A preliminary inquiry by Central Railway (CR) into Saturday’s incident where eight passengers were hit by the open door of a location box between Bhandup and Nahur stations has stated that “human error” was behind the mishap as the door had not been locked after work was carried out at the site. According to the report, the door flipped open due to the vibrations of passing trains. However, the police team, during their visit found that the door of the location box was rusty, had broken hinges and was carelessly tied using metal wires, pointing to negligence. The injured passengers were travelling on the footboard of a CSMT-bound fast local train when the incident occurred at 12.58 pm. The matter came to light after the fast train halted at Ghatkopar where the deputy station master and staff gave first aid to the injured passengers who were then shifted to Rajawadi Hospital. The passengers were in pain and none of them were immediately able to gauge what had happened and just told the police that some unidentified object had hit them between Bhandup and Nahur stations while the train was in motion. The injured are Ritesh Namdev Ghodi, 21; Vaibhav Sunil Khaire, 21; Nilesh Maruti Dacre, 33; Mohammad Fahad Mohammed Afak Khan, 25; Raju P Ram, 28; Ajay Babulal Mishra, 25; Aditya Gautam Pawar, 31; and Atul Gorakh Chavan, 22. Official Speak Asked about the incident, a senior official said Railways would implement multiple safety measures, including strict monitoring and patrolling of the sites after work. “It will be doubly ensured that the doors are locked after work,” he added. Meanwhile, the police team during its visit found that the door of the box was rusty, had broken hinges and was carelessly tied using metal wires. “The location box was five feet high. The rusted door probably flew due to the vibrations of the passing train and injured the commuters, an investigation by the railway police following their visit to the accident site revealed, Sambhaji Yadav, senior police inspector, Kurla railway police station stated. What is a location box? A railway location box is a signalling device that contains important items for running a train. They are typically installed at distances of 2 to 5 km and contain fuses that go off in the event of a short circuit. The nearest railway station can then trace the signal.
26 November,2024 07:49 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarThe BMC is set to begin asphalting the Aarey Milk Colony road stretch from the VIP Guest House to Picnic Point, which was originally planned to be constructed with cement concrete. Switching to asphalt may hinder the inclusion of wildlife underpasses recommended by the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). On Monday, mid-day visited the stretch between the VIP Guest House and Picnic Point and found that the BMC had started removing the top layer of the existing asphalt road over a 200-300 metre stretch. On August 2, mid-day reported (BMC’s Aarey road switch risks wildlife underpasses) that the BMC had planned to upgrade the Aarey colony’s main road to a cement concrete (CC) road. However, the 3-kilometre stretch from the VIP Guest House to Powai, known for wildlife crossings, was at risk of not receiving the proposed underpasses. Due to the narrow road and heavy traffic, the BMC is considering using asphalt instead, which would mean 14 planned underpasses would not be constructed, endangering wildlife, including leopards. Previously, mid-day reported that 31 wildlife underpasses were proposed for the Aarey Milk Colony road. Of these, 15 have already been constructed on completed sections of the CC road. If the BMC proceeds with asphalting the stretch between the VIP Guest House main gate and the Aarey Check Naka near Filter Pada, citing the lack of traffic diversion options and the road’s narrow width, the remaining 14 underpasses will not be built. The BMC began work on converting the Aarey colony main road to cement concrete in 2022, with the target completion being by 2025. The 4-kilometre section from the Western Express Highway is already finished. The project’s total budget for the 7.2-kilometre road is Rs 51.6 crore. Every morning and during peak hours, the stretch from the VIP Guest House junction to Filter Pada and Powai experiences heavy traffic jams. During monsoon season, this road becomes uneven and riddled with potholes, causing difficulties for daily commuters. Many feel that upgrading the road to cement concrete is essential to address these issues. When contacted, forest department officials were unavailable for comment. “The stretch between the VIP Guest House gate and the Aarey Check Naka near Filter Pada lacks an alternative route for traffic diversion. Concreting would take significantly longer than asphalting, worsening traffic congestion. Based on suggestions from traffic police, we decided to construct the road with asphalt instead. The work has already been approved,” said Additional Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar. When asked about the wildlife underpasses, Bangar said, “There was already an asphalt road. The asphalt road is at a lower height compared to the height of a concrete road. It is not possible to construct underpasses on an asphalt road. I need to verify the official communication with SGNP officials regarding the underpasses.”
