Mumbai: The city crime branch, while seeking further custody of arrested TISS student Abhirup Ashim Paul, told a court that it was probing visits to several sensitive locations that he undertook citing field work and research, alleging that his activities bore similarities to those of TISS alumnus Mahesh Raut, who was later accused in the Elgar Parishad case for alleged Maoist links.Police told the court that Paul had visited Palghar, the Sundarbans, Karave village and JNPT as part of field work or research. Police alleged that during his Palghar visit, Paul propagated Marxist ideology among locals. Investigators also examined his interactions with fishing communities in Karave, where he allegedly discussed the impact of government development projects on their livelihoods.The police said Raut had earlier visited Gadchiroli under the pretext of “college research”, whcih needs to be probed. Police are also probing Paul’s visit to the Sundarbans, where a booklet of the Purba Bangla Maoist Party was allegedly recovered from him. Investigators want to ascertain how he obtained the booklet, who guided him during the visit, and the purpose of his travel.Police further said they were examining Paul’s visit to JNPT with a professor after WhatsApp messages referring to statements such as “Say no to Indian’s corporate nuclear agenda” and “Target economic centres of control” were found. Investigators want to establish the context of the messages, Paul’s role and the purpose of the visit to the economically significant port facility.The remand application also referred to Paul’s internship with a Dehradun-based NGO and his alleged association with the Progressive Students Forum (PSF). Police described PSF as an organisation opposed to the college administration and alleged that its members had pressured the complainant through social media and threatened a witness.Police also claimed Paul was associated with the Communist Party of India in Palghar and was influenced by communist ideology. On August 9, he allegedly visited an area in Palghar with friends and posed for a photograph with a banner featuring Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. Police later took him to the location and recorded the statement of local sarpanch Uttam Bhodwa, which, according to the investigators, indicated that Paul had propagated Marxist ideology among residents.However, the court rejected the plea for further police custody. “Considering the starting point of investigation and period gone for investigation of the allegation the investigating officer had got sufficient PCR,” the court observed, adding that the the officer had failed to make out a case for further police custody. Paul was consequently remanded in judicial custody till August 24.

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, the Bombay HiCh 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 to appear for their examinations in the academic year 25-26 as a one-time relief.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 similarly 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 between 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 Nov 3, 2025 Delhi HC order to argue their case.The Delhi HC High Court 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.

Navi Mumbai: As the 80th Independence Day approaches, TOI visited the descendants of the freedom fighter Babu Genu, who was run over at Kalbadevi by a truck transporting imported cloth during the Swadeshi Movement in 1930. Around 200 km from Mumbai, in Mahalunge Padawal village, Ambegaon taluka, Pune district, the grandnephew of Babu Genu, Kisanrao Said (77), said that Babu Genu was only 22 years old when he died.In today’s age, our Baburao would be called a Gen Z and he would have certainly protested in today’s era, too, against the system and certain policy flaws,” Kisanrao said.Kisanrao, who lives in his ancestral village with his octogenarian brother, Babanrao Said (80), recalled a recent incident during the Mumbai protests by Gen Z, when a young woman, Rhiya Ahir, stood in front of a police van to stop it from moving ahead.“Many old timers had remembered Babu Genu after seeing the news image of a woman single-handedly holding back the police van during the Gen Z protest. He too had physically blocked a truck during British era,” said Kisanrao.The only difference, the descendant added, is that “Mumbai Police did not crush the Gen Z protester while, unfortunately, the British police did do so, killing Babu Genu”.Kisanrao has meticulously preserved several old newspaper reports of TOI, Bombay Chronicle (of Pherozeshah Mehta) and Kesari (of Lokmanya Tilak) which had reported the Kalbadevi incident in December 1930.The only facial photo of Babu Genu was sourced by the family from a picture of the martyr published in TOI, while he was taken to GT Hospital, where he succumbed to head injuries on December 12, 1930.His funeral had taken place at Girgaon Chowpatty, attended by hundreds of citizens and various Congress party members, since Babu Genu had joined the Congress and participated in peaceful satyagraha protests.Kisanrao, who retired from the accounts department of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), recalled: “Babu Genu was unmarried at the time of his death, and highly influenced by the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. He was survived by his two brothers and a sister. Their father, Krishna Said, was a poor farmer who died early in the village, while their mother became a domestic worker in and around Parel area of Mumbai. She too died before Babu Genu’s martyrdom.”At Mumbai’s Kalbadevi, a farsan shopkeeper at Hutatma Babu Genu Road, Yogesh Joshi (66), commented: “The older generation is aware about the sacrifice of Babu Genu at the end of this lane. Now, even the younger people are knowing about him as a plaque is put up, and every year, on December 12, a remembrance programme is held here.”

The Bombay High Court urged the Maharashtra FDA to act judiciously concerning Cadila Pharmaceuticals’ medicine ban.

