Maharashtra
Umesh Kolhe killing: Ex-CM Thackeray’s alleged phone-call to be probed
In a major jolt, the Maharashtra government on Friday ordered a probe into whether former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had pressurised the Amravati Police to probe the killing of local chemist Umesh Kolhe from the robbery angle.
Minister Shambhuraj Desai said that the State Intelligence Department (SID) will investigate whether Thackeray had asked the Amravati Commissioner of Police Arti Singh to examine the robbery angle in Kolhe’s killing, now being handled by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Desai’s stunning announcement came after Amravati independent MLA Ravi Rana raised the issue in the Assembly through a calling attention motion on Friday.
Rana said that Kolhe was murdered on June 21, when Thackeray was the CM of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, but the police allegedly probed the case through the robbery angle.
“It was Uddhav Thackeray who called up the Police Commissioner Arti Singh to investigate the robbery angle in the case at the behest of a local Congress leader. We want that his phone call must be probed through a special investigation team,” demanded Rana.
It may be recalled that Rana and his independent MP wife Navneet Kaur-Rana have been at loggerheads with the Thackerays, especially after the Hanuman Chalisa row that erupted in April-May this year.
The couple had been arrested after they attempted to enter Thackeray’s private residence to recite Hanuman Chalisa and spent several days in custody, during the MVA regime.
Replying on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Desai assured the SID probe on who called whom, whether attempts were made to suppress the matter and the report would be submitted to (Fadavis) for suitable action.
This is second big rattler for the Thackeray father-son duo, coming a day after the state government announced a Mumbai Police SIT to probe the killing of former celeb-entrepreneur Disha Salian case.
Several BJP leaders including Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane, his MLA son Nitesh Rane, ex-MP Kirit Somaiya and others have claimed the involvement of Aditya Thackeray in the matter, though he has stoutly denied it.
Kolhe, 54, was killed by three attackers late on June 21 when he was returning home from his pharmacy shop for allegedly posting messages supporting the then Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s alleged controversial comments on Prophet Mohammed.
After the MVA government collapsed, the new government handed over the Kolhe case to the NIA which filed its charge-sheet this week.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Weather Update: Lowest Temperature Recorded In Dream City; Check Out AQI & More
Mumbai: The winter season in Mumbai has always been ever-changing in nature due to topography and climate change. While the temperature rises during the noon, mornings and nights are comparatively pleasant. The lowest temperature was recorded this year in the city’s Santacruz area, giving hope of winter’s arrival. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a rise in temperatures in the upcoming days.
Lowest Temperature Recorded
As per a Hindustan Times report, Mumbai experienced a minimum temperature drop below 20 degrees Celsius for the first time this year on Thursday, with Santacruz registering a morning low of 19 degrees Celsius, 2.6 degrees lower than usual. According to a prediction from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), temperatures are expected to increase in the upcoming days.
Today’s Weather Report
Today, on November 15, 2024, the weather in Mumbai shows a temperature of 29°C, with a forecast of 23°C as the minimum and 36°C as the maximum. The humidity level is at 54% with a wind velocity of 6 km/h. The sun will rise at 06:46 AM and set at 06:00 PM.
The forecast for today predicts morning fog with a chance of partly cloudy skies later on. Please organise your day based on the temperature and expected weather patterns. Have fun in the sun, but remember to bring your sunscreen and sunglasses when you enjoy the nice weather.
Tomorrow’s Weather Forecast
The forecast for Mumbai on Saturday, November 16, 2024 is a low of 27.54 °C and a high of 30.53 °C. The humidity is expected to reach 52% tomorrow.
Mumbai AQI Today
Today, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Mumbai is at 119, categorised as moderate. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted foggy skies today. It is advised to wear mask as you head out to start your day.
IMD Predictions
The IMD attributes the weather disturbances to easterly winds and a cyclonic circulation in the southeast Arabian Sea. According to the forecast by IMD, the temperature will reach a high of 34-35 degrees Celsius over the next few days, with a low of around 24-25 degrees Celsius, before decreasing once more.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra Elections 2024: Ajit Pawar, Other NCP Leaders Skip PM Modi’s Rally In Mumbai Raising Speculations On Rift Widening Within Mahayuti
Mumbai: The absence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and senior leaders from his faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Mumbai has stirred tensions within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
NCP Senior Leaders, Candidates Skip Modi’s Rally
The rally held at Chhatrapati Shivaji Park in Dadar, aimed to project the strength and unity of the coalition, bringing together leaders from Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde faction and the Republican Party of India (RPI) led by Ramdas Athawale. However, the lack of attendance from prominent NCP (Ajit Pawar) candidates Sana Malik, Nawab Malik and Zeeshan Siddique was conspicuous, especially as other alliance representatives appeared alongside Modi on stage.
This absence has raised eyebrows, with reports suggesting that Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction feels increasingly uneasy with the BJP’s campaign slogan, ‘batenge toh katenge’ (divided we fall), which some view as a pressure tactic to enforce cohesion.
PM Modi Thanks Mumbaikars
On the other hand, PM Modi expressed gratitude toward Mumbai’s people on social media, stressing his commitment to development and good governance under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Modi’s comments aimed to emphasize the coalition’s vision of improving ‘Ease of Living’ for citizens.
Milind Deora Dismisses Speculations Of Rift
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora had earlier addressed the speculations, affirming that the Mahayuti coalition, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, is united and contesting elections with full strength. He accused Congress of spreading a fake narrative on threat to the Constitution and also stated that it has failed, as reported by PTI.
Deora dismissed notions of any internal discord, contrasting the Mahayuti’s cohesion with what he described as fragmentation within the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), consisting of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) and Congress.
The stakes are high as Maharashtra heads into its November 20 assembly elections, with both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition MVA locked in a fierce battle for control of the state. The counting of votes is scheduled to take place on November 23.
Maharashtra
Baba Siddique Murder Case: Key Shooter Shiv Kumar Gautam Reveals Details Of Escape After Gunning Down NCP Leader
In the Baba Siddique murder case, the key arrested shooter, Shiv Kumar Gautam, has told the police that, after the murder, cops asked him whether he saw the shooters fleeing the scene of crime.
A day ago, he had told the police that after shooting the NCP leader, he changed his shirt which he had hidden in his pants, returned to the scene of crime, mingled with the crowd to observe the aftermath and then went to Lilavati Hospital to check if Siddique was still alive or just injured.
He has told the police that he returned to the spot after changing his shirt and saw the police searching for the shooters. They asked him whether he had seen the culprits flee. Appearing calm, he told them that he hadn’t.
He told the police that he remained at the scene for 20 minutes and saw his two associates, Dharmaraj Kashyap and Gurmel Singh, being taken into police custody. He reached Lilavati Hospital at around 10pm, then went to Kurla, caught a local train at 10.47 PM to Thane, and reached Pune around 3am on October 13. At 4am, he took an express train from Pune to Jhansi, discarding his mobile en route, which was part of the murder plot.
Meanwhile, the crime branch has revealed that key conspirator Shubham Lonkar practiced firing an AK-47 in the Naxal area of Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. After arriving in Jharkhand on July 29, Shubham, along with other accused Rupesh Mohol and Gaurav Apune, went to Ranchi, and then Bilaspur. The three stayed there for five days, during which Shubham practiced firing for four days.
Further to the crime branch’s discovery that the accused also planned to kill a political leader in Pune, officials said that he is a prominent corporator. Mohol and Apune had been tasked by Shubham to kill him.
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