Page 44 - Mumbai

ED conducts raids in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Nagpur in Rs 20K-cr bank fraud case

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday searched about 35 premises in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and Nagpur as part of a money laundering probe against a company and its promoters accused of perpetrating an alleged bank loan fraud of more than Rs 20,000 crore, official sources said. The raids are being carried out on the Amtek Group and its directors, including Arvind Dham, Gautam Malhotra and others. About 35 business and residential premises in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Mumbai and Nagpur are being raided since this morning, the sources said. The probe stems from a CBI FIR against a group entity of Amtek-- ACIL Limited-- on allegations of a bank fraud of more than Rs 20,000 crore in a number of listed companies which were finally taken over in NCLT proceedings at nominal price leaving the consortium of banks with nominal recovery, they said. The Supreme Court too had sought an ED probe, the sources said. This, as per the ED, led to a loss of about Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000 crore to the exchequer,

Now, dead frog found in packet of chips in Jamnagar; probe ordered

The civic authority here ordered an inquiry on Wednesday after a dead frog was allegedly found in a packet of potato wafers. The complaint came days after a Mumbai resident claimed to have found a piece of human finger in the ice cream he had ordered online. Samples of the production batch of the wafer packet will be collected as part of the probe, said an official of the Jamnagar Municipal Corporation. "One Jasmin Patel informed us that a dead frog was found in a packet of Crunchex, manufactured by Balaji Wafers. We visited the shop from where it had been purchased last night. Preliminary probe suggested it was indeed a frog in a decomposed state," food safety officer D B Parmar told reporters. "As directed by the municipal commissioner, we will collect samples of this batch of wafer packets to conduct an inquiry," he added. Patel, a resident of Pushkar Dham society, claimed that his four-year-old niece bought the packet from a nearby shop on Tuesday evening. She and his ...

Monsoon gathering pace in Maharashtra, to progress by June 21-22: IMD

The south-west monsoon, which has slowed down after hitting Mumbai, is gathering pace and is expected to progress further by June 21-22, an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday. The progress of the monsoon will provide a much-needed relief to north India, which is reeling under an intense heatwave. "Monsoon activity was weak after it hit Mumbai, but it is slowly turning moderate. It will strengthen by June 21-22 and coastal Maharashtra is likely to receive good rainfall. Central Maharashtra, including Marathwada, will receive light to moderate rainfall during this time," Sunil Kamble, Head of the Regional Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai, said. Several parts of Mumbai received showers on Wednesday morning, but it was insufficient to give respite from oppressive heat. Monsoon arrived in Mumbai on June 9, two days ahead of its normal schedule. Since then it made little progress and it is yet to cover parts of northern Maharashtra and ...

BLS E-Services to acquire 55% stake in Aadifidelis Solution for Rs 190 cr

Visa services provider BLS International on Tuesday said its subsidiary BLS E-Services Limited (BLSE) has signed an agreement to acquire 55 per cent in Aadifidelis Solutions and its affiliates for an enterprise value of about Rs 190 crore. BLSE has entered into a definitive Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) to acquire the controlling interest in Aadifidelis Solutions (ASPL) and its affiliates, a major player in India in the distribution and processing of loans for corporates and individuals. BLSE will make an upfront investment (primary and secondary) of about Rs 71 crore with balance consideration being deferred linked to the achievement of milestones in 2024-25, BLS said in a release. The acquisition will be an all-cash deal. The transaction will be completed in the second quarter of the fiscal. Shikhar Aggarwal, Joint Managing Director of BLS International Services said that the signing of a definitive agreement with ASPL is a strategic move that will unveil a plethora of ...

This city in India has been ranked the most expensive for expats in 2024

The 2024 Mercer's Cost of Living survey assessed 226 cities based on the cost of more than 200 items, including transportation, food, clothing, entertainment

Mumbai poll official refutes news on mobile phone-EVM link, calls it false

A poll official on Sunday said an EVM was a standalone system that does not need an OTP to unlock it. Vandana Suryavanshi, returning officer of Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency, was reacting to a report in Mid-day newspaper about a kin of Ravindra Waikar, the Shiv Sena candidate who emerged victorious there by a wafer thin margin of 48 votes, using a mobile phone connected to an EVM during vote counting on June 4. "The EVM is a standalone system and there is no need for an OTP to unlock it. We have issued notice to Mod-day newspaper under sections 499, 505 of the Indian Penal Code for defamation and spreading false news," Suryavanshi said in a press conference on Sunday. Mangesh Pandilkar, brother-in-law of Waikar was booked on Wednesday for allegedly using a mobile phone at a counting centre on June 4, when results of the general elections were announced, a police official said on Saturday. The Vanrai police station official said the case was registered for Pandlikar's his

Genuine introspection, strategy needed to revive BJP's fortunes: Fadnavis

In the wake of the BJP's Lok Sabha tally coming down from 23 to 9 in Maharashtra, senior party leader and state Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday stressed the need for genuine introspection and a strategy to revive the saffron outfit's fortunes. Addressing a meeting of the party aimed at taking stock of the results of the Lok Sabha elections, Fadnavis claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost several seats due to polarisation. "We require a strategy and genuine introspection. Just analysis is not enough," he said. "Heavens have not fallen. We got only two lakh votes less in the state, while in Mumbai we received two lakh more votes. BJP was ahead in 130 assembly segments. But there was tremendous polarisation," the former chief minister said. There was a false narrative that the BJP would change the Constitution if voted to power. This narrative was strong in the first three phases. But we countered this narrative well after the three phases. Hence, we ...

