MUMBAI: After BMC’s proposal to replace Mahindra Scorpio SUVs allotted to key political office-bearers in the civic body with six new Toyota Innovas ran into a controversy, MNS office bearers, as a symbolic protest, sent toy Toyota Innova models to the BMC Commissioner.“Our shakha 191 couriered the three Toyota Innova models to the Commissioner, to enable the Commissioner to distribute it among the office bearers, last week. But the courier was not accepted by BMC and it was returned back to us on Monday, ” said MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande.Last week, the BMC proposal led to a heated debate in the civic standing committee.The opposition questioned the expenditure, while the ruling BJP accused the opposition of going back on a decision that had been taken unanimously by all political parties.BJP group leader Ganesh Khankar said the controversy was unnecessary as there had been consensus among all parties.The move drew criticism from opposition parties, including Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray, who questioned the timing of the proposed fleet upgrade and the expenditure involved.In protest, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) office-bearers purchased Toyota Innova models and announced that they would courier them to BMC office-bearers and the civic administration.Khankar also distanced himself from the move, stating that he had never sought new vehicles and had no intention of doing so.In a letter to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, Khankar said reports suggesting that the civic body was splurging public money on new vehicles had created a wrong impression among Mumbaikars. He further said the opposition had deliberately misrepresented the proposal without taking into account that the vehicles were to be procured on lease under the existing policy.Khankar urged the civic administration to continue with the existing Mahindra Scorpio SUVs and ensure uniformity in vehicle allocation.He requested that all senior civic officers and chairpersons of statutory committees, barring the Municipal Commissioner and the Mayor, be provided Scorpio vehicles of the same category so that there was parity among all functionaries.

MUMBAI: Doctors have announced a one-day boycott of medical services following a government resolution (GR) dated August 3, which allowed homeopaths who have completed a one-year certificate course to enter modern medicine.They warned that if the decision is not rolled back, the strike will be extended to emergency services indefinitely.According to the GR, the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) can initiate conditional registration for homeopaths holding a Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP).

“This means they can start prescribing modern medicines the minute they receive their registration,” said an MMC official, adding that the situation is now beyond the council’s control.There are 2,500 applicants before MMC as of now, and 10,000 more are expected to apply in the coming days.Dr Santosh Kulkarni, state IMA president, said the move is bound to be dangerous to the well-being of common people.The GR has constituted a committee to decide on matters such as medical ethics, and negligence case-handling procedures and has called for a report within a month.It will be headed by the medical education commissioner and will have other members from the medical education department, MMC, Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, and homeopathy council.The committee’s report is expected in a month. Until then, there is no grievance mechanism within MMC to deal with cases of medical negligence by homeopaths.He said IMA’s 1.5 lakh members, with the Association of State Medical Interns, Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors, and other associations of specialty doctors such as ENT surgeons will all be on strike through Tuesday.This would impact out-patient-department patients and no new admission would be accepted.The response to the strike could be lukewarm in the city as last year, clinics and hospitals in Mumbai remained open despite IMA’s call for a strike, but in other parts of the state, the strike had received a large response.Dr Atharva Shinde, president of MARD, said that around 12,000 resident doctors across the state will go on an indefinite strike, boycotting emergency services as well, starting Tuesday evening.The MMC official added, “No sensible person would want this, but our hands are tied. It would be unlawful for us to not implement it,” the official added.The Bombay High Court’s decision on the matter is expected by mid-August. Dr Kulkarni alleged that the move was rushed to benefit politically connected homeopathic colleges across the state, many of which have ties to influential politicians and political families, whose admission cycles run through August to capitalise on substantial donation sums.

MUMBAI: Allegations of missing donations at Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple have snowballed into a political controversy after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray claimed that nearly Rs 18 crore was being siphoned off annually from the temple’s donation boxes. The temple trust has denied any cover-up, saying it had itself uncovered irregularities, initiated police action and sought a government probe.

Here’s what the controversy is about:

