Deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi arrives at the scene of the accident where a man died after falling into a manhole (Photo credit: X/@Sanjay Ghadi)

MUMBAI: Deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena on Thursday demanded the resignation of municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide, holding the civic administration accountable for the death of a 55-year-old man who fell into an open manhole during civic works at Khairani Road in Saki Naka.Ghadi visited the accident site hours after the incident and alleged that the tragedy was the result of administrative negligence and the BMC’s failure to implement basic safety measures. His demand came even as the BMC suspended four officials, including the L ward assistant commissioner, pending an inquiry, and ordered the blacklisting of the contractor for alleged safety lapses.“There should have been a comprehensive inspection to ensure that all manholes were fitted with adequate protective grills before the monsoon. If necessary, the BMC should have floated a dedicated tender for the work. In fact, if public safety demanded it, such an important exercise should have been undertaken even without waiting for the tendering process,” Ghadi said.Referring to the death of actor Deepak Amrapurkar, who died after falling into an uncovered manhole during heavy rain in 2017, Ghadi said the civic administration had failed to learn from past tragedies.“Despite the painful memory of Dr Deepak Amrapurkar’s death, the municipal administration has not taken sufficient preventive measures. This incident reflects a serious lapse in planning and execution. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide must take responsibility for what has happened,” he said.The victim, Aslam Isak Shaikh (55), died after falling into an open manhole while BMC workers were installing a protective grill over it.According to the civic body, workers attempted to warn Shaikh as he approached the site, but he reportedly lost his balance and fell into the manhole. The BMC has constituted a high-level inquiry committee, suspended four officials pending investigation, ordered the contractor to be blacklisted, and announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased’s family.

A 60-year-old man tragically lost his life after falling into an open manhole during drain maintenance in Sakinaka.

MUMBAI: BMC on Thursday suspended four officials pending an inquiry after a 60-year-old man was swept to his death after falling into an open manhole during drain maintenance work in Sakinaka, an incident that triggered widespread outrage and renewed questions over safety measures at civic work sites.Municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide ordered the suspension of Dhanaji Herlekar, assistant commissioner of L Ward; Deepak Chougule, assistant/deputy engineer (maintenance), L Ward; Abhijit Chougule, junior engineer (maintenance), L Ward; and Uttam Patil, assistant engineer in the Sewerage Operations Department.As an immediate preventive measure, the BMC has once again instructed all departments that barricades must be erected on all four sides of every manhole work site during maintenance or installation work.The commissioner has also directed all additional municipal commissioners, the deputy commissioners of all seven zones, and the assistant commissioners of all 26 administrative wards to ensure 100% inspection of all manholes across Mumbai within the next eight days, verify their safety, and submit a compliance report.Aslam Sheikh, 60, died after allegedly stepping into an uncovered manhole on Khairani Road while civic workers were carrying out desilting and drain maintenance work on Thursday afternoon. According to eyewitnesses, three contractual workers had removed the manhole cover to clean the drain when Sheikh, who was speaking on his mobile phone, failed to notice the opening and fell into the stormwater drain.The workers immediately lowered a ladder in an attempt to rescue him, but only his umbrella and slippers were recovered. With rainwater flowing rapidly through the drain, rescue teams were initially unable to determine where he had been swept. After an extensive search operation, the Mumbai Fire Brigade traced his body downstream and recovered it.Police have registered the incident and are investigating the circumstances leading to the fatal accident, while the BMC has initiated a departmental inquiry into possible negligence.The tragedy sparked sharp political reactions, with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Leader of Opposition in the BMC Kishori Pednekar visiting the site and questioning how an open manhole could be left unprotected on a busy arterial road during civic works. Mumbai Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi and Shiv Sena leader Amey Ghole also visited the spot. Ghole termed the incident “heartbreaking” and demanded strict legal action against the L Ward Assistant Commissioner, the contractor executing the work and all officials responsible for the lapse.Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde announced an ex gratia compensation of Rs 10 lakh for Sheikh’s family on behalf of the BMC.Congress MP and Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad demanded that police register a murder FIR against the Mumbai Mayor and the BMC Commissioner, alleging that the deaths caused by the open manhole and a separate tree-fall incident were the result of gross administrative negligence and systemic failure.

Maharashtra’s controversial RTI rule changes have been completely halted following chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s (L) directive for consultations with Anna Hazare (R).