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to act “judiciously” after Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd challenged orders stopping the sale of some of its medicines.A bench of Acting Chief Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Gautam Ankhad observed that the FDA appeared to be “displaying its powers” and questioned the regulator’s approach of taking drastic action before conducting proper inquiries.The FDA subsequently offered to revoke its orders against Cadila, issue show-cause notices and give the pharmaceutical company an opportunity to be heard before passing fresh, reasoned orders. Government pleader Neha Bhide made the submission, which was accepted by the court. The bench then disposed of Cadila’s petition.Bhide said the FDA’s action was a preventive measure and not “high-handed”, adding that it stemmed from confusion over the medicines in question.Senior counsel Birendra Saraf, appearing for Cadila, argued that the FDA’s orders, issued between July 9 and July 15, were arbitrary and high-handed as they were passed without giving the company a prior hearing. He sought quashing of the orders and an interim stay.Cadila told the court that it had already suffered substantial losses after the sale ban remained in force for about 20 days. The company also said the FDA had seized stocks worth Rs 2.4 crore across Maharashtra over alleged branding violations.The bench, however, said its concern was not the company’s losses but the impact of the ban on patients. The acting chief justice noted that a crucial medicine had remained unavailable for patients for 32 days.The court reiterated its criticism of what it described as the FDA’s tendency to “shoot first” and conduct inquiries later. The bench also warned that costs could be imposed if more instances of such “drastic action” came before it.“You 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 observed.The court’s remarks came amid scrutiny of the FDA’s recent enforcement drive under commissioner Tukaram Mundhe to tackle non-compliance with food and drug safety standards.

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s transport commissioner Rajesh Narvekar has begun a high-level probe into a multi-crore vehicle fitness certificate scam spanning at least nine major Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), including Andheri, Wadala, Thane and Vashi in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Preliminary findings suggest fitness certificates were issued to several commercial vehicles by bypassing mandatory norms, potentially allowing unroadworthy vehicles to operate across the state and posing a serious threat to public safety.Senior officials in the transport commissioner’s office told TOI that the probe has already brought 20 to 30 officials from various RTOs under scanner.Narvekar will examine the role of individual officers, the modus operandi adopted to circumvent regulations, and the financial extent of the alleged scam. After conducting a detailed scrutiny, the transport commissioner will submit a final report to the ministry in a month.The initial inquiry has found multiple violations of Rule 62(1) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, governing fitness certification for transport and commercial vehicles. Officials allegedly cleared vehicles despite the absence of mandatory safety and tracking equipment, while in several cases, certificates were issued by authorities that had no jurisdiction to do so.State transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said, “It is a serious issue and strict action will follow. No compromise will be made on public safety. Any official found guilty after the inquiry will face stringent action.”According to officials, fitness certificates that should have been issued by the original registering authority in Maharashtra were instead issued through transport offices in other states. “Some certificates were issued by unrelated transport authorities from outside Maharashtra, making their validity questionable,” said an official.Investigators also uncovered serious lapses in safety compliance. Several nationally permitted vehicles received fitness clearance without the mandatory Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs). In addition, some commercial vehicles, including buses, were cleared without installation of the mandatory speed-governing devices.The probe further revealed procedural irregularities in the issuance of Form 38A fitness certificates. Although RTOs are required to act within 15 days of issuance of Form 38A, some approvals were granted far beyond the stipulated period, raising suspicions of corruption and manipulation of the certification process.Irregularities have been detected in RTOs at Andheri, Wadala, Thane, Vashi, Panvel, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, among others, said sources.To plug loopholes, the transport department plans to introduce a uniform and stringent SOP for Automated Testing Stations across Maharashtra, including deployment of Motor Vehicle Inspectors at private facilities to strengthen oversight and accountability.Calling it one of the gravest irregularities to hit the transport department, a transport sector analyst said the scam goes far beyond procedural violations. “This directly concerns the safety of commuters and road users. Unfit vehicles can catch fire, suffer mechanical failures, trigger accidents and endanger pedestrians and motorists alike,” the analyst added.

