Mumbai Police have intensified their crackdown on illegal hawkers with support from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The department has now also initiated action against its own personnel, suspending a policeman for failing to act against hawkers while on duty. Churchgate subway action Assistant Police Inspector Narayan Siddhappa Anand, attached to Azad Maidan police station, was suspended after allegedly failing to take action against illegal hawkers outside the Churchgate subway area on January 27. The Churchgate subway remains hawker-free following an anti-encroachment drive. Pic/Atul Kamble A police source said Anand was deployed outside Churchgate station between 7 pm and 9 pm, when several hawkers were operating in the subway area. Despite being instructed by senior officers to act against unauthorised vendors, he allegedly failed to take action. Following an internal inquiry, Anand was served a suspension notice, the source added. Impact of enforcement Clear pedestrian movement seen as the area around Churchgate station remains hawker-free on Thursday. Pics/Atul Kamble Following the suspension, authorities claim the Churchgate subway area has largely become hawker-free. When mid-day visited the location on Thursday, no hawkers were seen operating in the area. “We are taking strict action against illegal hawkers and registering FIRs where necessary. The entire area has been cleared, and regular drives are being conducted to prevent their return,” a police officer said. Action in Dadar East On Thursday, Bhoiwada police assisted the BMC in clearing illegal hawkers from MMGS Road outside Dadar East railway station following complaints from residents and commuters. “We provided security support to BMC teams during the eviction drive. The entire stretch has been cleared, and pedestrian movement has improved significantly,” an officer said. Commuters speak Police and civic staff remove hawkers from footpaths during an eviction drive to ease pedestrian movement in Dadar East. Pics/By Special Arrangement Dilip Dave, a Ghatkopar resident, said hawkers regularly block the walking space near Churchgate. “I travel daily to Churchgate and CSMT for work. The subway is usually overcrowded with hawkers, leaving barely any space to walk. Authorities must ensure such action continues, as vendors often return within days,” he said. Milind Suryawanshi, who travels from Churchgate to Andheri, echoed similar concerns. “There is hardly any space to walk. Hawkers occupy footpaths and even the subway area. Such drives are usually temporary. Vendors return within hours,” he said. Om Pandey, a law student who travels between Churchgate and Virar, said the subway often resembles a marketplace. “Hawkers sell clothes, toys, books and bags, while loudly calling customers. They leave just one narrow lane for pedestrians, which becomes chaotic,” he said. Advocate Sunil Pandey from Colaba said stricter and regular enforcement is necessary. “Lakhs of commuters use the suburban rail network daily. Municipal authorities and police must conduct sustained action to ensure safe pedestrian access,” he said. mid-day tried to contact Senior PI Shrikant Adate, but he was unavailable for comment.
06 February,2026 11:43 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaA male leopard that was rescued from a human settlement in Bhayander near Mumbai last month and later released into Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) was found dead in the Yeoor Forest area after a mortality signal was received from its satellite collar, forest officials said. Acting on the alert on Monday evening, officers and staff of the forest department, along with a team led by Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India’s Niket Surve, rushed to the Nagla zone of the Yeoor Forest area, where the leopard’s carcass was located. A panchnama was conducted at the site, and officials said the animal’s claws, canines and other vital organs were intact. Due to inadequate natural light, a post-mortem examination could not be conducted on Monday night. On Tuesday morning, SGNP veterinary officer Dr Nikhil Bangar, along with Dr Prashant Gadhave from the Mumbai Veterinary College, carried out the autopsy as per protocol. Samples have been sent for medical and technical examination, and the exact cause of death will be ascertained after the reports are received, officials said. The leopard had been rescued from Bhayander on December 19, 2025, and was kept under the supervision of the deputy director (south) and a veterinary officer of SGNP, Borivali, using the facilities available in the area. A committee formed to decide on the animal’s release met on December 22, 2025, and resolved to release it into its natural habitat after fitting it with a satellite collar. The decision was taken under the guidance of the chief conservator of forests (wildlife), western region, Mumbai, and the conservator of forests and director, SGNP. Leopard hunted dog, showed healthy signs before being found dead in Yeoor range in Thane Following a medical examination and certification, the leopard was released into the designated area of SGNP on December 25, 2026, at 9.25 pm. Officials said the animal was healthy and agile at the time of release, and the satellite collar was in working condition. Post-release monitoring was carried out by the SGNP wildlife rescue team, officers and staff from the Borivali and Yeoor Forest areas, and WCS representatives. Between December 25 and 30, the leopard was observed moving within the designated Sasunavghar area in Naigaon near Mumbai, with satellite collar data confirming that it remained within forest limits. According to forest officials, the leopard, which was released in the Nagla area of the Yeoor Forest range, was found to have hunted a dog in a cave area on December 31. The animal continued to remain in the release zone thereafter, and on January 5, 2026, its presence was confirmed through pugmarks and faecal matter. Camera trap footage and satellite collar data indicated that the leopard was physically healthy during this period.
