Mumbai: A long-pending demand by residents for a full-fledged fire station in Andheri West has finally moved towards resolution. For, BMC has initiated steps to secure a plot reserved for the project.In a March 17 communication, the K-West ward’s building proposal department issued a reminder to the private owner of the plot in Ambivli village to hand over the land reserved for a fire brigade in the development plan. The civic body has also asked the project architect to submit the proposal, along with a bank guarantee, to ensure construction of the fire station within 18 months of approval. The letter states that despite a notice issued on March 6, there has been no compliance from the owner. BMC has now set a final seven-day deadline, failing which it warned of escalating the matter to the collector (Mumbai suburban district) to take possession of the reserved land as per due process. The move came amid growing concerns over lack of fire preparedness in Andheri West, a densely populated suburb. While there is a reservation for a fire brigade on a portion of Chitrakoot grounds, the facility has not been developed so far. In case of a fire in the area, fire tenders have to be dispatched from Goregaon or Vile Parle or Marol, causing inordinate delays. Dhaval Shah, a Lokandwala resident, said almost a fire in the area “almost every month”. Amid the BMC action, a fire broke out on the ninth floor of a 22-storey residential building, Meghdoot, in Andheri West on Tuesday. No injuries were reported. First-time corporator Rupesh Savarkar, who has been following up on the issue of an independent fire station in Andheri West, said he had written to the BMC chief last month. “It has come to our notice that the reserved plot is currently being used illegally for purposes, such as a marriage hall, turf activities and shooting studios. Strict and immediate action should be taken against such unauthorised use. A modern, fully equipped fire station on the plot will significantly enhance emergency response capacity and ensure the safety of residents in the entire locality.”

Thane: A magistrate court on Tuesday granted bail to CoinDCX co-founders Sumit Gupta and Neeraj Khandelwal in a Rs 71.6 lakh cheating case registered at Mumbra police station, observing that no prima facie case was made out against them and that the complainant was cheated by others posing as the cryptocurrency firm’s promoters.Judicial Magistrate (First Class) N B Rathod ordered their release on a personal recognisance (PR) bond of Rs 50,000 each. The co-founders were arrested from Bengaluru last week and were initially remanded to police custody before being sent to judicial custody. Their bail plea was heard after the complainant submitted an affidavit stating that he had recovered the cheated amount from another accused and no longer had any grievance. The court recorded that the investigating officer had no objection to bail and acknowledged that the accused were not present in Mumbra at the time of the alleged offence. It further noted that “some other person, by representing as accused, cheated the informant”, a fact also admitted by the complainant.Questions are now being raised over the manner in which the Mumbra police handled the case. In its official statement, CoinDCX said holding legitimate institutions accountable for actions carried out by bad actors misusing their identity risks setting a damaging precedent for the broader financial ecosystem. CoinDCX said the company and its leadership had no involvement in the fraud and were themselves victims of impersonation. The magistrate’s order referred to documents including proceedings before the Delhi high court, indicating that the company itself has initiated action against unknown persons carrying out fraudulent activities in its name.The FIR names six accused, of whom four remain wanted. The complainant alleged he was lured with promises of high returns through a purported cryptocurrency franchise linked to CoinDCX.

Kalyan: A dispute between two neighbours over cleaning of a drainage chamber escalated into violence after a pet dog was allegedly set upon one of the warring parties, leaving two persons injured, at a housing society in Dombivli.The incident took place at Lodha Heaven society, where members of the Yogi family were cleaning a chamber located behind their residence with the help of two workers. Their neighbours — Santosh Tiwari, Anuradha Tiwari and Kritika Tiwari — objected to the cleaning, triggering a heated argument. Police said the verbal spat soon turned violent, with the Tiwari family allegedly assaulting members of the Yogi family. Amid the altercation, they allegedly unleashed their pet dog on the Yogis. The workers present at the spot fled in panic.The dog reportedly bit Manoj Yogi and his son, leaving both injured. Manoj underwent treatment at a hospital for three days, said officials. Based on a complaint filed by the Yogi family on Monday, the Manpada police have registered a case against three members of the Tiwari family and initiated further probe. Anju Manoj Yogi, wife of the complainant and the building secretary, alleged that the dispute stemmed from a long-standing issue. “The Tiwari family has encroached upon society space, and there have been frequent arguments on this over the past few years. On the day of the incident, they started the fight and assaulted us before setting their dog on us,” she said.Sandipan Shinde, senior police inspector of Manpada police station said, “An offence has been registered against three members of the Tiwari family, but no arrest has been made as yet.”

Mumbai: Forest minister Ganesh Naik said the incident of attacks on monkeys in Thane’s Upvan will be investigated and action will be taken. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday took up the issue of the bonnet macaques shot with arrows in Thane’s Upvan area by unknown persons in the region. Aaditya demanded strict action on poachers and those who indulge in such acts. The state forest department has lodged a preliminary offence report against an unknown person under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, since bonnet macaques are highly protected under Schedule 1. He also raised the issue of the SGNP master plan which was recently approved but said that public or elected representatives consultation hasn’t formally been accounted for. “One doubts if this is to regularise the illegal bungalows of ministers in the forest,” said Aaditya.Aaditya also took up the issue of the inauguration of Gorai Mangrove Park, saying the park has been ready for the past six months, and yet not opened for the citizens. Naik said the park will be opened soon.