Police said the trio committed the offences within three days of arriving in Mumbai. (AI-generated image)

MUMBAI: Three women from Madhya Pradesh were arrested in Andheri for allegedly carrying out two robberies within 48 hours, stealing Rs 75,500 in cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 3 lakh, police said.The accused were identified as Sonam Baneri (37), Anmol Jagvir Singh Sisodia (27) and Shweta Sisodia (27), all residents of the same village in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district. Police said the trio committed the offences within three days of arriving in Mumbai.According to police, the women travelled to Mumbai every few months, stayed in lodges for a week to 15 days and targeted crowded markets. They allegedly shared the stolen property equally among themselves, while their husbands stayed back in the village to farm and look after their children.“It was learnt that they travelled to Mumbai every alternate months or four months, stayed in a lodge for a week to 15 days, targeted busy market places, and shared the booty equally among themselves. While their husbands do farming and took care of household chores and children,” a police officer said.Police said the trio dressed in soiled clothes and mingled with shoppers to avoid suspicion before distracting their targets and stealing their valuables.In the first incident on August 7, the women allegedly targeted Parijat Gawli (45), an Andheri resident, while she was shopping at Jagruti Sweets in Andheri Market. They allegedly stole a gold chain worth Rs 3 lakh from her purse.The following day, on August 8, the trio allegedly targeted Vasudevi Sitavadekar (31) at Manish Market in Andheri (West). Police said they distracted her and stole her purse containing Rs 75,500.“The trio’s arrest has helped us in solving two recent cases in which they have managed to rob Rs 3.75 lakhs in two days after their arrival in Mumbai. They wander around the city markets in soiled dress and appear normal before they steal with handiwork after distracting the victims’ attention,” a police officer of the DN Nagar police station said.The women were arrested after police received information through technical analysis of mobile numbers linked to the suspects. Investigators learnt that they were preparing to leave Mumbai for their native place with the stolen valuables.A police team tracked them to the Bandra railway station area, where they were detained with assistance from the Bandra Railway Police’s Women’s Wing. Police said they were staying at a lodge near Bandra railway station.Police recovered Rs 50,000 in cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 3 lakh from the accused, linking the recoveries to the two robbery cases.DCP (West Zone-2) Mohit Garg supervised the investigation, while the team was led by ACP Shashikiran Kashid, senior inspector Sachin Gawas, inspector Sachin Khondre and sub-inspectors Sharad Khatmode and Gaurav Malusure, along with other personnel.Police said the three travelled in unreserved train compartments and allegedly relied on their appearance and crowded marketplaces to avoid suspicion.“This is the first time the trio have been caught. They claimed this is their first robbery, which we did not believe. They are professional thieves and work together in tandem, with one distracting the target while another steals. We have sought details from other police stations about similar robberies in which women thieves were involved and are examining old CCTV footage to establish whether the trio had been involved in such cases in the past,” a police officer said.Police are also seeking information about the three women from authorities in their native village in Madhya Pradesh.

Mumbai: With the possibility of El Niño conditions triggering extreme weather events, prolonged heat waves and a surge in electricity demand, Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (Mahatransco) has launched a comprehensive statewide preparedness initiative aimed at ensuring uninterrupted power supply and maintaining grid stability.Acting on directions issued by the Union Ministry of Power, Mahatransco has rolled out a 12-point action plan across all transmission zones, mandating preventive measures, emergency readiness and continuous monitoring of critical transmission infrastructure. The initiative is designed to strengthen the resilience of Maharashtra’s power transmission network against weather-related disruptions and rising operational stress.A key focus of the action plan is preventive and condition-based maintenance of the state’s Extra High Voltage (EHV) network. Transmission lines, substations, transformers, reactors, circuit breakers, protection systems and allied equipment will undergo rigorous inspections and maintenance to minimise the risk of outages. Planned shutdowns are to be kept to the bare minimum during periods of peak electricity demand.Mahatransco has further ordered extensive thermovision scanning and hotspot detection of transmission lines, switchyards, transformers and busbars. Any abnormalities detected during inspections are to be rectified immediately to prevent equipment failures and ensure network reliability.To enhance emergency response capabilities, all zones have been directed to maintain adequate stocks of critical spares, including transformers, conductors, insulators, tower components and Emergency Restoration System (ERS) equipment. Patrolling of vulnerable transmission corridors will be intensified, particularly in areas where vegetation poses a risk of contact with transmission lines.The utility will also review the operational readiness of voltage management systems such as shunt reactors, capacitor banks and STATCOMs, while ensuring round-the-clock availability of emergency maintenance teams, vehicles, tools and safety equipment.In addition, Mahatransco will closely monitor weather forecasts and strengthen coordination with the Maharashtra State Load Despatch Centre, Regional Load Despatch Centres, generating stations and distribution utilities. The disaster management framework and cybersecurity protocols for SCADA, EMS and communication systems are also being reinforced.All Chief Engineers have been directed to personally oversee implementation of the preparedness measures and submit weekly progress reports. Any major equipment failure or grid disturbance must be reported immediately, along with details of restoration efforts undertaken.Under the leadership of Chairman and Managing Director Vikram Kumar, Director (Operations) Satish Chavan has instructed all field formations to remain on heightened alert and complete advance preparations to tackle any adverse impact arising from potential El Niño conditions.“The proactive initiative underscores Mahatransco’s commitment to maintaining a robust transmission network and ensuring reliable electricity supply across Maharashtra, even under challenging weather conditions and rising power demand,” said a senior official..