Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner Tukaram Mundhe interacts with the media during a press briefing at Bandra in Mumbai on Wednesday

Mumbai: On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a statewide order prohibiting the sale, advertisement, marketing and free distribution of HFSS (high in fat, salt, and sugar) food products within not only school premises but also a 50-metre radius around the educational establishment.The prohibited items include ultra-processed foods, soft drinks, chips, fried snacks, and other junk food that are easily available in school surroundings. If violations are found within a school, the principal, school management, and the committee will be held responsible.Canteens, mid-day meal centres, hostel kitchens, and any food suppliers within schools cannot operate without a valid FSSAI licence or registration.This is applicable to all government, aided, private, and residential schools, as well as schools affiliated with the state board, CBSE, ICSE, and other boards across Maharashtra.Speaking to the press, FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe said over 1.8 lakh schools with an enrolment of more than two crore students in the state are set to witness a shift in how children consume food products during school hours.He said schools are responsible for putting up a food safety display board displaying details about the vendor, the type of food served, and its nutritional value. The schools are also asked to appoint a food safety supervisor and designate a ‘health and wellness ambassador’ to act as a nodal officer in every school.“If the schools, canteens, suppliers, or vendors are found violating the rules, actions will include improvement notices, licensing actions, seizure, prosecution, and stringent action as required,” he said.Mundhe added that as an advisory the FDA is requesting the schools to provide “wholesome food” to the students. “Fruits, vegetables, pulses, whole grains, milk, and local nutritious foods. Furthermore, there needs to be clean drinking water and places where food is served or prepared need to have sanitation, pest control, temprature control and waste management.”The measures are in accordance with the Safe Food and Balanced Diets for Children in School Regulations, 2020.

The supplementary chargesheet was filed by CBI, Banking and Securities Fraud Cell, Mumbai

Mumbai: A special CBI court on Wednesday took cognisance of a supplementary chargesheet against four accused in the over Rs 23,000 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan fraud case, holding that there is prima facie material to issue process for offences including criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust, falsification of accounts, causing disappearance of evidence and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.Special Judge S K Karhale issued process against accused Bishnubrata Mishra, Jayesh Shah, Ajit Bheda and Deepan Shah.The court noted that the material placed by the CBI showed that in 2015, the Gitanjali Group of Companies, “in active connivance with officials of Punjab National Bank and others”, began availing buyer’s credit on the basis of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs). The court noted that Mishra was then internal chief auditor at PNB’s Brady House branch in Fort.While Jay was a partner at 4C’s Diamonds Distributors, managed the unit in Hong Kong, and was involved in circular trading, Bedha was an import-export manager for Gitanjali Gems in Mumbai. Deepan as senior vice president at Gitanjali Gems was responsible for overseeing all operations, including imports and exports, in Hyderabad.The supplementary chargesheet was filed by CBI, Banking and Securities Fraud Cell, Mumbai. The court recorded the CBI special public prosecutor A Limosin’s submission that there was sufficient material to proceed against the four accused. “(Prosecution) submits that there is sufficient material on record to prima facie hold that, accused…have committed the… referred offences. Hence, cognisance of the chargesheet against those accused be taken and process be issued against them,” the order said.It further said that the accused “hatched the criminal conspiracy and got issued 118 fraudulent/unauthorized LoUs in favour of overseas banks” on behalf of Gili India Ltd, and that Gitanjali Exports Corporation Ltd was not enjoying any sanctioned limit with PNB before being merged with Gitanjali Gems Ltd. The court recorded that the break-up of the fraudulent LoUs showed “the total fraud of amount of 21.87 crore”.The court further noted that the 118 LoUs were issued for transactions with four export parties or beneficiaries, described as companies controlled by main accused Mehul Choksi. It also recorded that in 2016, the chargesheeted accused and the four newly proceeded-against accused allegedly got issued 116 fraudulent LoUs on behalf of Asmi Jewellery India Ltd, Gili India Ltd, Gitanjali Exports Corporation Ltd and Nakshatra Brands Ltd.The order said these LoUs were allegedly issued “without having any sanctioned limit and 110% cash margin and without entering these transactions in the CBS System of the bank”, enabling buyer’s credit from overseas banks.The judge observed, “The above acts on the part of accused….prima facie shows that they, in conspiracy with the chargesheeted accused persons, facilitated issuance of fraudulent LoUs and issuance of fraudulent amendments done under FLCs on behalf of three accused companies and misutilisation of the bank’s funds.”The court also noted that the sanction order for prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Mishra had been placed on record.

