The accused were produced before the court after their arrest in connection with the alleged leak of the TET examination paper.

BHIWANDI: A Bhiwandi court on Sunday remanded all three accused arrested in the Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak case to police custody till July 6, allowing investigators more time to probe what is suspected to be an interstate examination fraud network. The accused were produced before the court after their arrest in connection with the alleged leak of the TET examination paper. During the hearing, the police informed the court that the case appears to involve an interstate syndicate l engaged in leaking confidential examination papers for financial gain. Police sought 10 days of custody, arguing that investigators need to determine how the accused obtained the confidential question paper, identify those involved in the conspiracy, and trace the intended buyers of the leaked paper. The prosecution also submitted that the investigation has revealed links to Delhi and Agra, and police teams need to travel to both cities to gather evidence and identify other members of the network.After hearing both sides, Judge S.M. Sutar granted eight days of police custody, remanding the accused till July 6. According to investigators, the probe is still in its early stages, and officials believe more arrests could follow as they examine the interstate connections and financial transactions linked to the alleged paper leak. Police are also trying to establish the full chain of the conspiracy, including the source of the leaked examination paper and whether any officials or insiders were involved.

The accused have been identified as Rajeev Shah and Akash Kumar, both from Bihar, and Dheeraj Kumar from Haryana.

THANE: Three persons have been arrested by the Bhiwandi police in the TET question paper leak case from the Kongaon area on the Kalyan–Bhiwandi border Saturday. The papers scheduled for Sunday have now been postponed.The police acting on tip-off intercepted the trio and recovered TET examination question papers from them. The accused have been identified as Rajeev Shah and Akash Kumar, both from Bihar, and Dheeraj Kumar from Haryana.DCP Pawan Bansod of Zone-2 said he received a tip-off that three individuals were en route to sell the question paper. Acting swiftly on the information, police laid a trap in the Kongaon area on the Kalyan–Bhiwandi border and detained all three accused around 11am.During the operation, police recovered four sets of TET examination question papers from the accused, along with debit and credit cards, raising further suspicion about the scale and nature of the racket.“The arrested accused have been identified as Rajeev Shah and Akash Kumar, both from Bihar, and Dheeraj Kumar from Haryana. The accused are aged between 28 and 45 years,” the police said.A case has been registered against them under Sections 318(4), 316(5), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).Preliminary investigation indicates the papers were brought in from Delhi, while police suspect a larger organised syndicate may be operating behind the scenes. The alleged mastermind remains absconding, and a manhunt is underway.Investigators also revealed that around ₹1.5 crore was allegedly demanded for the paper deal, pointing to a high-value illegal operation.Authorities are now probing who the papers were meant to be sold to and the wider network involved. Strict action has been assured against all those found complicit.To crack the case further, a special investigation team comprising two ACPs and nine police inspectors has been formed. The team will conduct multi-state operations as part of the ongoing probe.

Thane MP Naresh Mhaske has strongly criticized Central Railway for years of neglect, citing chronic delays, poor passenger amenities, and stalled infrastructure projects.

THANE: Shiv Sena Thane MP Naresh Mhaske on Thursday, launched a blistering attack on the Central Railway administration, questioning the administration about the years of neglect through chronic delays, crumbling passenger amenities and stalled infrastructure projects faced by lakhs of commuters at one of the busiest railway stations in the country.Mhaske questioned the authorities at a high-level review meeting of the Mumbai Division MPs’ Committee, barely a month after taking review of delayed ongoing projects and inadequate facilities at Thane railway station following commuter complaints.“This bureaucratic inertia in executing crucial projects like redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, increasing FoBs, escalators, providing washrooms and drinking water facilities at Thane is unacceptable as the existing infra is fast proving inadequate to match the exploding railway commuter footfall,” he said.Mhaske said that he has also pushed for increased local train services on key suburban routes, including Kalyan, Badlapur, Ambernath, Karjat, Asangaon and Titwala, while demanding additional services on the Seawoods–Uran and Thane–Panvel Trans-Harbour corridor and extended operations till midnight.He has also sought fast tracking of Kalyan–Badlapur and Kalyan–Asangaon fourth-line projects and sought halts for Duronto Express trains at Thane and Panvel stations.“The fare concessions for senior citizens should also be restored while more Konkan-bound trains should be plied during Ganeshotsav,” he said while welcoming the introduction of a special Velankanni Express for pilgrims from Thane expected to commence operations in July.Mhaske added that railway officials, including Central Railway General Manager, assured the committee that the issues raised would be addressed on priority.

