Navi Mumbai International Airport formally launched its overseas operations on Wednesday

Mumbai: Mumbai’s long-standing disadvantage in international air connectivity compared with Delhi is expected to ease with the opening of Navi Mumbai International Airport’s international terminal, although industry executives say that a meaningful expansion of overseas routes will take time.While Delhi offers direct flights to around 70 international destinations, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport has non-stop connectivity to about 50 foreign cities, said a source. Flying from Mumbai then is no different than flying from, say, Mangalore or Madurai, when it comes to cities like Beijing, Guangzhou, Toronto, Milan, Sydney, Warsaw, Helsinki, Moscow, Birmingham, Manila, Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Krabi, Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), Namangan (Uzbekistan), Yangon (Myanmar) or Bagdad. The passenger from Mumbai has to transit either from Delhi or a foreign airport.“The gap is because of a number of reasons, slot constraint at the congested Mumbai airport being one of them. Factors like bilateral air service agreements, which cap the number of flights airlines can operate between countries and aircraft availability have also influenced network planning, often making Delhi the preferred gateway for international expansion,” said an airline official, adding that the addition of capacity at Navi Mumbai removes at least the slot constraint.However, passengers should not expect an immediate explosion of new long-haul services. “Elevated crude oil prices have increased operating costs, while airspace restrictions arising from ongoing conflicts have forced airlines to take longer routings on several international sectors, making new routes more expensive and operationally challenging. Airlines are likely to expand cautiously, prioritising routes with proven demand and sustainable yields before venturing into thinner markets,” said the official.Over the longer term, aviation executives expect Navi Mumbai to strengthen the Mumbai Metropolitan Region’s (MMR’s) position as an international gateway. “As airlines receive more aircraft, operating conditions improve and bilateral rights are expanded, the MMR is expected to attract a broader network of non-stop international services, reducing dependence on Delhi and foreign hubs for global connectivity,” the official said.Mumbai’s major loss in terms of international connectivity happened over 15 years ago when Air India moved its base from the city to Delhi and stopped its non-stop flights from Mumbai to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Chicago, New York, Nairobi, Durban, and Dar es Salaam. “Foreign airlines continued to operate some of these routes and in the following years, Air India and other carriers restored some of these routes, but the gap hasn’t yet been closed,” he added.

Sachin Ahir lost Raigad bungalow allotment as former minister and current state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan continues to occupy it

Mumbai: A scramble has broken out in the Mahayuti over allotment of bungalows to newly elected Legislative Council deputy chairperson Sachin Ahir. Ahir, who recently joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, was allotted the Raigad (A-6) bungalow opposite Mantralaya, but the order was cancelled, and Ahir was instead allotted a flat in Suniti Building because Raigad is still being used by former minister Ravindra Chavan, who is now the state BJP president. While Chavan was PWD minister in the previous Mahayuti govt, he has not been a minister in the current govt since 2024. After getting elected, Ahir was eyeing the Purandar (C-3) bungalow, which was occupied by his predecessor Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe, but before Ahir could take over, deputy speaker Anna Bansode of the NCP staked claim over Purandar and got it allotted for himself. With no bungalows left, the state General Administration Department (GAD) allotted Ahir a flat. Ahir has so far not moved into the flat and is likely to take up the issue with DCM Shinde.“The state govt has decided to allot the official residence Suniti-9, Churchgate to Sachin Ahir, deputy chairperson, Maharashtra Legislative Council. Therefore, the allotment of official residence A-6 (Raigad) on Madam Cama Marg allotted to him is now being cancelled,” a Govt Resolution (GR) issued last week stated.“The state has decided to allot Bungalow C-3 (Purandar) to Anna Bansode, deputy speaker, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Therefore, the allotment of residence Suniti-9 at Churchgate made to him is now being cancelled,” another GR read.Officials said Chavan was still occupying the Raigad bungalow and uses it to hold key meetings. He was first allotted the bungalow in Aug 2022 when he became a Minister in the previous MahaYuti govt.“After Sachin Ahir was elected deputy chairperson, he was allotted the Raigad bungalow, but Ravindra Chavan was already occupying it. We were told that Chavan hasn’t left the bungalow even after he was excluded from the cabinet and made state BJP president. By the time Ahir was elected deputy chairperson of the Legislative Council, deputy speaker of the Assembly Anna Bansode had already got the Purandar bungalow allotted for himself. Ideally, since it was occupied by the previous deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe, it should have been allotted to Sachin Ahir,” a Sena functionary said.Chavan did not respond to calls and text messages from TOI. GAD secretary Pankaj Kumar, too, did not respond to TOI’s queries.The deputy chairperson traditionally holds a rank equivalent to a minister of state. However, the specific rank can be elevated. For example, former deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe was elevated to the higher rank of cabinet minister

