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Maharashtra

Shiv Sena row: Supreme Court to hear Uddhav Thackeray’s plea challenging EC verdict today at 3:30pm

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The Supreme Court will hear today (Wednesday) the plea of former CM Uddhav Thackeray against the Election Commission of India’s recognition of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction as the real Shiv Sena.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal sought stay of the ECI order, “lest they take over everything, including the bank accounts”. He urged a bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud to take up the matter with the other Constitution Bench matters.

The Constitution bench, headed by the CJI, immediately took up the legal issues to decide whether to “tighten up” the Nabam Rebia ruling of 2016 or the Maharashtra case would go to a seven-judge bench. Sibal argued at length why the reference should go to a seven-judge bench.

The two-judge bench, also comprising Justice PS Narasimha, said they don’t want to disrupt the Constitution Bench as there are three judges waiting and added, “we will finish the Constitution Bench and get up a little early and then take it up on Wednesday”.

The CJI said, “We have not read it yet…tomorrow.” The bench decided to take up the matter at 3.30pm.

Thackeray’s plea said the EC has failed to appreciate that the petitioner enjoys overwhelming support in the rank and file of the party.

“The petitioner has an overwhelming majority in the Pratinidhi Sabha, which is the apex representative body, representing the wishes of the primary members and other stakeholders of the party. The Pratinidhi Sabha is the apex body recognised under Article VIII of the Party Constitution. The petitioner enjoys the support of 160 members out of approximately 200 odd members in the Pratinidhi Sabha”, it added.

The plea contended that the ECI has failed to discharge its duties as a neutral arbiter of disputes under para 15 of the symbols order and has acted in a manner undermining its constitutional status.

EC awarded party symbol to Shinde camp

On February 17, the Election Commission allotted the Shiv Sena party name and the bow and arrow symbol to the faction led by Eknath Shinde.

“The ECI has disregarded the party Constitution of 2018 (which was admitted even by the respondent No.1 to be the Constitution governing the parties) on the ground that such a constitution is undemocratic and that it was not communicated to the Commission. These observations are totally erroneous as the amendments in the Constitution were categorically communicated to the Commission in 2018 itself and the petitioner will place clear evidence in this regard,” said the plea, seeking interim stay on the ECI order passed on February 17.

Shinde faction takes over party office in Vidhan Bhavan

Overjoyed with EC order, the Shinde group took over the Vidhan Bhavan office on Monday and are likely to takeover the party office in BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation’s headquarters as well.

They are reportedly also aiming to take control of the party funds currently held by Thackeray faction. Though either faction is unable to come up with even a ballpark estimate of the corpus fund, some leaders indicate that it could be in the range of Rs 50-150 crore, mobilised over a period.

Maharashtra

Construction work on the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road targeted for completion by December 2028; Additional Municipal Commissioner inspects the site.

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To alleviate traffic congestion and ensure smooth, convenient travel within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a major infrastructure project known as the ‘Mumbai Coastal Road (North).’ Spanning approximately 60 kilometers—including interchanges and link roads—this mega-project aims to connect the Versova and Bhayandar areas via a coastal route. The construction work has been divided into seven packages: Packages A, B, C, D, E, F, and the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road (DBLR). Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar visited and inspected the Bhayandar interchange site (part of the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road/Package 7), located within the limits of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation, and issued necessary instructions during the visit.

The Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road is a crucial project for the Mumbai and Mira-Bhayandar regions, and construction is currently underway. It will establish a direct and rapid road connection between Dahisar West and Bhayandar West. The total length of this road project is approximately 5.135 kilometers. The project encompasses various engineering structures, including elevated roads, roads on stilts through mangrove areas, high-level structures over creeks, elevated corridors over salt pan lands, connecting roads and interchanges for traffic distribution, and flyovers. The main elevated road of the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road project—spanning approximately 3.83 km in length and 45 meters in width—will serve as the final leg of the Mumbai Coastal Road (North). Mr. Bangar visited the site and reviewed the preliminary works. Currently, the installation of gabion walls is underway; additionally, piling (deep foundation) and the construction of pile caps are progressing. Several components of the project have already been completed, including 60 piles, 5 pile caps, 4 bridge piers, pier caps, and the ninth section of the bridge. State-of-the-art machinery is deployed at the site, and a temporary bridge system is operational for access. Work related to the ‘launching girder’ is scheduled to commence in the second week of October; Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar reviewed detailed information regarding this. Bangar issued instructions to expedite the land acquisition process required for the project and to prepare a priority list in this regard. He emphasized the need to secure cooperation from the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation and other relevant authorities. He also directed that safety-related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) be strictly adhered to, adequate barricading be installed at the site during construction, and the work be completed to high standards within the stipulated timeframe. He instructed that planning and execution be carried out with the aim of completing the project by December 2028. Deputy Commissioner (Infrastructure) Shri Girish Nikam and Deputy Chief Engineer (Mumbai Coastal Road – North) Vaibhav Gandhi were present on the occasion, accompanied by the concerned engineers and consultants.