The issue was flagged by Shiv Sena (UBT) and BEST Committee member Nitin Nandgaonkar, who alleged that some defective buses were being shown as repaired and redeployed without proper rectification

Mumbai: Ninety-four defective wet lease buses that had remained off the roads for nearly three months due to pending repairs have now been repaired and returned to service, following a major safety review undertaken by BEST after the April bus crash.The issue was flagged by Shiv Sena (UBT) and BEST Committee member Nitin Nandgaonkar, who alleged that some defective buses were being shown as repaired and redeployed without proper rectification. In representations to the BEST administration, he submitted documentary evidence and detailed defect charts involving buses operated by two private contractors.Following the April crash, BEST’s engineering department carried out a comprehensive inspection of its wet lease fleet and found 868 buses, nearly one-third of the contract fleet, requiring repairs. According to a BEST reply to Nandgaonkar, 774 buses were repaired, while 94 remained pending between April and June. BEST has now confirmed that all 94 buses have been repaired and are back in operation.Nandgaonkar highlighted serious defects including steering lock issues, brake-related faults, worn brake liners, poor vehicle condition, inadequate maintenance and repeated breakdowns. He alleged that in some cases engineers had identified defects and sought repairs, but vehicles were later marked as “repaired” and returned to service without proper rectification. He also claimed some secondary inspections were either inadequate or not attended.BEST officials, however, maintained that commuter safety remains paramount. They said wet lease buses undergo regular depot inspections, surprise checks and technical audits covering steering, braking, tyres, suspension, structural integrity and electrical systems. Any bus found with safety-critical defects is withdrawn from service, sent to the operator for repairs and subjected to a second verification before being reinducted.Officials said buses are inspected at least twice a month by BEST engineers and contractors face penalties if repair instructions are not properly followed. Around 5% of the fleet remains at depots for ongoing maintenance at any given time.“Though these buses are operated by contractors, they carry the BEST logo and responsibility for commuter safety rests with the administration,” an official said, adding that no bus with steering or brake-related defects is permitted on the roads until certified fit by engineers.