26 November,2024 07:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav | Sameer SurveThe Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has seized 3,605 properties of property tax defaulters worth Rs 1,672 crore since April 1. Of this amount, taxpayers have paid only Rs 218.93 crore so far. The BMC has initiated proceedings to auction 90 of these properties. A BMC official said, “Out of these 3,605 properties, 1,767 are located in the western suburbs, 1,232 in the city area, and 606 in the eastern suburbs. These include residential and commercial buildings, commercial plots, industrial plots, and other properties.” The BMC has set a target to collect Rs 6,200 crore in property tax for the financial year 2024-25. “As per the BMC guidelines, we will first auction movable items found in the properties. If the tax recovery is still insufficient, the entire property will be auctioned,” said the official. The official added, “Once a notice is issued, the taxpayer is given 90 days to pay the dues. If the payment is not made within this period, the BMC grants an additional 21 days as a final notice, during which officials personally approach the defaulter. If the tax remains unpaid even after this, the auction process is initiated.”
26 November,2024 07:41 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentSixteen years after Mumbai witnessed one of the deadliest terror attacks ever, survivors and relatives of those who lost their lives are still haunted by memories. Devika Rotawan, who was nine years old at the time, recalled being shot in the leg at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and subsequently identifying terrorist Ajmal Kasab in court. The 25-year-old shows a picture of herself recuperating at JJ Hospital in the wake of the attack Rotawan, now 25, who resides with her family in Bandra, said, “I was waiting to board a train with my dad and brother when we heard shots ring out and suddenly I saw a man with a gun. I was then shot in the right leg and was taken to Saint George hospital. I was later shifted to JJ Hospital for further treatment. After that, crime branch officials approached my father and me, requesting that we help identify the perpetrators. Both of us identified Kasab in the court. It was a very horrific incident. People were lying in a pool of blood at the railway station. Seeing the terrorist in the courtroom made my blood boil. I am happy that he was punished. ‘Couldn’t help brother’ Mohammad Raheem Ansari, who lost his brother, in the attack at CSMT, said memories of the incident still disturb him. The Mumbai Central resident, who runs an imitation jewellery shop, said, “My brother and I were heading home on November 26. I had stepped out of the station to fetch water. When returning, the police stopped in my tracks, telling me shots had been fired inside. I was utterly helpless. When the police allowed me to enter the station, I saw many bodies in a pool of blood. The incident still disturbs me and I don’t wish to talk about it,” he said. ‘Deleted their pictures’ Sevanti Parekh, 92, and Sarla Parekh, 91, whose son Sunil and daughter-in-law Reshma were gunned down at the Tiffin restaurant in the Oberoi hotel, opened up to mid-day about their loss. The nonagenarians reside with their granddaughters at Marine Drive. Devika Rotawan, a survivor of the November 26 attack on CSMT station, at her Bandra residence. Pics/Ashish Raje “When my son and daughter-in-law died we immediately filed a PIL, seeking that CCTV cameras be be installed in all public spaces and the matter reached the Supreme Court. The apex court, however, said that installing CCTVs was a state subject. Even after so many years, we can see that not all places have CCTV surveillance. These cameras can help in early detection,” Sarla Parekh said. Her husband added, “We had sent our granddaughters abroad as they wanted to pursue further education there. However, we called them back after COVID-19 hit the country. Every day, we suffer. We have deleted photos of my son and daughter-in-law from our phones, but we remember them often. Our granddaughters, who have opened a cafe in central Mumbai, still try to cope with the loss.”
