Vasai: Massive potholes on the Thane-Ghodbunder State Highway, a key link to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway, led to severe traffic congestion throughout Monday, prompting the Kashimira Traffic Police to issue a notice to the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), directing it to carry out immediate repairs.The worst-affected stretches were at Kajupada and Chena, particularly near Chen Village Signal and between the Indian Oil petrol pump and Karpe Compound, where large craters developed on the asphalt road. The damaged surface slowed traffic on the arterial route connecting to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway, resulting in long queues of vehicles from Ghodbunder Road to Sasunavghar and Maljipada since morning.Traffic movement remained sluggish as several vehicles broke down after hitting the potholes, further worsening the congestion. Police personnel had to remove stranded vehicles to restore the flow of traffic, said Kashimira Traffic Division Senior Police Inspector Praful Wagh.Assistant Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Kashimira Division, Satish Shivkar, on Monday issued a notice to MBMC’s Executive Engineer (Public Works), Nitin Mukane, holding the civic body responsible for the deteriorating condition of the road. The notice stated that waterlogging and potholes were causing persistent traffic jams and could lead to law-and-order issues. It further alleged negligence in road maintenance and warned that the civic body could be held accountable if accidents occur due to its failure to repair the damaged stretch.

Vasai: A minor girl was allegedly raped by two people after being lured to Mumbai with the promise of a job. The case came to light after one of the accused abandoned her at a hospital following a motorcycle accident.The survivor, a native of Gujarat, was allegedly befriended by the prime accused, identified as Shadab Malik, 45, in Dec 2024. According to police, Malik persuaded her to come to Mumbai on the pretext of arranging employment and brought her to his residence. Police said the accused repeatedly sexually assaulted the girl and allegedly threatened to kill her if she disclosed the abuse. He later introduced her to another minor boy, who is also accused of raping her.The case surfaced after the second accused was taking the girl to Goa on a motorcycle. Following an accident, he allegedly left the injured victim at Mumbai’s KEM Hospital and fled. The girl subsequently revealed the alleged sexual assaults, leading to the registration of the case.

Mumbai: A 37-year-old man was arrested by Powai police on charges of attempting to commit murder after he tried to knife a 28-year-old man at Powai recently. Police said the accused held a grudge against the complainant, Danish Khan’s, relative for lodging a police complaint against him earlier.The incident occurred on July 23. Khan was eating an ice-cream on the street near Best Circle at Filterpada, Powai, around 10.30 am. The accused approached him and started hurling abuses. He claimed that Khan’s uncle had lodged a police complaint against him and his friend earlier, which was resulting in trouble for him and his family. He started pushing and shoving Khan and soon pulled out a knife. He brought it near Khan’s throat, with an intention to slash him, but Khan ducked. The knife slashed him in the back and he suffered serious injuries.As bystanders gathered to help him, the accused waved his knife at them and threatened them against stepping forward. Khan started to run towards home but the accused followed him with the knife. At Khan’s residence, he issued dire threats to him in the presence of Khan’s sister and aunt.Subsequently, Powai police was informed. A case was registered against the accused and he was taken into custody.

Thane: In a first for the district, the Mini Lok Adalat dedicated to motor accident compensation claims settled 149 cases, facilitating the disbursal of more than Rs 17.8 crore in compensation to accident victims and their families, officials said on Monday.The highest compensation of Rs 1.8 crore was awarded to the family of a 36-year-old employee of the Nursing Department at the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, who died in a road accident in 2024. The victim was riding his motorcycle on the Mumbai-Goa Highway when a speeding trailer allegedly rammed into him from behind near Ambevadi Naka in Raigad district, resulting in his death.“The claim was settled before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in the court of Member Judge R. V. Mohite, with the proceedings facilitated under the guidance of District Judge D B Mane. The compensation cheque was handed over to the legal heirs by Principal District and Sessions Judge R D Sawant,” said a statement issued by the district administration.“This Mini Lok Adalat for settling motor accident claims is the first of its kind in Thane. It was organised to ensure faster disbursal of compensation to claimants instead of waiting for the next National Lok Adalat scheduled in September. We obtained the necessary approvals from the National Legal Services Authority and the Maharashtra State Legal Services Authority for conducting the special drive,” said Ravindra Pajankar, Secretary of the Thane District Legal Services Authority.Officials said the aim was to reduce delays in compensation payouts and provide timely financial relief to victims and bereaved families and also help reduce pendency of cases before the tribunal.

