Police said Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre will be arrested for assaulting hospital staff.

KALYAN: Police on Wednesday said Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, named in the FIR for the assault on doctors and medical staff at the KDMC-run Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli, will also be arrested.Assistant Commissioner of Police Suhas Hemade said the investigation was progressing and assured the medical fraternity that no accused would be spared. “The corporator will also be arrested. No accused in the case will be spared,” he said.So far, Vishnu Nagar police have arrested three accused — Akshay Karande, Ramesh Pawar and Pramod Nikam — all alleged associates of Mhatre. Police said efforts were underway to arrest the remaining accused named in the FIR.The case was registered on the complaint of doctor Vaibhav Salunkhe after a group allegedly assaulted doctors and nursing staff following a dispute over the treatment of a patient at Shastri Nagar Hospital. The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010.The incident sparked protests by doctors across Kalyan-Dombivli, with routine outpatient services suspended while emergency care continued. Medical associations have demanded the immediate arrest of all those involved, including Mhatre, and strict enforcement of laws protecting healthcare workers.Opposition leaders, including Aaditya Thackeray and NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar, also sought action against the corporator.Meanwhile, Kalyan MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde condemned the assault, saying no one who takes the law into their own hands would be spared. The Shiv Sena leader, who is also a medical practitioner, said the party would not shield anyone involved in the attack and assured strict legal action against all those found guilty.

MUMBAI: A 50-year-old man from Virar suffered a head injury after a tree branch broke and fell on him during heavy wind and rain in Andheri (East), police said.The incident occurred at around 8.50 am when Aadesh Gaikar was riding his motorcycle from Virar to his workplace in Andheri, police said.People who witnessed the incident, along with police personnel, rushed Gaikar to Cooper Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment for his head injury.“Doctors at the hospital said Gaikar’s condition is stable and he is out of danger,” a police officer said.Police said Gaikar was riding his motorcycle to his office in Mogarpada, Andheri (East), when the tree branch broke and fell on his head.“As the Andheri One Mobile police team was patrolling the area, he was immediately taken to the hospital for medical treatment,” the officer added.

Responding to the controversy, Mhatre said he had not raised his hand against the doctor and attributed the impression created by the CCTV footage to the camera angle.

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre on Wednesday expressed regret over the altercation at a civic-run hospital in Dombivli, while denying allegations that he assaulted a female doctor during the incident.Responding to the controversy, Mhatre said he had not raised his hand against the doctor and attributed the impression created by the CCTV footage to the camera angle.“I regret the physical altercation that took place. I state with full confidence that I did not raise my hand against the female doctor. What appears in the CCTV footage might look that way due to the camera angle,” he said.Mhatre said he addressed the doctor informally because he considered her “like a daughter” and claimed that while they were speaking, she continued talking on the phone and was not listening to their grievance.“I tapped her hand. We have been guided by Balasaheb’s teachings; we have never raised a hand against women, nor will we ever do so in the future,” he said.He further said the incident occurred due to “systemic shortcomings” in the hospital and added that efforts would be made to address them.Mhatre also said the people who had taken him to the hospital could provide more details about the incident. He claimed the person who had called him to the spot did not answer his subsequent calls and that he reached the hospital after realising the seriousness of the situation.A case has been registered against Mhatre and five others in connection with the alleged assault on two doctors at the KDMC-run Shastri Nagar Hospital in Kalyan.The incident sparked protests by doctors and medical staff, who demanded immediate action against the accused.(With inputs from ANI)