Mumbai: A day after the second-year class commenced, a 20-year-old BTech student at IIT Bombay died by suicide in his single-occupancy room in Hostel No 4 on IIT Powai campus, police said. Police suspect the student took the extreme step on Tuesday night and was last captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV) on IIT campus premises, walking towards the hostel building around 12 noon.“We suspect a failed relationship behind the student’s extreme step. We found a notebook in which he had scribbled a half-page note on it and his depression. But he did not mention anything about suicide in it,” said a Powai police station officer.He had returned to IIT-B campus from his Rajasthan home on Monday, on the first day of his second year. His mother, who resides in Rajasthan, called security officials after dozens of WhatsApp calls to her son went unanswered between 5 pm and 10.30 pm. Police seized his phone and sent it for forensic analysis to extract the contents as they suspect he deleted his chat history.Police have registered an accidental death report (ADR) and said they were probing the matter. The police also said they registered a case of suicide and were probing the matter under Section 194 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which outlines the legal procedure for police officers to investigate and report on unnatural deaths, suicides or suspicious circumstances.IIT-B management informed the student’s parents of the tragedy on Tuesday night after a security guard found him hanging from the ceiling fan in the hostel room, the police said.The police said the motive would be clearer after his parents provide information. “The deceased’s uncle arrived in Mumbai from Rajasthan. Four teams have been formed to probe the matter,” said DCP (West Zone-3) Datta Nalawade.The student’s uncle, who is in the transport business, was to take the body in an air ambulance as the mother was inconsolable and could not travel. His father lives in a separate residence.“While he was in Rajasthan for his two-month vacation, his uncle asked him whether he was involved with a girl. He denied it. He arrived in Mumbai on Monday and attended the class and also spoke with his mother. On Tuesday, he did not respond to calls made by his mother,” said the police.“At 10.30 pm, his mother called again on the deceased’s phone, but there was no response. This made them to call the IIT-B security officials who visited the Room No G-4147 of Hostel No 4, which locked from inside. The guards and other students from the adjacent rooms broke open the door to find the deceased,” said a Powai police station official.“Some students said the deceased might have taken the extreme step due to a failed affair and seemed to be depressed. The team is probing all angles to ascertain the motive,” said the officer.While IIT-B officials did not comment on the tragedy, an email sent by the institute’s director Shireesh Kedare to all students acknowledged the need to do much more for students’ well-being.The email stated: “There is an indication that he (the student) took his life due to personal reasons. The police are investigating the matter in detail.” Offering his condolences, the director added he was really disturbed that “in spite of strengthening the wellness support system, being proactive in supporting students through multiple workshops, interactions with alumni and faculty, this unfortunate incident has happened.”The mail further said: “We all, including the wardens, faculty advisors, course instructors as hall managers and staff have been taking efforts to reach out to students by being sensitive and alert. But it is clear that we need to do much more.”He further requested everyone’s support to deal with the situation and the challenge at hand in an effective manner.In Aug 2025, a fourth-year student from the same department had also died by suicide. At least 65 students across IITs took their lives between Jan 2021 and Dec 2025, show figures maintained by Global IIT Alumni Support Group.(Inputs by Yogita Rao)

The Bombay High Court has called for a re-evaluation of the Mantralaya canteen, critiquing the state’s overall inspections of eateries

MUMBAI: Bombay high court on Wednesday asked the State to inform whether all eating houses including canteens run by state, semi-state authorities were being inspected in the ongoing FDA drive to ensure commercial kitchens are hygienically compliant and directed that a fresh inspection be carried out at Mantralaya canteen.The HC said the report be submitted on Friday. The order came while hearing a plea by a Navi Mumbai hotel that challenged a suspension of the FSSAI license.With only around two cockroaches preventing the FDA from lifting its suspension order for a Navi Mumbai hotel following its bid at compliance of Central food safety and hygiene norms, HC said it would set aside the FSSAI license suspension.“We are in India we have to take realistic stand,’’ said the Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge orally as he and Justice Gautam Ankhad heard a petition filed on July 6 by Park Inn by Radisson hotel through its Human resource head, against a July 3 license suspension order under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.“‘We are in India. We have to take a realistic stand. I was speaking of flies earlier, there is one here now,” ACJ RV Ghuge’s oral remark during the hearing.There is currently a lot of discussion about the crackdown by this department across the state. However, it is not right to limit the action to private establishments only..“So far, how many government establishments have you (FDA) inspected or taken action against? Have you inspected the canteen in the High Court from where our food comes? Have you ever inspected the most important building in the state, the Mantralaya, which is right behind us?” ACJ RV Ghuge added.On July 20 the HC had passed orders for a re-inspection by an FDA panel on the hotel’s claim of compliance and the FDA in a July 22 report gave the hotel a 95 % compliance nod, but under a dishwasher and the sweets preparation (halwai) area had “cockroach infestation.’’At the hearing on Wednesday, hotel’s counsel Mayur Khandeparkar with advocates Shubhra Swami and Sagar Shetty said there were only two cockroaches.The hotel’s lawyers submitted a note to the HC saying, “Mere presence of two insects (cockroaches) is a not a reason sufficient to place the establishment…under suspension’’ especially when all other compliances were met and argued thus that the continued suspension was arbitrary.Government pleader Neha Bhide said the second inspection report was submitted.The report showed compliance with all parameters on maintenance and sanitation, design, control of operation including clean cutlery, crockery, incoming material, food storage in hygienic environment, compliance of cooking oil, food grade wrapping material, proper segregation of raw, cooked, vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.“There is no ‘pick and choose’ policy in the ongoing FDA drive; canteens of BMC, KEM Hospital, canteens of the Cricket Club of India (CCI) and other top Mumbai clubs were also inspected and closed over food safety violations,” Bhide said.The 10 page report also checked for cleaning of equipment, drains designed to meet load and cockroach traps, ‘pest control programme and preventive maintenance’ and declared compliance.But FDA gave 4 points less for two roaches said Khandeparkar, assuring that all measures are taken since to eradicate the pests.The FDA officials present in court said Mantralaya canteen was inspected, but last year.The Mantralaya canteen’s FSSAI license was also suspended last year the govt lawyer said.“So do the inspection again now,’’ said the HC. The govt sought a day.Bhide said due to the recent FDA drive, the hygiene and sanitation across restaurants and eating houses have “improved.’’A detailed order of the HC would be available later.

