Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Tuesday offered quick relief to Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd, which challenged the FDA move to stop the sale of some of its medicines.The FDA was only “displaying its powers”, said the high court bench of acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad.For Cadila, senior advocate Birendra Saraf said the issue at hand was a larger one, of use of brand extension by pharmaceutical companies, which was an industry-wide practice. The Ccentre had called for a public consultation on 6 July 2026 and even while it was on, the state Food and Drug Administration took coercive steps despite a valid manufacturing licence.The FDA in court then offered to revoke its orders against Cadila, issue show-cause notices, and grant it a hearing before passing a reasoned order. The regulator made the submission through government pleader Neha Bhide after the high court suggested that a hearing be given before any drastic action is taken. The high court accepted her statement and disposed of Cadila’s plea.Bhide submitted that the FDA “action was a preventive measure, not-high-handed action’’. She said it stemmed from a confusion over the medicines.“Be judicious,” the high court suggested to the widespread drive initiated by the FDA under its latest commissioner, Tukaram Mundhe, to root out non-compliance of safety standards.“Once there is a valid licence, the prohibition of sale can be only by following the prescribed procedure of issuing show-cause and hearing the licence holder,’’ said Saraf, seeking a stay of the “arbitrary” stoppage order.Saraf said that without a hearing “prohibition of sale tantamounts to an illegal suspension or revocation of licence’’.The pharmaceutical major said it had already incurred large losses due to the sale ban in force for 20 days when the petition was filed. The company said its stocks worth Rs 2.4 crore was also seized statewide over alleged branding issues.The ACJ said the bench is not concerned with the company’s losses but with the lack of availability of a crucial drug to patients for effectively 32 days so far. The medicines are for stomach acid issues, including acid reflux, heartburn and stomach or intestinal ulcers.The ting chief justice orally reiterated its “using a sword to swat a mosquito” analogy and said the FDA appeared to “shoot first” before it makes enquiries. The high court warned of imposing costs as a number of cases of the department’s “drastic action” had come to its notice.“You (FDA) have the power to use a sword, but the problem is you are using it to kill a mosquito. The power has to be judiciously exercised. It has to be used properly. Even in the cases of hotels and restaurants, you shoot first and then ask questions,” the bench said.

Bombay high court allowed ILS Law college students to appear for exams due to attendance issues (File photo)

MUMBAI: In a huge relief to students of ILS Law college in Pune barred from appearing for their semester-end law exams in the academic year 2025-26 for attendance shortfall, Bombay high court on Monday permitted them to appear for the exams as a “strictly one-time measure’’.Justices Riyaz Chagla and Farhan Dubash relied on a recent July 21 Supreme Court order that permitted students as a one-time relief to appear for their examinations in the academic year 20-26.The HC clarified that its relief would apply to all similarly barred students of the college who had not filed petitions, as it said the SC order had carved out similar placed students as a “protected class’’.But the bench clarified its order was “confined to the academic session 2025–26’’.The HC said its order cannot be construed as diluting the attendance rules for any other academic session.“Students pursuing legal education shall continue to remain bound by the attendance requirements otherwise applicable to them,’’ the bench said.The HC order came in a batch of petitions filed by 41 students pursuing different years of the 3-year and 5-year law courses conducted at ILS, Pune affiliated to the Savitribai Phule Pune University.The University said their attendance was tween 46 to 54 % while minimum attendance was 75 %.The petitions said an earlier 70 % rule with 20 % additional waiver rule ought to apply to them and also cited a November 3 2025 Delhi HC order to argue their case.The Delhi HC directed that no student enrolled in a recognised law college in India should be detained or prevented from appearing for examinations or from pursuing academic progression solely on account of shortage of attendance.The SC then stayed the Delhi HC order, prospectively in May. But in July protected students across colleges against a lost academic year of 2025-26, with a one-time reprieve to appear for the final exam in that academic year when the Delhi HC order was passed.The SC order does not prescribe any minimum attendance for the protected class of last academic year student, HC noted.On Monday, disposing of the batch of petitions the Bombay HC clarified that the Delhi HC order did not bind it, but the July SC order did.Six different HCs had differed with Delhi HC.The Pune University and the law college argued that the SC order would apply only to final examination students of the 3 year and 5 year LLB courses.But disagreeing, the HC reasoned and the SC meant “concluding exam for that academic session’’ hence the petitioners who were students of first, second, third- or fourth-year stand included.The HC said, “A student studying in an earlier year who is prevented from appearing for the semester-end examination may equally lose the academic session and, consequently, be unable to progress to the succeeding academic year’’ if the apex court “ intended to protect only students in the final year or final semester of the law course, it could readily have said so,’’ the HC explained.The HC clarified it has not dealt with the controversy raised by the students of whether the maximum condonation of 20% contemplated under Ordinance 70 was required to operate upon the minimum attendance requirement of 70% prescribed under Rule 12 of the Legal Education Rules or upon the requirement of 75% prescribed under Ordinance 68.This issue is left open.The HC had earlier granted interim protection to the Petitioners who appeared for their examinations and confirmed the relief.The HC directed the university to conduct supplementary exams within 4 weeks for academic year 2025-26 for those who could not appear.

