Thane:

Maharashtra PWD Minister Dada Bhuse on Thursday said cracks that had developed on the Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar have been repaired.

Talking to reporters, Bhuse said instructions have been given to officials to find out if there are more cracks along the 600 kilometre route of the expressway currently operational.

Incidentally, a video went viral during the day of a crater on the expressway in Sahapur in neighbouring Thane district. Traffic on the stretch between Shere Bere and Shendrun villages was affected for several hours due to this development.

Cracks have appeared within a year on the expressway, which was built at a cost of Rs 55,000 crore, due to corruption, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole told reporters on the Vidhan Bhavan premises.

Only powers-that-be have prospered due to the construction of the expressway, which is being dubbed the highway of death due to the large number of accidents taking place on it, Patole claimed.

“Like the Samruddhi Mahamarg, we exposed cracks in the Rs 18,000 crore Atal Setu connecting Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Cracks on Samruddhi and Atal Setu are a sign of how unreliable Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee is,” Patole quipped. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Confounding the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies, the Congress on Saturday invited applications from prospective candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, along with a steep application fee.

State Congress Vice President Nana Gawande has issued a circular to this effect to all the district party units and other officials with the relevant instructions.

The non-refundable application fee is Rs 20,000 for general category candidates, and Rs 10,000 for SC/ST and women candidates, and it is also open to others to submit their applications as per the prescribed rules.

All the applicants – new or party veterans – must submit their papers along with the fee to the district party offices or the regional office before August 10.

A similar drive has been launched in Haryana and Jharkhand. It was intended to throw up “good candidates” whom the party leadership can consider for giving tickets, said an official.

A senior Congress leader said the applications have been invited from all the 288 Assembly seats.

On whether the Congress initiative could clash with the claims of ticket aspirants from the MVA allies Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party (SP), and other alliance partners, the leader replied in the negative.

“This is a democratic attempt to bring up noteworthy candidates with extraordinary leadership qualities from among the lakhs of party activists spread all over Maharashtra, give them due prominence and, if possible, field them in the elections with full backing,” he explained, declining to be named.

Along with the party’s internal drive, Mr Gawande said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) would be launching a program to update/revise the voters’ lists from July 25.

Accordingly, the party has called upon all Congress workers to ensure that all the eligible persons in their areas are included, particularly new voters (aged above 18) in the revised voters’ list as per the instructions of state Congress president Nana Patole and All India Congress Committee General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Thane (Maharashtra):

In a shocking incident, at least three youths allegedly pushed their friend,  who had hosted his birthday bash, from the fourth floor of a building after a brawl over beer and liquor at Ulhasnagar town in Thane district, the police said on Tuesday.

The victim, who was celebrating his 23rd birthday, fell to his instant death, while his friends panicked and ran away. However, after a sustained investigation, the police have managed to arrest the accused trio. “The accused have been remanded to police custody till July 3 by a court. Further investigation is underway,” Anil Padwal, Inspector of Vitthalwadi police station, told IANS.

The boy has been identified as Karthik Vayal, while the accused trio has been identified as Dheeraj Yadav, aged 23, Nilesh Kshirsagar, aged 23, and Sagar Kale, aged 24, Mr Padwal said.

The probe revealed that Karthik had invited his close friends for his birthday bash on the evening of June 27 at Nilesh’s house on the fourth floor of Arya Apartments in the Chinchpada area of Ulhasnagar.
As the party progressed, there were some arguments over beer and drinks, which soon degenerated into kicks and fisticuffs, in which Karthik reportedly hit Nilesh with a bottle on the head. Enraged by this, the others pounced on Karthik, brutally thrashing the birthday boy before allegedly flinging him outside the fourth-floor flat, resulting in his instant death.

Panicking, the friends quickly fled from the flat and kept low for some time, till the police confronted them. Initially, they maintained that they had taken the injured Nilesh to a hospital, and upon their return, they found Karthik lying dead in the building compound.

However, after Karthik’s family raised questions over their claims and even suspected their possible involvement in his death, the police lodged a murder case. Armed with other evidence and eyewitness accounts, the police arrested the accused trio on Sunday.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra:

A sarpanch of a village was shot and killed, and another person was injured after they were attacked allegedly by an office-bearer of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and his aides in Maharashtra’s Beed district, police said on Monday.

A case has been registered against NCP (SP) leader Shashikant alias Baban Gitte and four of his aides for the incident that occurred in the Bank Colony area of Parli tehsil on Saturday, an official said.

The victims, Bapurao Andhale, the sarpanch of Maralwadi village, and Gyanba Gitte, went to the home of one of the accused persons, and a quarrel ensued between Andhale and Shashikant, he said.

Shashikant allegedly took out his pistol and fired at Bapurao, after which his aide Rajabhau Neharkar attacked him with a sickle and killed him, the official said.