26 November,2024 07:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheThe top leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has kept the name of the new Maharashtra Chief Minister under wraps even as supporters in the party and Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) pushed for their respective favourites. There was no apparent move from the party to hold the newly elected MLAs’ meeting in Mumbai. The other two Mahayuti partners have already chosen their leaders. However, speculations were rife after BJP’s hot contender, ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis left for New Delhi on Monday. Soon, it was learnt that Fadnavis was in the national capital to attend Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s daughter’s wedding. His staff said he wasn’t scheduled to meet with the party high command, and would return to Mumbai late on Monday night. The contest for the CM’s post is between Fadnavis and incumbent Eknath Shinde, but the final say rests with the BJP high command, which is known for throwing surprises. It is said that the BJP’s Legislative Party meeting will be held only after the name of the CM is decided. The CM-elect will submit a list of Mahayuti MLAs to the Governor, who, in turn, will invite him to form the government. Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis.Pic/Satej Shinde (right) Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde. Pic/Ashish Raje Fadnavis and Shinde supporters continued to root for them. When Shinde Sena’s MP Naresh Mhaske expected the BJP to implement the Bihar pattern in Maharashtra to install his party boss as the CM, former Union minister and ex-state BJP chief, Raosaheb Danve, dismissed him, saying that his party hadn’t made a ‘Nitish Kumar like’ promise to Shinde before the elections. “It was promised openly to Nitish Kumar before the elections that he would be made the CM notwithstanding his number of MLAs,” Danve said at the BJP headquarters in Mumbai, adding that he was at the meeting in which Amit Shah had said the Maharashtra CM would be decided by the three parties after the election results. In Bihar, BJP’s ally leader Nitish Kumar, who is known for his flip-flops, was continued as the CM despite being a junior partner in terms of Assembly seats. According to Mhaske, the Shinde camp too expects the same from the BJP, which has won 75 seats more than the partner. As the political drama continued, the State Legislature has begun preparations for a special session in which the new MLAs would be administered the oath of office. Considering a clear and massive mandate for the Mahayuti, the new CM may not need to prove his majority in the house. Bhaskar Jadhav, Aaditya made leaders The Shiv Sena (UBT) chose senior MLA Bhaskar Jadhav as its group leader and Aaditya Thackeray as the leader of the legislative party (both houses). Jadhav said he would ask for the post of Opposition Leader in the Assembly though his party had only 20 MLAs, nine short to make such a claim. The MLAs met their party chief Uddhav Thackeray at his Kala Nagar residence. Thackeray is learnt to have advised them to fight aggressively in the house without thinking much about the party’s small strength. The Congress (16) and NCP-SP (10) are other partners in the MVA.
26 November,2024 07:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Dharmendra JoreDo you know what the stars hold for you in terms of love life, career, business and personal wellness today? Well, read on to know your astrological predictions as per your zodiac sign for November 26. Aries March 21 – April 20Closing a business deal finally is such a feeling of an achievement. You love the challenge of competition and coming out the winner.Cosmic tip: Make time to pray or meditate every day, if possible. Taurus April 21 – May 20On the face of it, a good idea just remains one unless you pursue it further. Have a conversation if something is worrying you (don’t second-guess). Cosmic tip: Make time for those you love. GeminiMay 21 – June 21A karmic balance settles in, giving an option between two happy alternatives.Cosmic tip: Keep a low profile at the best of times and worst of times. Don’t allow anyone to tap true feelings. Cancer June 22 – July 23This reconciliation is such a relief (you’ve promised yourself to never repeat certain mistakes that led to it). Cosmic tip: Remind yourself: there’s no progress if there’s no struggle. Leo July 24 - Aug 23Some society issues are taken care of finally. Don’t ignore a cough or a cold, and get enough sleep. Cosmic tip: Diplomatically try to figure out why a family member is so quiet nowadays. Virgo Aug 24 – Sept 23A hectic day ends finally. Not in the mood to socialize: you would rather spend the evening listening to music and reading. Cosmic tip: Remember: never be so busy that you forget to enjoy life. Libra Sept 24 – Oct 22Receiving good news is a great way to begin the day. Advice given should be taken in the spirit of it being given.Cosmic tip: Allow your heart to overrule your head for a change. Scorpio Oct 23 – Nov 22A senior or a mentor is helpful, but you also need to be proactive, coming out with some inputs of your own. A dream manifests finally.Cosmic tip: Detach yourself from a sensitive situation. Sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 22Understanding hidden energies is important to make the right decision at the right moment. Consciously stay out of office politics by being non-committal.Cosmic tip: Have unconditional acceptance towards the one you love. Capricorn Dec 23 – Jan 20Accepting your role in certain circumstances makes it easier to reach decisions when a crossroads emerges. At the same time, try not to over think or do too much soul searching.Cosmic tip: Follow intuition. Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19Productivity at work increases as certain time saving techniques begin working. Set boundaries early on in a relationship.Cosmic tip: Make well thought out financial decisions. Invest only the amount you can risk losing. Pisces Feb 20 – March 20This karmic cycle of acquiring additional knowledge is a hint to pursue further studies. Cosmic tip: Keep communication in that special relationship clear and unambiguous.
