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Maharashtra

Pandit Nehru is responsible for landslide on Missing Link: MNS mocks Mahayuti govt

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Mumbai, July 7: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader, Sandeep Deshpande, on Tuesday took a sharp, sarcastic jibe at the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra and mocked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) frequent tendency to blame India’s historical issues on the country’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

“Pandit Nehru is responsible for the landslide on the Mumbai Pune Missing Link, and those who still want to criticise the government should move to Pakistan,” Deshpande wrote in his satirical post, taking a swipe at the ruling coalition’s typical rhetoric to deflect criticism.

Despande’s move to target the Mahayuti government comes after the Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ editorial remarked that the political handling of the incident has followed a predictable pattern.

Whenever such structural failures occur, the ruling politicians shift accountability to nature to cover up administrative lapses.

“In the Legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis deflected the blame entirely onto the unprecedented weather conditions. He maintained that while the administration had completed all necessary pre-monsoon preparations, the intensity of the downpour exceeded all engineering expectations—a defensive explanation that has become standard practice,” said the editorial.

Earlier, a major political controversy erupted in Maharashtra following a landslide on the recently inaugurated ‘Missing Link’ project on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway on Monday.

Coming just days after the project’s opening, the incident—along with reports of potholes surfacing on the stretch—has triggered intense scrutiny over the quality of construction, with Opposition parties training their guns on the Mahayuti government.

The controversy escalated after nearly 100 tonnes of debris and soil crashed onto the entry point of the Missing Link, which had been heavily promoted by the ruling alliance as an “engineering marvel.”

Opposition leaders swiftly surrounded Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, questioning the standard of work executed under the government’s watch. Opposition parties also questioned the projection of CM Fadnavis as ‘infra man’.

Responding to the allegations, CM Fadnavis defended the project, attributing the landslide to unprecedented rainfall and shifting climate patterns.

His justification, however, triggered a fresh wave of allegations and counter-allegations between the ruling and Opposition factions throughout Monday.

Following the massive landslide, traffic coming from both Mumbai and Pune directions on the Missing Link was completely suspended for the entire day on Monday. The blockade was cleared late at night.

Around 11:00 P.M, Fadnavis shared a video on social media showing the debris being removed, confirming that the stretch had been reopened for vehicles.

Addressing the incident, Fadnavis emphasised that the state machinery acted promptly. “A landslide occurred on the Mumbai-Pune route. These incidents are happening due to changing nature cycles. While the administration was fully prepared, events contrary to expectations took place,” Fadnavis stated.

He further added, “As soon as the landslide occurred on the connecting link, traffic was immediately stopped. Vehicles coming from both Mumbai and Pune sides were either halted or diverted. The state government and all relevant agencies are on high alert. Nearly 100 tonnes of debris came down on the road. Notably, this landslide occurred in an area where no such incident had ever been recorded in the past.”

Maharashtra

Kasturba Marg Police recover 100 stolen mobile phones, return them to their original owners

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Acting on complaints regarding stolen and lost mobile phones within the jurisdiction of the Kasturba Marg Police Station in Mumbai, police analyzed data from the CEIR portal and conducted technical investigations. By verifying device details, IMEI numbers, and user information, officers from the Kasturba Marg Police Station tracked down and recovered a total of 100 mobile phones from locations across Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.

The total estimated value of the 100 recovered mobile phones is ₹2,270,658. Of these, 18 phones have already been returned to their respective owners/complainants, including: 1) Rajendra Puri, 2) Khush Saw, 3) Kripa Lodhiya, 4) Shreya Satam, 5) Atul Sathe, 6) Priyanka Mistri, 7) Banu Tarang, 8) Prem Gupta, 9) Adya Shaikh, 10) Shweta Shah, 11) Sandhya Pandit, 12) Deepak Sawdekar, 13) Saurabh Jhangar, 14) Ketan Shete, 15) Onkar Raut, 16) Jayalal Yadav, 17) Lakshmi Appa Kripagiri, and 18) Praveen Dubey. The process of returning the remaining phones to their owners is currently underway.

