Palghar: Police have arrested four men, including two auto-rickshaw drivers, from Gujarat for allegedly stealing Rs 11.25 lakh cash collected as student fees from the treasury of a college in Maharashtra’s Palghar city, officials said on Wednesday.

About The Theft

The theft took place between 5.30 pm on July 23 and 7.45 am on July 24 at the Dandekar College located on Boisar Road here, a police release said.

An official from the college later reported that Rs 11.25 lakh kept in the college’s accounts department treasury had been stolen by unidentified persons.

Based on technical analysis and intelligence inputs, the police here identified the four accused and arrested them from Umbargaon in neighbouring Valsad district of Gujarat on Monday with the help of local police, the release said.

“During interrogation, they confessed to committing the theft. Out of the stolen cash, Rs 4.05 lakh has been recovered,” it said.

The accused have been identified as Shubham Virendra Singh (21), Murali Manohar Pawar (23), both auto-rickshaw drivers, Arun Lakhan Chavan (19), a mason, and Farooq Firoz Khan, all hailing from Valsad, the release said.

They have been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 305(A) (theft in a dwelling house) and 331(3)(4) (house trespass or house break), the police added.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday hit out at the Maharashtra government over its decision to close meat and fish shops in certain municipal areas on August 15, Independence Day, citing historical examples to question the logic behind the move.

Raut argued that legendary Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his soldiers, as well as Peshwa Bajirao, were non-vegetarians, and that meat consumption was essential for warriors. “Shivaji Maharaj and his Mavlas did not go to war after eating only dal-rice and ghee; they consumed meat. Bajirao Peshwa also ate meat. Even our soldiers at the border cannot fight wars on shrikhand and puri. Devendra Fadnavis, you are making Maharashtra weak and impotent,” he said.

The UBT leader questioned the basis for the August 15 ban, calling it a new gimmick with no historical or cultural relevance. “August 15 is our Independence Day, not a religious festival. This freedom was not given to us by Modi, Shah, or Fadnavis. Who demanded the closure of chicken and mutton shops? Who is the mastermind of this drama?” he asked.

Raut accused the government of hypocrisy, recalling that those in power had once sacrificed bulls and goats at the Kamakhya Devi temple as part of religious tradition, and even consumed the meat as prasad. “If the creators of this government can do that, then telling people today to be vegetarian is nothing but hypocrisy,” he remarked.

Meat Ban Enforced By KDMC

His comments followed the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation’s (KDMC) order to shut all slaughterhouses for 24 hours from midnight of August 14 to midnight of August 15. The decision, affecting goat, sheep, poultry and large animal slaughter, was based on a 1988 administrative resolution and approved by Deputy Commissioner Kanchan Gaikwad. Notices were issued to all slaughterhouse operators.

Similar restrictions were announced in other municipal areas, including Nagpur. While ruling party leaders defended the ban as a harmless, symbolic gesture, Opposition leaders accused the government of moral policing and diverting attention from core civic issues.

Mumbai: In a bid to ease the workload on the state police and bolster law enforcement, the Maharashtra government approved the recruitment of 15,000 new constables. The decision was finalised on Tuesday during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the recruitment will comprise 10,908 regular police constables, 234 police constable drivers, 25 police constables for the police band and 2,393 armed police constables. In addition, 554 prison constables will be inducted. The enrolment process will be conducted at the respective district level.

Details On Selection Procedure

The selection procedure will include an Optical Mark Recognition (OMR)-based written examination, followed by physical tests and document verification. The Additional Director General (ADG) of Police (Training) has been authorised to oversee the application scrutiny, physical assessments, and written exams.

Additionally, the government has announced a one-time special concession for candidates who exceeded the prescribed age limit of 18–28 years in 2022 and 2023, allowing them to apply in this recruitment cycle. The move aims to address delays in recruitment over the past two years, which had left many aspirants ineligible due to age restrictions.

last year, the Maharashtra Police’s recruitment drive to fill 17,471 posts, including constables, drivers, band personnel, State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) members and jail staff, received an overwhelming 17.76 lakh applications, reflecting the high demand for positions in the state police force.

Highlighting the significance of the new recruitment, CM Fadnavis reportedly stated, “Police constables play an important role in maintaining law and order. This recruitment will help reduce the workload on the department.” He added that the expansion of the force will ensure better public safety and operational efficiency across Maharashtra.

The decision follows repeated recommendations from both the Supreme Court and the Bombay High Court, as well as from legislators across party lines, urging the state government to expedite the recruitment process to address manpower shortages in the police department.

With the approval now in place, the Maharashtra Police is expected to initiate the recruitment process soon, with a focus on transparent and efficient selection. The move is anticipated to majorly enhance the state’s policing capacity, improve response times and strengthen law and order in urban and rural areas alike.