A hospital was penalised for detaining a newborn over a billing dispute (AI image used for representational purpose only)

Mumbai: Ruling that a hospital cannot detain a patient over a billing dispute, the Maharashtra State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has penalised Bhatia Hospital in Tardeo, for withholding the discharge of a two-day-old newborn nine years ago.The commission criticised the hospital’s approach, observing, “With constraint we observe that the conduct and behaviour of the officials of the opponent was callous and casual and insensitive towards the baby boy, who was two days old, particularly, when an undertaking was given by the complainant that he would pay the bill within 24 hours after denial of the cashless facility.”The commission ordered the hospital to pay the Prabhadevi-based father a total compensation of about Rs 38,080, which includes refund of the excessively charged bill amount along with nine years of accrued interest. “The patient cannot be detained for want of clearance of the bill. In the present case, the bill due was less than the deposit amount. The hospital officials should have allowed the baby to leave the hospital to join the company of his mother but no priority was given by the officials of the opponent,” the commission said.The commission partly allowed the complaint filed by Rajesh Dharap. Dharap, an advocate, appeared in person. The incident dates back to Feb 2017, when Dharap’s wife delivered twin boys. One of the newborns required neonatal intensive care and was shifted to Bhatia Hospital. The hospital added extra half-day charges. The commission said the baby was detained for more than nine hours. The commission held the hospital guilty of a deficiency in service.The hospital denied deficiency and said Dharap had opted for cashless insurance. The hospital stated that discharge formalities could take around 5-6 hours and that the delay occurred because the insurance provider raised a query and later rejected cashless approval.

Prashant Kishor met NCP leaders Sunetra and Parth Pawar after his recent election victory.

MUMBAI: Jan Suraaj party founder and prominent political strategist Prashant Kishor, who won the Bankipur bypoll in Bihar this week after defeating the BJP, called on the deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar from the NCP and her MP son Parth Pawar, on Thursday. This is the second time Kishor is meeting them in three months, raising questions about whether they want him to become the party’s political advisor.The meeting has upset the BJP, the NCP’s alliance partner in the government, which says it is inappropriate for a constituent of the NDA to engage with an opponent of the BJP. The BJP was especially unhappy about the meeting taking place so soon after Kishor won the bypoll at the long-held BJP bastion Bankipur.“We cannot be fighting elections together on one hand while simultaneously engaging a strategist who has built his recent political identity around defeating the BJP,” said a BJP functionary.“One meeting may be dismissed as a courtesy call. Repeated closed-door discussions naturally raise questions,” the BJP functionary added.During the 2024 assembly polls, the NCP’s strategy was crafted by Design Box, but they later parted ways. This has raised questions about whether Kishor will become the party’s next political strategist.However, after their meeting in May, Parth Pawar had denied this on X, saying Kishor was a close family friend. “To the best of my knowledge, it has been a few years since he has quit the political advisory space. I don’t see that changing but I can assure all those who are interested that we are and will always be available to each other whenever needed,” he had said.

The state government will insure 1,60,000 govindas during this year’s Dahi Handi festival (File photo)

MUMBAI: The state govt has announced it will grant insurance to 1,60,000 govindas during the dahi handi festival this year.In 2025 the state had made provision to insure 1,50,000 players.Each govinda will be insured for Rs 10 lakh in the event of death, or loss of two limbs or two eyes, and Rs 5 lakh for the loss of one limb or a single eye.Various amounts in the range of Rs 1 to Rs 10 lakh will be awarded in the case of hospitalization, permanent total and permanent partial disablement.Govt hospitals will provide treatment free of cost.The insurer is yet to be determined.