Investigators are looking into possible arson related to family conflicts, while the full scope of the fire’s impact remains to be ascertained (Representative image)

MUMBAI: The house in Vikhroli’s Parksite area where a father and his 14 year old son were stabbed to death by another brother over playing loud music, was gutted in a fire in early hours on Monday.Police found the house completely gutted. Clothes, household articles and other belongings were destroyed.The complainant said they could not ascertain any accidental cause for the fire and suspected that an unidentified person had deliberately set the house ablaze.The Parksite police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire and whether it is connected to the earlier family dispute and double murder.The exact cause of the blaze and the extent of the damage are yet to be established.On August 6, Police arrested two brothers, Suraj Vishwakarma (33) and Surendra (36), along with Surendra’s wife, Priti Vishwakarma (35), for killing Sunil Vishwakarma and his 14 year old son Shlok.The unfaithful house has been locked since the murder.Complainant Vijayalakshmi Vishwakarma, 63, who is the mother of accused brother told police that she had been temporarily staying with her elder son Anil Vishwakarma in Nalasopara for the past 15-20 days.On August 6, a violent family dispute at the Vikhroli house had resulted in the deaths of her son Sunil Kalicharan Vishwakarma and his 14-year-old son Shlok.Sunil’s wife Anju and younger son Vivaan were also injured. Police had registered a case at Parksite police station in connection with the double murder.According to the fresh complaint, around 6.35 am on August 10, their neighbour Nandlal Yadav called Anil and informed him that the house was on fire.Vijayalakshmi and Anil rushed to Vikhroli and found the house completely gutted. Clothes, household articles and other belongings were destroyed.The family later learnt that smoke had reportedly been noticed coming from the house around 2 am and that the premises were engulfed in flames by around 5 am.The complainant said they could not ascertain any accidental cause for the fire and suspected that an unidentified person had deliberately set the house ablaze.The Parksite police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire and whether it is connected to the earlier family dispute and double murder.The exact cause of the blaze and the extent of the damage are yet to be established.

In photo: Authorities are intensifying food safety inspections, preparations for the upcoming Ganeshotsav festival

MUMBAI: Food safety enforcement, preparations for Ganeshotsav and heightened security are among the key developments drawing attention in Mumbai. The city is entering an important phase ahead of the festival season, while authorities are also under pressure to address food hygiene and public safety. The combination of consumer concerns, cultural preparations and security measures is shaping Mumbai’s current news cycle.Food safety crackdown keeps eateries under scannerFood safety remains one of Mumbai’s strongest consumer-interest stories after inspections across Maharashtra found violations involving hygiene, storage, licensing and food handling. The enforcement drive has put restaurants and other food businesses under scrutiny, with authorities examining kitchens, storage areas and the condition of ingredients used by establishments.The action is part of a broader crackdown that has also extended to Bengaluru. In Mumbai, recent inspections have resulted in action against food establishments for sanitation problems, unsafe storage and other violations. The issue has resonance because consumers rarely see what happens behind a restaurant’s dining area, making regulatory inspections one of the few ways to test whether food businesses are maintaining basic safety standards.Ganeshotsav preparations gather paceWith Ganesh Chaturthi approaching, Mumbai’s preparations for Ganeshotsav are becoming another major city story. Authorities, Ganesh mandals and civic agencies are beginning to focus on arrangements involving idols, immersion, traffic management and public safety. A joint meeting to plan Ganeshotsav 2026 is scheduled as stakeholders prepare for the festival.The debate over plaster of paris and clay idols is also expected to remain prominent. While PoP remains popular because it is easier to mould and supports intricate designs, environmental concerns have kept pressure on organisers and idol makers to adopt alternatives. For Mumbai, the issue is not merely about religious tradition but also about waste, water pollution and how a densely populated city manages one of its biggest annual celebrations.Security remains a prioritySecurity is another issue attracting attention as Independence Day approaches and the city prepares for a busy festival period. Mumbai authorities are likely to maintain heightened vigilance around transport hubs, public places and major installations, particularly given the city’s history of security concerns.The three developments reflect three different sides of Mumbai at the moment: food safety affects consumers directly, Ganeshotsav preparations touch the city’s cultural identity and security measures affect everyday movement. Together, they provide a more useful snapshot of what is actually occupying Mumbai’s attention than a generic list of daily search trends.