FIR against two govt, BMC officials for skipping SIR duty

Mumbai: BKC police lodged an FIR on Monday against two officials from MSEDCL and BMC’s sewage department for allegedly not performing their duties related to electoral rolls’ special intensive revision (SIR).Manoj Kulkarni, a deputy manager (finance and accounts) with MSEDCL, was appointed as an assistant electoral registration officer, and Atul Waghmare, an executive assistant with the sewage department as a booth-level officer.As per a complaint from Yuvraj Gadvi, deputy tehsildar (elections) with the revenue department, the two were relieved from their normal work and asked to report for SIR work but they did not turn up. Gadvi said he repeatedly sent notices to both their department heads via WhatsApp and email on June 17 and June 18 to alert them about violation of orders.“We received the complaint on Monday and have initiated a probe. Those named in the FIR will be summoned for questioning before actions are initiated,” said a BKC police officer.

Navi Mumbai: A 33-year-old fisherman was arrested by the Alibaug police, Raigad, for possessing 4 kg of ambergris (whale vomit) estimated to be worth Rs 4 crore. He was caught early Monday riding a bike near the jetty at Chalmala in Thal village, Alibaug taluka.Pravin Pande, senior inspector of Alibaug, said the arrested accused was identified as Rahul Pandharinath Hatani, a resident of Chalmala locality in Thal village. As per the instructions by Raigad SP Anchal Dalal, from the perspective of coastal security, special patrols of the local police station team and home guards were appointed at the jetty and landing point at the coastline.On July 27 around 1.30 am, the patrolling team spotted a man on a scooter hovering suspiciously near the jetty at Chalmala. He was intercepted and questioned by the patrolling police, when he gave an evasive reply. Hence, his scooty dickey was checked and the police found a cloth bag containing 4 kg of ambergris. Hatani claimed that around four months ago, he saw dogs eating whale vomit washed ashore at Chalmala beach. Hence, he scared away the dogs and collected the whale vomit. He had wrapped it in a cloth and kept it in his scooter dickey, but was unable to find any buyer.Pande said, “Since the possession, transportation and sale of whale vomit is a punishable offence under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, Hatani was arrested and his custody, along with the seized 4 kg of ambergris worth Rs 4 crore, was handed over to the Alibaug forest department’s Range Forest officer for further legal action.”

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Mumbai: BMC has sought post-facto approval from the Standing Committee for appointing a consultant to carry out a traffic simulation study at the entry and exit points of the Mumbai Coastal Road at Nepean Sea Road.According to a proposal placed before the Standing Committee, the civic body awarded the consultancy to Philip Infra Consultancy Services Pvt Ltd for Rs 9.9 lakh (excluding GST) without floating a public tender.The traffic simulation study is expected to help the BMC evaluate traffic movement at one of the key access points to the Coastal Road and recommend measures to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion around the Nepean Sea Road interchange.The proposal states that a traffic simulation study was considered essential to assess vehicle movement at the Nepean Sea Road interchange in the Coastal Road project. However, BMC said there is no empanelled schedule of traffic simulation consultants for such specialised work and the item is also not included in the Unified Schedule of Rates (USOR).Instead of inviting tenders, the civic administration called for quotations from consultants meeting the prescribed eligibility criteria. Three firms responded, with Philip Infra Consultancy Services emerging the lowest bidder. The company quoted Rs 9.9 lakh, while MRG Consultants and Developers quoted Rs 10.98 lakh and Casta Engineers Pvt Ltd quoted Rs 11.2 lakh, all excluding GST.The proposal further states that the consultant has already completed the traffic simulation study, the administration is seeking the Standing Committee’s ratification of the decision.