Maharashtra
Poll for 367 local bodies in Maharashtra sans OBC reservation, contempt if orders breached: SC
The Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) for re-scheduling the poll for 367 local bodies to grant OBC reservation, and also cautioned its chief and other officials of contempt of court, if its orders are breached.
A bench, headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, said the poll schedule was already notified when it allowed OBC reservation and the polls for those bodies must be held without the OBC reservation.
It said the SEC cannot interfere with the election, which has already been notified and only the dates can be re-aligned.
The bench, also comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and J.B. Pardiwala, did not appreciate that despite clarifying the issue several times, the SEC had taken a decision to re-schedule the poll. The bench made it clear that the SEC and the officials concerned would be liable for contempt of court for breaching its order.
“This is not acceptable. You (SEC) are trying to misread our order for your convenience and maybe under dictation of someone… Do you want us to issue contempt notice?….”
The bench said the election for 367 local bodies were to be notified according to the May order, and this position had been re-stated in multiple orders. The top court was informed that as per SEC affidavit, the election was deferred for two municipalities.
It said the SEC cannot interfere with the election that has already been notified, and directed that SEC cannot re-notify the election programme to these 367 local bodies.
On July 20, the Supreme Court accepted the recommendations of the Banthia commission to apply 27 per cent OBC reservations in local body elections in Maharashtra, and directed that election for local bodies in the state be notified in the next two weeks.
In December last year, the top court had directed that reservation for OBCs in local bodies will not be permitted unless they fulfil the triple test, and until the triple test is fulfilled, the OBC seats would be re-notified as general category seats.
The Supreme Court, in its order in March last year, while reading down the OBC reservation in local bodies, asked the Maharashtra government to comply with three conditions – to set up a dedicated commission for collecting empirical data on the OBC population, specify the proportion of reservation, and ensuring cumulative share of reserved seats doesn’t breach 50 per cent of total seats.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Cleanliness of Narelwadi graveyard since Shab-e-Barat, restoration of closed pillars in the graveyard, cleaning of the graveyard by Corporator Waqar Khan’s team

Mumbai: Ahead of Shab-e-Barat, the process of cleaning the graveyard is underway. South Mumbai Ward No. 211 Corporator Waqar Khan met the trustees of Narelwadi graveyard recently. During this meeting, it was revealed by the trustees that the six high-mast lights installed in the graveyard had been switched off for the last eight months, due to which severe difficulties were being faced at night.
Taking the issue seriously, Waqar Khan spoke to the concerned officers of the BMC and demanded an immediate solution to the problem. Initially, the officers told that a fund of about Rs 24 lakh was required for this work, which is not available at the moment and it has to be approved.
Later, Waqar Khan maintained constant contact with senior officers and ward officers, as a result of which all the high-mast lights were reactivated within just two days.
During the visit to the graveyard, it was also observed that there is a need for serious cleaning. So within two to three days, under the leadership of Waqar Khan, about 40 to 50 locals of Madanpur Hanagpada personally took up the task of cleaning the graveyard without any political motive. In two to three hours, the area around about 50 graves was cleaned.
Taking forward this spirit, it was decided that a major cleaning drive would be launched on Sunday, February 1, in which 100 to 150 local, non-political people would participate.
This cleaning drive would continue from 11 am to 3 pm, with the aim of making this final resting place of Muslims clean, tidy and dignified. This drive is being carried out purely as a public service and religious and social responsibility, which does not involve any political motive.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Court Bars Filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap & Others From Making Statements Against Salman Khan, Family

Mumbai: The city civil court on Friday barred filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap and others from making any comments against Salman Khan and his family on any platform, in any form, while granting interim relief to the actor in a defamation suit filed against the filmmaker and others.
Khan had filed a defamation suit against Kashyap, Komal Mehru, Khushnoo Hazare, Ashok Kumar / John Doe, and various social media platforms for allegedly making defamatory statements against him and his family. While issuing restraining orders, the court observed that freedom of speech does not mean one can use abusive or threatening language against any individual.
Khan had approached the court following allegedly “scandalous, false, and grossly defamatory” statements made by Kashyap against him and his family members in various video interviews aired on the “Bollywood Thikana” channel, owned by Hazare. In those interviews and videos, Kashyap is alleged to have used offensive language and accused the family of running a cartel to destroy careers.
There are allegedly 26 such video interviews and podcasts released between September and December 2025, which are at the centre of the controversy. In the suit filed through advocate Pradeep Gandhy, Khan sought a permanent injunction and Rs9 crore in damages for the comments made by Kashyap and others against him and his family.
Maharashtra
Crackdown on illegal street vendors in Andheri, Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s ‘K-Waste’ department takes action, citizens are relieved

Mumbai: Around 200 unauthorised hawkers and additional structures on footpaths in Ram Ganesh Gadkari Marg (Arla Marg) area of Andheri (West) in Mumbai were evicted by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s ‘K-West’ department yesterday (January 29, 2026). The operation, as per the instructions of Municipal Corporation Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani, was conducted under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner (Zone-4) Bhagya Shri Kapse, and Assistant Commissioner (K-West Division) Chakrapani Ale. Unauthorised additional structures were found on footpaths connecting Swami Vivekananda Marg and Gulmohar Marg in Andheri (West) and on Ram Ganesh Gadkari Marg (Arla Marg) adjacent to the entrance of Dr. No. Cooper Hospital. It was also observed that unauthorised hawkers have set up shops in this area. It was creating obstacles for ambulances bringing patients to Cooper Hospital in case of emergency and for pedestrians to walk on the footpaths.
In this context, an eviction drive was launched by the ‘K-West’ administrative department of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Under this, around 200 unauthorized hawkers and unauthorized additional structures established on the footpaths in this area were evicted.
The eviction was carried out with the help of 04 encroachment removal vehicles, 03 JCBs and other equipment. During this operation, an adequate police force including 100 officers and employees of the Municipal Corporation were deployed. Local representatives and citizens are expressing satisfaction over this action. The Municipal Corporation administration has made it clear that regular evictions against unauthorized structures will continue in the future.
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