Maharashtra
Mumbai: China mission to commemorate Dr. Kotnis’ 80th death anniversary
The Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis Memorial Committee and the Consulate General of China in Mumbai will commemorate and pay homage to the legendary medico Dr. Dwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis on the occasion of his 80th death anniversary, an official said here on Friday.
Dr. Kotnis, revered in China and India alike, passed away in China at the young age of 32 on December 9, 1942 and the memorial event shall be held on Saturday, said Consul General Kong Xianhua.
The tributes will be in memory of Dr. Kotnis’ services to the Chinese people as part of the Indian Medical Mission there in 1938, and the focus of tomorrow’s event would be aInheriting the Spirit of Dr. Kotnis & Working together for a bright future, said Xianhua.
“We honour his heroic deeds to renew his spirit in the new era. Chairman Mao wrote in the elegy that the Chinese people will never forget Dr. Kotnis’ spirit of internationalisma He arrived in Chian at the most dificult time of the country’s anti-Fascist war, rescued the wounded in the front-line, and devoted himself to the liberation of the Chinese people,” he said.
The diplomat added his countrymen will forever remember how Kotnis devoted his precious life to the cause of China under very tough conditions, and the Chinese people admire and cherish his memory even today.
There are many commemoration events lined up in China on Friday and also during the annual Qingming Festival to pay homage to martyrs like Kotnis.
Kotnis was born in Solapur on October 10, 1910 and acquired his medical degree from the University of Bombay through the Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital here.
After Japan invaded China, the Communist General Zhu De had requested Congress leader Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to send a medical team, and the then Indian National Congress President Subhash Chandra Bose made the necessary arrangements and organised the funds for the voluntary mission.
When Dr. Kotnis was barely 28 and preparing his Master’s, he took his family’s permission and joined the humanitarian Indian Medical Mission Team to China.
The mission — with Dr. M. Atal from Allahabad, Dr. M. Cholkar from Nagpur, Dr. B.K. Basu and Dr. D. Mukerjee from Kolkata, besides Kotnis from Solapur — first went to Hankou Port in Wuhan in September 1938.
Later it was sent to Yan’an where they met top Chinese leaders like Mao Zedong, Gen. Zhu De and others.
During the IMMT sojourn there, Dr. Kotnis worked under trying conditions to treat and operate upon wounded soldiers in mobile clinics virtually non-stop for days for nearly five years.
In 1940, Dr. Kotnis, who had learnt Chinese, met a local nurse Guo Qinglan and they married in December 1941, and the couple had a son Yinhua in August 1942.
Barely three months later, owing to the immense stress of his medical duties on the warfronts, Dr. Kotnis suffered major health issues and passed away on December 9, 1942.
Shocked by his demise, subsequently, China honoured him with a statue, a memorial, tomb and other honours, besides a memorial in his hometown of Solapur.
India released a special postage stamp (1993) in his honour, the renowned filmmaker V. Shantaram made a biopic “Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahania (1946) and a Chinese film “Ke Di Hua Dai Fu” (1982).
Successive Indian Presidents and Prime Ministers as well as top Chinese leaders have remembered Dr. Kotnis and his family in Maharashtra, and his selfless services to the Chinese people in their time of need.
Crime
Mumbai Crime: 26-Year-Old Man Arrested For Sexually Assaulting 10-Yr-Old Boy In Lower Parel Railway Yard

Mumbai: The Churchgate Police have arrested a 26-year-old man under the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy in the Lower Parel railway yard area on January 31. The accused is currently in police custody.
According to the Government Railway Police (GRP), the incident occurred on January 31 between 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM. The accused, a native of Madhya Pradesh, is unemployed and lives on footpaths in Mumbai. He has a criminal history, with several cases of theft registered against him at various police stations.
The investigation revealed that the accused lured the boy by promising him Rs.10,000 for watching a bag. He told him that his bag was stuck in the local train. He took the boy from Churchgate on a local train and alighted at Lower Parel. There, he led the boy inside the yard to a parked train and sexually assaulted him before fleeing.
The victim was found crying by the Mumbai Central Railway Police, who then traced his mother. The boy’s family resides on a railway platform. A case was registered and transferred to the Churchgate Railway Police Station.
Using CCTV footage and human intelligence, the police arrested the accused. The Churchgate Railway Police have registered a POCSO case against him. The boy is in the 3rd standard.
Crime
Mumbai Police’s Anti-Narcotics Team Attacked By Suspected Drug Traffickers In Navi Mumbai; Several Injured

