MNS chief Raj Thackeray appeared before the Thane Railway Court on Thursday for a hearing linked to the 2008 railway recruitment violence at Kalyan station. The incident involved MNS workers assaulting North Indian candidates who had arrived for recruitment exams, leading to disruption and damage to railway property. A case was registered against Thackeray and several party workers soon after.

During the brief hearing, the judge asked Thackeray whether he confessed to the charges. Thackeray replied that he did not admit guilt. The judge noted that the matter could be concluded within a month and asked for full cooperation from all accused. Thackeray agreed to comply.

Speaking after the hearing, Thackeray’s lawyer Omkar Rajurkar said the next date has not been decided yet and will be issued later. He added that Thackeray does not need to appear again in person unless directed. Rajurkar confirmed that the court asked whether the accused admitted to the crime, and Thackeray stated clearly that he did not. The judge reiterated that cooperation was expected as the case nears completion.

Rajurkar stressed that Thackeray would continue to cooperate fully with the proceedings.

The case dates back to 2008, when MNS workers allegedly targeted North Indian candidates at Kalyan station during a railway recruitment drive. The attackers argued that migrant job seekers were taking opportunities meant for local youth. Following the violence, a case was filed against Raj Thackeray and seven MNS workers, all of whom were arrested but later released.

Originally heard in the Kalyan Court, the matter was later shifted to the Thane Railway Court. Due to repeated absence of the accused at earlier hearings, the court had issued an arrest warrant, which was later cancelled after an application by Thackeray’s legal team.

With the court indicating that the case could conclude within a month, the matter now moves towards its final phase.

A sensational theft aboard the Siddheshwar Express has shocked passengers and police alike, after jewellery worth ₹5.50 crore was allegedly stolen by a group of masked suspects who were seen getting off the train at Lonavala railway station.

According to railway police, CCTV footage shows five to six masked individuals carrying two trolley bags believed to contain the stolen jewellery. Their covered faces have made identification difficult.

One person has been detained by the Railway Crime Branch, and his role in the case is currently under scrutiny.

The complainant, Abhaykumar Jain, a resident of Goregaon, Mumbai, had travelled to Solapur with his daughter Tanishka, carrying jewellery worth several crores.

Police said Tanishka had urged her father to install GPS tracking on their luggage, but the advice was ignored.

Jain sold part of the jewellery in Solapur and was returning with the remaining ornaments when the theft occurred.

The theft came to light only after the train journey ended. Jain then filed a complaint at the Kalyan Government Railway Police (GRP) station.
Both the Kalyan GRP and the Railway Crime Branch are jointly investigating the case.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the suspects may be residents of Mandha in Solapur district.

Police believe the thieves likely had prior knowledge of the jewellery and Jain’s travel details, hinting at the possibility of insider information or prior surveillance.

Investigators are examining CCTV footage from multiple stations between Solapur and Mumbai, analysing the suspects’ movement patterns and potential links across districts.

The probe is ongoing and efforts to identify the masked thieves have been intensified.

The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, a right wing organisation, on Wednesday urged the Maharashtra government to introduce a stringent law against what it describes as love jihad during the winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur. The term is used by right wing groups to allege that Muslim men target Hindu women for marriage with the intent of religious conversion.

The call comes after a coordinated campaign across the state that saw the involvement of more than 160 Hindu organisations from 20 districts. The Samiti stated that the participants pressed the government to pass a strict law to curb alleged forced conversions linked to marriage.

Sunil Ghanvat, the Samiti’s state organiser for Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, said in a statement that more than 1,600 activists and citizens took part in rallies, public meetings and memorandum drives across major districts. These included Mumbai, Jalgaon, Dhule, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Ahilyanagar, Akola, Amravati, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Satara, Pune, Solapur, Nashik, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

Memorandums were submitted to district collectors, taluka administrations, elected representatives, the Governor, the Chief Minister and the home department, urging the state to act.

The Samiti noted that states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Uttarakhand have already enacted laws aimed at curbing forced conversions. It argued that Maharashtra should introduce similar legislation with provisions for life imprisonment and registration of non-bailable offences.

Alongside the push for a love jihad law, the organisations also raised the demand for an anti land grabbing law, stating that such measures would strengthen legal safeguards in the state.