This operation was carried out under the supervision of the DCP (North, Zone 3), Mumbai, by the team at Kasturba Marg Police Station, led by Balasaheb Bunkar.

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Crime

CBI books Mumbai firm, officials in Rs 93.44 crore loan fraud case

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Mumbai, Oct 3: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at multiple premises in Mumbai and registered a Rs 93.44 crore bank fraud case against officials of Hanjer Biotech Energies on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, an official said on Saturday.

The CBI conducted searches on Friday at multiple premises linked to the directors of Hanjer Biotech Energies in Mumbai, the CBI said in a statement.

The CBI registered the instant case on September 30, 2026, on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, SAM Branch, Mumbai, against Hanjer Biotech Energies, its directors and guarantors, unknown public servants and unknown private persons.

The accused were booked for offences of criminal conspiracy for cheating and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, resulting in alleged wrongful loss of approximately Rs 93.44 Crore to the bank.

It was alleged that the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy, obtained term loan of Rs 135 crore on the invoices of its related party and diverted/siphoned off the funds for other purposes for which it was not sanctioned, causing loss to the bank, the CBI said.

During the searches on Friday, incriminating bank documents and property documents relevant to the investigation were recovered and seized.

Investigation is continuing to ascertain the full extent of the conspiracy, identify the role of all involved persons, including public servants and private individuals, and trace the end-use of the loan funds, the CBI said.

In a separate case on Friday, the CBI arrested an Executive Engineer of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Mumbai, his relative and three officials of a Mumbai-based real estate group, in a Rs 50 lakh bribery case related to the issuance of a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a land parcel.

Vikrant Verma, Executive Engineer, CPWD Mumbai; Saurav Gupta, Verma’s relative based in Pune; and Arvind Semwal, Vice President, Baya Company, were among those named in the FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday, an official said.

The arrested accused were produced before the Special CBI Judge in Mumbai on Friday, the official said in a statement.

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Maharashtra

Monsoon Withdraws Further from Maharashtra; Hot and Humid Weather Alert Issued for Konkan Region

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MUMBAI PRESS — The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Saturday, October 3, 2026, that the Southwest Monsoon has withdrawn from parts of Maharashtra, as well as the remaining regions of North India, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

The current withdrawal line of the Southwest Monsoon passes through Harnai, Baramati, Parbhani, and Brahmapuri in Maharashtra, extending northeastward through Raipur, Ranchi, and Supaul. Weather officials stated that conditions are favorable for further retreat from most parts of Marathwada, Vidarbha, and additional areas of Madhya Maharashtra over the next 2 to 3 days.

Hot and Humid Stretch for Coastal Maharashtra
Residents in the coastal belt should prepare for elevated discomfort over the weekend. The IMD has issued a hot and humid weather warning for Konkan & Goa prevailing from October 3 through October 5.
Following this dry and muggy stretch, mild weather activity is expected to return to the region. Isolated to scattered rainfall is forecast across Konkan & Goa and Madhya Maharashtra between October 6 and October 9.

Southern and Northeastern Forecast
While monsoon forces retreat from central and northern parts of India, southern states are bracing for heavy downpours. Isolated heavy rainfall is predicted over Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal from October 4 to October 6, with South Interior Karnataka expected to receive heavy spells on October 5 and 6.

In the northeast, isolated heavy rainfall is expected to continue over Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh through October 3.

Advisory for Fishermen
Due to lower-tropospheric cyclonic circulations over the Arabian Sea, the IMD has urged fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the Kerala coast, Lakshadweep, Maldives, and the Comorin area on October 3. Farmers in heavy rainfall zones have also been advised to ensure proper field drainage and move harvested crops to covered storage to prevent crop damage.

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