26 November,2024 01:00 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirley BoseThe Maharashtra Police Boys Sanghatana, an organisation dedicated to supporting the police department and their families, has organised a 'Mashal Rally' at the Gateway of India on Tuesday at 8 am to pay their tributes to the bravehearts who sacrificed their lives in the 26/11 terror attacks, which took place 16 years ago. The rally, which is being spearheaded by the association's founder Rahul Dubale, is expected to witness participation from people across Maharashtra. Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and well as several celebrities are also scheduled to attend the rally to pay tribute to the martyrs. Speaking to mid-day.com, Dubale said, "We will give roses to all the police personnel and request the citizens also to do the same in their respective areas, thanking them for their service. This day is dedicated to the 26/11 heroes who lost their lives to protect our country." On November 26, 2008, 10 Pakistani terrorists infiltrated India via the sea route and launched a series of attacks, killing 166 people, including 18 security personnel, and injuring many others. The attacks also caused extensive property damage, running into crores. Among those who laid their lives on duty were then Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, Army Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Mumbai's Additional Police Commissioner Ashok Kamte, and Senior Police Inspector Vijay Salaskar. The terror strike, which ended three days later on November 29, 2008. Several iconic locations, including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Oberoi Trident, Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Leopold Cafe, Cama Hospital, and Nariman House Jewish Community Centre were attacked by the terrorists. While nine of the attackers were killed by security forces, Ajmal Kasab was the only one captured alive. He was sentenced to death and was hanged on November 21, 2012. (With PTI inputs)
25 November,2024 11:34 PM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaThe Railways has decided to operate the Latur Express and Bidar Express with three additional coaches on a permanent basis. This includes two additional three-tier air-conditioned (AC) coaches and one additional two-tier AC coach. The passengers on the waiting list for these two trains have been requested to check the updated status of their tickets before their boarding time. Train no 22107/22108 CSMT (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) Mumbai-Latur Express The train will operate with additional coaches from CSMT Mumbai starting December 1 and from Latur starting December 2. Train no 22143/22144 CSMT Mumbai-Bidar Express The train will operate with additional coaches from CSMT Mumbai starting December 4 and from Bidar starting December 5. The revised composition for the trains includes one First AC, two AC-II Tier, four AC- III Tier, eight Sleeper Class, four General Second Class (including two Luggage-cum-Guard's Brake Vans.
25 November,2024 08:15 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarThe Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Monday challenged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to implement the air-conditioned (AC) local train plan for Mumbai and asked him to stop blaming Pawar senior over the issue. "Railway Minister Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw must walk the talk. A fake narrative was created in the name of (party chief) Mr Sharad Pawar, when asked why Mumbai’s AC local train plans were stranded. Will he implement the plans now as BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) has the mandate in Maharashtra? Or [will he] find another excuse," NCP (SP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said. Crasto's statements come in response to mid-day's front page article in the Monday edition which stated how the plan to convert all the locals in Mumbai into AC trains might now gather momentum. In September, when questioned about the AC local train plan for Mumbai, Vaishnaw had told mid-day that the project had been stalled because Pawar had opposed it, and that Mumbaikars needed to come together, form an opinion, and demand the AC locals they wanted. The NCP (SP) spokesman said his party's opposition was to the enhanced fare structure and not to the idea of AC locals and that the party was fighting for Mumbai's commuters. "The fares of AC trains is more than the regular local trains, which is not acceptable to the commuters. We are representing commuters and fighting for them," he said. “Ashwini Vaishnaw is the Union Railway Minister. If he wishes, he can implement the project. Why is he blaming Mr Pawar and giving excuses for not doing his own job? If he thinks any project is for the welfare of the people, he should go ahead and implement it,” Crasto said.