A massive fire engulfed a container truck laden with electronic goods on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway near Palghar late Tuesday night

PALGHAR: A container truck carrying electronic goods worth around Rs 9 crore caught fire on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad highway in Maharashtra’s Palghar district on Tuesday night.The incident occurred around 9. 30pm near Vasai, briefly disrupting traffic on the busy stretch, news agency PTI reported.According to the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) fire services, the truck was en route to Ahmedabad when the blaze broke out. Firefighters rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control after sustained efforts, preventing it from spreading further.The truck driver and cleaner managed to escape safely, and no injuries were reported in the incident. However, the electronic goods being transported were completely gutted in the fire, PTI reported.Vehicular movement on the highway was affected for over two hours before the charred vehicle was removed and traffic restored.The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, and an investigation in this regard is currently underway, officials said.(With agency inputs)

KALYAN: The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) on Tuesday launched a major drive against illegal hoardings across the twin city area after a committee appointed to investigate the issue identified 380 unauthorized structures. BJP corporator Dipesh Mhatre, who had repeatedly raised the issue, said the civic body had initially given hoarding owners an opportunity to legalize their structures by submitting the required permissions and supporting documents. The move was aimed at bringing the hoardings into the legal framework and enabling KDMC to recover revenue. “However, most hoarding owners failed to produce any valid documents. It was found that a large number of these hoardings had been erected on government land without permission, resulting in substantial revenue losses to the municipal corporation,” Mhatre said. He further alleged that some of the hoardings were linked to political leaders, raising concerns over whether action would be taken impartially. Following the committee’s findings and the failure of owners to furnish the required documents, KDMC Commissioner Abhinav Goel decided to initiate action against all illegal hoardings. Acting on the commissioner’s directions, the Encroachment Department led by Prasad Borkar began the demolition drive on Tuesday. Despite intermittent rain, civic teams carried out action against several unauthorized hoardings during the day. Mhatre said the pace of the drive was affected by weather conditions but KDMC officials have assured that all 380 illegal hoardings will be removed in the coming days. He also urged the administration to prioritize dangerous structures before the monsoon intensifies. “I have requested KDMC to immediately remove unsafe hoardings to prevent an incident similar to the Ghatkopar hoarding collapse,” he said.

ULHASNAGAR: A civil court in Ulhasnagar has ordered both parties to maintain status quo on the Barkatiya Mosque, Madrasa and Imam’s residence while hearing a suit challenging demolition proceedings initiated by the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC). The order was passed by Civil Judge (Junior Division) Rohini Ashok Jadhav in Regular Civil Suit filed by the trustees of the Barkatiya Mosque complex through trust president and authorised representative Rizwani Mohammad Usman. According to the plaintiffs, the mosque, madrasa and imam’s residence form part of an age-old religious and educational complex that has served the local Muslim community for decades. The suit challenges demolition show-cause notices and subsequent demolition and eviction orders issued by the UMC, which allegedly classified the structures as unauthorised. The plaintiffs argued that the proposed demolition was being carried out in undue haste without following the mandatory legal procedure prescribed under law. They also alleged that the religious complex had been selectively targeted under pressure from certain communal and anti-social elements. The UMC has maintained that action was initiated under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act and that statutory notices were duly issued. After examining the records and submissions from both sides, the court observed that the notices issued by the civic body appeared to provide only seven days for compliance, whereas judicial directions referred to by the court required a 15-day period in such cases. Observing that any irreversible action could render the suit infructuous and cause irreparable prejudice to the plaintiffs, the court granted interim protection and directed both parties to maintain the existing status of the property. The court has directed the respondent authorities to file their reply by June 30. The plea for interim relief will be considered after hearing both sides.