What did Raj Thackeray allege?Addressing an MNS event on Saturday, Raj Thackeray claimed the Siddhivinayak Temple Trust had written to deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde alleging that around Rs 18 crore was being stolen every year from the temple’s donation collections. Referring to the purported letter, he questioned how devotees could trust institutions if thefts were taking place even inside temples.His remarks come amid the political storm over alleged donation irregularities linked to the Ayodhya Ram Temple.What has the temple trust said?Responding to the allegations, trustees said they were the ones who detected the suspected theft and informed the Maharashtra government, rejecting suggestions of any attempt to suppress the issue.Trust chairman Sada Sarvankar said the trust had written to the law and judiciary department in March after identifying irregularities and requested a detailed probe. According to him, the department has sought a report from the temple and issued notices to two senior officials responsible for day-to-day administration.The trustees also refused calls to resign, saying they should not be blamed for exposing the alleged wrongdoing.Why is the temple asking for an audit?The trust has called for an audit of donation collections over the past two years, claiming temple income has nearly doubled after action was taken against those allegedly involved.According to the trustees, monthly donations have risen from around Rs 40-45 lakh to Rs 80-90 lakh after the suspected leakages were plugged. They argue that an audit would establish whether earlier collections had been underreported.What is the VIP darshan angle?Trustees alleged that some temple employees accepted money from devotees in exchange for facilitating VIP darshan. Several employees have been suspended over the allegations.They said the temple, which attracts devotees and celebrities from across the country and abroad, has strict procedures for handling donations. Cash from donation boxes is counted every Wednesday and deposited in the bank the same day.Who has been arrested?The trust said police arrested eight employees in connection with the alleged irregularities. The accused were questioned, remanded to police custody for three days and later granted bail.One of those arrested was identified as Rajendra Pendurkar, who had been working at the temple since 2009 and was accused of stealing cash from the donation boxes. Trustees also claimed some of the accused were appointed during the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led government, a charge that has added a political dimension to the controversy.What happens next?The Maharashtra law and judiciary department is examining the trust’s report, while the temple administration has maintained that it supports a full investigation and financial audit. With Raj Thackeray escalating the issue and political parties trading allegations, the donation row is likely to remain in focus in the coming days.

MUMBAI: Former India junior goalkeeper Sukhadev Patil was denied a last-minute save as a sessions court rejected his anticipatory bail plea in an alleged cheating and forgery case.The court held that the custodial interrogation of the 27-year-old footballer, who has represented clubs in Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League, was necessary to trace how the applicant allegedly obtained a fake BCom degree certificate used to secure a central government job.The prosecution alleged that Patil, who hails from Walve Khurd village in Kolhapur district, was selected as an auditor under the sports quota in the office of the Principal Accountant General (Audit-I), Mumbai.Rejecting the plea, judge NR Pradhan said, “The applicant… prima facie submitted the said BCom degree certificate and obtained a central government job. Thus, the nature of offence is very serious.”The judge further said that his custodial interrogation is necessary to ascertain how he obtained fake BCom degree certificate. “He is the main source of information. Therefore, his custodial interrogation is necessary,” the judge said.According to public prosecutor Vijay Malankar, Patil submitted a BCom degree certificate and marksheet from Arni University to obtain the job.When the documents were sent for verification, the university allegedly informed the department that Patil had not taken admission there and that the ID, marksheet and degree were not issued by the university.Patil had sought protection apprehending arrest in an offence registered with Azad Maidan police station.The defence argued that Patil had filled an admission form through Arni University’s website, paid admission fees and appeared for examinations.The defence also submitted that Patil could be a victim of a racket preparing fake certificates, and that after receiving a departmental notice regarding the alleged fake certificate, Patil had sought 60 days to verify the documents.The defence said the department did not grant time and directly terminated Patil’s service.The defence further argued that there was a delay in lodging the FIR, no prima facie case was made out, and that the case was based on documents, making custodial interrogation unnecessary.The prosecution said custody was required to find out how Patil obtained the alleged fake BCom degree and marksheet.

Bhiwandi: A 31-year-old jawan attached to the Thane Disaster Response Force (TDRF) died in a road accident allegedly caused by a large pothole on the Mumbai-Nashik Highway in Shahapur taluka on Monday, marking the second pothole-related fatality in Thane district within two days.The deceased, identified as Vikas Lahu Gore, a resident of Bamne village in Shahapur, was on his way to report for duty at the TDRF office in Thane when the accident occurred near Ghoteghar at around 4.30 am. The sole breadwinner of his family, he is survived by his wife and nine-month-old twin daughters.According to the police, Gore, who was wearing a helmet and riding his Royal Enfield motorcycle towards the railway station, lost control of the vehicle after hitting a large pothole on the rain-battered highway.He fell on the road and suffered severe injuries.Local residents rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead before treatment could begin.“Preliminary investigation suggests that the motorcycle lost balance after hitting a pothole on the highway. An accidental death report has been registered and further investigation is underway to ascertain whether there was any negligence on the part of the road contractor,” said Vilas Kadam, in charge of Shahapur police station.The tragedy has reignited concerns over the condition of roads across Thane district during the monsoon, with commuters repeatedly complaining about deep potholes and poor maintenance of key roads and highways.Villagers from Bamne said the Mumbai-Nashik Highway stretch passing through Shahapur has become hazardous due to numerous potholes.“The condition of roads in Shahapur is extremely poor. The quality of road work is substandard. We don’t know how many more lives the government will sacrifice before permanent repairs are carried,” a villager said.Gore’s relatives described him as the sole breadwinner of the family and appealed to the govt to provide financial assistance to his dependants.“He died a tragic death because of potholes while he was going to perform his duty. He is survived by his wife and nine-month-old twin daughters. The family has lost its only earning member. The govt should extend adequate compensation and support, considering the future of his two infant daughters,” a relative said.The incident occurred barely a day after another fatal accident allegedly linked to a pothole. On Sunday, 46-year-old Sunita Akshaylal Pal was killed and her husband injured after their scooter skidded into a pothole on the Thane-Bhiwandi Road near Rahanal village. The couple fell on the road, following which the woman was run over by a passing truck.Since the onset of the monsoon, roads across Thane district, including those under the Bhiwandi, Kalyan-Dombivli and Ulhasnagar municipal corporations, have developed large potholes, posing a serious risk to commuters.With two alleged pothole-related deaths reported in two days, residents have urged the authorities to immediately repair damaged roads before more lives are lost.