25 November,2024 07:31 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarAmid claims of EVM (electronic voting machines) tampering, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) candidate Jitendra Awhad has listed out details of how he prevented any manipulation in his constituency. Awhad, who won the Mumbra-Kalwa Assembly seat by defeating Najeeb Mulla of NCP by a margin of 96228 votes, took to social media platform X on Monday to explain the steps that he and his team took since the time the Election Commission (EC) announced the FLC (First-Level Checking) process for the EVMs in Thane district. मी ही निवडणूक मोठ्या मताधिक्याने कसा जिंकलो..? 1 ऑगस्ट 2024 रोजी ठाणे जिल्ह्यात EVM मशिन्सची FLC प्रक्रिया सुरू होणार असल्याची पहिली नोटीस आम्हाला निवडणूक आयोगाकडून आली.माझी एक टीम,ज्या मध्ये माझा कार्यकर्ता मोहसीन शेख आणि जिंदा सांडभोर हे त्यांच्या 25 सहकाऱ्यांच्या सोबत… — Dr.Jitendra Awhad (@Awhadspeaks) November 25, 2024 In the post, Awhad writes, "How I won this election with huge margin..." According to Awhad, his team got to action as soon as the EC announced that the FLC process for EVMs in Thane district will begin on August 1. "We received the first notice from the Election Commission that the FLC process of EVM machines will start on 1st August 2024 in Thane district. A team of mine consisting of my workers Mohsin Shaikh and Zinda Sandbhor along with 25 of their colleagues was ready for this from day one. As soon as this notice was received, my team took it very seriously and kept a close eye on the entire process from day one," he writes. The Mumbra legislator then goes on to explaining EC's process with respect to EVMs. "The EC carries out these processes with the EVMs: FLC (First-Level Checking), Randomization I, Randomization II, and Commissioning. Every process was monitored by my team. If there is laxity on the part of the Election Commission, they brought it to its notice. If there were any mistakes, they were rectified with my help. On some occasions, the officials concerned argued with my team, but we politely managed to convince them. There was a strategy behind this. It was to make them aware that people are keeping an eye on every details related to EVMs," the former Maharashtra Minister wrote. He added that the team also kept an eye on the transportation of EVMs. "Even the transportation of EVMs was our focus. Every time the EVMs were to be moved from one place to another, the people of my team would go behind all those vehicles in their cars. If there is a problem, they would bring it to my attention," Awhad wrote, pointing to an incident where one of the vehicles transported an EVM without police protection. "As we have gone through all the procedures of ECI, we had the details of which machine would go on which booth. We gave the details to our polling agent. As a result, no one here would dare to bring any other machines to our booth. Even while going for counting, we had given all the above information to my counting agent. He was trained for this. In short, we kept an eye on the small details regarding EVM. As a result, no rigging could happen in my constituency. And I got elected from my constituency with huge margin," Awhad further stated.
25 November,2024 06:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Congress President Nana Patole on Monday refuted media reports that claimed that he has resigned from his post. "I am going to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, I have not given my resignation," Patole told PTI. VIDEO | "I am going to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, I have not given my resignation," says Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole (@NANA_PATOLE) on reports of his resignation as state Congress chief.(Full video available on PTI Videos -… pic.twitter.com/dFwBh8fn2k — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 25, 2024 Earlier in the day, the Maharashtra Congress had also denied rumours of Patole stepping down from his position following the party's poor performance in the recent state assembly elections. Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe clarified that the reports circulating in the media are "baseless and intended to mislead". "Nana Patole has not resigned. The news about his resignation is completely false and malicious," Londhe told Mid-day. The speculation arose after the Congress, as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, suffered a significant defeat in the Maharashtra assembly elections. Despite this, the party has confirmed that Patole remains committed to his role as state president and has not tendered his resignation. Under Patole’s leadership, the Congress had seen notable success in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where it secured 13 of the 17 seats it contested in Maharashtra. However, the assembly elections painted a different picture. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance registered a landslide victory, winning 230 out of 288 seats. Within the alliance, the BJP emerged as the largest party with 132 seats, followed by the Shiv Sena with 57 seats, and the NCP securing 41. Nana Patole himself faced a tough fight in his constituency, Sakoli, where he narrowly held on to his seat with a slim margin of just 208 votes. At a press conference, Patole acknowledged the setback and called the election results unexpected. He refrained from making direct allegations about EVM tampering but stated, “People are wondering how the Mahayuti secured such a big victory. This is something we need to understand and address going forward.” Patole also stressed the importance of holding the newly-elected government accountable. He urged the Mahayuti to fulfil its promises, particularly its commitment to increase the monthly allowance for women under the "Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin" scheme from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100. The Congress has stated its intent to thoroughly review the election outcome and strategise for future challenges. Despite the current challenges, the party reaffirmed its support for Nana Patole’s leadership, dismissing resignation rumours as false and politically motivated. (With PTI inputs)
25 November,2024 06:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