Thane residents in Diva, Kalwa, Majiwada-Manpada, and parts of Wagle Estate face a 48-hour water shutdown from Monday midnight (Representative image enhanced with AI)

THANE: The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has announced a 48-hour water supply shutdown in Diva, Kalwa, Majiwada-Manpada and parts of Diva and Wagle Estate starting midnight of June 23 (Monday-Tuesday). These areas are supplied water by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).A statement issued by the Thane corporation Monday afternoon cites anticipated water scarcity in the coming months as the reason. “The decision for imposing water cuts was taken during a review meeting with the Water Resources Department last week In view of the possibility of a delayed monsoon this year owing to the impact of El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD),” officials said.Accordingly, water supply from MIDC’s Barvi, Jambhul and Shahad water treatment centres will remain suspended till midnight of June 23 (Wednesday-Thursday).The civic body has further informed that supply will resume at low pressure for the next two days following restoration and citizens have been urged to use water judiciously during the shutdown period.Meanwhile, several complexes located along the Ghodbunder highway complained of facing unscheduled cuts on Monday even as tanker services also remained unavailable.A delegation of BJP legislators on Sunday had raised the issue of how the tanker mafia was exploiting residents of several gated complexes charging them anywhere between Rs 5,000 daily for each tanker.Many complexes were shelling out Rs 85 lakhs to 1. 25cr annually for tankers adding to their monthly outflo1w in addition to the maintenance bills, municipal taxes and housing loan EMIs, said BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar.

A horrific crash on the under-construction Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Badlapur claimed two lives after a BMW, allegedly speeding at nearly 250 kmph, collided with a divider. (Pic: The victim identified as Yogesh Kishan Negi)

BADLAPUR: A BMW that police say was being driven at nearly 250 kmph was ripped apart after crashing into a divider on the under-construction Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Badlapur, killing two passengers and leaving its engine lying about 30 metres away from the wreckage. Police have now registered a case against the driver, Angad Gill.The crash occurred around 2.39 am on June 21 on a closed stretch of the expressway that is not yet open to public traffic. According to investigators, the impact was so severe that the luxury car was reduced to a mangled heap of metal, with vehicle parts scattered across a large stretch of the road.The victims, identified as Yogesh Kishan Negi and Rebecca Jacob, suffered critical injuries and were taken to Badlapur Rural Hospital, where they were declared dead. Gill, who survived the crash with serious head injuries, is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kalyan.Police said preliminary findings suggest Gill ignored traffic regulations and was driving at an extremely high speed when he lost control and slammed into the divider. Senior Police Inspector Kishore Shinde said a case has been registered against him for rash and negligent driving causing death.Investigators are also examining a social media video allegedly recorded shortly before the crash that appears to show the BMW’s speedometer touching 249 kmph and 251 kmph. Authorities are verifying the authenticity of the footage and whether it was filmed during the fatal journey.The regional transport office and forensic experts have joined the investigation to determine the vehicle’s exact speed and reconstruct the sequence of events. Police are also probing whether the occupants had consumed alcohol before entering the under-construction expressway.According to investigators, the trio had attended Negi’s birthday celebration before driving onto the restricted stretch. Police are examining whether the group entered the closed expressway for high-speed driving or stunts.Officials said the findings of the forensic analysis, vehicle data and medical reports will determine the next course of action in the case.

THANE: A 16-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two senior citizens in Maharashtra’s Thane district, police said on Sunday.The accused, both above 60 years of age, were arrested in connection with the attack, which occurred in a slum colony in Netivali village on Saturday night.According to police, the duo allegedly caught hold of the girl and raped her repeatedly.The survivor managed to escape their clutches and lodged a complaint with the police.The accused have been booked under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)

A representative image of an accident warning sign placed on a road

THANE: A high-speed drive ended in tragedy in Maharashtra’s Thane district early Sunday after a BMW crashed into a road divider and overturned several times on the Mumbai-Vadodara highway, killing two young occupants and leaving another seriously injured.The accident took place around 4 am near Badlapur when the luxury car was returning from Titwala, police said.The deceased were identified as Yogesh Dighe (26) and Rikeba Jacob (24), both residents of Badlapur.Another occupant, Anand, sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Thane.According to the preliminary investigation, the BMW was allegedly travelling at high speed when it rammed into the road divider.The impact caused the driver to lose control, following which the vehicle overturned multiple times before coming to a halt.The crash left the luxury car in a mangled state, with local residents and passing motorists rushing to the spot after hearing a loud impact. Authorities were alerted immediately.Police shifted the bodies to a government hospital for post-mortem, PTI reported.“A case of accidental death has been registered, and further investigation is underway,” the station house officer of Badlapur police station said.A forensic team later inspected the accident site and collected evidence. Police said all angles are being examined, including whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash.(With agency inputs)