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Maharashtra

Gutkha and scented betel nut worth approximately ₹1.18 crore seized in Mumbai; 9 arrested.

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Mumbai: Authorities have claimed the seizure of banned gutkha worth ₹1.18 crore within the jurisdiction of the Bhandup Police Station. Acting on a tip-off regarding the transportation and sale of banned gutkha and scented betel nut, the Senior Police Inspector of Bhandup Police Station dispatched Assistant Police Inspector Vinod Lad and his team to verify the information and take action. Based on the intelligence received, the team laid a trap and conducted a raid on September 12 at approximately 4:25 AM at the Municipal Corporation parking area on Village Road, Nahur. During the operation, they seized five vehicles—comprising one container truck, two tempos, one Bolero, and one pickup truck—and arrested a total of nine individuals. The seized contraband included banned scented betel nut products (such as ‘Varanasi Aashiq’ scented betel nut and scented tobacco) valued at ₹20,21,100, along with five motor vehicles from various companies valued at ₹98 lakh; the total value of the seized property amounts to ₹1,18,21,100. The five vehicles, the nine accused, and the contraband have been taken into custody, and proceedings to register a formal case at the Bhandup Police Station are currently underway. This successful and noteworthy operation was carried out under the guidance of Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Sharma (Law and Order), Additional Commissioner of Police Dhananjay Kulkarni (East Region), Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhay Singh Deshmukh (Zone 3), and Assistant Commissioner of Police Ajay Joshi (Bhandup Division), by a team comprising Senior Police Inspector Sapna Khirsagar, Assistant Police Inspector Vinod Lad, Police Havaldars Hiralal Charande, Akesh Tirmare, and Ganesh Sonone, and Police Constables Vikas Shinde and Vijaykumar Pawar.

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Maharashtra

Accused involved in smuggling “MD” and “MDMA Plus” drugs arrested in Mumbai.

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The Mumbai Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) has claimed the arrest of a drug dealer involved in MD smuggling, charging him under Sections 8(c) and 22(c) of the NDPS Act. The accused was apprehended in Jogeshwari after being spotted under suspicious circumstances. The following items were seized from his possession:
1) Three MDMA pills weighing a total of 2.04 grams (estimated value: ₹88,000)
2) MD (Mephedrone) weighing a total of 417 grams (estimated value: ₹1,25,10,000)
3) Fifty Indian currency notes of ₹500 denomination (total cash: ₹25,000)
4) One used Apple iPhone 15 (estimated value: ₹20,000)
*The total estimated value of the seized items is ₹1,26,43,000. On September 11, the Azad Maidan Unit of the ANC (Crime Branch) was patrolling the Jogeshwari area when they received credible information that an individual was selling drugs from his residence. Acting on this tip-off, the ANC team raided the suspect’s home and recovered the aforementioned contraband. Case property recovered during the personal search of the said individual: 1) Three “MDMA tablets” weighing a total of 2.04 grams (estimated value: Rs. 88,000); 2) “MD” drug weighing 210 grams (estimated value: Rs. 6,300,000); 3) One used Apple iPhone 15 (estimated value: Rs. 20,000). Case property recovered during the search of the said individual’s residence: 4) “MD” drug weighing 207 grams (estimated value: Rs. 6,210,000); 5) Fifty Indian currency notes of Rs. 500 denomination (total cash: Rs. 25,000). The total estimated value of the recovered case property is Rs. 12,643,000. The ANC squad (Azad Maidan Unit) has arrested the said individual and registered a case (Case No. 85/2026) under Sections 8(c) and 21(c) of the NDPS Act, 1985. This successful operation was carried out by Deven Bharti (Police Commissioner, Mumbai), Anil Kumbhare (Joint Commissioner of Police – Crime), Krishnakant Upadhyay (Additional Commissioner of Police – Crime), and Poornima Chougule-Shringi (Deputy Commissioner of Police, ANC Squad, Crime Branch).

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