The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance was stitched together only after months of negotiations following the civic elections.

AMBARNATH: Barely six months after Shiv Sena and BJP came together to form the ruling alliance in the Ambernath Municipal Council, fresh differences between the two partners have surfaced over the construction of the municipal council president’s office.The latest flashpoint has once again brought Shiv Sena group leader Rajendra Walekar and BJP group leader Abhijit Karanjule-Patil into confrontation, raising concerns that the uneasy alliance could face renewed turbulence.The controversy revolves around the alleged construction of a new office and meeting hall for the municipal council president Tejashree Karanjule. Walekar has alleged that the work is being undertaken in violation of prescribed norms and without following due procedure, claiming that lakhs of rupees are being spent on the project.Political observers believe the dispute is also linked to earlier disagreements between the two leaders over a controversial cement concrete plot issue and the municipal tender process for development works, where Walekar is said to have faced opposition from BJP members.The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance was stitched together only after months of negotiations following the civic elections. Although Shiv Sena had emerged with a larger number of corporators in AMC election, BJP candidate Tejashree Karanjule-Patil secured the municipal council president’s post by defeating Manisha Walelar, dealing a setback to Shiv Sena, particularly the Walekar camp.The alliance was eventually formalised following intervention by senior leaders from both parties.With tensions resurfacing, political circles are closely watching whether the latest confrontation remains confined to the civic administration or spills over into the functioning of the ruling alliance.Rejecting the allegations on office controversy, BJP group leader Abhijit Karanjule-Patil accused Walekar of attempting to tarnish the image of the municipal council president without any evidence. He said legal action, including a defamation suit, would be initiated against those trying to malign the president’s reputation.

Kalyan court on Friday remanded Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre to police custody till Monday

KALYAN: A Kalyan court on Friday remanded Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre to police custody till Monday in connection with the assault on two doctors and nurses at KDMC’s Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli.Three other accused, who were arrested along with Mhatre in the case, were also produced before the court and remanded to police custody till Monday.Mhatre, who was admitted to Thane Civil Hospital after his arrest due to health issues, was discharged on Friday morning. Following his discharge, police formally took him into custody and produced him before the Kalyan court, which granted his custodial remand to facilitate further investigation.The three co-accused, who allegedly accompanied Mhatre during the assault on the doctors and were involved in creating a ruckus on the hospital premises, were also produced before the court.The prosecution argued that custodial interrogation was necessary to ascertain the role of each accused, examine CCTV footage, recover mobile phones, and collect additional evidence related to the incident.The case stems from the alleged assault on two doctors and nurses at KDMC’s Shastri Nagar Hospital following allegations of a delay in the treatment of a pregnant woman.The incident triggered widespread protests by the medical fraternity across Maharashtra and led to the suspension of non-emergency services at KDMC-run hospitals.While granting police custody, the court directed the investigating officer to ensure that Mhatre undergoes a medical examination every six hours in view of his health condition.Meanwhile, when Mhatre was produced before the Kalyan court, a group of lawyers alleged that the police gave him “VIP treatment” by clearing the area outside the courtroom and preventing advocates from entering while he was being brought in. The lawyers claimed that several of them were pushed by police personnel during the process, prompting them to stage a protest inside the court premises. Following the protest, the lawyers alleged that police threatened to register a case against them for obstructing public servants in the discharge of their official duties.

MLA raised concerns about a firing incident outside a builder’s residence in Maharashtra.

KALYAN: The firing incident outside the office-cum-residence of Ambernath-based builder Vishwanath Panvelkar echoed in the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Thursday, with Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Ambadas Danve accusing the state government of failing to ensure justice in the case.Raising the issue during the Monsoon Session, Danve alleged that a ruling party MLA from Murbad had given supari to a jailed gangster to intimidate Panvelkar. He claimed that the allegation had surfaced through a letter purportedly written by gangster Ejaz Lakdawala, but no action had been taken despite the disclosure.Danve further alleged that Panvelkar had approached the Prime Minister, the President, the Chief Minister and the police administration seeking justice, but had failed to receive any relief. He claimed that political pressure had influenced the investigation and demanded an impartial probe into the matter.The case dates back to April 21, 2025, when two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire outside ‘Sitai Sadan’, Panvelkar’s five-storey office-cum-residence near Hutatma Chowk in Ambernath East. Two rounds were fired, though no one was injured. The Shivajinagar police later arrested the alleged bike rider, Khalid Shahid Sayyed, and the alleged shooter, history-sheeter Jitendra Pawar alias Tiger Bhai.The investigation took a fresh turn in April 2026 after Lakdawala, lodged in jail, allegedly wrote to the Thane police commissioner claiming that associates of BJP MLA Kisan Kathore had approached him with a contract to eliminate Panvelkar over an ongoing land dispute. Panvelkar subsequently accused Kathore of orchestrating the attack.Kathore, however, in past has strongly denied the allegations, describing them as a conspiracy to tarnish his image. He has accused Panvelkar of illegally grabbing land belonging to Adivasi families and has filed a Rs 100-crore defamation suit against the

THANE: Arrested Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre was discharged from Thane Civil Hospital on Friday morning after doctors declared him medically stable and fit for discharge.He had been admitted to the hospital’s prisoners’ ward after complaining of chest pain and elevated blood pressure shortly after his arrest on Wednesday in connection with the alleged assault on doctors and nursing staff at KDMC’s Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli.Hospital authorities discharged Mhatre following a medical review, paving the way for further legal proceedings in the case.Ramesh Mhatre is scheduled to be produced in court at around 2.30 pm today.A day earlier, a Kalyan court had refused the police’s request to produce Mhatre through video conferencing. Police informed Judicial Magistrate First Class K S Katkade that the corporator was suffering from high blood pressure and kidney-related ailments and had vomited twice, making it difficult to bring him to court.However, the court rejected the plea and directed the police to produce Mhatre in person once doctors certified that he was medically fit. Police then said they would comply with the order after receiving clearance from Thane Civil Hospital.Mhatre was arrested along with three alleged associates for reportedly attacking doctors and hospital staff over an alleged delay in admitting a pregnant patient at the Dombivli civic hospital earlier this week.Before his arrest, Mhatre had denied assaulting a woman doctor during a press conference. He claimed the incident had been misrepresented due to “the camera angle” and said he had only attempted to take away her phone while seeking an update on the patient’s condition. “She is like my daughter. It is not part of Shiv Sena’s values to raise a hand against a woman,” he said.The assault sparked a two-day protest by doctors across the twin cities, with private practitioners joining the strike following a call by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The protest disrupted routine outpatient services, forcing many patients to return without treatment, while hospitals continued to provide emergency care.The Central Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors also announced a token black-ribbon protest across government medical colleges and hospitals. “The protest isn’t only against this incident but also against the increasing incidence of violence against healthcare workers across the state and to reiterate our demand for a safe working environment,” it said in a release.