity was recorded at 85 percent, adding to the discomfort.

According to the latest IMD forecast, mixed weather conditions are expected across Maharashtra on September 1, 2025. While several regions are likely to receive scattered rainfall, other areas may experience warm and humid weather. In the Konkan belt, particularly in Raigad and Ratnagiri, light to moderate showers have been predicted.

The weather forecast added that maximum temperatures across the state are expected to hover between 33°C and 35°C, while minimum temperatures will remain in the range of 24°C to 26°C. A yellow alert has also been issued for some districts in Konkan and Vidarbha, signalling the possibility of moderate to heavy rainfall. Coastal districts, including Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg are expected to be the most affected.

Thane: In connection with the death of environmentalist-activist-lawyer Sarita Khanchandani, who allegedly died by suicide on Thursday after jumping from the seventh floor of Roma Building where she lived in Ulhasnagar, her husband Purshottam Khanchandani has leveled serious allegations against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and his associate accusing them of harassing his wife and trying to implicate her in a fabricated case.

He claimed that the harassment drove her to suicide and demanded that the case be probed by a senior officer under judicial supervision.

Purshottam, along with other family members, addressed a press conference to present his side of the story. He said Sarita had been helping Jiya Goplani, a woman whose domestic case she was handling. After being ousted by her in-laws, Goplani had no shelter, and Sarita allowed her to live in one of her homes for six years, providing food and support.

Although the court awarded Goplani a monthly maintenance of Rs 15,000, Sarita eventually asked her to vacate the house. Goplani assured her that she was looking for a house in Badlapur and would leave within two months.

According to Purshottam, on Wednesday, Goplani called Sarita claiming she was unwell. When Sarita went to meet her around 11:45 p.m., she found nearly 20 people present. Purshottam alleged that this was a conspiracy to trap Sarita, and a video of the incident later surfaced on the social media.

Although the police were called to the spot, both Sarita and Goplani told officers they had no complaints, after which Sarita returned home.

However, Purshottam alleged that later the same night, Goplani, along with a politician and others, went to the police station and registered a case against Sarita. Shocked by the development, Sarita went to the police station on Thursday but later returned home and jumped to her death from the terrace.

He also accused the Vithalwadi police station of facilitating the conspiracy to falsely implicate her. He clarified that Goplani was not a tenant but was staying at their residence purely on humanitarian grounds.

Purshottam linked the incident to an earlier dispute, alleging that the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and his associate had encroached upon a government toilet block. Sarita had filed a petition in the High Court against the encroachment, after which the Shiv Sena Shakha on the premises was shut down and the property handed back to the municipal corporation.

In response to Purshottam’s allegations, Jiya Gopalani refused all allegations and stated that she was his wife’s tenant and that Sarita forced her to work according to her instructions; otherwise, she would not fight her domestic case in court.

“On Wednesday, Sarita came to my home because I was not picking up her call. Sarita arrived at my home and assaulted me badly, after which I visited the police station and filed a case against her.”

DCP Sachin Gore of Ulhasnagar said “Based on Jiya Goplani’s complaint, we filed a case of trespass and assault against Sarita. In Sarita’s suicide matter, no note was found. So far, we have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) . We will record the statements of witnesses. Further investigation is underway, and if anyone’s role emerges, action will take accordingly.”

Sarita Khanchandani, a practicing lawyer, was known for her environmental activism and had played a significant role in getting DJs banned in Maharashtra.

She also ran the Heerali Foundation, an organization dedicated to cleaning up the Ulhas and Waldhuni rivers that flow through Ulhasnagar. She was a prominent figure in pollution activism in the city, petitioning police to act against violators and raising awareness of environmental issues affecting the rivers.