Mumbai, June 30: Immediately after filing his nomination papers for the post of Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson, ‘rebel’ legislator Sachin Ahir sent his official resignation letter to Uddhav Thackeray, stepping down from all key responsibilities within the Shiv Sena (UBT), including his leadership roles in influential labour unions.

In his letter, Ahir, who defected and shifted his loyalty to Shiv Sena chief leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, cited “unavoidable circumstances” for his sudden departure.

“I am writing to respectfully inform you that I, Sachin Ahir, am currently serving as the General Secretary of the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena and the President of the Brihanmumbai BEST Kamgar Sena. I am deeply grateful to you and the party for the trust you reposed in me and for providing me the opportunity to work in these capacities. However, due to certain unavoidable circumstances, I am resigning from my posts in the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena and the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) party,” said Ahir.

He further added, “I humbly request you to accept my resignation. I pray that the trust and affection you have always shown toward me remain unchanged. My best wishes will always be there for the bright future of the party.”

Ahir’s exit robs the Thackeray faction of a vital face in Mumbai’s urban politics and trade union leadership. As the head of the BEST labour union and a key figure in the Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, Ahir held immense sway over Mumbai’s working-class vote bank.

Insiders suggest that shifting ground realities within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition made future prospects look bleak for Ahir under the UBT banner, prompting his switch to the ruling alliance to secure his political future. Ahir’s move is being seen as a crushing blow to Shiv Sena(UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya Thackeray, given that Ahir was considered a shadow-like confidant to Aaditya.

Until Tuesday morning, intense speculation was underway within the ruling Mahayuti alliance regarding who the Shinde-led Shiv Sena would field for the Deputy Chairman position.

However, the political landscape shifted dramatically when visuals emerged of Sachin Ahir filing his nomination form. The high-profile filing took place in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Dy CM Eknath Shinde, former Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe, and State Minister Chandrakant Patil.

Shiv Sena minister and spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat clarified that this was not merely a tactical crossover for an election, but a formal induction into the party. “Sachin Ahir has not just changed sides; he has officially entered the Shiv Sena,” he announced.

Sachin Ahir, early this morning, contacted Aaditya Thackeray and explained his stance regarding leaving the party.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danve told reporters, “Sachin Ahir messaged me in English at 11:30 a.m. today saying that he was making some decisions to protect his political existence. We were together until last night and left this place together. We will have to see why he took such a decision. Worli belongs to the Shiv Sena; Sunil Shinde became an MLA only after defeating Sachin Ahir. Under such circumstances, his departure won’t make any difference. UBT has filed the nomination of J.M. Abhyankar for the post of Deputy Chairperson,” he stated.

Political analysts view this as the second phase of Dy CM Shinde’s strategy to dismantle the Thackeray faction’s base. This move follows closely on the heels of Dy CM Shinde successfully poaching six Lok Sabha MPs from the Thackeray camp, an offensive dubbed Operation Tiger. Ironically, this latest blow lands just as Uddhav Thackeray wrapped up a regional tour intended to consolidate his base against those rebel MPs.

Meanwhile, Senior BJP leader and State Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule launched a blistering attack on Uddhav Thackeray, attributing the collapse of his faction to internal arrogance. “Uddhav Thackeray’s party has decayed solely because of his arrogant language. He and his people need to shed this ego,” Bawankule told reporters.

Responding to allegations of poaching, Bawankule explicitly distanced the BJP from the strategy. “The Bharatiya Janata Party has absolutely nothing to do with this operation. Eknath Shinde is expanding his own party, and Uddhav Thackeray needs to learn how to manage his own people instead of blaming others.”

Bawankule also took a sharp swipe at Thackeray’s chief spokesperson, Sanjay Raut, blaming the camp’s daily morning press conferences for shifting focus away from actual party management.

“They are only interested in hogging media space every morning. Nobody actually cares about holding the party together. Their core ideology has been sold out, and these defections are the direct consequence of that,” he added.

As Uddhav Thackeray travels across the state rallying support through his ‘Operation Tiger’ campaign, Shinde’s counter-strike right inside the Thackeray bastion of Worli has fundamentally altered the political calculus ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

Mumbai, June 30: The police have registered a case against Rajesh Kumar, a 21-year-old caretaker at Swagat Ashram in Kandivali West in Mumbai, Maharashtra, for allegedly physically assaulting two minors. The accused allegedly grabbed an 11-year-old boy by the throat and repeatedly slapped him after the child and his brother woke up late.

The incident came to light after the two children fled the shelter home and were later rescued by the Dadar Railway Police. Police have launched an investigation into the matter.