Mumbai Cricket body head Amol Kale dies of cardiac arrest in New York

Mumbai Cricket Association president Amol Kale has died of a cardiac arrest in New York after attending the T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan. On Sunday, Kale was present at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium to watch the game between the arch-rivals along with other MCA officials including secretary Ajinkya Naik and apex council member Suraj Samat. The 47-year-old Kale had become the MCA president after defeating former India and Mumbai cricketer Sandip Patil in the elections held in October 2022. During his tenure, the MCA had taken some vital decisions including the move to match the BCCI match fee for all its red-ball players for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

'Orange' alert in Mumbai as heavy rain predicted for next 24 hours. Updates

The maximum and minimum temperatures are predicted to be around 31 degrees Celsius and 24 degrees Celsius

Citroen inks MoU with CAB-EEZ Infra Tech to supply 2,000 units of e-C3 EVs

French carmaker Citroen on Monday said it will supply 2,000 units of its electric vehicle e-C3 to urban e-mobility player CAB-EEZ Infra Tech Pvt Ltd over the year. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), under which the first 100 units of e-C3 were flagged off, Citroen India said in a statement. This further augments 200 e-C3 units already part of the Cab-E fleet taking the total to over 300 units operating across Mumbai and Pune, it added. "Cab-E has been one of the early adopters of the e-C3. Their continued choice of this product is a validation of Citroen's proposition as a key player in promoting sustainable transportation solutions," Citroen India Brand Director, Shishir Mishra said. Cab-E Director & CEO Kuldip Ghosh said, "This partnership not only benefits stakeholders but also propels Cab-E to a leadership position in the electric urban mobility market." Citroen e-C3 offers a range of 320 kilometre (ARAI-certified) per single charge and can ...

Day after monsoon's arrival, IMD predicts moderate to heavy rains in Mumbai

A day after the onset of the southwest monsoon in Mumbai which led to widespread rains and water-logging in many parts of the city, the IMD has predicted thunderstorm with moderate to heavy showers here on Monday. Monsoon arrived in Mumbai on Sunday, two days ahead of the normal schedule, due to favourable conditions along the Maharashtra coast, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Following heavy rains on Sunday, there was water-logging in many areas like Byculla, Sion, Dadar, Mazgaon, Kurla, Vikhroli and Andheri, severely impacting vehicular movement and causing long traffic jams. Local train services, the city's lifeline, were also delayed as water accumulated on tracks at some locations, officials said. In the 24-hour period ending at 8 am on Monday, the island city recorded an average 99.11 mm rainfall, eastern parts of Mumbai registered 61.29 mm downpour and western areas 73.78 mm, an official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. The IMD

Mumbai's first Metro line completes 10 years, makes 1.1 million trips

Mumbai's first Metro line from Versova to Ghatkopar completed 10 years of operations on Saturday, having made 11 lakh trips with 99 per cent punctuality. The Mumbai Metro One, promoted by Reliance Infrastructure, was flagged off on June 8, 2014, marking the start of the Metro services in the city, which relied heavily on local trains. "We are extremely happy to reach the milestone of providing a delightful customer experience to 970 million commuters in the last 10 years of our journey. We appreciate the overwhelming affection provided to us by Mumbaikars, who helped us become a lifeline in the Versova- Andheri-Ghatkopar corridor," the Mumbai Metro One said in a statement. According to commuters, the Metro service not only reduced their travel time by half but has taken the load off the perennially crowded local trains in the metropolis and is an environment-friendly travel option. People should celebrate 10 years of Mumbai Metro. The service has made travel convenient and easy. It

ONGC seeks technical help to raise oil, gas output at Mumbai High field

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is seeking help from an internationally-proven technical service provider to raise oil and gas production from its flagship but old and maturing Mumbai field in the Arabian Sea. The firm has floated an international tender to identify the service provider who will help raise production from the field, ONGC said in a post on X. "The giant multi-layered Mumbai High field, which commenced production 48 years ago in 1976, is currently in its mature stage of production and ONGC has implemented a number of schemes in this field to improve production," it said. "As a custodian and operator of Mumbai High field, ONGC is keen to collaborate with a global technical service provider. The service provider would be contracted for 10 years, extendable by another five years." Mumbai High field lies 160 kilometres off the coast of Mumbai and produces about 38 per cent of India's oil production. While it hit a peak output of 40,000 barrels per day