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government on Wednesday put a complete hold on the controversial changes to the state’s Right to Information (RTI) Rules, with the state chief information commissioner suspending all the amended provisions after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis urged that no changes be implemented until detailed consultations are held with veteran social activist Anna Hazare.The move marks a complete rollback of the revised rules notified on June 12, weeks after the government had first issued the amendments and, following widespread criticism, had partially withdrawn some provisions within days. The latest decision suspends the entire set of amended rules until further discussions are held.In a letter to the state information commission, Fadnavis said any decision on changes to the RTI framework would not be appropriate without detailed discussions with Hazare.Acting on the chief minister’s communication, the chief information commissioner stayed all amendments published through the June 12 gazette notification.“Today we met Respected Anna Hazare and held extensive Discussion on effective implementation of RTI in State. The focus of our discussion was on making RTI regime more people-friendly with more vigorous steps on maximum suo-motu voluntary disclosure under section 4(1) of the RTI Act. My senior colleagues and SIC Pune bench Makrand Ranade and SIC Nashik Bench Prakash Indalkar also participated in the discussion and informed him about disposal and filing statistics. The recently notified RTI rules were also discussed and Respected Anna underlined importance of suo-motu disclosure and demanded to put on hold implementation of RTI rules. We are satisfied with our discussions With Anna,” said a statement issued by Rahul Pande, state CIC over the development.The decision comes after Hazare threatened an indefinite hunger strike, alleging that the revised rules would dilute citizens’ right to seek information and make the RTI process more expensive and restrictive. RTI activists and civil society organisations had also opposed the amendments, arguing that they would discourage ordinary citizens from using the transparency law.The June 12 notification had introduced 12 major changes to the Maharashtra RTI Rules. Among the most significant were tripling the RTI application fee from Rs 10 to Rs 30, increasing photocopy charges from Rs 2 to Rs 5 per page, imposing a Rs 50 fee for first appeals and Rs 100 for second appeals, restricting applications to a single subject and 150 words, and making photo identity proof mandatory.Other provisions allowed authorities to direct applicants to information already available on government websites, reject repetitive RTI applications, require applicants seeking personal information to establish larger public interest, recognise online and UPI payments, and permit dismissal of appeals if applicants repeatedly remained absent during hearings.Hazare had maintained that while misuse of the RTI Act by a few individuals could justify reasonable safeguards, the law was enacted to empower citizens and not to create financial or procedural hurdles. He had demanded restoration of the earlier rules, warning of an agitation if the amendments were not withdrawn.The latest stay means the pre-existing RTI Rules will continue to operate until the government takes a fresh decision after consultations. It may be recalled that a group of RTI activists led by former central information commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, along with journalist Vijay Kumbhar, senior journalist Vinita Deshmukh, Sajag Nagrik Manch members Vivek Velankar and Jugal Rathi, transparency campaigner Mohammed Afzal and others, had served a legal notice on the Maharashtra government seeking withdrawal of the Maharashtra RTI Rules, 2026.The notice had warned that if the rules are not rolled back within 15 days, the activists will challenge them before the Bombay high court.The activists had objected to several provisions they say dilute citizens’ statutory right to information, including mandatory submission of photo identity proof with RTI applications, the one-subject and 150-word limit on applications, higher application and appeal fees, charges for digital copies, curbs on fee exemptions for below-poverty-line applicants, shifting the burden of proving larger public interest onto applicants, and procedural rules allowing appeals to be dismissed for non-prosecution or to lapse on the appellant’s death.They contend these restrictions exceed the state’s rule-making powers under the RTI Act, 2005 and make access to information more difficult and expensive.