Image Used For Representational Purpose Only

MUMBAI: An Air India flight from Mumbai to Delhi on Tuesday aborted its take-off run as an Air India Express aircraft that had landed seconds ago was still on the runway, said an aviation source.The incident occurred around 9.40 pm when Air India flight AI 816 to Delhi entered the runway 27 of Mumbai airport to begin its take-off run.Air India Express flight from Bagdogra IX 1547 had just landed on the same runway, said an aviation source. “The crew discontinued the take-off run after receiving an instruction from the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and returned to the bay,” said an Air India spokesperson. The aircraft will undergo mandatory checks in accordance with standard operating procedures, he added.Sources said the Air India Express aircraft, which had arrived from Siliguri, had not yet vacated the runway when the Delhi-bound Air India flight began preparing for take-off from the same runway.The Air India flight, AI816, was scheduled to operate with a wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, while Air India Express flight AIX1547 was operated with a Boeing 737 MAX 8, according to the sources.In a statement, an Air India spokesperson confirmed that the take-off was aborted on the instructions of air traffic control but did not provide further details.“The crew operating flight AI816 from Mumbai to Delhi on July 7 discontinued the take-off run after receiving an instruction to do so from the Air Traffic Control and returned to the bay,” the Air India spokesperson said in the statement.The spokesperson added, “The aircraft would undergo necessary checks as per standard operating procedures,” adding that “an alternative arrangement was being made to fly the passengers to their destination at the earliest.”

Mumbai recorded its wettest July days in recent years with intense downpours.

MUMBAI: Mumbai received as much rain between June 30 and July 6 as several major metros typically do in an entire year.IMD’s Colaba observatory recorded 882. 6mm of rain and Santacruz 988. 8mm during the seven-day period, surpassing the average annual rainfall of Delhi and Pune and nearly matching Bengaluru’s yearly total.For perspective, Delhi’s average annual rainfall is around 774mm, meaning Colaba received the equivalent of 113% of the national capital’s yearly rainfall in just a week.The rainfall also exceeded Pune’s annual average of 720mm and nearly matched Bengaluru’s 986mm. The heaviest rainfall was recorded on July 4, when Colaba logged 265. 6mm and Santacruz 227. 7mm in 24 hours, making it one of the city’s wettest July days in recent years.Municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide said the heavy rain was accompanied by sustained winds of 40-50 kmph, with gusts reaching 70-80 kmph in some parts of the city.She said all six pumping stations and 10 mini pumping stations were operational, while dewatering pumps were deployed wherever required to clear waterlogged stretches.Bhide said the civic administration came across media reports showing waterlogging at certain locations, including outside actor Amitabh Bachchan’s residence, but maintained they did not reflect the actual situation on the ground.“We were monitoring these locations live through the disaster control room, and the reports did not match the real-time conditions at the site,” she said.The rain intensity eased on Tuesday, prompting the IMD to downgrade its warning for Mumbai from an orange alert to yellow. Between 8. 30am and 5. 30pm, Colaba recorded 0. 7mm of rainfall and Santacruz 6. 1mm. Moderate rainfall is expected over the next few days.

Mumbai: A six-feet-long Indian marsh crocodile was noticed under parked cars, near Chand Shah Wali Dargah, close to Powai lake and Vihar lake, on Tuesday.A team of forest officials assisted by Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) and SARRP (Spreading Awareness on Reptiles and Rehabilitation Program), rescued the crocodile.“It is believed that the marsh crocodile drifted towards land during heavy rains, and later could not find its way back towards the lake,” said Pawan Sharma of RAWW.Social activist, Intekhab Farooqui, chairperson of Amma Foundation and state vice president of Vahtuk Sena (UBT faction), commented: “It is rather unusual for an adult crocodile to travel this far into land, near the dargah. Some of the local residents asserted that the crocodile may have come here from the waterbody next to NEET institute, Vihar lake.”Nobody was hurt in this incident. The crocodile was examined by Dr Priti Sathe, associate veterinarian with RAWW, as per the wildlife protocols.Once declared fit, it will be released back to its natural habitat by the officials. A few environmentalists have also expressed concern that the natural basking spots of the crocodiles, besides the egg laying areas along the two lakes of Powai and Vihar are being disturbed due to developmental activities. This must be stopped, or it may lead to more cases of crocodiles encountering human beings.