Mumbai: BMC has launched a citywide ‘pedestrian first’ campaign that seeks to clear footpaths of all kinds of obstructions. Under the first phase, encroachments on 320km of footpaths will be removed.BMC chief Ashwini Bhide directed civic officials to immediately remove unauthorised hawkers, encroachments and other obstacles, besides undertaking measures for beautification and safety.According to the civic body, nearly 50% of daily travel in Mumbai is undertaken on foot, making pedestrian safety a top priority.Bhide instructed all assistant commissioners of administrative wards to conduct daily reviews of the drive, while deputy commissioners have been asked to carry out weekly zonal reviews and submit reports to the additional municipal commissioners, who will review the progress every 15 days. Daily progress reports are to be reviewed, along with ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos.Construction material, debris, abandoned or improperly parked vehicles, accumulated garbage, uneven surfaces, unauthorised advertisement boards, hoardings, outward-opening building doors, non-compliant high ramps and other physical obstructions installed on footpaths have to be removed.Some citizens said BMC officials need to walk the talk with sustained action against encroachments. Madhu Poplai, secretary of Pali Hill Residents Association in Bandra, said, “Don’t take the entire city in one go. Take a part and clear it of encroachments. Officials should prove to themselves that this is possible and not to us. This is a challenge for govt. Then, citizens will review it.” Citing the case of Pali market, she alleged that vendors were operating outside the zone.Cyril Dara, secretary of Byculla Mumbai Residents Association, said that the Mumbai Police and the BMC had carried out anti-encroachment drives and cleared roads in Agripada and Byculla West, but such action needs to be undertaken regularly.Activist Bella Shah alleged that the entire stretch from Regal Cinema to Zero Pasta Lane in Colaba had been encroached upon by hawkers, vagrants and drug peddlers, making it unsafe for elderly citizens and women to use the footpaths.

Mumbai: Amid repeated allegations of favouritism in the transfer of municipal engineers, the BMC is planning to introduce a software-based randomisation system to allocate postings for engineers, significantly reducing human intervention in the process.Civic officials said the proposed system, likely to be rolled out by October, will cover sub-engineers, junior engineers and assistant engineers. Data on the number of engineers due for transfer and vacancies across departments will be fed into the software, which will then automatically determine postings. Officials said the move is aimed at making the transfer process more transparent and addressing allegations that engineers are posted to preferred departments through influence or favouritism.Further the software is expected to incorporate departmental vacancy data, though the final parameters are still being worked out before the proposed rollout.“The software will allocate postings based on vacancies and transfer requirements, leaving little scope for manual intervention,” a senior official said, adding that the system is expected to help build confidence in the transfer process.However, BJP MLA Ameet Satam cautioned that while transparency is welcome, the system should not overlook departmental expertise. “It would not make sense to transfer an engineer who has worked in the water department for years to a completely unrelated department such as maintainence. Engineers develop specialised knowledge over time, and that expertise should be retained while making transfers,” Satam said.RTI activist Anil Galgali said that it was a welcome move. “If this goes online, any political or external pressure with regard to transfer of engineers could be curtailed to a large extent,” he said adding that when there is monetary transactions in transfers there’s always a fear that the officer may not deliver to the best of his/ her ability.In the last one year BMC has been embroiled in a series of “ transfer” related controversies regarding the postings of its civic engineers. For instance in October 2025 the BMC administration stayed the transfer of over 160 civic engineers across various departments. This occurred after Galgali and Satam had alleged that a “transfer market” was being operated by in the BMC, and money being charged for favorable postings and promotions.In May 2026 the transfer row resurfaced with BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha alleging that the transfer scam was attempting to make a comeback. He claimed that around 55 officials who were involved in the cancelled October 2025 transfer list were being assigned the same postings under the guise of routine administrative transfers. Kotecha, however, told TOI that while the move appears promising, the civic body has shown little intent to implement it transparently. “On July 19, I wrote to the BMC seeking details of engineer transfers over the past 10 years, including the names of officers, their departments, previous postings and new assignments. I received vague replies to this. So unless there is complete transparency in the transfer process, the cash-for-transfer scams that have surfaced in the past will continue,” he said.