Mumbai/New Delhi: Amid a growing shift by industrial and commercial consumers to retail fuel stations to take advantage of lower prices, govt Friday issued fresh directions to limit bulk purchase and sale of petroleum products.The new directions aimed at preventing hoarding and diversion of fuel supplies meant for ordinary customers put specific limits on diesel that can be sold to a single customer from pumps. No more than 200 litres of diesel can be sold per day, per customer, per vehicle and resale of such diesel is prohibited. The order restricts sales at fuel stations to vehicle tanks or Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO)-approved containers.It also reiterates that institutional, industrial and commercial customers should tap bulk channels and not purchase fuel from retail outlets. Bulk diesel currently costs Rs 35-40 a litre more than retail diesel.The directions came after the Union petroleum ministry notified the Motor Spirit and High Speed Diesel (Temporary Regulation of Supply through Retail Outlets) Order, 2026, creating a legal framework under which restrictions can be imposed on fuel procurement.The Maharashtra Govt Resolution said “geopolitical developments” have affected supply of petroleum products. The GR said in some districts, industrial customers have been purchasing diesel in large quantities from retail petrol/diesel sales centres, for which the govt had issued a circular on June 5 to curb the practice. Hoarding and black marketing, unauthorized filling of fuel in tankers/bowlers from pumps, fuel adulteration and charging higher price than prescribed price are issues that were being tackled, it added.Transporters reacted to the new order saying while the step is aimed at ensuring equitable availability, there is need for clarification regarding the restrictions. Bal Malkit Singh from the All India Motor Transport Congress, said, “Long-haul commercial vehicles often have fuel tank capacities higher than 200 litres. Operational restrictions affecting genuine commercial transport vehicles may impact fleet efficiency, vehicle turnaround time and supply chain performance.” He said some heavy vehicles may need 300 litres and more of diesel during refuelling.Singh urged govt and Oil Marketing Companies to issue suitable operational guidelines and exemptions for commercial vehicles engaged in goods transportation, essential commodities movement, export-import logistics and other critical supply chain activities.An unusual surge has been recorded in fuel sales at retail outlets across the country in May compared with April. Diesel sales rose more than 30% in 156 districts, with six districts recording growth of over 100%. Petrol sales at PSU-run fuel stations increased more than 30% in 150 districts, while 14 districts reported growth exceeding 100%.Officials attributed the increase partly to agricultural demand and partly to bulk consumers shifting to retail outlets. Bulk diesel sales have declined by 38% at private sector outlets and 29% at state-run oil marketing companies’ outlets.

Mumbai: Bombay high court permitted medical termination by JJ Hospital of the 27-week pregnancy of an 18-year-old collegian, observing that she had made a choice.“We see no difficulty in the team of medical doctors proceeding with the process of termination of pregnancy as desired by her as she has made a choice,’’ said Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande on Wednesday.The teenager sought HC’s permission as her pregnancy crossed the 24-week limit under MTP Act. Her advocate Anand Mishra said she conceived while in a consensual relationship with a fellow collegian.On June 11, the HC directed her to be examined by JJ medical board.The board’s report stated as per June 16 scan, the foetus was “26.6 weeks.” Termination at this stage would pose a very small theoretical risk to the mother’s life. As the foetus was beyond 24 weeks and not anomalous, it could not permit MTP.“Balancing the two circumstances,” the judges noted that the petitioner clearly expressed her desire to continue her education and is apprehensive of stigma by society. They said the “right of a woman to exercise her right to discontinue the pregnancy has received recognition” by constitutional courts emphasising on reproductive autonomy and bodily integrity as part of Article 21 (Right to Life).In the report, the psychiatry department opined that “the patient feels that she is not in a position to take care of the baby, emotionally, financially and socially.’’Her health was stable, and she expressed a strong desire even before the board to terminate the pregnancy. “Being an unmarried female, we deem it appropriate to respect her decision…Since, according to the petitioner, the pregnancy was unwanted, we are of the view that it will have a serious impact on her mental health, career and overall well-being,’’ they added.The paediatrics department opined that if the pregnancy were terminated now, the foetus would likely be alive and would require NICU care.The judges said, “In such circumstances, when we find that the petitioner is not in a mental state to accept the child and give birth,” the “best course available” is that JJ Hospital shall endeavour to terminate the pregnancy and we permit it to be terminated.”