Navi Mumbai: In a shocking incident, the anti-narcotics team of the Mumbai Police was attacked by suspected drug traffickers during an operation in the Ulva area of Navi Mumbai last week. The incident occurred when the team conducted a raid in the Ulva locality while tracking suspects linked to a drug trafficking case who were located near Shagun Chowk.
When officers attempted to arrest them, the accused allegedly launched a violent attack on the police team using sharp weapons, including choppers, swords, hockey sticks and a village axe. In the attack, Assistant Police Inspector Kiran Mandhare of RCF Police Station was injured in the attack. Other police personnel, including Firoz Siddiqui, Ahmed Raza Qureshi and Atul Jaisawal, also sustained injuries and are currently undergoing treatment.
Following the attack, the senior police inspector at the Ulva Police station immediately sent a team of police for help. Moreover, a case has also been registered against all eight accused.
The report also stated that the Mumbai Police team did not seek help from the local police station before conducting the raid and had not informed the Navi Mumbai Police in advance about the operation.
Earlier In January 2026, three men were taken into custody for allegedly arguing with and assaulting traffic police personnel during a vehicle-checking drive at a naka bandi in Panvel on New Year’s Eve, leaving a traffic constable injured.
The incident took place around 2.30 am on December 31 at Shivshambho Naka, where traffic police had intensified checks as part of security arrangements for New Year celebrations.
Maharashtra
BMC Announces Strict Sanitation Fines In Mumbai: ₹250 Fine For Spitting, ₹500 For Littering & ₹25,000 For Transporting Garbage Without License

The Mumbai Municipal Corporation has stepped up efforts to improve cleanliness and sanitation across the city by intensifying awareness around solid waste management rules and imposing penalties for violations. The move is part of a broader push to ensure cleaner public spaces and better waste handling practices across residential, commercial and public areas.
The civic body is creating awareness about regulations related to waste generators, establishments, waste service providers and solid waste processing. These rules govern the storage, segregation, transportation, and disposal of waste. Officials have made it clear that strict penalty action will be taken against citizens and establishments that fail to comply.
Under the revised enforcement, fines have been specified for common violations. A penalty of Rs 250 will be imposed for spitting in public places. Dumping garbage will attract a fine of Rs 500, while failure to segregate wet and dry waste will result in a fine of Rs 200. Transporting garbage without a valid licence will invite a penalty of Rs 25,000.
As per the directions of Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, regular action is being taken to maintain cleanliness within municipal limits. Additional Municipal Commissioner City Ashwini Joshi, under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner Solid Waste Management Kiran Dighavkar, said continuous efforts are being made to strengthen solid waste management systems in the city.
Special cleanliness drives and activities are also being organised from time to time to reinforce these measures.
The bylaws will apply to all waste generators and to public and private places. This includes residential buildings, business and commercial establishments, professional and industrial premises, government and semi-government offices, educational institutions, religious places, recreational spaces and all other areas of public use.
The focus of the rules is on preventing littering and nuisance, ensuring clean premises and mandatory segregation of solid waste at source.
The regulations lay down detailed responsibilities regarding storage and collection of municipal solid waste, duties of producers, municipal authorities, representatives and contractors, and the handling of material recovery facilities. They also cover biomedical waste, e-waste, construction and demolition debris and plastic waste.
Additional fines have been announced for specific offences. Throwing garbage on roads, footpaths, gardens or public places will attract a fine of Rs 500. Bathing in public places will result in a fine of Rs 300. Urinating or defecating in public places will attract a fine of Rs 500 each. Feeding animals or birds in public spaces will also invite a fine of Rs 500.
Failure to keep courtyards or premises clean can result in fines ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 1,500.
Dr Ashwini Joshi appealed to citizens and establishments to strictly follow the bylaws and cooperate with the municipal corporation in keeping Mumbai cleaner and more beautiful.
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