BJP MLC Amrish Patel sought CM Devendra Fadnavis’s “immediate intervention”

Mumbai: Amid controversies over BMC and Mhada’s move to lease three plots totalling 16 acres to a trust headed by him, BJP MLC Amrish Patel sought CM Devendra Fadnavis’s “immediate intervention” to ensure that the allotments are not cancelled. The CM directed BMC chief Ashwini Bhide and Sanjeev Jaiswal, vice-president and CEO of Mhada, which owns two of the plots, to examine the request and “do the needful”.Claiming that the allotments were made with his “blessings”, Patel, who is also a trustee of Shri Vile Parle Kelawani Mandal that runs some educational institutions, including Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), asked Fadnavis in a letter to speak to Bhide and Jaiswal and instruct them not to take any “adverse action” based on city BJP chief and Andheri West MLA Ameet Satam’s letter opposing the allotments, saying it could affect the students of the institutes.Mhada recently gave the trust two plots, measuring close to 4 acres in total, in Juhu and DN Nagar in Andheri, and later BMC moved a proposal to allot another 12-acre plot in Andheri West. The civic body granted a six-month extension to the ‘validity’ of the trust’s bid to take over the 12-acre plot after it lapsed on Aug 1. Officials had earlier said that a bid is usually valid for six months and if the proposal is not accepted during that period, the tender has to be cancelled and a fresh one floated.In his letter, Patel credited Fadnavis with pushing for the allotments. “Your decision has been for providing sports and physical education facilities for the 30,000 students of SVKM NMIMS of Mumbai. The allocation has been done by the respective authorities after following the legal procedure and fulfilling the eligibility criteria. There is a complaint raised by MLA Ameet Satam for these allotments, which is not in favour of the students of SVKM NMIMS,” he said.Besides Satam, the allotments have been opposed by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray and residents’ groups. The Gulmohar Area Societies Welfare Group and RTI activist Anil Galgani had earlier urged the CM to ensure that all three plots remained reserved open spaces and accessible to the public at all times in line with the Development Plan.Objecting to BMC’s plan to give the 12-acre plot to the trust at an annual rent of around Rs 21 lakh and a 50% share in revenue, Satam has said that floating a tender to allot a reserved open space under a public-private partnership mode when an open spaces policy for the city has not yet been finalised is completely illegal. He has demanded that the tender be cancelled immediately.

The opposition parties in the BMC demanded that the proposal be sent back to the administration for reconsideration

Mumbai: Even as the Rs 122-crore Mumbadevi robotic parking project remains stalled under Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s stay since July 2024, the BMC has floated a Rs 58-crore tender to beautify the temple precinct. The move has raised concerns that the proposed works could overlap with the parking project, which its contractor, SMS Ltd, has challenged in the Bombay High Court while seeking Rs 55 crore in damages.The development comes a month after the Bombay High Court observed that government officials who illegally halt public projects, resulting in damages, should be made to pay from their own salaries rather than burden taxpayers. The court made the observation while hearing a petition filed by infrastructure company SMS Ltd challenging the stoppage of the robotic parking project near Mumbadevi temple.According to BMC officials, the civic body has reduced the original project cost from Rs 220 crore to Rs 28 crore. However, they said the newly proposed precinct redevelopment could affect the plot earmarked for the robotic parking tower.“The ongoing parking project has been left as is in the new tender. The same work has been on hold for over 1.5 years, yet a tender has been floated for development of the adjoining area. Further, the tender also encroaches on the parking reservation, which is in violation of the DP Rules and Regulations,” an official said.Additional Municipal Commissioner Prajakta Lavangare-Verma said she would seek details of the court case and examine the matter.At its last hearing, the HC allowed SMS Ltd to amend its petition and challenge the new tender if it is found to cover the same parking project. It also directed the BMC and state government to file their replies. The next hearing is scheduled for August 18. The BMC’s tender for precinct beautification is currently open and will close on August 17.Work on the partly constructed 17-storey robotic parking tower, which can accommodate 600 vehicles, has remained stalled since Narwekar ordered the stay in July 2024. Narwekar had opposed the tower citing concerns raised by locals that it would affect the aesthetics and heritage character of the iconic Mumbadevi temple.Narwekar has said the project raises questions of faith, devotion and feasibility, particularly as the tower could obstruct the temple’s view. In January 2025, the state Urban Development Department asked Narwekar to take a decision on the matter after then Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani warned that prolonged delays could escalate the project cost.

