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Maharashtra

Mumbai Metro 3: Over 2 Lakh Passengers Travelled Through Aqua Line In 10 Days After Launch; Marol Naka Sees Highest Footfall

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Mumbai: The total ridership on Mumbai’s Aqua Line, also known as Metro 3, has exceeded the 200,000-passenger mark just 10 days after opening to the public, according to the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC). The highest number of commuters has been recorded at Marol Naka station, which serves as an interchange with the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar (VAG) Metro 1 line.

An MMRC official confirmed that the ridership surpassed 2,00,000 a few days ago, though the latest data was still pending, as reported by Hindustan Times. Between October 7 and October 15, over 198,000 passengers travelled between Aarey and Bandra Kurla Complex on the Aqua Line. On the first day of service, October 7, 18,015 commuters used the line, while the average daily ridership during the first nine days was around 22,043 passengers.

MetroConnect3 Mobile App Used By Several Passengers For Ticket Booking

Of the nearly 200,000 commuters, 11,213 purchased their tickets using the MetroConnect3 mobile app, which allows passengers to book tickets from anywhere in the city and requires them to begin their journey within three hours of booking.

Marol Naka station saw the highest footfall among the Aqua Line stations, with 39,887 passengers recorded over nine days, resulting in a daily average of 4,432. Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) station also saw significant traffic, with 31,977 passengers and a daily average of 3,553.

Additionally, Marol Naka station on the blue line (Metro 1) saw a rise in passengers, with a daily average of 45,700 between October 7 and October 11, a 10.12% increase from the daily average of 41,500 recorded between September 30 and October 4.

Arrangements To Manage Increased Footfall

To manage the increased footfall, MMOPL (Mumbai Metro One Private Limited) officials made several adjustments at Marol Naka, including expanding the passage area, adding more security checkpoints, installing additional fare collection gates and setting up directional signage to guide passengers towards the Aqua Line.

Transport experts attribute the increased footfall to Marol Naka’s role as an interchange station. AV Shenoy, a member of the Mumbai Mobility Forum, while speaking to HT, emphasized the importance of connecting multiple modes of public transport, noting that similar integration with suburban railway networks will be crucial as more metro lines are introduced.

During the October 7-11 period, the VAG Metro 1 corridor saw an average of 502,500 passengers daily, compared to 498,500 between September 30 and October 4. MMOPL officials noted that weekend ridership tends to drop by more than 50%.

The first phase of Metro 3, Mumbai’s first underground metro line, opened on October 7 and operates from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm on weekdays and 8:30 am to 10:30 pm on Sundays, with fares ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 50.

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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