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Maharashtra

Shiv Sena plea to ECI: Ban & probe BJP’s ‘illegal, unethical Rozgar Melas’

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A week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the nationwide ‘Rozgar Melas’ to hand over appointment letters to some 75,000 youth, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has registered a strong protest with the Election Commission of India (ECI), here on Friday.

The Sena (UBT) National Spokesperson Kishore Tiwari has filed a petition with the ECI, seeking for an urgent ban and a probe into the entire “planted” Rozgar Melas which he said are “illegal and unethical as they violate the All India Services (Conduct) Rules and other regulations”.

The petition contends that the Rozgar Melas were grant events organised for sheer political gains by the BJP at the Centre and contrary to all he civil services, army rules, BJP banks and other public sector undertakings which took part in the jamboree organised simultaneously all over India, sponsored by government funds.

In Maharashtra, the Rozgar Melas were spearheaded by Union Ministers Piyush Goyal (Mumbai), Narayan Rane (Pune) and Ramdas Athawale (Nagpur) in the presence of various party leaders on October 22, when 800 youth were given their job letters amid much fanfare.

At that time, the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders like Congress’ Atul Londhe, NCP’s Mahesh Tapase and Sena (UBT)’s Tiwari had slammed the BJP for giving only 75,000 jobs against Modi’s promise in 2014 to create two crore jobs every year.

Tiwari pointed out that the service rules of all these organisations “do not recognise” or allow such events for political mileage, that too, only for the ruling BJP as no representatives of any other political parties were present.

Besides violating the services rules and regulations which prohibit such appointment letters being distributed at the hands of a political party member, he said it was even “unethical” as the ECI has already set in motion the poll process for Himachal Pradesh and other states will follow suit soon.

“Any such event with eyes to benefit the ruling party politically is not only illegal but also contrary to several judgements of the Supreme Court and the ECI’s own guidelines and Model Code of Conduct for free and fair polls without any inducements to benefit only the ruling party without giving equal opportunity to other recognises/registered parties,” Tiwari said.

His petition cites apex court rulings under Article 32, the ECI’s directions/orders, and how all Central/state government departments and other public sector undertakings are duty-bound to follow.

Despite this, Tiwari said all government organisations were compelled to organise the Rozgar Melas spending public funds and violating all rules, regulations, norms and SC orders.

In the petition, Tiwari urged the ECI to immediately ban all future Rozgar Melas, adhere to the SC orders, and probe who actually authorised such programs at public expense for the politically-motivated job fairs intended to give an edge to the BJP.

The Sena (UBT) leader added that the manner in which the job events were carried out conveyed an impression that the candidates were getting government jobs not on their own merits, but courtesy the BJP.

“This is ridiculous, illegal and immoral� What kind of loyalty will these future public servants display toward their official duties or the common people? They might only do the bidding of the BJP leaders who allegedly did a ‘favour’ by giving them government jobs, that too, after the recruitment processes were completed at least one-two years ago,” declared Tiwari.

Earlier, he had said that at the rate of 75,000 jobs, it will take over a century for the BJP to give its promised 2 crore jobs per year in the past almost 9 years and termed the pre-election Rozgar Melas as “hoax and hogwash” for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, while seeking a priority hearing from the ECI for his petition.

Maharashtra

Mumbai 26 July 2005 Floods: When City Was Submerged With 944 mm Of Rain In 24 Hours Leaving 914 Dead, Thousands Displaced

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Every year, the monsoon season disrupts life across Indian cities with heavy rainfall, waterlogging and traffic chaos. But July 26, 2005, stands out as a day that etched itself into Mumbai’s history as one of its darkest and most devastating.

On that day, Mumbai received an unprecedented 944 mm of rain in just 24 hours, nearly half of its annual average. Between 8 am and 8 pm alone, 644 mm poured down. It remains the eighth-highest 24-hour rainfall ever recorded anywhere in the world. The city, unprepared for such intensity, was brought to a grinding halt.

Internet Flooded With Old Visuals, Still Haunting Mumbaikars

Several netizens took to social media to share haunting visuals from the 2005 Mumbai floods, recalling the day when the city came to a complete standstill. Many described it as an unforgettable chapter in Mumbai’s history, marked by chaos, resilience and unity.