Mumbai man and his wife were left traumatised after five men in an SUV, allegedly chased their vehicle.

MUMBAI: A fitness trainer and strategist from Mahim and his wife were left traumatised after five men in an SUV, allegedly armed with baseball and hockey sticks, chased their vehicle, intercepted it and assaulted him before damaging the car’s windows in a road-rage incident in Bandra on Saturday midnight, said police.Arjun Garewal, 39, was returning to his Mahim home with his wife, Bhakti, an HR director at a university, after dinner with his parents in Juhu when the incident occurred near Sahil Hotel on SV Road in Bandra (West).Bandra police have detained three accused — Anas K, 25, who works at a private firm, Bilal Shaikh, 30, the brother of a garment businessman and one other accused named Rajen. Police registered an FIR against them on Sunday under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for assault and criminal intimidation. The three were later released after being served notices.Police said the incident began around 11.45pm on August 8 when an XUV700 allegedly came in front of Garewal’s SUV and obstructed his way.“The road rage began after the accused first overtook Garewal and kept driving slowly in front, not allowing him to move ahead. When Garewal managed to get past, they got annoyed, chased and attacked him and damaged his car. They got angry after the victim overtook their vehicle. They kicked, punched and abused him verbally and damaged the front, rear and driver’s-side windows of Garewal’s car,” a Bandra police officer said.Police said the assailants attacked Garewal with baseball and hockey sticks and damaged the windows of his vehicle while his wife was seated in the front. The group allegedly called a few more people who arrived on motorcycles and joined the verbal altercation and assault.Sub-inspector Mujaffar Sayyad and a police team reached the spot after Bhakti called the police helpline ‘100’. While several of the accused fled, police managed to detain two of them, an officer said.Garewal told TOI that the incident began after the accused repeatedly overtook his vehicle and then deliberately drove slowly in front of him.“My wife was terrified after the incident and took leave from work on Monday,” he said, adding,“When he tried to hit me, I stopped him with my hands after which the said person used a hockey stick to break the front, rear and driver’s-side windows of my car. They then got into their car and drove away from the spot,” said Garewal.Garewal noted down the SUV’s registration number, following which police contacted the accused. Police said further probe is underway.

Mumbai: In a decision that could impact educational trusts running multiple institutions, the University of Mumbai’s Management Council has decided to withhold no objection certificates (NOCs) to colleges if any institution under the same management has outstanding fees, fines or other financial dues payable to the university.Universities grant NOCs for everything from faculty appointments in aided sections, or for seeking autonomy, university status, to increasing student intake, starting new programmes or even obtaining clearances from regulatory authorities. The decision has not gone down well with academics, who claimed that affiliated colleges should be treated as independent units. They said that no institution should be penalised for the default of another institution, even if it is run by the same management.Speaking to TOI, one of the management council members questioned how a college which has full potential to become autonomous or even has the capacity to increase intake within its permissible limit could be penalised for another defaulting college under the same management. University officials did not comment on the matter.A university official, however, said the measures were necessary as repeated reminders and follow-ups had failed to ensure compliance. “Regular non-compliance has compelled the university to take such a measure. There is no intention to trouble any institution,” the official said. Citing an example of law colleges, the official said the university had been pursuing them for two years to appoint approved faculty. “They gave us an undertaking last year to comply with the norms but failed to do so. The absence of approved faculty also creates other problems, including the lack of qualified teachers on boards of studies, which can lead to errors in question papers,” the official said.A college principal criticised the decision, asking, “Can NOCs be linked to fees and financial dues? Have regulatory guidelines been defined for this? How can such arbitrary decisions be taken by the council?” He said that if a college has fulfilled all the criteria for increasing its intake, appointing a faculty member or starting a new programme, the financial dues of another institution should not affect its eligibility for an NOC.Another principal said that such a decision cannot have any legal standing and will be struck down if any affected college moves court. “If a family member commits a crime, the entire family cannot be penalised. There could be cases of one stray due pending for any affiliated colleges due to some oversight,” said the principal.Over the past year, the university has tightened its scrutiny over colleges on several fronts. Even autonomous colleges are now being asked to seek ratification from the university’s academic council before introducing new courses. The examination department has also sought examination audit reports and imposed a condition that evaluation patterns must be aligned with university norms.Recently, the university has imposed hefty fines on colleges for failing to comply with norms regarding appointment of approved faculty members prescribed by regulatory bodies. Fines have also been levied on students and colleges over errors in enrolment forms, which subsequently led to discrepancies and confusion in student records. Fines were imposed in the past for not having NAAC accreditation.