Mumbai: SVKM’s Pravin Gandhi College of Law, has become the first law college under Mumbai University to be granted autonomous status by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The college has been granted autonomy for a period of 10 years, effective from the current academic year till 2035-36. Under autonomy, the college plans to include law subjects along with liberal discipline in the first two years of the five-year integrated LLB programme (BA LLB).While around 130 colleges affiliated with the university currently enjoy autonomy, most are traditional arts, science and commerce colleges. Among professional courses, the university has autonomous colleges offering engineering, BEd, pharmacy and other programmes, but until now, no law college had been granted autonomy. The new status is expected to help the college offer legal education by giving it flexibility in designing and updating its curriculum.The college is currently awaiting notification from the Mumbai University. As per UGC Regulations, the parent university is to issue the notification within 30 days of granting of autonomous status to the college. The programme structure under autonomy will be rolled out after the college gets the notification. The college is, incidentally, also the only one from the law faculty in the city to be awarded an A+ grade by the NAAC in its first accreditation cycle.Principal Navashikha Duara said that the autonomy will give them an opportunity to reimagine legal education for the future and design contemporary curricula, introduce interdisciplinary and industry-relevant courses, adopt innovative pedagogies, strengthen research and implement assessment practices that are aligned with global academic standards.Duara added that the autonomy would enable the college to strengthen experiential learning, enhance industry engagement, and respond more effectively to the evolving needs of the legal profession. The evaluation and examination pattern will also undergo a change, with increased focus on evaluating students’ critical analysis and problem-solving skills essential for law graduates.The recognition has come at a time when many law colleges are struggling to get university’s temporary affiliation for the current academic year. At least 18 law colleges have moved court against the university’s decision to reduce their intake by 25-50% and to impose a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh for not having approved faculty on board.A principal from another law college said that there are a few colleges which are planning to get autonomy, but they are awaiting NAAC accreditation. Very few colleges in the city have been able to apply for NAAC accreditation, which is a prerequisite for seeking autonomy. The accreditation process is on hold for the past two years as institutions are awaiting the rollout of the revised guidelines.

Mumbai: Lakhs of students and parents across Maharashtra could face an additional financial burden running into crores of rupees after the Fee Regulating Authority allegedly approved fee increases for 1,272 unaided professional colleges beyond the statutory deadline.Yuva Sena has alleged that the FRA violated provisions of the Maharashtra Unaided Private Professional Educational Institutions law by conducting 26 meetings after March 31, the deadline prescribed for deciding review applications relating to college fee proposals.The meetings were reportedly held between April 27 and July 27, 2026, and covered institutions offering medical, engineering, management, pharmacy and MCA courses.Yuva Sena joint secretary Kalpesh Yadav has submitted a detailed representation to the state govt, demanding that all approvals granted after the deadline be cancelled immediately.Under the amended law, decisions on review applications are required to be completed before the beginning of the academic year. Yuva Sena has contended that meetings conducted after March 31, and the decisions taken at these meetings, are legally unsustainable.The organisation has also alleged that several institutions submitted their fee proposals after the prescribed deadline but were nevertheless granted approvals. In some instances, fee proposals for three consecutive academic years were reportedly approved simultaneously.These decisions have raised questions about the scrutiny applied to the financial claims submitted by colleges and the mechanism used to verify expenditure, infrastructure and other factors considered while determining fees.Yuva Sena has further alleged that fee revisions were cleared even though course-wise scrutiny cells, expert inspection committees and an independent infrastructure-verification system required under the amended law were not fully operational.The impact of the decisions may extend beyond students and parents. Since government departments reimburse fees and provide scholarships to eligible students, an increase in approved fees could also raise the financial burden on the state exchequer.Yuva Sena has demanded that the government cancel the approvals within 21 days and order either a judicial inquiry or an Anti-Corruption Bureau investigation into the roles of the FRA chairperson, its members and beneficiary institutions.It has warned that if the government fails to act, complaints will be submitted to the ACB and the Enforcement Directorate and legal proceedings will be initiated.“The FRA ignored clear provisions of the law while granting fee increases to 1,272 institutions,” Yadav said. “The government must cancel these approvals, provide relief to students and parents, and take action against those responsible.”The FRA officials refused to comment.