Ghatkopar hoarding was installed on weak foundation, says report

A hoarding that collapsed in Mumbai last month claiming 17 lives was installed on a weak foundation, as per a report submitted by a technological institute to police, officials said on Thursday. While ideally any hoarding structure in the city should be able to withstand wind speeds of 158 kilometres per hour, the billboard that collapsed in Ghatkopar could withstand a wind speed of only 49 kmph, according to the report submitted on Wednesday. On the day of the incident, the wind speed was 87 kmph, an official said. As many as 17 persons died and 74 others were injured after the illegal hoarding, measuring 120 feet x 120 feet in size, crashed onto a nearby petrol pump during a dust storm and unseasonal rains here on May 13, as per officials. After the tragedy, the Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) asked the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) to find out reasons behind the hoarding crash. The institute on Wednesday submitted the report to the Mumbai crime branch,

LS poll results: In Mumbai ruling NDA gets a taste of voter 'intolerance'

Many feel they are willing to give Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a 'chance' to run the show; and several point out that they want someone to take care of their local issues

Maharashtra: BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT) leading in 11 seats, Cong ahead in 10

The BJP is leading in 11 seats, Shiv Sena in six and NCP in one seat in Maharashtra, while the Congress is ahead in 10, Shiv Sena (UBT) in 11 as per the latest trends of counting for 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) is leading in eight seats. Independent Vishal Patil, who rebelled against the Congress to contest from Sangli, had established a comfortable lead. Union ministers Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal were leading in the Nagpur and Mumbai North Lok Sabha seats, while their colleague Raosaheb Danve had a slender lead in Jalna. Union ministers Kapil Patil, Bharti Pawar and Narayan Rane were trailing in Bhiwandi, Dindori and Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg seats, respectively. Maharashtra Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar is trailing in Chandrapur. In Baramati, NCP (SP) candidate Supriya Sule, who is in a neck-to-neck fight with NCP's Sunetra Pawar, was leading by 5,770 votes. BJP's Udayanraje Bhosale was trailing in Satara. Shiv Sena is leading in six seats, whi

Fire Brigade serves notice on 17 malls in Mumbai for safety norm violations

The Mumbai Fire Brigade has served notices to 17 of 68 malls over the past one week after carrying out surprise inspections last month, a civic official said on Monday. A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation release said 48 of the 68 malls were found to be following fire safety norms during inspections held between May 26 and 30, while 17 malls have got notices for not adhering to these stipulations. The malls were inspected on the order of BMC commissioner Bhushan Gagrani following the massive fire in TRP Game Zone in Rajkot in neighbouring Gujarat on May 25, which resulted in the death of 28 persons, including children. "The 17 malls have been issued notices under the Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Protection Measures Act 2006. They have been given 30 days to rectify the identified deficiencies failing which they will face further action," it said. Meanwhile, the Mumbai Fire Brigade has declared as unsafe Malad West-based M/s The Mall, where a fire incident took place on ...

Day after 63-hour mega block, local train services hit on Central Railway

A day after a 63-hour mega block, Mumbaikars on Monday continued to bear the brunt of delayed local train services on the Central Railway, with the authorities attributing the disruptions to the new signalling system. The Central Railway undertook a 36-hour mega block over the weekend along with a 63-hour block for widening platforms at Thane station between Friday and Sunday. "A new signalling system has been installed at CSMT, featuring Electronic Interlocking (EI). The system is currently stabilising. Many problems can only be identified after the actual movement of trains. The technical teams are on the job and addressing these issues," Central Railway said in a post on "X". The Central Railway claimed trains were running late by 25 to 30 minutes. Commuters, however, said the services were affected between Dadar and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), mainly due to bunching of trains and delays. The commute from Thane to CSMT, usually under an hour, took more than two

Raveena Tandon, driver shoved by mob amid rash driving allegations

An altercation ensued when Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon's car allegedly hit a woman on the road, after which Tandon could be seen being shoved by the mob that gathered after the incident

Plot to harm Salman Khan: Mumbai cops arrest man from Haryana's Bhiwani

A man was arrested by Navi Mumbai police from Haryana in connection with a plot to attack actor Salman Khan, taking the number of persons held in the case to five, an official said on Sunday. He is allegedly a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldie Brar gangs, the official said. Earlier, the Panvel police had arrested four persons after getting a tip off in September-October last year about a conspiracy to harm the actor. The probe included infiltrating social media groups of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, police said. In an official release, Navi Mumbai police said Deepak Hawasingh Gogalia @ Jonny Walmiki (30) was arrested from Bhiwani in Haryana on Saturday. It said Gogalia had made accommodation arrangements for the other accused as well as providing logistical and vehicle support. Gogalia was in touch with the other accused through video calls, it added. The release said he was nabbed after Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 11), Panvel, Vivek Pansare sought the help of ...