Chess grandmaster Nihal Sarin is gearing up for Esports World Cup

At 5 pm on a Wednesday, the massive wooden gates of Ghanshyam Villa in Navi Mumbai are closed. They look like they rarely open. There is no doorbell. “Knock, and the watchman will appear,” suggests a young neighbour. We obey. The watchman peeps through the gap, hesitates, makes a call and finally, the door to the bootcamp of the esports organisation GodLike opens—but only a tad. “The players who have made it to the World Cup so far are all international — USA, Japan, Switzerland…” we are told. “They are not here. They will be flying to Paris directly.” Not too far away, the bootcamp of S8UL—a bungalow that boasts a private chef for its digital athletes—remains just as elusive.For the first time, two Mumbai-based esports clubs—GodLike and S8UL—will be among the forty elite organisations heading for the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026, which starts in France on July 6. Running until August 23, it will feature 25 tournaments across game titles, a prize pool exceeding $75 million (over Rs 700 crore) and hundreds of elite players competing across mobile, PC, and console games spanning EA Sports FC to League of Legends.For India, the stakes are larger..The country accounts for roughly 20 per cent of the world’s gaming population — an estimated 517 million players — but contributes only about 1.1 per cent of global gaming revenue. The gap between audience and output is precisely what makes the presence of GodLike and S8UL in the Esports Foundation’s Club Partner Programme significant, say observers.The programme supports 40 of the world’s leading esports organisations through funding, international promotion, and strategic support. S8UL was selected for a second consecutive year after becoming the first Indian organisation to enter in 2025. GodLike joins it this year, placing both alongside global giants including T1, Fnatic, and G2.Not too far from GodLike’s closed gates, S8UL represents a different model. Co-founded by Animesh Agarwal, who began as a competitive player, S8UL has entered qualification pathways across 13 titles for EWC 2026 — the most ever attempted by an Indian organisation. It has already qualified in Apex Legends, Chess, Fortnite, and Honor of Kings. Its Apex Legends roster recently delivered India’s best-ever finish in the title, while its BGMI squad won India’s premier mobile esports competition. Increasingly, esports organisations resemble entertainment companies as much as sports leagues.The contrast between India’s two flagship clubs is instructive. S8UL’s Honor of Kings roster is largely home-grown and qualified by defeating GodLike in the domestic semi-finals. GodLike has taken a different route, signing international stars including Switzerland’s Nicolas “Chap” H. and Germany’s Felix “Flickzy” G. in Fortnite, and Dominican Republic fighting game specialist Cristopher “Caba” Rodriguez in Street Fighter 6. The question of whether an Indian club fielding international players advances India’s esports story — or only its own — sits quietly at the centre of this moment.“The biggest challenge is not talent,” says Agarwal. “The real challenge is the ecosystem that supports that talent.” Countries that consistently produce world champions benefit from structured coaching, sports psychologists, performance analysts, and regular international competition. Around 97 per cent of Indian gamers play on mobile devices. While that has democratised gaming across smaller cities and towns, it has its own limitations. Visa delays frequently prevent qualified Indian players from competing overseas. Closer to home, the Esports Foundation and JioBLAST have launched India Rising: Road to EWC — open qualifiers drawing over 10,000 players nationally, with the chess winner earning a direct spot at EWC’s chess event. It is, at minimum, a start: the grassroots now has somewhere to go.One discipline where India bypasses the traditional hardware barrier entirely is chess. Enter Nihal Sarin, the 21-year-old grandmaster from Kerala who may represent India’s strongest medal hope in Paris. At last year’s EWC in Riyadh, his heart rate reached triple figures as he pushed into the quarterfinals of the world championship stage and held the legendary Magnus Carlsen to a draw in the opening game before eventually losing. “Against Magnus, you know that every small decision matters,” Nihal says. “There was a moment where I could have taken a draw, but during the game, I felt the position still had enough life in it to keep playing. It didn’t work out, but I don’t regret trying. Those are the experiences you learn the most from.”The EWC chess format is rapid — ten minutes per player, no increment — making speed and instinct critical. Heart-rate monitors are displayed live during broadcasts; at last year’s event, players recorded heart rates approaching 168 beats per minute while seated at the board. Nihal qualified this year through consistent performances across the Champions Chess Tour. “Naturally, I would like to go further this time and challenge for the title,” he says.Chess occupies a unique place in India’s esports story. India recently won the Chess Olympiad and boasts a generation of elite players. Yet EWC places them in esports jerseys, competing before gaming audiences for prize pools that often exceed those on traditional circuits. “Classical chess will always remain the purest version,” says Nihal. “But formats like this help bring the game to people who may never have discovered it otherwise.”

