Mumbai: Food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal said on Saturday that LPG supplies may dry up in the next three months in the backdrop of the US-Iran war and there should be an increased focus on switching to piped natural gas (PNG).“We have had a discussion in Delhi with the food and civil supplies minister and petroleum minister. PNG is cheaper and should be used as much as possible. According to their circular, it’s possible that LPG supplies will stop in the next three months. By then, people should apply for PNG connections where it is possible,” said Bhujbal.He said in urban areas, where piped gas is available in municipal areas, it should be made mandatory. “In municipalities where PNG is available, it should be made mandatory for the occupation certificate. Like water supply connections are required before occupation certificates are given,” said Bhujbal. He also said permissions should be speeded up for laying new PNG lines. “Permissions are required from an adjoining building which has a PNG connection. They often resist this because they fear their own supply will reduce. Such permissions should be done away with,” he said.

Mumbai: State-run Cama Hospital, near CST, will start a genetic counselling department on April 1 to focus on diagnosis, counselling and management of genetic or inherited disorders.“The department will also aim to provide specialised and advanced care to patients,” said Cama Hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Tushar Palve. Genetic counselling involves guiding individuals and families about inherited diseases, understanding the risk of passing these conditions to the next generation, and helping them make informed medical and reproductive decisions. “The department will help in diagnosing a range of genetic disorders such as down syndrome, thalassemia, sickle cell anaemia, and other chromosomal and inherited conditions. It will also play a key role in early detection of abnormalities during pregnancy and in identifying genetic conditions in newborns,” he added.

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh high court, Gwalior bench has quashed the charges of ‘unnatural sex’ against a married man from Bhind district in a case filed by his wife observing that such allegations cannot be prosecuted within a valid marriage under the existing legal framework.Hearing a petition seeking quashing of FIR and charges, Justice Milind Ramesh Phadke observed that even if the allegations of forced “unnatural acts” made by the complainant are accepted at face value, they pertain to acts within a marital relationship and therefore do not constitute an offence under Section 377 IPC.The court explained that after the 2013 amendment, the definition of rape under Section 375 IPC has been significantly expanded to include various forms of sexual acts, including oral and anal penetration. However, it also pointed to the continuing exception in law which states that “sexual intercourse or sexual acts by a man with his own wife… is not rape.”In this backdrop, the court held that the legal position is clear that such acts, when alleged between husband and wife, cannot be brought under Section 377 IPC. “Such allegations would not constitute an offence under Section 377 IPC,” the court ruled while quashing the charge against the husband.At the same time, the court refused to interfere with the remaining charges, including cruelty for dowry, assault and criminal intimidation, noting that these are supported by material on record and must be examined during trial.The order comes amid a growing pattern in the Gwalior-Chambal region, where Section 377 IPC is increasingly being invoked in matrimonial disputes alongside dowry and cruelty charges.

Officials say the section is often added to strengthen the case and increase legal pressure, though courts have repeatedly tested its applicability in the context of marital relationships.

Mumbai: The CSMI airport commissionerate, Mumbai customs cone-III authorities have destroyed a total of 1,010.8 kgs of NDPS drugs valued at around Rs 1,079 crore during the financial year 2025-26. The last lot in this destruction drive was carried out on March 27 where over 376 kg narcotic substances were disposed of. The exercise underscores the firm resolve of customs department to prevent illicit drugs from re-entering society.

Mumbai: Police have booked a 20-year-old man and his accomplice for allegedly abusing and assaulting a college girl and her fiance in Wadala on Thursday afternoon.The complainant told police that Ayan Pandlekar was stalking her for some time and on Thursday he followed her again. She then called up her fiance and informed him about it. When her fiance, Sultan, arrived, the accused along with his associate allegedly assaulted Sultan. Later, the accused again allegedly assaulted Sultan at a different location in the area and allegedly sexually harassed the complainant who later filed a complaint.

Mumbai: The Bandra police registered a case against nine individuals for fighting at the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL) toll plaza around Friday midnight. The accused included six toll plaza staff members, a taxi driver and his two associates. A video of the incident went viral. Police said the altercation broke out over honking. They booked the accused under the BNS section for affray.Police said that around midnight, a taxi driver waiting in a queue at the BWSL toll plaza continuously honked. The fight broke out when a toll plaza staff member confronted him and used abusive language.Police said the situation escalated when the taxi driver called two of his associates to the spot. A physical fight broke out between the toll staff and the taxi driver, along with his associates. Two people sustained injuries and were taken to Bhabha Hospital in Bandra West for treatment.Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said a car driver was allegedly thrashed by toll naka employees following a dispute at the Bandra exit of the sea link. The incident caused a brief commotion at the toll plaza and disrupted traffic for nearly 10 minutes before the situation was brought under control.

Mumbai: The BMC will conduct ‘Vruksha Sanjeevani’ campaign for the conservation of trees at public places from April 1 to 30. Under this campaign, measures such as removing cement-concrete accumulated around trees and replacing it with loose red soil, removing nails hammered into tree trunks, advertisement boards, ropes and cables, as well as pruning branches that obstruct pedestrians are undertaken. There are a total of 29,75,283 trees in BMC area.

Navi Mumbai: A trekker from Thane who slipped from a cliff and fell 100 feet down, was rescued by locals in a four-hour long operation. Srikanta Sahu (27) started his journey from Dadar by walking a few days ago, but stayed at the Khandas village, Karjat on Thursday. Sahu, while searching for pathways amidst the forest had accidentally fallen, sustaining injury. With only 2% battery left, he sent a screenshot of his location to a family member. A farmhouse owner, Nivrutti Enkar, led a nine-member search and rescue operation team responding to alerts from the victim’s family. They tracked Sahu and brought him back to the village and provided water and food. The Karjat police were alerted. “He took a rest here on Friday night and returned to his native village on Saturday morning,” said Enkar.