Mumbai, June 24: Mumbai Customs on Wednesday arrested a 28-year-old man for allegedly smuggling hydroponic weed worth Rs 2.05 crore into the country through Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA).

According to Mumbai Customs, officials intercepted a passenger identified as A.D. Rajani, a resident of Jamnagar, Gujarat, based on specific suspicion that he might be carrying contraband items after arriving at CSMIA from Bangkok.

Following the interception, a detailed search of the passenger’s baggage was conducted. During the examination, officials found his trolley bag stuffed with 14 packets. Upon opening the packets, they were found to contain the fruiting and flowering tops of a plant suspected to be hydroponic weed (cannabis).

Customs officials recovered a total net weight of 5,869 grams of hydroponic weed, with an estimated value of approximately Rs 2.05 crore in the illicit market. Further investigation into the case is underway.

The latest seizure comes amid a series of recent crackdowns on drug smuggling through Indian airports.

On June 22, Customs officials at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi seized hydroponic weed worth around Rs 4.80 crore from an Indian passenger arriving from Bangkok. The passenger had arrived on Air India flight AI 2335 on June 21 and was intercepted after crossing the Green Channel based on profiling. A detailed examination of his baggage led to the recovery of approximately 13.84 kg of hydroponic weed.

Earlier this month, on June 12, the Customs Department arrested a 28-year-old woman at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 11 kg of hydroponic weed into the country. The seized contraband was estimated to be worth Rs 11.82 crore in the international market.

Hydroponic weed is a high-potency form of cannabis cultivated using water-based nutrient solutions instead of soil. Due to its higher concentration of psychoactive compounds and superior quality, it often commands a significantly higher price in the illegal drug market.

Mumbai, June 24: In a significant administrative overhaul, the Maharashtra state government on Tuesday ordered a major reshuffle within its police force. A senior IPS officer, Vishwas Nangre Patil—widely recognised as Mumbai’s “Singham” for his tough stance on crime—has been appointed as the new Police Commissioner of Nagpur, the state’s second capital.

Nangre Patil, who was previously serving as the Additional Director General of Police (ADG) in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), replaces the outgoing chief, IPS Singhal, who has been moved to the ACB as ADG.

In another notable shift, senior IPS officer Archana Tyagi, frequently referred to as the “Lady Singham,” has also been reassigned in this round of postings.

The reshuffle involves a direct swap of roles and promotions among several Director General (DG) and Inspector General (IG) level officers.

IPS Vishwas Nangre Patil transferred from ADG (Anti-Corruption Bureau) to Police Commissioner, Nagpur City. IPS Sanjay Verma transferred from Director General (Judicial and Technical) to Director General, Police Housing and Welfare Corporation. IPS Archana Tyagi shifted from Director General (Police Housing and Welfare Corporation) to Director General, Judicial and Technical.

IPS Dattatray Shinde was promoted as Inspector General. He was transferred as Additional Police Commissioner (Mira-Bhayander-Vasai-Virar) to the State Crime Record Department (CID), Pune, as the Inspector General of police.

IPS Sanjay Shintre transferred from Deputy Inspector General (Cyber Mumbai) to Additional Police Commissioner, Mira-Bhayander-Vasai-Virar.

The restructuring also impacts several Superintendents of Police (SP) and Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCP) across key districts.

The government has transferred Nitesh Rohan, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Hingoli, to Nanded SP, Abhishek Kumar, SP Nanded to DCP Pune city, Shrimant Lad, Additional SP, Khamgaon (Buldhana), to SP, Hingoli. Rupali Ambure, DCP, Dial 112 (Navi Mumbai), transferred to SP, Maharashtra State Security Corporation, Shashikant Satav, DCP, Nagpur City, to DCP, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ramesh Dhumal, DCP Amravati City, to DCP, Nagpur City, Prashant Mohite, DCP Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, to DCP Dial 112 (Navi Mumbai).

Piyush Jagtap, Commandant, SRPF Group 17 (Chandrapur), was transferred as Additional SP, Khamgaon (Buldhana), Narayan Shirgaonkar, Commandant, SRPF Group 13 (Gadchiroli), to Commandant, SRPF Group 19 (Ahilyanagar). Pranjali Sonawane, SP, Crime Investigation Department (CID) Amravati, to DCP, Amravati City.