MUMBAI: A second-year BTech student at IIT Bombay died by suicide in his single-occupancy room in Hostel No 4 on the IIT Powai campus on Tuesday night, police said.Powai police said they suspected a failed love affair was the reason behind the death of the 20-year-old, a student of Materials Science and Engineering (often paired with Metallurgical Engineering). Police said they did not find any suicide note in the room and seized his mobile phone to gather information on the cause.Police registered a case of accidental death report (ADR) and said they were probing the matter. They also said they registered a case of suicide and were probing the matter under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which outlines the legal procedure for police officers to investigate and report on unnatural deaths, suicides, or suspicious circumstances.The IIT management informed the student’s parents on Tuesday night after a security guard found him hanging from the ceiling in the hostel room, police said. Police said the motive would be clearer after the parents arrived and provided information.“Deceased parents will reach Mumbai today (Wednesday) afternoon from Rajasthan. Four teams has been formed who are probing the matter,” said DCP (West Zone-3) Datta Nalawade.Police said the student was seen in class and on campus on Tuesday, but after 5 pm he did not respond to phone calls made by his parents from Rajasthan. “At 10.30 pm, the parents again called on the deceased mobile but there was no response. This made them to call the IIT security officials who visiting the room no G-4147 of hostel no 4 which was found locked from inside. The guards and other students from adjacent rooms noticed the deceased hanging from ceiling when they looked into the room from the window,” said a police officer of the Powai police station.Police officials said they learnt from IIT and students that the second-year class commenced on Monday and the student died by suicide the next day between 5 pm and 10.30 pm. “It was overheard from students in the campus that the deceased may have taken the extreme step due to failed affair and seemed to be depressed. The team is probing all angles to get to know the motive behind the extreme step,” said the officer.Police said the student took the extreme step a day after the second-year class commenced, and they doubted he returned from his Rajasthan home.

MUMBAI: Actress Rakhi Sawant has hit back at actor-politician Kangana Ranaut over her remarks on Gen Z student protesters at Jantar Mantar, criticising the latter for speaking against those participating in the agitation.In a video shared on Instagram, Sawant slammed Ranaut and called out her comments on the protesters. She used strong words against Kangana and questioned her remarks, calling her a “gutter mouth” and a “witch,” while also asking whether she wanted to be slapped.The over one-minute video, in which Sawant criticised Ranaut for allegedly speaking against the protesters, went viral on social media, sparking discussions among users.The exchange comes after Kangana Ranaut criticised the recent student protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination process. She said the use of “obscene language” and personal attacks during demonstrations were “completely unacceptable” in society.Speaking to ANI, Kangana referred to the protests and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his late mother had been subjected to abusive remarks during the demonstrations.Her comments drew reactions from several quarters, with Sawant becoming the latest celebrity to respond to the actor-politician’s remarks.“Our 75-year-old Prime Minister was targeted, and filthy abuse was hurled at his late mother. We, too, have participated in student protests. But what kind of students are these, and what kind of obscene language are they using? In what way do they resemble students? If these individuals need Supreme Court lawyers or legal counsel in the future, will their parents be able to afford it? They do not have the means to afford it themselves. We have been building our own careers since the age of sixteen. We have never been a burden on our parents. As a society, this is completely unacceptable to us,” Ranaut said.Ranaut also shared a series of posts on her Instagram Stories, calling the protest videos “puke inducing,” the BJP MP criticised the protesters’ style and language.“Never in my life have I seen so much ugliness in one place. These reels from Gen Z protests are puke-inducing. The way they speak and the kind of language they are using… never in my life have I seen everything in each and every frame so jarring and so crass all at once, “she wrote.“Ewww, who is birthing and raising them?,” she added.Ranaut also noted, “India is a place of diversely beautiful people, draped in elegance and rooted in cultural sophistication. You call yourself cockroaches and look/behave like them as well. There is no paradox or juxtaposition there, just simply subjecting the world to your filth, garbage and ugliness. I am scarred from these reels. I need some healing, digital detox.”She added, “I am scarred by these reels. Need some healing, digital detox.”(With agency inputs)

