Mumbai: A 46-year-old robber, also a Pocso case accused, who was admitted to the JJ Hospital for sonography, fled while the police personnel were busy in medical paper work on Tuesday. The accused was later traced in Ambernath and arrested the same day.The accused, Shrikant Laxman Gofan, was lodged in Taloja Central Jail. The accused was admitted to JJ Hospital on March 5, after complaining of kidney-related ailments. He fled on Tuesday while the police personnel brought him to the sonography department and were busy in paper work. A case against the accused has been registered at the JJ Marg police station for fleeing from custody.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan said veteran wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni is expected to play in all matches of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL). However, the final decision about his exact role will be made by the team management.The 19th edition of the IPL will start on March 28, and all teams have already begun their training camps. Players who recently took part in the T20 World Cup will soon join their teams and start preparing for the tournament.

There were worries that CSK legend Dhoni might not play all IPL 2026 matches because of his age, but CEO Kasi Viswanathan dismissed these concerns and said “He will play all the matches, according to me.”Asked what role he’s likely to takeup in the tournament, with another keeper-batter Samson now in the team, he added, “That I cannot say. That is a cricketing decision which will be taken by the cricketing staff. Not by the administrative staff. So they will decide whether he is going to play as a batsman or as a wicketkeeper-batter, or as an impact player.”He expressed pride in the franchise’s players Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube, who put up match-winning performances in Team India’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign, and said, “We are very happy that India has won the World Cup, that too they’ve won it back-to-back. We are delighted because two of the CSK players, Sanju and Shivam Dube, have performed extremely well. It gives us a lot of confidence in the team doing well for CSK here also,” he said.When asked about the players’ preparations in the camp, he said, “Practice is going on well, no problems so far.”

Mumbai: Contractors hiring gig workers for platforms like Zomato, Swiggy and Blinkit, and the workers themselves, will have to undergo police verification, labour minister Akash Fundkar informed the legislative council on Wednesday.The issue was raised by BJP MLC Chitra Wagh, who flagged concerns about women’s safety linked to gig workers. Replying to the discussion, Fundkar said gig workers are not registered with any labour organisation and are hired by companies through contractors. He added that govt is also attempting to bring electric vehicles used by gig workers under the regulatory framework.

Mumbai: Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday told the Legislative Assembly that a decision will be taken by the end of March making land given to landless farmers and ex-servicemen freehold at minimum rates.“As per the Maharashtra Agricultural Land Act of 1961, it was decided to give land to landless farmers and ex-servicemen. The govt is positive about converting these lands from Class II to Class I (freehold) and the process in this regard is underway at the govt level. A decision will be taken by the end of March to make these lands freehold at the lowest rate,” Bawankule said in the legislative assembly. Bawankule was replying to a query raised by MLA Shweta Mahale.Bawankule said that before finalising the rules for converting Class II lands given to landless farmers and ex-servicemen into Class I, public suggestions/objections were sought till Feb 11, 2026. “Accordingly, opinions were also sought from the law and judiciary department in this regard,” Bawankule said.

Mumbai: Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday said a special investigation team (SIT) will look into allegations of large-scale fraud in the acquisition of land for national highways and other projects in Jalgaon district.The SIT will be headed by Nashik divisional commissioner Praveen Gedam, and will have one IPS and two IAS officers so that all criminal angles can be covered, he said in the assembly. The report is to be tabled in the House in three months. BJP’s Mangesh Chavan, who raised the issue, said it was suspected that multiple departments were involved in the irregularities. “The nature of the allegations is extensive—that not only the revenue department, but NHAI, stamp duty department, land acquisition office, land records and local revenue officials were also involved. It is necessary to investigate where the irregularities occurred, from taking the records to preparing the awards. This SIT will examine the land awards of not just one but nine villages,” said Bawankule. “The compensation for land acquisition was not distributed. So, we stopped the fraud in time. Therefore, there has been no financial fraud on govt. However, was there an attempt to cheat govt. Were project maps changed for certain people? The SIT will investigate all these matters,” he said. Chavan alleged NCP (SP) MLC Eknath Khadse was involved in the land transactions and demanded a thorough probe. Khadse had earlier served as an MLA from Muktainagar in Jalgaon. —Chaitanya Marpakwar