While some reflected on the overwhelming scale of the disaster, others remembered how the crisis revealed the undying spirit of Mumbai, with strangers helping each other and communities coming together in the face of adversity.

Mumbai’s Lifeline Took Serious Hit, 52 Local Trains Damaged

As floodwaters rose, roads vanished beneath torrents of water. Local trains, the city’s lifeline, stopped completely, with tracks submerged and 52 trains damaged. Thousands were stranded in stations, schools and offices overnight. Low-lying areas like Dharavi and the Bandra-Kurla Complex were heavily inundated, while vehicles were swept away or immobilised.

The scale of disruption was staggering. Over 37,000 auto-rickshaws, 4,000 taxis, 900 BEST buses and 10,000 trucks and tempos were either damaged or rendered unusable. Even the skies were no refuge. For the first time ever, Mumbai’s airports shut down, with Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and the Juhu airstrip closed for more than 30 hours. More than 700 flights were cancelled or delayed, creating nationwide ripples in air traffic.

Over 900 Killed, Property Worth ₹5.5 Billion Destroyed

The economic loss was estimated at Rs 5.5 billion (around 100 million USD). But the cost in human lives and suffering was far greater. According to official reports, 914 people lost their lives, many due to drowning, electrocution and landslides. More than 14,000 homes were destroyed, leaving thousands without shelter, food or drinking water.

Communication networks also failed. Around 5 million mobile users and 2.3 million landline connections went dead for several hours, hampering emergency rescue operations. Emergency services were overwhelmed, as the city grappled with a disaster it had never imagined.

The 2005 floods served as a harsh wake-up call, exposing Mumbai’s vulnerability to extreme weather. In the years since, the government has worked on improving disaster preparedness, such as creating specialised disaster management units, upgrading early warning systems and installing floodgates and dewatering pumps at critical points.

Yet, even two decades later, as visuals from 2005 resurface each year, a haunting question persists: Is Mumbai truly prepared to face another flood of that magnitude?

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Crime

Mumbai: 11 Months On, No Action Against Cops Who Planted Drugs On Innocent Man In Kalina

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Mumbai: There has been no significant progress in the drug planting incident in Kalina involving four police personnel, even after almost 11 months.

The Vakola police have neither taken any action against the four accused police personnel, nor have they filed the chargesheet or properly recorded eyewitness statements. They have also not added additional NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) sections to the case, applying only bailable sections instead. As a result, the accused were granted anticipatory bail.

About The Case

On August 30, 2024, four policemen allegedly planted drugs in the pocket of 31-year-old Dylan Estbeiro, an innocent man working at a livestock farm in Kalina, Santacruz East. The entire incident was captured on CCTV, exposing the four police personnel.

The incident dates back to August 30, 2024, when PSI Vishwanath Omble and three constables – Imran Shaikh, Sagar Kamble, and Yogendra Shinde (also known as Dabang Shinde) – in plain clothes from the Khar police station visited Shahbaz Khan’s livestock farm in Kalina, Santacruz East, where Dylan Estbeiro was working. They allegedly frisked Dylan and planted 20 grams of mephedrone in his pocket during a staged search, later accusing him of drug possession.

The entire incident was captured on CCTV, which was later reviewed and shared publicly by Shahbaz Khan. Following the release of the footage, Dylan was released by the Khar police. The video sparked public outrage, prompting then-Deputy Commissioner Raj Tilak Roushan to suspend all four officers on August 31. Nearly three and a half months after the incident, the case was filed under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

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Crime

Mumbai Crime News: Father, Brother-in-Law Booked Under POCSO For Sexually Assaulting Minor Girl; One Arrested

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The Sewree Police have registered a case against the victim’s father and brother-in-law under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and rape charges for sexually abusing a minor girl. While the police have arrested the brother-in-law, the father remains absconding after the case was filed. Authorities are conducting a search for the accused.

The victim, a 16-year-old girl, alleged in her complaint that in April 2024, her father covered her face with a cloth while she was sleeping at home and sexually assaulted her. He also threatened to kill her mother if she disclosed the incident, leaving the victim too terrified to speak out. Later, in March (year unclear—needs verification), when the girl was alone at home, the accused allegedly molested her again.

After the victim recently approached the police, a case was filed under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rape and the POCSO Act. The brother-in-law has been arrested, while the father is still at large.

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