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Maharashtra

Mumbai’s first underground Metro-3 line trials commence

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Marking a breakthrough, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis flagged off the trial runs on the city’s first fully subterranean Mumbai Metro 3 line, here on Tuesday.

The work on the 33.50 kms long Metro 3 corridor started in 2016 and the first phase is likely to be completed by end-2023.

Shinde, Fadnavis and Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) officials waved the green flag for the trial run at Sariputnagar in Aarey Colony temporary car-shed inside a 3 kms tunnel till the Marol Naka Station.

Speaking on the occasion, Shinde said that nothing will stop the progress of Mumbai and Maharashtra after the new government took office on June 30, 2022.

Fadnavis said that the opposition to the Metro car-shed in Aarey Colony was more political than environment-related and indirectly flayed the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress government for delaying the much-needed project.

MMRCL officials informed that the test runs of the metro rakes over the next three-six months would comprise various parameters like speed, emergency brakes, oscillation in the tunnel – a first for Mumbai.

The Metro 3 line will connect Colaba in south Mumbai to SEEPZ in north-west, via Bandra with the first phase likely to be operational by Dec. 2023 and the next phase by June 2024, said the officials.

As per original plans, the line was slated for completion in December 2021, but was bogged down due to the car-shed row coming inside the Aarey Colony and the MVA government had shot down the proposal in November 2019, to shift the car-shed to a new site in Kanjurmarg.

After coming to power two months ago, the Shinde-Fadnavis government spiked the MVA’s move and restored the car-shed location from Kanjurmarg back to Aarey Forest, attracting howls of protests from the Sena-NCP-Congress and environmentalists.

The delays have led to a cost escalation from the original estimates of Rs 23,000-crore to now around Rs 37,000-crore, and the complete project is now slated for completion only by mid-2025.

The current status of the project is nearly 99 per cent of the tunnel digging works are completed, 84 of the civil works, giving an overall project execution of around 70 per cent.

The 33.50 kms Metro 3 will have 27 stations en route, including 26 underground and one at ground-level, with a portion of the line running under the Mahim Creek and the Mithi River.

Maharashtra

Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) Dr. Vipin Sharma reviewed Manohar Wiman Desai Hospital in Malad

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Mumbai: Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) Dr. Vipin Sharma today (April 20, 2026) visited the Manohar Wiman Desai Hospital of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation located in Malad East area. During this visit, he visited the outpatient department, intensive care unit and various departments of the hospital. During this visit, he also interacted with the patients coming for treatment at the hospital. Along with this, he also interacted with the doctors, nurses and related officers and employees working in the hospital and got information about the situation there. During today’s visit of Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Vipin Sharma, Dr. Chandrakant Pawar, Chief Medical Superintendent and Head of the Suburban Hospitals Department of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation were also present. During today’s visit, Dr. Sharma inspected the machinery, ambulance and various issues related to the hospital and discussed the situation there in detail with the concerned persons. Besides, while interacting with the doctors, nurses and concerned officers and employees providing medical services, Dr. Sharma directed that all the doctors and concerned employees providing medical services in the hospital should speak more politely with the patients coming to the hospital for medical treatment and consult the patients properly. Dr. Sharma expressed satisfaction about the cleanliness and service facilities in the hospital. Manohar Wiman Desai Hospital is a major hospital of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation located in the Malad East area. This 180-bed hospital has been providing medical services to the people of Mumbai since 1976. The hospital administration also informed on this occasion that the outpatient registration of this hospital is open between 8 am and 11 am on office working days.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Head of gang who made children dress up as girls arrested, major operation by Crime Branch

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Mumbai: A beggar who forced children to beg by dressing them in girls’ clothes and begging has been arrested by the police in Mumbai. He was the head of a begging and living gang. Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 6 has arrested him. Shivaji Nagar Police Station 237/2026 u/s 139, 142, 352, 351(2) BNS along with Sections 4, 6, 8, 12, 17 POCSO along with Section 5 of the Immoral Trafficking of Children and Protection of Women Act along with Section 7 of the Third Person Act (*Forced Sexual Relations with POCSO) was registered against the accused. In this case, the police have registered a case against Babu Ainal Khan alias Babu Guru alias Babu Zankha, aged 30 years, resident of Gali No. 9, near Bab Rehmat Masjid, Rafiq Nagar Part No. 2, Shivaji Nagar. Govindi has been arrested. The complainant’s minor son was kidnapped and forcibly transformed into a third gender and for his financial gain, the child was forced to beg in a local train and the said minor was also forced to dress up as a girl and have natural sexual intercourse with male customers, for which the said crime was registered in the police station. The Crime Branch has taken the accused into custody for investigation of this matter. Based on its confidential information, the Crime Branch arrested the accused from Vashi Naka, who was hiding here by hiding his identity.