Gyanba Gitte was also shot and attacked by the accused, he said.

The accused have been booked under sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Arms Act, the official said.

“We have registered an offence against five people, one of whom is injured, and a search is on for the other four,” Superintendent of Police Nandkumar Thakur said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Kalpana Chaudhari, an erstwhile common resident of Maharashtra’s Gondia district, is a popular name today.

Her fledgling business of lac bangles is making waves in her village as well as neighbouring ones and also motivating fellow women villagers to follow in her footsteps.

Her success story owes a lot to the women empowerment steps undertaken by the Adani Foundation via promotion of Self-Help Groups (SHGs).

Ms Chaudhari, a resident of Khairbodi village in Tiroda taluka, learnt the art of making lac bangles as part of the SHG facilitated by the Adani Foundation and then went to set up her own shop.

Today, she is running her own business of lac bangles and other cosmetic items, thus making herself financially independent and empowered. Her bangle business has given wings to her dreams and, today, she has become an inspiration for many other women who want to become independent like her.

Narrating her journey, she says the Adani Foundation inducted her into a project titled ‘Sangini’, where she learnt the art of making lac bangles and then, with their assistance and advice, opened her own shop.

Ms Chaudhari feels truly empowered today, as she not only runs her business but has also learnt other skills, including operating a computer and driving vehicles.

She says that her life has undergone a sea change and expressed gratitude to the Adani Foundation for all the assistance, including the monetary aid for her children’s education.

Kalpana Chaudhari is not the only woman in Maharashtra’s Tiroda to have seen a tremendous change of fortune. There are at least 45 other women, like Kalpana, who are part of SHGs associated with lac bangle-making units, facilitated by the Adani Foundation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

Police have registered a case against a man after his woman friend died when a car she was driving fell into a valley in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district three days back, an official said on Thursday.

The man has been charged under Indian Penal Code section 304 (A), for causing death by negligence, as he handed over the car keys to the woman without knowing whether she had a driving license or not, he said.

Shweta Survase (23) died on Monday afternoon after she accidentally pressed the accelerator while her car was in reverse gear. Her friend Suraj Mule was shooting her video, police earlier said.

The vehicle slid back, broke a crash barrier and plunged into the valley in Sulibhanjan area. It took an hour for rescuers to reach her and the vehicle. She was declared dead brought dead at a nearby hospital, they said.

A case was registered on Tuesday against Mule for allegedly causing the death by negligence, an official from Khultabad police station said.

“We will be issuing a notice to the accused as per law guidelines,” he said.

Shweta’s cousin Priyanka Yadav has alleged the accused planned the murder.

“We were told about Shweta’s death five-six hours after the accident. She never made any reel or posted it on social media platforms. The accused had planned the murder and took her 30-40 km away from the city,” she claimed while speaking to reporters.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Five women were killed and two others injured after a speeding truck ran over them in Maharashtra’s Solapur district on Tuesday, police said.

The accident occurred in Bandgarwadi village on the Pandharpur-Atpadi Road around 3.45 pm, an official said.

The victims, who were farm workers, were waiting for a state transport bus when a speeding truck rammed into them, he said.

Locals rushed to the scene after hearing the women’s screams and alerted the Sangola police station, the official said.

Five women died on the spot, while two victims, who were in critical condition, were referred to a hospital in Pandharpur, he said.

Locals thrashed the truck driver and handed him over to the police, the official said.

A huge crowd gathered at the scene, disrupting traffic on the road, he said.

Personnel from Sangola police station dispersed the crowd after assuring strict action against the driver, he said.

The truck driver was also admitted to hospital as he sustained injuries in the attack by locals, the official said, adding that a case will be registered against him.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The BJP has ruled out any change in its leadership in Maharashtra, where the party had its second worst setback after Uttar Pradesh in the Lok Sabha elections. “There will be no change in leadership in Maharashtra,” Union Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters this evening after key leaders of the Maharashtra unit met party chief JP Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The BJP won just nine seats in Maharashtra in the recent Lok Sabha elections, down from its 2019 tally of 23.

The tally was seen as a manifestation of the people’s disapproval of the political shake-up over the last few years and the BJP’s role in it.

The tremors had started with Uddhav Thackeray’s breaking ranks with the NDA and joining hands with Sharad Pawar and the Congress after the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

But before the newly formed Maha Vikas Aghadi could stake claim to form government, Devendra Fadnavis made an attempt to form government with the help of Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar and a few of his loyalists.

Three years later, the Shiv Sena split, pulling down the MVA government, and rebel leader Eknath Shinde formed government with the BJP, and became the Chief Minister.  He had subsequently let slip that the plan was formed with the help of the BJP.

It was followed by the split in the NCP. In both cases, the Election Commission awarded the party name and symbol to the rebels.

