Maharashtra
SC to examine Uddhav faction’s plea against ECI proceedings to determine ‘real’ Shiv Sena

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to list on August 1 a plea filed by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena camp seeking the stay of Election Commission of India (ECI) proceedings on the Eknath Shinde faction’s plea for their recognition as the ‘real’ Shiv Sena.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Uddhav faction, mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana seeking an urgent hearing on the matter.
Sibal submitted that “till the court decides, they can’t go to the ECI”.
Senior Advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, representing the Shinde faction, said that the petitions before the top court are in connection with the disqualification proceedings initiated by the Speaker and the proceedings before the ECI are distinct.
The top court queried, what is the stage of the proceedings before the ECI.
The bench was informed that a notice has been issued for August 8.
After hearing the brief arguments, the top court tagged the plea along with other petitions filed in relation to the Shiv Sena crisis, scheduled for hearing on August 1.
The plea filed by General Secretary of Shiv Sena Subhash Desai submitted that the respondents purportedly has initiated proceedings under para 15 of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 (Symbols Order) interalia seeking to be recognised as the “real Shiv Sena” by the ECI, and are claiming the right to use the election symbol allotted to Shiv Sena — “bow and arrow”.
The plea said on July 20, the top court was assured by the counsel appearing for the Speaker that no further proceedings will be conducted in the matter of disqualification under the Tenth Schedule.
The Uddhav camp urged the top court to stay the proceedings initiated by the ECI on July 22, till the final adjudication by the top court on disqualification of rebel MLAs.
The plea said against the background of proceedings before the apex court, the ECI was requested not to proceed in the matter.
It contended that the ECI was also informed that since the very status of the persons making the petition before it as members of the Legislative Assembly is currently indeterminate and the issue is itself pending decision before the top court, these persons cannot be considered as MLAs of Shiv Sena and their claim or affidavits cannot be relied upon, and therefore, ECI should not proceed with the matter at this stage.
“Despite being asked not to precipitate the matter and stay its hand, the ECI has decided to initiate proceedings under Symbols Order on petition of respondent No. 4 and has issued notice to Uddhav Thackeray and Respondent No. 4 herein, without taking into account the proceedings before this court as well as the oral observation to maintain status quo and in complete disregard of the sanctity of proceedings pending before thisAcourtAand the role expected of the ECI as a constitutional authority,” added the plea.
Maharashtra
Malegaon Blast Case Acquitted Accused Sudhakar Chaturvedi Offers ‘₹2 Lakh Reward’ To Anyone Who Slaps Maharashtra Ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan

Mumbai: The political row over the 2008 Malegaon blast verdict escalated further on Thursday, August 7, when Sudhakar Chaturvedi, one of the seven accused acquitted in the case, made a provocative statement during a press conference. Chaturvedi, who was cleared of all charges along with BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, said, “Prithviraj is himself a Sanatani. I will give a reward of Rs 2 lakh to anyone who dares to slap Prithviraj Chavan.”
His remarks were aimed at former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan, whose recent comments following the verdict have stirred controversy. The special NIA court, in its judgment, stated that there was no reliable and cogent evidence to convict the accused. The Malegaon blast of September 29, 2008, near a mosque, killed six people and injured 101, and the case dragged on for nearly 17 years before the final acquittal.
Prithviraj Chavan’s Controversial Remarks
After the court’s decision, Chavan urged people to stop using the term saffron terrorism, suggesting instead ‘Hindu fundamentalist’ or ‘Hindu terrorism’ to describe such acts. He explained that saffron holds deep cultural and religious meaning, representing the flag of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Warkari sect and saints like Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar.
Shiv Sena Protests Outside Congress Office Over Ex-Maha CM Prithviraj Chavan’s Controversial Remarks
However, his alternative terminology triggered backlash from right-wing groups and BJP allies, who accused him of maligning Hindu identity. On August 2, Shiv Sena workers staged a protest outside the Congress office in Mumbai’s Prabhadevi, demanding an apology. They alleged that the Congress frequently targeted Hindu sentiments under the banner of secularism.
Responding to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s claim that “no Hindu can ever be a terrorist,” Chavan pointed to history, stating, “The first terrorist act in independent India was carried out by Nathuram Godse. What was his religion? Terrorism has no religion. This is BJP’s mindset, linking or delinking terrorism based on religious identity.”
Crime
Mumbai Customs Seizes ₹3.72 Crore Gold Dust, Hydroponic Weed In Two Separate Cases At CSMI Airport

Mumbai: During the duty of 07.08.2025, the Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone-III, made a significant seizure of contrabands at the CSMI airport. The operation resulted in the seizure of 0.947 Kg of suspected Hydroponic Weed (Marijuana) valued at approximately ₹0.94 crores, gold dust weighing 3.02Kg valued at Rs. 2.78 crores, across 02 cases.
02 persons were arrested.
Highlights of the cases:
Case 1: (07.08.2025)
24 Kt gold dust in wax (06 pcs) having net weight 3020 grams valued at Rs. 2.78 crores was recovered from an airlines staff. The gold was found concealed inside innerwear in specially designed belt. The airlines staff was arrested under the provisions of Customs Act, 1962.
Case 2: (07.08.2025)
A passenger who had arrived from Bangkok to Mumbai was intercepted and the contraband i.e. 947 grams Approximately valued at Rs.0.94 crore of greenish coloured in lumps form purported to be Hydroponic Weed (Marijuana) was recovered. The said recovered contraband was concealed in vacuum sealed plastic packets kept inside trolley bag carried by the passenger. 01 person was arrested under the provision of NDPS Act, 1985.
Crime
Thane: 55-Year-Old Man Attempts Suicide After Mumbai Police Arrive To Arrest Him For Sexually Assaulting Minor Girl In Badlapur

Thane: A 55-year-old man allegedly attempted suicide after a Mumbai Police team arrived at his residence in Badlapur, Thane, on Tuesday night to arrest him for the alleged sexual assault of a minor girl. The girl is the daughter of a bedridden man whom the accused had been hired to care for.
A police officer investigating the sexual assault case said on Thursday, “The man was immediately rushed to the nearby private hospital, where he lay unconscious for almost 36 hours, and currently his condition is stable.
According to the police complaint, the minor girl’s father suffered a paralytic attack last year. The accused was hired in May to care for him from 8 am to 8 pm. During this time, the man allegedly began sexually assaulting the minor and made obscene remarks after her mother left for work.
Despite being warned by the girl’s mother, the man continued to harass her. On July 28, he allegedly entered her bedroom and harassed her again, prompting the girl and her mother to approach the police.
On Tuesday, the police traced the accused’s location to Badlapur, prompting a team consisting of two assistant police inspectors and three to four constables to reach the spot. Around 10 PM, the man locked himself inside his house and began threatening to end his life. Despite the police’s efforts to calm him down, he allegedly attempted suicide. Officers then broke open the door and rushed him to the hospital, said an officer involved in the investigation.
The Police registered a case against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on July 29, following a complaint by the minor girl and her mother, who reported the harassment that occurred on July 28, as reported.
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