Mumbai: The relentless rain that battered the city and several parts of the state over the past few days ha not only disrupted daily life but also dealt a significant financial blow to public transport operators. The BEST undertaking and the MSRTC together have reported losses exceeding Rs 4 crore due to rain-related disruptions.According to BEST officials, the undertaking incurred losses of around Rs 2 crore over three days as heavy downpour, poor visibility, waterlogging and tree falls severely affected bus operations across the city. A total of 327 bus routes were impacted between July 4 and July 6, forcing diversions and hampering schedules.On July 4, as many as 127 routes were affected, while 104 routes faced disruptions on July 5. Another 96 routes were impacted on July 6. Waterlogged roads and uprooted trees prompted traffic diversions, resulting in delays and operational challenges for the city’s bus network.The impact was equally severe on MSRTC, which reported losses of approximately Rs 2.3 crore in just two days. The state-run transporter had to cancel 7,820 bus trips due to adverse weather conditions, road blockages and safety concerns. The cancellations affected thousands of passengers travelling across Maharashtra and led to substantial revenue losses for the corporation.Transport officials said persistent rainfall and infrastructure-related disruptions have placed immense pressure on public transport services, highlighting the challenges of maintaining uninterrupted operations during the monsoon season. If heavy rainfall continues, transport agencies fear further operational disruptions and financial setbacks in the coming days.

There is a long-running dispute over payments owed by the elite sports club in Worli

Mumbai: The state govt will order a fresh scrutiny of the finances of National Sports Club of India (NSCI) in Worli and will convene a meeting within 15 days of conclusion of the legislature session to review its outstanding dues to BMC.The assurance came from minister Shambhuraj Desai in the legislative council after members questioned govt’s handling of the long-running dispute over payments owed by the elite sports club. The issue was raised by MLC Prasad Lad. MLC Anil Parab participated in the discussion.Desai said govt will implement the recommendations of the public accounts committee (PAC) and constitute a panel to examine the club’s functioning and financial transactions. An inquiry report will be submitted within three months and further action will be taken based on its findings, he said.Junior minister Madhuri Misal said BMC had recovered about Rs 66 crore from NSCI towards its revenue share and another Rs 11 crore over unauthorised construction. She said the remaining dues were being recovered in phases.In a written reply to a starred question, deputy CM Eknath Shinde said the 70,376sqm BMC-owned plot at Worli has been leased to NSCI for 99 years since Jan 1, 1951. The club pays annual ground rent of Rs 43,572, besides additional ground rent of Rs 3.39 lakh for extra construction and changes in land use.Shinde said under BMC’s policy, lessees must share 33% of revenue earned through agreements with third parties. Following a show-cause notice issued in 2016 and audits by Comptroller and Auditor General, the civic body recovered Rs 67.7 crore, including penal interest, for 2014-20. Another Rs 5.8 crore was recovered for 2022-26 after BMC took over the stadium during the pandemic.Govt said the club had carried out unauthorised construction and changes in land use. BMC recovered nearly Rs 12 crore as penalty and levied another Rs 34.6 lakh under Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, before regularising the structures. It added that BMC is now regularly recovering its 33% revenue share from the club. —Manthan K Mehta

Thane: A proposed data centre at Balkum in Thane has drawn fresh political opposition, with Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske demanding an immediate halt to the project and an independent inquiry into alleged large-scale tree felling at the site.Mhaske submitted a memorandum to the Thane civic chief and the district collector after meeting representatives of housing societies, locals, environmental activists and social organisations who have raised objections to the project. He urged the authorities to keep the project on hold in public interest and examine the concerns raised by residents.According to the memorandum, the proposed data centre is planned in a densely populated area surrounded by residential complexes, schools, hospitals and other public facilities. Mhaske said residents fear the project could lead to increased traffic congestion, higher noise and air pollution, and additional pressure on Thane’s already stretched water and electricity infrastructure.The MP questioned the direct benefits the project would bring to locals, seeking clarity on employment opportunities and its overall contribution to the city’s development. He also raised concerns over whether all statutory approvals, environmental clearances and mandatory permissions have been obtained and complied with.Mhaske alleged that tree felling at the project site exceeded the permissions granted by Thane Municipal Corporation and called for a detailed and impartial investigation.The memorandum seeks an immediate suspension of all work, an independent review of approvals by an expert committee, a detailed public hearing with residents, and the release of environmental, traffic, water consumption and noise impact assessment reports before any further decision is taken.The development came days after NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad opposed the proposed project, alleging a lack of transparency and raising concerns over its environmental and civic impact.Thane civic chief Saurabh Rao did not respond to queries seeking comment.