Maharashtra

Mumbai, Maharashtra: Former Maharashtra Cabinet Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik may face renewed legal troubles as a special PMLA court rejected his discharge plea, paving the way for formal framing of charges in a high-profile money laundering case. The court has ordered all accused to be present during the proceedings scheduled for 18 November 2025. Court Proceedings and Key Details Nawab Malik’s company, Malik Infrastructure, had filed a discharge plea claiming that the ED’s allegations were based on conjecture, as the company did not exist at the time of the alleged illegal transaction. The court dismissed these arguments, stating that sufficient prima facie evidence exists. Preliminary investigations indicate that Malik allegedly colluded with Hasina Parkar, Salim Patel,...

Mumbai:A shocking bribery scandal has surfaced from a Mumbai courtroom, where a conversation in the court washroom exposed an alleged deal between a clerk and an Additional Sessions Judge. According to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), the clerk assured a litigant that if he “did something for the judge,” the verdict would be delivered in his favour. The clerk, Chandrakant Vasudev, has been arrested while accepting ₹15 lakh in bribe, whereas the judge, Ejazuddin Qazi, has reportedly gone underground. Clerk Caught Taking Bribe, Judge Allegedly Approved the Deal Vasudev, a clerk-typist with the Civil Sessions Court, allegedly demanded the bribe from a petitioner on 11 November. ACB officials claim the money was meant for Judge Qazi. The judge is accused of playing an “active role” i...

In a significant ruling that redefines the limits of criminal liability in dance bar cases, the Bombay High Court has set aside charges against a Mumbai resident who was arrested during a police raid at a bar in May 2024. The court held that merely being present at a bar where dancers are performing does not make a person a criminal. Court: Mere Presence in Bar Does Not Imply Illegality Justice N.J. Jamadar of the Bombay High Court quashed the chargesheet filed against a Chembur resident who was among several people arrested during a raid at Surabhi Palace Bar and Restaurant on the night of 4–5 May 2024.The police had claimed that women dancers were performing obscene dances at the venue. However, the court noted that the accused was only present at the bar and no material indicat...

Mumbai’s 400-year-old Bandra Fort, a renowned heritage site overlooking the Arabian Sea, has become the center of a major political storm after a high-profile liquor party was allegedly hosted on its premises. With elections around the corner in Maharashtra, the incident has triggered sharp reactions from the opposition, prompting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order immediate action. Political Uproar After Video Goes Viral The controversy erupted when Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Akhil Chitre shared a video on his social media account, claiming that a liquor party had been organised at the heritage monument with full arrangements, including counters for serving alcohol. The video also showed the presence of women at the event. Chitre accused the state government and the B...

Mumbai: Ahead of Maharashtra’s local body elections, the state government’s flagship ‘Ladli Bahen’ scheme faces a major compliance challenge, with over 1 crore beneficiaries yet to complete their e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) verification. The deadline for completion is 18 November. According to a senior official from the Women and Child Development Department, the scheme currently has around 2.35 crore registered beneficiaries, of which only 1.3 crore women have updated their e-KYC details. Officials have indicated that the deadline may be extended if needed. Background and ChallengesInitially, around 2.5 crore women were registered under the scheme. However, many names were removed following allegations of fraudulent claims, prompting the launch of the e-KYC process. While ...

Mumbai: In a major leap for Mumbai’s infrastructure, construction of the city’s first twin cable-stayed flyover has gained momentum. Approximately 35% of the work has been completed, with rapid progress underway. The new bridge is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion in the Dadar area and make commuting smoother. Replacing the Century-Old Tilak FlyoverThe bridge is being built to replace the 100-year-old Tilak Flyover, connecting East and West Dadar. The old flyover will be dismantled only after the new bridge is fully operational, ensuring that traffic flow remains uninterrupted. Current traffic congestion in the area has become a serious concern, and this new structure is expected to alleviate it considerably. Construction TimelineThe 600-meter-long, six-lane flyover...

Mumbai, Maharashtra: Navi Mumbai police have arrested a seasoned thief who carried out 33 burglaries across Navi Mumbai and Thane, traveling over 2,000 kilometers to commit his crimes. The arrest has left police officials astonished due to the thief’s unusual modus operandi. Thief Traveled by Air to Commit CrimesThe accused, Moinul Abdul Malik Islam from Hojai, Assam, reportedly traveled to Mumbai by airplane, stayed in budget accommodations, and carefully identified residential targets. After committing the burglaries, he would disguise himself as a jeweler to sell the stolen gold and silver locally, convert it into cash, and return to Assam. Loot Worth Over ₹12 Lakh RecoveredDuring the arrest, police recovered jewelry worth ₹12.57 lakh from Moinul Abdul Malik Islam. According to Ne...

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has uncovered fresh links to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) following the arrest of a software engineer from Pune last week. Acting on leads from that case, ATS officers conducted a raid on Wednesday at the residence of Ibrahim Abidi, an Urdu teacher in the Mumbra-Kausa area of Thane district. According to officials, Abidi had suspected connections with AQIS and was allegedly involved in radicalizing young white-collar individuals through online and offline religious sessions. He lived in a rented apartment in Mumbra and taught Urdu every Sunday at a mosque in Kurla. During the raid, the ATS seized several electronic devices and suspicious documents, which have now been sent for forensic analysis to trace any digital links ...