Maharashtra
Mumbai Monorail Undergoes Independent Safety Tests On New Rakes Before Suspended Services Can Resume
Mumbai: The Mumbai Monorail is currently undergoing independent safety assessment testing on newly procured rakes, a key step before the suspended system can resume commercial operations, according to officials familiar with the process.
The safety assessment is being conducted as a third-party audit, with reports submitted to a state government–appointed engineer who functions at a level comparable to the Commission of Rail Safety. The engineer reviews and verifies the findings before giving final clearance for commercial operations, sources said.
Unlike the metro system, which requires approval from the Commission of Metro Rail Safety, the monorail falls under the Indian Tramway Act, and therefore follows a different regulatory framework. The ongoing tests are being carried out on new rolling stock that will be inducted into the fleet once all statutory approvals are obtained.
The Mumbai Monorail services have been suspended since September 20 last year following repeated technical breakdowns that raised serious safety concerns. MMRDA halted operations to allow for major upgrades, including the induction of new rakes, deployment of advanced communications-based control (CBC) signalling, and refurbishment of the existing fleet.
MMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Sanjay Mukherjee had earlier said the shutdown was a planned step to rejuvenate the system. “By inducting new rakes, deploying advanced CBC signalling, and refurbishing the existing fleet, we are ensuring that the system becomes safer, more dependable, and future-ready,” he said, adding that the authority values commuters’ patience and aims to restore confidence in the system.
The suspension followed a series of incidents in 2025, including a breakdown near Mukundrao Ambedkar Road junction, where a train stalled while travelling from Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk to Chembur, trapping 17 passengers. Though commuters were evacuated using a parallel rake, passengers complained of discomfort and suffocation during the delay, raising questions over emergency preparedness.
Earlier, a major breakdown on August last year stranded nearly 600 passengers near Mysore Colony station and another 200 near Acharya Atre Nagar station, with heavy rain hampering rescue operations. Several commuters required medical assistance after ventilation systems failed.
MMRDA has cited limited maintenance windows as a key challenge, noting that daily operations left only about 3.5 hours at night for installation and testing, as power rails need to be shut down, discharged and recharged before each day’s services.
The Mumbai Monorail, launched in February 2014 on an initial 8.8-km Chembur–Wadala stretch and extended to Jacob Circle in 2019, has struggled with reliability and ridership. The Rs 2,450-crore project was initially projected to carry around 30 lakh commuters per month after full commissioning, but frequent breakdowns and service disruptions kept ridership far below expectations.
The project was awarded in 2008 to a consortium of L&T and Malaysia’s Scomi, but MMRDA terminated Scomi’s contract in 2018 after repeated failures and has since taken over operations.
MMRDA has procured 10 new Make-in-India monorail rakes from Medha in collaboration with SMH Rail. These rakes will be deployed only after safety approvals are secured.
The independent safety assessment marks a critical step in MMRDA’s efforts to revive the troubled monorail system, which was once pitched as India’s first modern light mass rapid transit project.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Fake police fraud gang busted, four FIRs registered so far, and four individuals—including mastermind Raj Khatib—arrested: DCP.

Mumbai: The Mumbai Crime Branch has claimed to have busted a gang of fraudsters posing as police officers who used to intimidate people by giving them police badges and fake identity cards. Earlier, the Crime Branch had claimed to have arrested three fake police officers in this case. The search for their accomplices was also on. These absconding accused were arrested today. The accused had told the complainant that the blood money would be returned with interest. After that, the Crime Branch took action on the complainant’s complaint and arrested Mohammad Ghaus Ibrahim Khatib and Rajesh Bade Singh. The search for the absconding accused in this case was on. In this case, Raj Bade Singh was arrested by the Crime Branch from Jaipur, Rajasthan. The accused had cheated the complainant of about Rs 15 lakh and taken money from his several bank accounts. Not only that, Raj Khatib used to tell the police that he would get the complainant’s money back. So far, the Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested four accused in the fraud case, in which the mastermind is Muhammad Ghaus alias Raj Khatib. In this case, three accused were arrested in the first complaint. At that time, the accused had promised the complainant a loan of Rs 1 crore from the bank and then cheated him. In this, Raj Khatib, his son Musab Khatib were arrested. Raj Khatib used to call himself a DCP and cheated the complainant of Rs 16 lakh on the pretext of getting money from a builder along with interest. This complainant was confronted after the news was broadcast. After that, another complainant came forward who said that he had received Rs 12 lakh from three candidates in the name of police recruitment. After that, four FIRs have been registered against these accused so far, this information was given by the Mumbai DCP. Raj Tilak Roshan has said that the number of his victims is likely to increase, so he appeals to the citizens that if they have been cheated by this gang, they can file a complaint with the Crime Branch.