Mumbai: Abu Asim Azmi expressed concern over the lack of medical facilities and poor arrangements and deteriorating conditions in hospitals in the Mumbai Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, drawing the government’s attention to these important issues. He told the House that the condition of patients in government and municipal hospitals is pathetic. Here, patients are not provided with medicines along with treatment, due to which patients have to arrange medicines from outside. In such a situation, the situation is worse due to poor arrangements in government hospitals. In Mumbai’s JJ Hospital, a patient was given 5 to 6 thousand rupees per day and these medicines were not available in the hospital, they had to be purchased from private clinics. When I complained about this to the Dean, he was not even aware of it. On this, the Dean said that all the medicines will be provided to the patient from here. He asked me why the patient did not complain to me about this? To which Azmi said that doctors forbid patients from talking to any doctor during the visit. Due to the lack of an MRI machine in the hospital, there are many problems. Three thousand patients come to JJ Hospital for treatment every day, out of which only forty patients can be examined with the MRI machine. When will the rest of the patients be diagnosed? It should be decided in how many days MRI, sonography and other tests will be scheduled for patients coming to Mumbai from remote rural areas? Azmi drew the attention of the House to this and said that a child was brought to Wadia Hospital here in Mumbai for treatment. I called him and charged him Rs. 300 for the form and then he was not admitted and after leaving the hospital, the child dies. This is the condition of hospitals. There is a lack of facilities including poor arrangements in hospitals. Azmi said that MRI and other test machines are closed in Nair and other hospitals. In hospitals where the machine is closed. In hospitals where there are medical colleges, the machine is also closed, so how can medical students get education on these machines? Minister of State Megha Skorekar Bordekar said that necessary steps will be taken in the hospitals. To this, Azmi asked whether new hospitals have been started, why have arrangements not been made in the hospitals so far? On Azmi’s demand, the said woman said that she would visit the hospital suddenly one day along with Azmi. The Minister said that MRI machine will be started in four hospitals KM, Sine, Cooper Nair by June. Its system requires two months. MRI will be available in four hospitals in October. MRI is being provided at other places at government fees. In 16 hospitals, MRI machine in PP model and other machines will be installed, after which testing will be done at government fees. The Minister also assured of necessary steps in the hospitals.

Mumbai, July 10: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday levelled serious allegations of a multi-crore corruption scandal within the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

In an official letter addressed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dated July 9, 2026, Raut demanded immediate action against a senior cabinet minister and municipal officials for allegedly bypassing mandatory e-tendering processes and violating Supreme Court guidelines.

According to the letter, several local corporators from Pimpri-Chinchwad met with Raut to flag blatant illegalities in the procurement of school uniforms, sweaters, socks, raincoats, and school bags for primary and secondary school students. State regulations mandate that any civic procurement exceeding Rs 3 lakh must strictly go through an “e-tender” system. However, a multi-crore contract was directly awarded to Solapur-based Jagdamba Readymade Dresses Sahakari Sanstha without any competitive bidding, alleged Raut.

Raut said that the matter had previously reached the Supreme Court, which had capped the procurement rate of the school kits at Rs 239 per unit. Instead, the PCMC administration allegedly awarded the contract at an inflated rate of Rs 814 per unit—resulting in a staggering overpayment of Rs 575 per kit funded by taxpayers. Raut estimated the total scale of the scam to be approximately Rs 400 crore.

He did not mince words, directly accusing a senior minister within the state cabinet of using political muscle to push the deal through. “A senior minister from your cabinet pressured the Municipal Commissioner to illegally award this contract to the firm without any tender process,” Raut wrote, invoking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s famous anti-corruption slogan, ‘Na khaunga, na khane dunga’ (“I will neither take bribes, nor allow anyone else to take them).

Raut further alleged that this pressure was driven by financial kickbacks rather than public interest, claiming that a massive cut of Rs 50 to Rs 55 crore allegedly reached the concerned ministers. He described corruption targeting school supplies for children as “deeply shameful.”

Concluding his letter, Raut urged CM Fadnavis to order an immediate inquiry and take strict action against the complicit minister and the PCMC administration. He confirmed that a complete set of documentary evidence detailing the alleged corrupt practices has been formally submitted to the Chief Minister’s Office for review.

Mumbai, July 10: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has launched a major statewide operation to investigate alleged contacts between individuals in the state and Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti, with the agency questioning 112 people identified so far in connection with the case.

According to an official statement by the Maharashtra ATS, teams from all 14 ATS units across the state began the action at around 7 a.m. on Friday. The teams have been visiting the locations of individuals who were allegedly in contact with Bhatti through social media platforms and are questioning them as part of the ongoing investigation.

The ATS said that several locations across Maharashtra are being searched as part of the operation. Searches and enquiries are underway in areas including Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Mira Road, Sangli, Satara and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, among other places.

The agency is examining possible links between the identified individuals and Shahzad Bhatti, who is suspected of allegedly using social media platforms to influence or encourage young people towards anti-national activities. Based on these inputs, the ATS initiated the statewide action to verify the nature of the alleged contacts and gather further information.

The agency is also collecting details related to their communication patterns, online interactions and any possible association with the Pakistan-based gangster.

The ATS has clarified that the investigation is currently underway and further action will be taken based on the findings of the enquiry.

Since the year 2025, the police have busted nine modules handled by Pakistani national Shahzad Bhatti.

This man, who was once a social media influencer has become the latest headache for the security agencies and would continue to remain for some more time as Bhatti is waiting for complacency to set in so that he can strike India.

Bhatti has emerged as the key figure in the modules that have been busted by the police.

While four separate modules relating to Bhatti have been busted by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), five were shut down by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that a clear pattern has been emerging and the Indian agencies are battling a new type of threat. Usually when nine modules are busted back-to-back by specialised agencies, the ones who are in charge tend to pull back.