Mumbai: Mumbai Metro One becomes the first metro service in India to issue metro passes entirely through WhatsApp. Commuters can now buy, store and use metro passes directly through WhatsApp, with support for Google Wallet and Apple Wallet.Mumbai Metro One on Sunday introduced a fully digital Metro pass system that allows commuters travelling on the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor to buy, store and use their metro passes directly through WhatsApp, marking a significant milestone in the evolution of urban mobility solutions in the city.The solution builds upon the operator’s WhatsApp eTicketing platform, launched in Nov 2022, which already allows commuters to book QR-based single-journey tickets digitally.Purchasing a pass is a simple three-step process. Commuters need to send “Hi” to Mumbai Metro One’s WhatsApp number (+91 9670008889), select ‘book now,’ choose the ‘digital pass’ option and complete the payment. The pass is issued instantly and can be used immediately.A senior Metro-1 official said, “The newly launched digital pass enables passengers to access both Trip Passes and Store Value Passes without the need for a physical card or a separate mobile application. The pass can be conveniently added to Google Wallet and Apple Wallet, allowing commuters to access and use it directly from their smartphones.”The digital pass offers two flexible options tailored to different travel needs. The Trip Pass enables commuters with regular travel patterns to buy a predefined number of journeys in advance, while the Store Value Pass allows users to load an amount of their choice, with fares automatically deducted after every trip.“The platform has been developed and facilitated by Billeasy, while PayU India provides the digital payment infrastructure, enabling secure transactions through UPI, debit cards and credit cards,” the official said.He further said that Mumbai Metro One, which completed 12 years of operations in June this year and has carried more than 125 crore passengers, said the initiative reinforces its commitment to technology-driven, customer-centric mobility solutions. By reducing dependence on physical tickets and shortening queues at stations, the digital pass is expected to make daily travel more seamless and convenient for millions of Mumbaikars.

According to preliminary information, investigators suspect that Puranmal Shambulal Mehra died by suicide. Prima facie findings indicate that poisoning may have caused the death of his wife Oma (28), three-year-old son Darsh, and two-month-old daughter

Mumbai: A 30-year-old Indian Navy sailor, his wife and two children were found dead inside their official residential quarters at Navy Nagar in south Mumbai’s Cuffe Parade area on Saturday night.According to preliminary information, investigators suspect that Puranmal Shambulal Mehra died by suicide. Prima facie findings indicate that poisoning may have caused the death of his wife Oma (28), three-year-old son Darsh, and two-month-old daughter, although officials stressed that the exact cause of death can only be determined after detailed forensic and post-mortem reports are received.The family hailed from Rajasthan. Puranmal’s younger brother, who is also serving in the Indian Navy posted on the outskirts of the city, arrived in Mumbai to claim the bodies from J J Hospital.According to police, the tragedy came to light when a neighbour noticed that the door of the family’s quarters was partially open. Upon checking, Puranmal was found dead in the living room, while the bodies of his wife and two children were found inside a bedroom.Navy officials were immediately alerted who then informed Cuffe Parade police. The bodies were shifted to J J Hospital, where all four were declared dead. A forensic science laboratory team collected evidence from the scene. Police said no suicide note was found during the search of the house and nothing suspicious, like poison, was detected during the forensic inspection.During preliminary questioning of neighbours and persons known to the family, police learnt that the couple, who had been married for four to five years, were allegedly facing marital discord and frequently quarrelled. “A week ago, Oma’s father had come to Mumbai to take her back home. However, Puranmal reportedly refused and told him that if she wished to leave she could do so, but he would not allow the children to go with her. We will enquire what was the reason behind the couple’s infighting,” a police officer said.Police are recording detailed statements of family members, neighbours, and other relevant witnesses to establish the sequence of events leading to the deaths.Post-mortem examination conducted at J J Hospital confirmed that Puranmal died due to asphyxia caused by hanging. However, the medical team has reserved its opinion regarding the exact cause of death of Oma and the two children pending the results of forensic and chemical analysis reports.Cuffe Parade police have registered an Accidental Death Report and further investigation is underway.An Indian Navy official described the incident as “unfortunate” and said the Navy was extending full cooperation to the Mumbai Police’s investigation.“The circumstances that led to the suspected suicide and the deaths are yet to be established. We are providing all necessary assistance to the investigating agencies,” the official said.Need help? Contact, MPower Mental Health Helpline 1800-120-820050, Ankahee Foundation on 86-554 86-966 or Samaritans on 8422984527 (Monday to Friday 10.30am to 3.30pm)