Navi Mumbai: An eight-month pregnant woman, Richa Mishra (26), who was shifted to Fortis Hospital, Belapur, in critical condition after she was administered a standard pre-delivery injection at NMMC hospital in Airoli on July 1, has recovered after timely multi-disciplinary care by the doctors at Fortis Hospital, and even her foetus is safe. She was discharged from the hospital on July 13, reports George Mendonca.Unfortunately, another 8-month pregnant woman, Sonam Dongre (23) had died along with her unborn baby, allegedly due to medical negligence by the medical staff at NMMC’s Rajmata Jijau hospital in Airoli on July 1, when she was administered a pre-delivery injection.A spokesperson of Fortis Hospital said, “The 34-week pregnant woman Richa Mishra recovered from life-threatening Anaphylactic shock, following the administration of antenatal injection at NMMC hospital, which occurs within seconds or minutes of exposure to an allergen. It causes blood pressure to drop dangerously low and airways to narrow, preventing oxygen from reaching vital organs. The patient was brought to the hospital in critical condition on ventilatory support; coordinated ICU and obstetric care helped stabilise both the mother and the foetus.Dr Hina Shaikh, Consultant – Gynaecology and Obstetrics at Fortis Hospital, said, “When the patient Richa Mishra was brought to us in a critical condition, our immediate priority was to stabilise the mother while continuously assessing the condition of the foetus. Serial foetal monitoring, ultrasonography, Doppler studies and non-stress tests remained reassuring, which allowed us to continue the pregnancy under close observation instead of proceeding with an emergency delivery. Over the next few days, her condition steadily improved. She became more alert, her blood pressure and circulation stabilised, and the medicines supporting her blood pressure were gradually reduced. As her breathing improved, the medical team slowly reduced ventilator support. She was then able to maintain normal oxygen levels, first with minimal oxygen support and later while breathing comfortably on her own. She was also started on gentle movement, chest physiotherapy, breathing exercises and oral food. Her vital signs and test results continued to improve, while regular monitoring showed that the foetus remained stable with no signs of distress. On July 8th, 2026, she was shifted from the ICU to the ward in a conscious and stable condition, breathing normally without a ventilator or blood-pressure support.Dr Khan added, “She has been advised to continue regular pregnancy-related check-ups and close monitoring of the baby, with delivery expected in the next two to three weeks unless an earlier delivery becomes medically necessary. Her suspected allergy to dexamethasone has also been recorded, and the family has been advised to avoid the medicine in the future.”

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In her complaint, the principal had accused the trustee of subjecting her to physical, mental, and sexual harassment

Mumbai: Observing that the police had filed the closure report without properly examining the sexual harassment allegations made by the principal against a trustee of a city-based school and junior college, a magistrate’s court has dismissed the B Summary Report and directed the investigating officer to conduct a fresh probe.B Summary Report is a final closure report filed by police before a magistrate when they find a complaint to be maliciously false or lacking prima facie evidence.D S Sharma, 52nd Kurla Metropolitan Magistrate, passed the order on July 7.In her complaint, the principal had accused the trustee of subjecting her to physical, mental, and sexual harassment. The alleged harassment began a few months after she joined the institute in September 2017. She alleged that the trustee inappropriately touched her in his office, repeatedly sent her objectionable messages, sought sexual favours, and, on one occasion, allegedly took her to his residence instead of dropping her home and behaved inappropriately.After investigation, RCF police submitted a B Summary Report, stating that the complaint was “false and bogus”. The complainant opposed the closure report, arguing that the probe was incomplete and that the investigating officer had improperly relied on the accused’s defence. Her counsel, Devendra Shukla, also contended that the inquiry conducted against her by the school administration itself was illegal as it had not received the mandatory approval of the education department, and therefore could not be relied upon to discredit her allegations.The magistrate noted that documents on record indicated that the education department had neither granted permission for a probe nor constituted any inquiry committee against the complainant. It further held that a departmental inquiry in a service dispute was civil in nature and had no bearing on the criminal investigation.The court also reiterated the settled legal position that in cases involving sexual offences against women, a conviction can be based solely on the testimony of the victim, and therefore the investigating officer was required to record strong reasons before concluding that the complaint was false.

Mumbai: Just three weeks ago, 26-year-old Kurla resident Vinu (name changed) was a healthy young man who believed liver failure was something that happened to others. Careful about what he ate and drank, he had no reason to imagine that a casual lunch with office colleagues would trigger a chain of events that would leave him with barely 24 to 36 hours to live.What began as stomach pain soon turned into jaundice. Within a week, after treatment at two local nursing homes, Vinu was referred to Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital in Juhu, where doctors diagnosed hyperacute liver failure. An emergency liver transplant was his only chance of survival.Liver transplant surgeon Dr Gaurav Chaubal said, “Vinu came to us around 8 pm on June 25, and his parameters were quite critical. A transplant was the only option.”Although Dr Chaubal has performed more than 50 ABO-incompatible liver transplants, they were all planned weeks in advance. “We need to prepare the donor with plasma donation so that there is no rejection of the foreign organ when transplanted,” he said.With no compatible donor and little time, the team proceeded with Ritu as the donor after performing plasmapheresis (plasma exchange) before and after the transplant. “This is perhaps the first time in Western India when an incompatible liver transplant was carried out within a 24-hour span,” Dr Chaubal said, adding that a similar case was earlier reported from Chennai.“For a mother, it is an easy decision. She will help out her child without any questions asked,” said Ritu, who donated part of her liver. She was discharged on July 2 and returned to the hospital on Tuesday night to take her son home.Dr Chaubal said Vinu was the third patient in his 20s to undergo an emergency liver transplant at Nanavati in June-July. “All three had fulminant liver failure. Vinu and the first patient had hepatitis A infection, while the second patient had autoimmune hepatitis,” he said.Doctors said the case highlights that hepatitis A, though usually self-limiting, can occasionally become life-threatening.“Hepatitis A infections are usually self-limiting in 95% of the cases. However, in 5% of the cases, it could lead to emergencies,” said independent hepatologist Dr Chetan Kalal, who was not involved in Vinu’s treatment.He cautioned against delaying medical care or relying on unproven remedies after jaundice. “In many cases, patients and their families prefer alternative treatment the minute they hear jaundice. The patient is given a calorie-deficit diet, thinking the liver cannot function, but this is precisely the time when liver needs to be maintained,” he said. “The use of non-standard drugs in many cases worsens the liver failure,” Dr Kalal added.