According to the victim’s statement, the children had been staying at the ashram after their father passed away in September 2025. Their mother had admitted them to the institution in the hope of providing them with a better future and access to education.

The victim told police that at around 4 a.m. on June 8, he and his cousin were assigned the task of filling water at the ashram. After completing the work at around 5 a.m., they went back to sleep, intending to wake up again at 6 a.m. for kitchen duties. However, due to exhaustion, they failed to wake up on time.

Enraged by the delay, the caretaker allegedly threw a bottle at one of the boys. He then repeatedly punched the 11-year-old on his back. When the child turned around, the accused allegedly grabbed him by the throat and slapped him across the face several times.

According to the complaint, the victim told police that the children had been subjected to regular abuse and beatings at the shelter home. Fearing further violence, the 11-year-old and his 14-year-old friend decided to flee the premises.

After leaving the ashram, the victim borrowed Rs 100 from a vegetable vendor by mentioning the caretaker’s name. The two boys then travelled by auto-rickshaw to Kandivali railway station and boarded a local train to Dadar. They were reportedly planning to travel onward to Ahilyanagar to reach the victim’s mother.

An alert citizen noticed the boys wandering on Platform No. 13 at Dadar railway station and informed the Dadar Railway Police. The officers took the children into custody, counselled them, and uncovered the alleged abuse at the shelter home.

The police subsequently contacted the boys’ mother and informed the authorities at Swagat Ashram. After undergoing medical examinations, both children were shifted to a safe children’s home.

Following directions from the Child Welfare Committee, Mumbai City, the police registered a case against Rajesh Kumar. Further investigation into the alleged assault and the functioning of the shelter home is underway.

Pune, June 30: A fresh legal dispute has emerged in the Ketan Agarwal murder case, with Advocate Ashutosh Srivastava, who claims to be representing accused Siya Goyal, issuing a legal notice seeking Rs 10 crore in damages from her brother, Sahil Goyal, over alleged defamatory statements.

In the notice, Advocate Srivastava stated that Siya Goyal had formally appointed him as her legal counsel through a duly executed vakalatnama (authorisation letter).

“Ms. Siya Goyal has duly executed and signed the Vakalatnama/authority in my favour for her legal defence. The said appointment was not an oral claim, not a media projection and not an unauthorised assertion, but a legal authority voluntarily given by an adult accused/client. The original/signed Vakalatnama is already filed before the competent court and her additional signed original copies of the relevant documents shall be produced before the appropriate forum/Court of law as and when required,” the notice stated.

The notice alleges that Sahil Goyal made false, misleading, and defamatory statements against Srivastava through the media, causing serious harm to his professional reputation and public image.

According to the legal notice, Srivastava’s vakalatnama has already been accepted and placed on record before the Vadgaon Maval Court. Despite this, it claims that Sahil publicly questioned his authority to represent Siya Goyal without first verifying the legal documents or contacting him.

“It is appalling, distressing and shocking that, instead of first verifying the authenticity and legality of the Vakalatnama duly filed on record or without having any conversation with us, you blatantly, irresponsibly, maliciously and fraudulently issued a public/media statement suggesting that I was not appointed or authorised by the family members,” the notice read.

The notice further contends that the statements created a false impression that Srivastava had falsely claimed authority to represent the accused or had acted improperly, thereby exposing him to ridicule, trolling, threats, hostile phone calls, professional embarrassment, and reputational damage.

Through the notice, Sahil Goyal has been asked to immediately withdraw the alleged defamatory statements, issue a public apology, and provide a written undertaking that he will refrain from making similar allegations in the future.

The notice also warns that if no satisfactory response is received within the stipulated time, Srivastava will initiate appropriate legal proceedings, including a civil claim seeking Rs 10 crore in damages for alleged defamation and reputational loss.

The legal notice marks a new development in the high-profile Ketan Agarwal murder case, adding a separate legal dispute between the accused’s family and the lawyer claiming to represent one of the accused.

The controversy began ahead of a court hearing in the case on Monday, when Sahil Goyal publicly questioned Srivastava’s authority to represent his sister.

Speaking to the media, Sahil alleged that Srivastava had neither been appointed nor authorised by the family and claimed that he may have obtained Siya Goyal’s signature “by deceit”.

Sahil’s remarks came after Srivastava made multiple media appearances in which he identified himself as Siya Goyal’s legal counsel and spoke on matters related to the case.

However, Sahil Goyal maintained that the family had not hired Srivastava as their lawyer and asserted that Advocate Vipul Dushing had been appointed to represent them. He also stated that the family had filed an affidavit before the court regarding the issue and alleged that Srivastava had issued threats to them.