MUMBAI: Thirty-three years after the Mumbai serial blasts, three properties linked to one of the masterminds, Tiger Memon, including his Mahim office that was set on fire during the 1992-93 communal riots, were put up for auction on Tuesday. The auction saw multiple bidders, but the results have not been declared.The auction was carried out under the supervision of Surabhi Sharma, competent authority & administrator, Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act (Safema), 1976. The assets that went under the hammer were a 751 sqft flat with a garage in Mahim’s Al-Hussaini building where the Memons used to live, a 550sqft office Tijarat International, and a 970 sqft flat in Bandra (West).Memon’s Bandra flat had reserve price of Rs 5 croreTiger Memon’s Al-Hussaini building flat had a reserve price of Rs 1.9 crore, Tijarat International Rs 2.05 crore and the Bandra flat Rs 5.2 crore. The CBI, in its chargesheet, claimed that the blasts were meant to avenge the demolition of Babri Masjid. Sources said the attack was also in retaliation to Memon losing his properties during the communal riots. Memon, who is absconding, has been known as a man of revenge since his childhood.Mushtaq Abdul Razzak Nadim Memon, aka Tiger Memon, was born to middle-class parents in Mohammed Ali Road on Nov 24, 1960. He worked as a driver for the Dossa brothers, Mohammed and Mustafa. This is how he came in touch with the Dawood Ibrahim gang.In the mid-1980s, the Memon family shifted to Al Hussaini. Memon was actively involved in smuggling silver and made his name in the smuggling world at the age of 22. During the communal riots of 1992, some hooligans had set his shop on fire. Memon got so furious that he decided to avenge the loss of his property.The govt authorities had attached around one-and-a-half dozen properties owned by Memon and his relatives. “The forfeiture order was passed first by Safema. The Tada court gave order to the court receiver to give the properties to Safema,” said Sharma.Earlier, the other claimants for these properties included CBI and Mumbai EOW. Safema received possession of 17 immovable properties forfeited under the Act in Memon’s case. The office has taken possession of and secured all these properties, and wherever the properties are free from litigation, it has initiated their disposal through auction.“A major achievement has been the successful transfer of a vacant plot measuring approximately 1,200 sqm at Kole Kalyan (Santacruz east) in the name of the competent authority after sustained follow-up with the revenue authorities. The process of removal of encroachment is under way and the property is proposed to be put up to auction positively by Dec 2026,” said Sharma. It belonged to Memons.The physical possession of Memons’ other properties, a 200 sqm plot in Zaveri Bazar, a shop in Dongri, two flats in Kapadia Nagar in Kurla etc, have been taken over by Safema.Memon, along with dozens of others, had conspired and executed 12 deadly bomb blasts in the city on March 12, 1993, that killed 257 and injured 713 others. Properties worth Rs 30 crore were damaged.The Memons did not file a reply in the court when it issued a notice to them regarding the competent authority’s plea to release the properties. On March 11 this year, two flats in Al-Hussaini building belonging to the Memons were auctioned for nearly Rs 2 crore.