Attendance has been poor at some depots, resulting in a continued shortage of buses

Mumbai: Despite BEST unions calling off their three-day strike late Sunday night, commuters across Mumbai continued to face significant hardship on Monday morning, with several left stranded amid a shortage of buses. Long queues were reported outside key railway stations such as Andheri, where hundreds waited for delayed or overcrowded buses as services struggled to normalise.Attendance has been poor at some depots like Deonar, resulting in a continued shortage of buses, said sources.A BEST official said only around 67% (1,863) of the scheduled fleet of 2,766 buses was operational across the city during the morning peak and 42% drivers (1,279 out of 3,029 drivers) had reported for duties. The situation was compounded by the limited presence of wet lease buses, a significant number of which were not deployed on roads.Commuters bore the brunt of the disruption, with many forced to rely on overcrowded trains, auto-rickshaws and taxis, while others waited for extended periods at bus stops. The partial restoration of services led to sporadic operations on several routes, further aggravating delays and crowding.Union leaders attributed the slow resumption to workforce fatigue following the agitation. “Many drivers participated in the three-day strike and are expected to resume duties gradually by Tuesday morning,” said BEST Karmachari union general secretary Uday Ambonkar, indicating that services would stabilise over the next 24 hours.However, labour representatives pointed to unresolved issues as a key factor affecting turnout. An activist from the BEST Workers Union, which did not participate in the strike, said several demands—particularly those concerning wet lease drivers—remain unaddressed. “The demand for equal pay for equal work has only been assured for study, with no concrete decision,” said the activist.Ambonkar described the situation as typical in the immediate aftermath of a strike. “It is normal for 60–70% of services to resume immediately. This happens after every strike,” he said.With services yet to fully stabilise, commuters continue to face uncertainty, even as authorities expect a gradual return to normalcy in the coming days.

Mumbai: Several MVA candidates pulled out of the legislative council election from local body constituencies before the end of the deadline on Thursday, leaving at least six seats where Mahayuti candidates were elected unopposed. While the Shiv Sena (UBT) expelled two candidates who withdrew, other MVA parties alleged horse trading by the Mahayuti.Those elected unopposed were Arun Lakhani of the BJP from the Wardha-Gadchiroli-Chandrapur seat. Lakhani is the to-be father-in-law of NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule’s daughter.Ravindra Phatak of the Shiv Sena was elected unopposed from Thane, Aniket Tatkare of the NCP from Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sindhdurg, NCP candidate Vikram Kakade from Pune, BJP’s Prajakt Tanpure from Ahilyanagar, and Dushyant Chaturvedi from Yavatmal.Aniket Tatkare is the son of senior NCP politician Sunil Tatkare.On Wednesday, BJP state president Ravindra Chavan had expressed confidence that the Mahayuti would win all 17 seats.Congress state chief Harshvardhan Sapkal alleged that the ruling BJP offered crores to opposition candidates to ensure the legislative council election would be won uncontested.The Congress fielded candidates in nine seats, but only four remained in the fray after four candidates withdrew their nominations on the last date of withdrawal against the party’s wishes and one nomination was rejected on technical grounds.In the Raigad-Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg local bodies constituency, Sena (UBT) candidate Surendranath (Bal) Mane withdrew his nomination. Sena (UBT) expelled Mane, stating that the action was taken on the instructions of party chief Uddhav Thackeray for anti-party activities.In the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar-Jalna constituency, MVA candidate Devyani Dongaonkar withdrew her nomination on Thursday. Sena (UBT) initiated disciplinary action against Devyani and Krishna Dongargaonkar, accusing them of anti-party activities.Sena (UBT) functionaries said they lost two official candidates in separate constituencies before polling.“The withdrawals have come even as the opposition was trying to attack the Mahayuti through their rebel nominations and internal tensions. But Sena (UBT) candidates pulling out at the last minute shows they don’t have any will left to fight. It seems that they were sure of losing and have opted to give the Mahayuti a walkover. There is also buzz that they used the MVA nomination to bargain with the Mahayuti and could switch over to Mahayuti in the days to come,” a political observer said.Sapkal said the BJP abandoned all ethical standards and employed every possible tactic to secure withdrawals. “The BJP does not want democracy. It prefers a ‘nomination system’ rather than an ‘election system’,” Sapkal said. He alleged that the BJP indulged in horse-trading. Though the MVA had no strength to win most of the seats, Sapkal said that even if the opposition MVA had fewer members, that should not be used to undermine the electoral process.“Bal Mane has been expelled from Shiv Sena, due to his involvement in anti-party activities, this action has been taken by Shiv Sena (UBT) party chief Uddhav Thackeray! Krishna Dongaonkar and Devyani Dongaonkar (Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar) have been expelled… this action has been taken on the orders of party chief Uddhav Thackeray for their participation in anti-party activities,” Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said in a post on X.