Connect with us
Monday,05-October-2026
Breaking News

Maharashtra

PM Modi To Inaugurate MTHL On Jan 12; To Lay Foundation Stones For Orange Gate & Borivali Tunnel On Same Day

Published

on

Mumbai: The much-awaited Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 12, senior officials in Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) confirmed on Tuesday.

Officials said, We were not sure of the date as we were just asked by the government and the Prime Minister’s Office to be in the ‘ready mode’ since the PM was also going to be busy with the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya Ram Mandir. Now we have been given the green signal and it is confirmed that MTHL will be inaugurated on January 12.

On Sunday, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, too, had hinted at the January 12 opening. MMRDA officials told the FPJ that it will coincide with the laying of the foundation stones for Orange Gate and Thane-Borivali Twin Tube Tunnel.

About Orange Gate Project

Slated as one of the longest underground tunnels in the city, Orange Gate on Eastern Freeway will connect with Marine Drive 40 metres below ground level. It aims to provide a seamless road-based transit system with just 10 minutes of driving distance from Eastern Freeway to the coastal road. It will also enhance signal free connectivity between the east and west coasts of Mumbai via Eastern Freeway, MTHL, coastal road and Bandra Worli Sea Link.

The Rs14,400 crore Borivali tunnel project is expected to reduce travel time between Thane and Borivali to 15-20 minutes from 90 minutes. It will also help minimise traffic congestion on Ghodbunder Road. The route will feature an 11.8km connecting road with two 10.25km three-lane tunnels under Sanjay Gandhi National park, running from Tikuji-NiWadi in Thane to the Western Express Highway in Borivali.

The MTHL, an engineering marvel, will take off at Sewree in south Mumbai, crossing over Thane Creek and terminating at Chirle in the distant outskirts of Navi Mumbai. It is expected to cater to 70,000 vehicles daily. Motorists can zoom past the bridge at 100 kmph in 15 minutes.

Maharashtra

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

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Crime

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

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

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

Published

on

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.

Continue Reading

Trending