Mumbai: A cycle ride has been organised on March 28 for Mumbai’s 227 newly-elected corporators, aimed at promoting cycling, sustainable living and awareness about urban air quality, the organisers said.The 2-km symbolic cycle ride will start from Azad Maidan in south Mumbai and proceed via Metro Cinema before concluding at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters.The initiative aims to sensitise elected representatives about environmental protection and the need to promote eco-friendly modes of transport in the city, said Vishnudas Chapke, convenor of the HindAyan Foundation, which has jointly organised the cycle ride with the BMC’s support.“This year in Mumbai, we have invited newly elected BMC corporators to join the symbolic ride to highlight the importance of fitness and environmental responsibility,” he said.HindAyan Foundation has been organising cycle expeditions and races across the country since 2022 with the support of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to promote a cycling culture and healthy lifestyle among citizens, he said.A similar cycle ride planned for Members of Parliament in New Delhi in Nov 2025 was cancelled following Supreme Court directives suspending outdoor activities due to severe air pollution in the national capital, Chapke said.

Thane: The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) revived its Heat Action Plan ahead of the peak summer months, bringing back measures such as installing green shade nets and water fountains at major traffic intersections to provide relief from soaring temperatures.The heat mitigation measures, which came amid the civic body simultaneously allowing the cutting of a large number of trees for infrastructure and development projects across the city, drew criticism from environmental groups and residents who repeatedly pointed out that large-scale tree loss could further worsen urban heat conditions.The need to revive the plan was discussed at a review meeting by additional municipal commissioner Prashant Rode, who directed departments to ensure effective implementation of preventive measures, including installing shade nets at busy junctions, setting up public drinking water points, ensuring the availability of medicines for heat-related illnesses, and intensifying awareness campaigns across the city.“The civic body formed a task force committee to coordinate efforts to mitigate the impact of heatwaves. As per the suggestions, green nets will be installed at key junctions across Thane to offer shade to motorists and pedestrians waiting at signals and intersections. Drinking water facilities at public spots are also being installed, with special focus on heat-prone areas such as Mumbra and the Wagle Estate ward. Auto and taxi unions, labour and industrial associations, and NGOs are also being roped in for heatwave preparedness,” informed an official.Meanwhile, the contrast between allowing trees to be displaced and introducing such methods drew sharp criticism from activists. “Stripping stretches like Ghodbunder of their green cover and expecting residents to benefit from measures like green nets and water fountains is laughable,” said activist Rohit Joshi.It may be recalled that the Thane tree authority allowed the displacement of thousands of trees within the city for constructing various infra projects like Metro 4, internal metro, new civic HQ, freeway extension, and the Borivli tunnel project, among others.

NEW DELHI: Gautam Gambhir has finally addressed the long-running jokes about his serious expressions in the dugout, saying the pressure of representing India in major tournaments leaves little room for smiles — even in moments of celebration.The Indian head coach was reacting to a playful message from former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni after India’s triumph in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Dhoni congratulated the team on social media and humorously told Gambhir that a smile suits him.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“History gets created at Ahmedabad… big congratulations to the team and support staff and to all the fans of the Indian team worldwide. Coach Sahab smile looks great on u, intensity with smile is a killer combo,” Dhoni wrote in an Instagram post following the victory.

Responding to the message, Gambhir said he appreciated the gesture but explained that the intense pressure during global tournaments makes it difficult for players and staff to openly express emotions.

“It’s very difficult to be in a situation where people have not been. But good on him that he posted on that,” Gambhir told ANI. “When you’re in a dugout, there is so much at stake. There is always so much expectation from the Indian team that even if you want to laugh, you can’t laugh, especially in a tournament like the World Cup.”He added that the expectations surrounding Indian cricket are enormous and losing, even though part of sport, is often treated as unacceptable.“In India, unfortunately, losing is not an option — but it can happen. If losing was not an option, then India would have won all the World Cups. But that doesn’t happen,” he said.India’s emphatic 96-run win over New Zealand in the final sealed a historic title defence, making the India the first side to win the T20 World Cup on home soil and the first to lift the trophy three times.