Navi Mumbai: A 21-year-old woman from Ambernath riding pillion was killed in a fatal accident involving a bike and a car on the Karjat-Khopoli highway on Thursday morning. The bike rider sustained grievous injuries. In another fatal accident, a Mahad youth (23) was killed on the Mumbai-Goa highway stretch near the Kashedi ghat, Poladpur, Raigad on Tuesday night.According to Karjat police, the speeding biker had a head-on collision with the car, resulting in the death of pillion rider Sonali Bhandare (21) on the spot owing to head and multiple injuries. The rider, Rohit Waghmare (20), a resident of Poshir village, Karjat, sustained serious injuries in his legs and was rushed to a local hospital through an ambulance of the Shri Swami Samarth Seva Kendra.“The accident was reported near Palasdari. The bike was moving towards Khopoli while the car towards Karjat. The bike rider has been booked under the relevant sections of the BNS and Motor Vehicle Act,” said constable Santosh Salunke.In the second accident, a motorcyclist, Raj More (23), riding towards Goa lost control and dashed the roadside railing on a highway curvature. The speeding bike rider was rushed to the govt rural hospital, Mahad, in a grievously injured state through an ambulance but was declared dead by the doctors.The highway traffic was affected for around an hour. Later the bike was towed away to a safe side to normalise the traffic. The bike rider has been booked posthumously for the fatal accident by the Poladpur police under relevant sections of the BNS. Further investigation is on.

Police said the group unlawfully assembled in violation of prohibitory orders and obstructed public movement

Mumbai: Borivli police have registered an FIR against a group of 10 men for firing an airgun at midnight while cutting a birthday cake on the bonnet of a car parked in the middle of the road. Police said the group unlawfully assembled in violation of prohibitory orders and obstructed public movement.The incident occurred around midnight on August 5 at Gorai-II near Gharkul society. Police said the group was celebrating Akash Gupta’s 26th birthday. In a now-viral video clip, the group is seen assembling on the road near Gharkul society. A car is parked in the middle of the road and a cake is cut on the bonnet. Police said the group was yelling and creating a ruckus. The airgun belonged to Jatin Sharma, 26, and his friend, Vijesh Upadhyay, 26, fired it.After the video was posted on Instagram by a news portal, Borivli police took action under supervision of DCP Sandeep Ghuge.

The advocate for Goyal submitted that a discharge application would be filed

Mumbai: A special PMLA court on Thursday granted Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal exemption from personal appearance as a “last chance” in the money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate, and adjourned the matter for hearing on charge to Aug 10.The advocate for Goyal submitted that a discharge application would be filed. Taking note of the submission, the court observed, “It is to be mentioned here that the matter is of the year 2023; for these three years the accused has not taken any steps for filing discharge application. As the draft charge is submitted and the charge is to be heard. The accused cannot be entertained is on each on every date for filing a discharge application.” The court directed Goyal to remain present on the next date without fail. The Enforcement Directorate arrested Goyal in Sept 2023 in connection with a Rs 538.6-crore money laundering case. Goyal, 76, is currently out on bail.

Thane: Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde earlier this week directed Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MahaMetro) to launch a citywide public awareness campaign and hold consultations with residents in Thane to address concerns and dispel misconceptions amid mounting public opposition to the Rs 12,200 crore Thane Integral Ring Metro Rail project.The directive came during a project review meeting in Mumbai where the growing criticism over lack of public consultation on major infrastructure projects in Thane was discussed.Incidentally, former Supreme Court judge Justice Abhay S. Oka, on Sunday, had criticised the large-scale projects in Thane being executed without consulting residents. Last month, few alert citizens also formed a pressure group seeking greater public participation in planning infrastructure works. The issue was also raised during the ongoing monsoon session by BJP MLC Niranjan Davkhare and newly nominated BJP MLC Madhavi Naik also urged Shinde to hold public consultations.“Inadequate public communication may have prevented residents from getting the complete picture of the project. The Integral Metro has been planned to improve connectivity for lakhs of Thane residents and will be implemented only after taking citizens and public representatives into confidence,” Shinde said.A meeting with residents, elected representatives and experts would be held with officials explaining the finer details of the project through presentations and discussions. Information kiosks on the project would be set up at Ganesh pandals too, he said.The 29-km corridor comprises a 26-km elevated stretch and a 3-km underground section linking the existing and proposed Thane railway stations. Around 9.5% of the work has been completed, with station construction and casting yards already underway, officials explained.The MahaMetro managing director, Shravan Hardikar, said that the project could be completed within three-and-a-half years, subject to timely land acquisition and other statutory clearance processes.