The verdict made the people’s disapproval clear. Both Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP won a huge mandate, and the Congress too benefited.

In 2019, the BJP – allied with the undivided Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray – won 23 of 25 Lok Sabha seats it contested in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena contested 23 and won 18. This time, the BJP won just nine seats. Its allies — the splinter units of the Sena led by Eknath Shinde and NCP led by Ajit Pawar — won eight of the 19 seats they contested.

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Congress boss Nana Patole landed has landed in controversy after a video circulated online showed an unidentified man – believed to be a party worker – washing his feet. The video, shared by news agency IANS, showed Mr Patole sitting in a car as the party worker cleans his feet.

The top Congress leader – who seemed to make no effort to stop the party worker – was in Akola district and reportedly spent the day outdoors, where the ground had turned muddy after rain.

He has since clarified the sequence of events and said it had been blown out of proportion, noting he had asked for some water to wash his feet as they were covered in mud. “I come from a farmer family and am used to having my feet covered in mud… So I had asked a party worker to bring water. He poured it and I washed my feet myself,” Mr Patole said Tuesday at a press conference.

But as soon as the video went viral the BJP pounced; Shehzad Poonawalla posted on X about the Congress’ “nawabi” and “feudal” mindset. “Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole’s gets his leg and feet washed by a party worker… they treat voters and workers like ghulam (slaves) and themselves as kings and queens. Imagine how they treat people without coming to power!”

Congress has a Nawabi Feudal Shehzada mindset

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole’s gets his leg and feet washed by a party worker in Akola…

They treat Janta and workers like Ghulam & themselves like Kings & Queens

Imagine how they treat people without coming to… pic.twitter.com/dmzeSUNZxB

— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) June 18, 2024

“What will they do if they by mistake come to power? Nana Patole must apologise and so must the Congress,” Mr Poonawalla raged, upping pressure on the Congress and the opposition alliance – which turned the table on his party in the Lok Sabha election – ahead of a state poll later this year.

The BJP’s Telangana leader also attacked Mr Patole.

“PM (Narendra) Modiji upholds dignity by not allowing anyone to touch his feet… while Congress leader Nana Patole has karyakartas wash his feet. The deep-seated slavery mindset in Congress starts with the Nehru-Gandhi family and pervades the entire party,” the BJP’s Shanti Kumar wrote on X.

PM Shri @narendramodi ji upholds dignity by not allowing anyone to touch his feet, while #CONgress leader Nana Patole has Karyakartas wash his feet.

The deep-seated slavery mindset in @INCIndia starts with the Nehru-Gandhi family and pervades the entire party. pic.twitter.com/4kgeinyuc4

— BJPShanthikumar (@BJPShanthikumar) June 18, 2024

Mr Patole, however, declared himself unbothered by criticism, and counterattacked by claiming others received similar treatment but were not attacked. He also tossed barbs at federal probe agencies – the ED and CBI, which the opposition has oft accused of targeting its leaders on orders from the BJP, particularly before elections – and attacked the centre over the farmers’ protests.

“I am not bothered by such allegations… there were others getting the same treatment. Karyakartas (party workers) were massaging heads and legs… why was that not shown?” Mr Patole hit back.

“The (party) worker was pouring water on my feet as they were muddy. There was no tap…” he said, attacking the ruling alliance of the BJP and splinter factions of the Shiv Sena and NCP groups.

“What about ED and CBI ka keechad on those in power… why is the (central) government not helping farmers escape the karje ka keechad (the debt trap)?” Mr Patole continued.

“Thank you for giving publicity,” he also said, appearing to taunt the BJP for its criticism.

The BJP slipped to a big defeat in the 2024 Maharashtra Lok Sabha election. In 2019 the party swept 23 of the state’s 48 seats, while the then-undivided Sena, then an ally, picked up 18 more.

READ | “Race Starts Now”: Maharashtra Congress On Lok Sabha Poll Win

However, this time – with the Sena and NCP both having splintered, and seen the breakaway factions declared the ‘original’ by the Election Commission – the opposition INDIA alliance was the big winner.

The INDIA group won 31 seats and that is expected to give it an edge when Assembly polls are held later this year. Days after the bloc’s big score Mr Patole said, “The real race starts now…”

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Thane:

A case has been registered against a 27-year-old man for allegedly beating up his live-in partner and subjecting her to unnatural sex in Maharashtra’s Thane district, police said on Sunday.

Based on a complaint lodged by the 25-year-old woman, the Ambernath police on Friday registered a case under sections 377 (unnatural sex), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 506 (criminal intimidation) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, an official said.

The woman, in her complaint, has alleged that her live-in partner thrashed her with a belt and punched her on the intervening night of June 13 and 14, he said.

The man also allegedly subjected her to unnatural sex and threatened her, the official said.

No arrest has been made in the case so far, and further probe is underway, he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)