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Maharashtra

Mumbai: BMC’s Wood And Coal Ban Sparks Heritage Status Demand For Irani Cafés And Century-Old Bakeries

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Mumbai: The BMC has mandated that by July 8, all restaurants, dhabas, and bakeries using wood and coal switch to green fuels to combat pollution. However, the political leaders have called for halting actions against Irani cafés and bakeries, urging the city to grant them heritage status. The civic officials emphasised that the shift is being enforced as per Bombay High Court (HC) directives to reduce pollution and protect public health.

The India Bakers’ Association (IBA) recently informed MLA Rahul Narwekar that many of its bakeries, some operating for over a century, bake pav in wood-fired ovens. They raised concerns that the HC’s January 9 order banning wood and charcoal in commercial kitchens to improve air quality would disrupt the supply of pav, essential for vada pav.

In support, former BJP corporator Makarand Narwekar wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging that Mumbai’s iconic Irani cafés and bakeries be exempted from the ban and granted heritage status to preserve their culinary legacy.

In his letter Narwekar said, “Irani Cafes, integral to Mumbai’s culinary history since the 19th century, should be granted heritage status to preserve their traditions. The state government should exempt them from the ban on wood and charcoal use.”

He cited examples of historic eateries in New York and centuries-old windmills in the Netherlands, which are preserved through similar exemptions to protect cultural heritage. Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh has called for an urgent hearing for bakers, Irani cafes, and bakeries before the BMC’s air pollution control committee.

Along with bakery owners, he recently met with Additional Municipal Commissioner Vipin Sharma, highlighting the lack of piped gas infrastructure in many areas. Shaikh emphasised, “Without the necessary infrastructure, how can bakery owners transition to cleaner alternatives within six months? A meeting with MGL and MPCB should be convened to address this before enforcing the regulations.”

Meanwhile, a civic official said, “Bakeries, hotels, restaurants, street food vendors, and tandoor-based businesses in Mumbai often use low-quality wood or broken furniture as fuel, releasing harmful gases that pose serious health risks. These businesses contribute to air pollution, leading to lung disorders, heart diseases, and other ailments. We have not received any directions from state and BMC Administration to stop the action.”

Maharashtra

New India Cooperative Bank embezzlement accused’s properties attached

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Mumbai: Mumbai Economic Branch (EOW) has also started property seizure proceedings in the case of embezzlement of crores of rupees from New India Cooperative Bank. EOW said that after identifying the properties obtained from the embezzled amount, it has been attached and seized. 5 accused have been arrested in this case and 21 immovable properties of these accused have been found, which have been allowed to be confiscated.

This is the first action under 107 BNSS in Mumbai city in which the property of the accused has been seized. Mumbai AOW said that the amount recovered from the seized properties will also be estimated. After the bank scam in Mumbai, EOW has taken major action and details of other properties of the accused are also being investigated.

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Crime

Mumbai Five members of Lawrence Bishnoi gang arrested, Mumbai Crime Branch gives a shock to Bishnoi gang

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Mumbai: Mumbai Crime Branch has claimed to have arrested five shooters of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi gang in a major operation. 5 revolvers and 21 live cartridges have been recovered from the possession of these shooters. Mumbai Police is also interrogating these shooters. Police arrested the attackers before they could execute the incident and averted the incident. Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested these five from Andheri area. They had come here with the intention of carrying out a major vandalism incident, but the police foiled the incident before that.

The arrested accused include Vikas Thakur, Samit Dilawar, Devendra Rupesh Saxena, Shreya Suresh Yadav, Vivek Gupta. Vikas Thakur is a resident of Versova Andheri, Samit Mukesh Kumar Dilawar is a resident of Sonipat, Haryana, Devendra Rupesh Saxena is a resident of Madhya Pradesh, Shreya Suresh Yadav is a resident of Jagdishpur, Bihar and Vivek Kumar Gupta is a resident of Rampur, Rajasthan.

Weapons have been recovered from their possession and the Crime Branch has registered a case against them under Section 3 and 25 of the BNS, Section 55 and 61 (2) and Maharashtra Police Act. The Crime Branch is investigating where the accused brought the weapons from.

After the shooting of Salman Khan, Lawrence Bishnoi gang is trying to become active in Mumbai, but due to the strict action of Mumbai Crime Branch, the back of the gang has been broken and now the Crime Branch has given a big blow to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and arrested five of its members. The Crime Branch is further investigating the matter.

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Maharashtra

It is unconstitutional to deprive SP MLA Raees Sheikh of his right to handle religious affairs under Article 26 of the Constitution

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Mumbai: Maharashtra MLA Raees Sheikh has opposed the introduction of the Wakf Bill in the Lok Sabha. Raees Sheikh has strongly criticized the BJP for creating a false narrative and called the bill a misconception and unconstitutional bill which is harmful for the poor of the society.

Shaikh further said that Article 26 of the Constitution guarantees freedom to run religious institutions. It is unconstitutional to take away the right of a person to run his institution under Article 26 of the Constitution. MLA Shaikh said that this move is against the constitutional guarantee of dealing with religious matters.

Shaikh said that the BJP government is showing the UPA government that it is doing politics of appeasement of a particular community, while the BJP-led government is not doing so. This is an attempt to spread a lie that allows the community to seize any land under Waqf or claim it to be Waqf. The Waqf Board is not a private organisation of the Muslim community but a statutory body established under the Waqf Act. In the process of declaring a property as Waqf, a government surveyor conducts a survey and officially declares the property as Waqf. Sheikh remarked that it is completely wrong to present the idea that Muslims can arbitrarily declare any property as Waqf.

Shaikh further said that he strongly opposes the false image being created by the government and the government has not considered the suggestions given by Muslims or the opposition. All Waqf governing boards and trusts have been given the option to exit the Waqf framework. This has weakened the system. “This is an unimaginable and unimaginable bill that only harms the poor of the society,” Sheikh said.

He further said that some provisions, such as the condition that the person making the donation should have been a Muslim for five years, are strange. Earlier encroachment on wakf property was a non-bailable offence, but now it has been made a criminal offence

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