According to the information received, the said team had laid a trap in Vashi Kopri village in Navi Mumbai. But the wanted accused became suspicious and started fleeing towards Mumbai in a motor car by another route along with his other accomplices. Then the said team also chased his motor car and arrested him from Panjrapole Junction, Trombay, Mumbai. At that time, it was confirmed that the said wanted accused is the same and he was brought to the Crime Branch office. When he was questioned in connection with the said crime, it was found that he was actively involved in the crime, he was medically examined and handed over to Shivajinagar Police Station for further investigation. The accused has a criminal record against him.

1) Shivajinagar Police Station G No. No. 718/2024 C 115(2), 118(1), 353,351 BNS Narapoli Police Station No. No. 1704/2024 C 109, 118(1), 352, 351, BNS Kurla Police Station G No. 240/2017 C 365, 342, 348, IPC Deonar Police Station No. No. 150/ 2010 C 324,323 IPC Shivajinagar Police Station 218/2025 C 3(a), 6(a) Section 3 along with cases registered under sections 318(4), 336, 337, 339, 340(2) BNS of the Foreign National Order Act
This information has been given here today by Bharat Ghona, in-charge of Unit 6.

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Maharashtra

BJP leader Nazia Elahi’s misbehavior in Mumbai Lenskart store, appeal to reveal religious identity

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Mumbai: BJP leader Nazia Elahi, who entered a Lenskart store in Mumbai’s Andheri area, not only showed hatred but also argued with a Muslim youth and tried to explain how he wanted to implement Sharia here. After the ban on Hindu dress and customs in Lenskart, Nazia Elahi entered Lenskart on social media and applied tilak to Hindu employees here, after which this matter has now become a cause of religious controversy.

For the past several days, Lenskart owner Piyush Bansal has been asked that if there is so much “love” for Islamic customs and customs, then why is there so much “hatred” for Hindu beliefs in Hindu-majority India? Voices are being raised across the country against Lenskart’s double standards. People are protesting in different ways. In this context, BJP leader and supporter of Sanatan traditions Nazia Elahi Khan visited a Lenskart store and applied tilak to the employees. Nazia Elahi Khan visited a Lenskart store. Nazia appealed to Hindus to be fully aware of their religious and cultural traditions and identity. Sharing a picture of a Lenskart store on social media platform X, she wrote, “Tilak is a source of pride for you. Kalava is your sanskar (sacred thread) your sanskar (culture). Sanatan is your identity. It is your honor to chant the slogan Har Har Mahadev.” After this, she said that wherever Hindus work, they should never compromise on their identity and traditions. Nazia wrote. Whether you work in Lenskart or Air India, wherever you are, never compromise on your identity.” Nazia tagged Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office, VHP, Bajrang Dal, Maharashtra BJP and Air India in her post.

The campaign to apply tilak to Lenskart employees Nazia Elahi Khan is seen applying tilak to Lenskart employees in the posted photos. The post has drawn a strong response from the former Muslim. Many users have made extremely offensive and vulgar comments that cannot even be mentioned here. Lenskart has been embroiled in controversy amid allegations of double standards. It is worth noting that Lenskart’s internal guidelines regarding dress and image for its employees have been a topic of heated debate for the past few days. Questions are being raised on social media as to why a Hindu national company in a Hindu majority country with a majority of Hindu employees and Hindu buyers is trying to suppress Hindu religious beliefs and Hindu identity. Piyush Bansal has clarified these allegations in two separate posts. He said that the Lenskart grooming guidelines shared on social media are outdated.

Lenskart’s dressing rules criticised
Piyush Bansal admitted that there was a ban on sindoor, bindi and kalava. People are also questioning whether such deeply discriminatory guidelines exist in any. People are also asking, “Where are the new guidelines that allow wearing sindoor, bindi and kalava?” Meanwhile, several former and current employees of Lenskart are reporting how the company is depriving Hindu employees of their basic rights. Some are also claiming that they were fired because they adhered to Hindu religious beliefs or spoke in support of them. Lenskart shares sold off. Following allegations of religious discrimination and the growing controversy surrounding it, Lenskart shares are selling off. On Monday, Lenskart shares fell by about two percent on both the major indices, BSE and NSE. At the time of publishing this news at 2:40 pm, Lenskart shares on the BSE were down 1.83%, or ₹9.80, at ₹524.75. Meanwhile, on the NSE, Lenskart shares fell 1.82%, or ₹9.75, to ₹524.80. The police have not registered any case in this matter so far, while this matter is also related to religious hatred and sectarianism and Nazia Elahi has also targeted a single religion by openly creating religious hatred.

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