The government sources said that the administrative shake-up comes as an effort to streamline law enforcement, strengthen urban policing, and bring seasoned officers into critical operational and administrative roles ahead of upcoming state challenges.

Mumbai: A ruckus broke out in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly when the debate on triple talaq and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) was underway. During this, NCP Ajit Pawar group leader and MLA Sana Malik aggressively said that polygamy is not common only among Muslims, it is common in other religions as well. Only Muslims are being targeted. On this, the BJP created a ruckus and said that the country will run according to the Constitution and not the Quran or Sharia.

On the second day of the monsoon session of the Legislative Assembly, the ruling and opposition MLAs clashed over the highly sensitive issues of ‘triple talaq’, polygamy and ‘Uniform Civil Code’ (UCC). BJP MLA Devyani Frande raised the question of Uniform Civil Code while NCP (Ajit Pawar group) MLA Sana Malik took an aggressive stance. Devyani demanded the implementation of UCC here. Call for attention notice
BJP MLA Devyani raised the issue of triple talaq. “Due to triple talaq and polygamy, great injustice is being done to Muslim women. Only Pakistan is committed to polygamy, but it is not like that in India. When will the state government implement the Uniform Civil Code?” Asked this question, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam gave details about the formation of a committee for the UCC and said that the government’s position is clear on this, the state government is working positively on the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC). The Chief Minister has also prepared a legal draft and has decided to set up a committee under the chairmanship of a retired High Court judge. After its report comes, steps will be taken to implement the UCC. Once the UCC is implemented, it will be equally applicable to every citizen of the country. Therefore, there will be a ban on polygamy and the number of marriages.

A Muslim follows the Quran and Sunnah and is bound by Sharia.

MLA Sana Malik, while participating in the debate, took an aggressive stance and said that Muslims follow the Quran, Sunnah and Sharia and gave a firm reply to the BJP and said that the BJP and its members say that such and such a law is in force in Pakistan, then Pakistan is not doing anything unique. It adheres to the Quran and Hadith. It implements only the teachings of the Quran. Therefore, I demand that the teachings of the Quran be followed here too. Do only Muslim men marry more than one person? Polygamy exists in other religions. The difference is that only in the Muslim religion there are uniform rules and regulations for polygamy. Sana Malik said, “Talaq Hassan and ‘Talaq Ahsan’ are the types that we follow. But ‘Talaq Bid’at’ itself is a separate cultural practice, it is not mentioned anywhere in the Quran. That is why it did not exist in India, so the government abolished it. To which Muslims have no objection because Muslims do not believe in talaq bid’at. BJP members were furious over Sana Malik’s statement on the implementation of the Quran and many members also objected to it. Several members told Sana Malik, “Don’t lecture us on the Quran. This country will not run on the Quran but on the Constitution of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Meanwhile, when Sana Malik was opposed in the House and the BJP created a ruckus over her outburst, Nationalist Congress (Sharad Pawar group) state president Jayant Patil supported Sana’s stand and said that it is the tradition of the House that if someone expresses their opinion, they should be given freedom of expression. Whether Sana Malik’s advice is liked or not, her language is not at all correct. I support Sana Malik’s stand.

In the Monsoon session, an ideological conflict and disagreement has emerged between the ruling grand alliance on the issue of ‘Uniform Civil Code’ (UCC) and ‘Triple Talaq’. On the one hand, the BJP and the Shinde group are raising the issue of Hinduism and the Constitution, while on the other hand, Muslim MLA Sana Malik is showing boldness in the House regarding Sharia and Islam and has responded to the BJP on Muslim issues with full force. The possibility of the conflict becoming more intense has now become clear. On the other hand, while addressing a press conference here, Nitish Rane also spewed venom against Muslims and said that this country will run on the constitution of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. He said that when this issue was being discussed in the House, it felt like we were sitting in the House of Karachi or Pakistan. He said that this is a Hindutva government. When asked whether Mahayoti MLA Sana Malik objected to the question related to the Uniform Civil Code and Muslim women in the House and said that only Muslim women are atrocities in Maharashtra, Nitish Rane said that we will support whoever raises the issue of Hindutva.