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra ATS Operation : Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti and two associates of Lawrence Bishnoi questioned, released after interrogation.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has intensified its crackdown on anti-social elements including gangsters like underworld, Pakistani don Shahzad Bhatti and Lawrence Bishnoi. The ATS in Osmanabad Dharashio carried out Operation Lawrence Bishnoi and detained two suspects and released them after questioning them. Mumbai On July 10, 2026, ATS officers in Dharashio detained and questioned two persons on suspicion of interacting (liking/commenting) on WhatsApp links associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. They have been identified as Vishal Bankat Kamble (age 35, resident of Tarna Colony, near Chhaya Deep Lawn, Dharashio) and Jirabi Bandiwan Sheikh (age 22, resident of Jalkot, Taluka Tuljapur, District Dharashio). During the inquiry, it was found that they were following the links of three groups associated with this controversial gang. However, no data was found posted by them on these groups. Their mobile phones have been seized, further investigation is underway. Vishal Bankat Kamble’s (late Bankat Kamble) father served as a police constable in the Dharashiv police department. He passed away after retirement. Jirabi Sheikh had followed the controversial link using his father’s mobile phone. As soon as this came to light, his father switched off the phone. However, the old SIM card was reactivated and checked, which confirmed that the controversial link was indeed followed.
To retrieve the old data, both the mobile phones and the SIM card have been sent to the ATS office in Chhatrapati Sambhaj Nagar and the electronic gazette has been sent to the Forensic Examination Laboratory. The ATS is conducting further investigation. Both have been released, however, the ATS has not given them a clean chit so far.
Maharashtra
BMC sets up helpline for manhole-related issues following the SakiNaka incident; dedicated WhatsApp chatbot launched for complaints.

Mumbai: After the death of Aslam Sheikh in a manhole at Mumbai’s Sakinaka, the BMC has now gone on alert mode and has set up a helpline and a WhatsApp chatbot for grievance redressal to avoid such incidents. The Municipal Corporation (BMC) has provided a more robust and transparent grievance redressal system to facilitate quick registration and prompt resolution of grievances. Citizens can easily register complaints regarding open, broken or missing manhole covers, drain cover issues and other civic grievances through various digital channels.
To ensure quick resolution of complaints related to open, broken or missing manhole covers, the corporation has introduced a dedicated WhatsApp chatbot (9324500600). To use this facility, citizens need to initiate a conversation by sending a message to the designated WhatsApp number. After that, they need to select the “Submit Complaint” option, share the location of the incident, and upload a picture of the issue. On successful registration, the citizen will receive a complaint registration number for future follow-up.
Register complaints through ‘My BMC Marg’
Citizens should first open the ‘My BMC Marg’ app and log in using their mobile number and OTP. After that, they should select the ‘New Registration’ option and select the complaint type. If required, a brief description of the issue should be provided. Users should upload a current photo of the location or take a geo-tagged photo and upload it. After submitting the complaint, the citizen receives a complaint registration number for future follow-up. *Complaint registration through other channels
Apart from the ‘MyBMC Marg’ app and the dedicated manhole chatbot, citizens can also register complaints through the municipal corporation’s WhatsApp chatbot (8999228999), official website, and 1916 helpline. Complaints can be registered by sending the location and a photo of the issue to the WhatsApp chatbot (8999228999). To report potholes, one can send a message with the keyword “Do it” (or “Said”) and for complaints related to manhole covers, the keyword “Manhole” (or “Manhole”) (or “Manhole”) (or “Manhole”).
Citizens can also file complaints through the municipal corporation’s website (portal.mcgm.gov.in) by visiting the options: ‘Citizens File Complaints All’.
Additionally, complaints can be filed by calling the 1916 helpline and providing the necessary details.
In cases where a photo is required, citizens are sent a link to upload or capture a geo-tagged photo. The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) appeals to citizens to report incidents of open, broken, or missing manholes, as well as other dangerous civic issues, using the available complaint channels. Citizens are encouraged to use the ‘MyBMC Marg’ mobile application or WhatsApp chatbot (8999228999) for quick registration and effective follow-up of complaints. The corporation has also specifically appealed to citizens to use the dedicated WhatsApp chatbot (9324500600) for complaints of open, broken, or missing manholes.
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