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Maharashtra

Mumbai: JJ hospital hostel gets Rs 12 crore for repairs

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Over a month after a mid-day report got the government machinery moving to fix the dilapidated hostel for JJ hospital’s resident doctors, the state sanctioned Rs 12 crore for the building’s repair. The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission and Mumbai’s guardian minister had pulled up officials following this paper’s report on the crumbling roof and walls, and broken beams and staircases. The state government approved and sanctioned the fund in mid-November, but the mid-day was able to access the GR only on Tuesday.Ranjeet Hande, chief engineer, Public Works Department (PWD), told mid-day, “We have got the approval and money has been sanctioned for structural repairs. We have already started the tendering process for repair work. By the end of December, the tender will be finalised and work will start early next year. I have directed Superintendent Engineer Pramod Bangosavi, Executive Engineer Subhash Mane and Deputy Engineer Ranjeet Shingade to carry out all the processes quickly and commence the work soon.” mid-day first reported about the resident doctors’ miserable living conditions on October 3. The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission (MSHRC) then took suo motu cognisance and its members visited the hostel of one of the most prestigious medical colleges in the city. They found the details in this paper’s report to be correct. The MSHRC pulled up additional chief secretary of PWD, additional chief secretary of public health department and the dean of JJ hospital for ignoring the concerns of 500 resident doctors, who are residing in the seven-storey building. Thereafter, Mumbai’s Guardian Minister Deepak Kesarkar visited the hostel—300 Doctors Quarters—and ordered quick repair work.

The hostel building is in despair, with huge cracks in the beams and staircases, leaking roofs and broken tiles. The latest structural audit report had also stated that the building was in dire need of repairs. The MSHRC had asked the department concerned to submit a relevant report on October 19 for the hearing, which commenced before the division bench of chairperson Justice K K Tated and member M A Sayeed.

At the hearing on October 19, the commission severely reprimanded top government officials for showing a lackadaisical attitude to its summons over the crumbling
hostel building. PWD officials purportedly said that it needed major work, so they had sent a proposal to the hospital that was to move to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), the Medical Education and Drug Department (MEDD) and the state finance ministry. The bench had then asked the principal secretary of MEDD and the additional chief secretary of the finance department to appear before it during the next hearing to explain how much time it will take to clear the proposal. It had also asked chief of DMER’s Dr Dilip Mhaisker to meet these two officials and apprise them about the developments at the commission. The bench had asked all the parties to appear before it on November 22. However, the government on November 16 issued a resolution sanctioning Rs 12,66,33,455 for repairs and renovation of the hostel building.

500
Approx. no. of resident doctors living in the hostel building

November 16
Day the government sanctioned the fund for repair work.

Maharashtra

Kasturba Marg Police recover 100 stolen mobile phones, return them to their original owners

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Acting on complaints regarding stolen and lost mobile phones within the jurisdiction of the Kasturba Marg Police Station in Mumbai, police analyzed data from the CEIR portal and conducted technical investigations. By verifying device details, IMEI numbers, and user information, officers from the Kasturba Marg Police Station tracked down and recovered a total of 100 mobile phones from locations across Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.

The total estimated value of the 100 recovered mobile phones is ₹2,270,658. Of these, 18 phones have already been returned to their respective owners/complainants, including: 1) Rajendra Puri, 2) Khush Saw, 3) Kripa Lodhiya, 4) Shreya Satam, 5) Atul Sathe, 6) Priyanka Mistri, 7) Banu Tarang, 8) Prem Gupta, 9) Adya Shaikh, 10) Shweta Shah, 11) Sandhya Pandit, 12) Deepak Sawdekar, 13) Saurabh Jhangar, 14) Ketan Shete, 15) Onkar Raut, 16) Jayalal Yadav, 17) Lakshmi Appa Kripagiri, and 18) Praveen Dubey. The process of returning the remaining phones to their owners is currently underway.

This operation was carried out under the supervision of the DCP (North, Zone 3), Mumbai, by the team at Kasturba Marg Police Station, led by Balasaheb Bunkar.

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Crime

CBI books Mumbai firm, officials in Rs 93.44 crore loan fraud case

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Mumbai, Oct 3: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at multiple premises in Mumbai and registered a Rs 93.44 crore bank fraud case against officials of Hanjer Biotech Energies on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, an official said on Saturday.

The CBI conducted searches on Friday at multiple premises linked to the directors of Hanjer Biotech Energies in Mumbai, the CBI said in a statement.

The CBI registered the instant case on September 30, 2026, on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, SAM Branch, Mumbai, against Hanjer Biotech Energies, its directors and guarantors, unknown public servants and unknown private persons.

The accused were booked for offences of criminal conspiracy for cheating and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, resulting in alleged wrongful loss of approximately Rs 93.44 Crore to the bank.

It was alleged that the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy, obtained term loan of Rs 135 crore on the invoices of its related party and diverted/siphoned off the funds for other purposes for which it was not sanctioned, causing loss to the bank, the CBI said.

During the searches on Friday, incriminating bank documents and property documents relevant to the investigation were recovered and seized.

Investigation is continuing to ascertain the full extent of the conspiracy, identify the role of all involved persons, including public servants and private individuals, and trace the end-use of the loan funds, the CBI said.

In a separate case on Friday, the CBI arrested an Executive Engineer of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Mumbai, his relative and three officials of a Mumbai-based real estate group, in a Rs 50 lakh bribery case related to the issuance of a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a land parcel.

Vikrant Verma, Executive Engineer, CPWD Mumbai; Saurav Gupta, Verma’s relative based in Pune; and Arvind Semwal, Vice President, Baya Company, were among those named in the FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday, an official said.

The arrested accused were produced before the Special CBI Judge in Mumbai on Friday, the official said in a statement.

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Maharashtra

Monsoon Withdraws Further from Maharashtra; Hot and Humid Weather Alert Issued for Konkan Region

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MUMBAI PRESS — The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Saturday, October 3, 2026, that the Southwest Monsoon has withdrawn from parts of Maharashtra, as well as the remaining regions of North India, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

The current withdrawal line of the Southwest Monsoon passes through Harnai, Baramati, Parbhani, and Brahmapuri in Maharashtra, extending northeastward through Raipur, Ranchi, and Supaul. Weather officials stated that conditions are favorable for further retreat from most parts of Marathwada, Vidarbha, and additional areas of Madhya Maharashtra over the next 2 to 3 days.

Hot and Humid Stretch for Coastal Maharashtra
Residents in the coastal belt should prepare for elevated discomfort over the weekend. The IMD has issued a hot and humid weather warning for Konkan & Goa prevailing from October 3 through October 5.
Following this dry and muggy stretch, mild weather activity is expected to return to the region. Isolated to scattered rainfall is forecast across Konkan & Goa and Madhya Maharashtra between October 6 and October 9.

Southern and Northeastern Forecast
While monsoon forces retreat from central and northern parts of India, southern states are bracing for heavy downpours. Isolated heavy rainfall is predicted over Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal from October 4 to October 6, with South Interior Karnataka expected to receive heavy spells on October 5 and 6.

In the northeast, isolated heavy rainfall is expected to continue over Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh through October 3.

Advisory for Fishermen
Due to lower-tropospheric cyclonic circulations over the Arabian Sea, the IMD has urged fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the Kerala coast, Lakshadweep, Maldives, and the Comorin area on October 3. Farmers in heavy rainfall zones have also been advised to ensure proper field drainage and move harvested crops to covered storage to prevent crop damage.

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