06 February,2026 10:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavMumbai weather is expected to be in hazy conditions during the morning hours on Friday, with visibility likely to improve as the day progresses. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the sky will remain mainly clear from the afternoon through the evening, allowing temperatures to rise steadily. The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 34 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature is expected to be around 19 degrees Celsius, indicating warm daytime conditions with relatively cooler early mornings. The combination of morning haze and clear skies later in the day is typical of the ongoing winter transition period, with no significant change in weather conditions anticipated over the next 24 hours. Data from the Sameer app indicated that the overall air quality index (AQI) in Mumbai stood at 118 on Friday, placing it in the ‘moderate’ category. Pollution levels varied significantly across locations, with Bandra-Kurla Complex recording an AQI of 133, Borivali East 78, Byculla 126, Andheri East 152, Chembur 107, Colaba 106, and Kandivali West 128. Ghatkopar registered an AQI of 129, Kandivali East 116, Malad West 148, and Mazgaon 127, Mumbai is likely to witness moderate air quality across the city today, with hazy conditions during the morning hours. Skies are expected to gradually clear by the evening, bringing improved visibility later in the day. Air quality improves slightly in Delhi with AQI remaining 'poor' The air quality in Delhi improved slightly on Friday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 226 at 8 AM, remaining in the poor category, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. While the air quality improved from Thursday, when it was recorded at 241, several areas of the national capital remained in the 'poor' category and were blanketed by a thin layer of fog this morning. Meanwhile, numerous areas also witnessed considerable improvement in air quality, with AQI in the 'moderate' category. As per AQI classification, a reading between 0 and 50 is 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 401 to 500 'severe'. Despite this improvement, a thin layer of smog persists in parts of the city, and overall air quality remains poor. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded Delhi's temperature to be at 9.4 degree celsius. There has been a rise in the minimum temperature up to 1-2degC and no large change in the maximum temperature during the past 24 hours. (Inputs from ANI)
06 February,2026 10:21 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe LT Marg police in South Mumbai have arrested a 19-year-old man for allegedly impersonating a Mumbai-based gold merchant on WhatsApp and attempting to cheat another trader of Rs 25 lakh. According to the police, the complainant, Lalit Kumar Jagawat, 61, who runs a bullion business in south Mumbai, was alerted on February 3 by a fellow gold trader from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, that he had received a call from an unknown person seeking R25 lakh in Jagawat’s name, claiming that the money was urgently required in Mumbai. Police said the caller had used Jagawat’s name and business display picture on WhatsApp to appear genuine. Smelling a rat, Jagawat clarified immediately that he had made no such request. The traders then coordinated to expose the impersonator to prevent any financial loss to others. As part of the plan, Jagawat instructed the Rajasthan-based trader to direct the caller to collect the money from a jewellery shop located in south Mumbai’s Zaveri Bazaar area. Jagawat simultaneously alerted staff at the shop, and kept local police informed as well. Later that evening, the suspect arrived at the designated shop to collect the cash. He was detained on the spot and subsequently handed over to the LT Marg police. The accused has been identified as Navneet Udaysingh, a resident of Kalbadevi. During preliminary questioning, the accused alleged that he had been sent by other individuals whose identities are still being verified. Police said no money was exchanged during the incident. An FIR has been registered under the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for impersonation and attempted cheating. The police suspect involvement of a larger gang, as this was not the first instance of businessmen being contacted using the complainant’s identity.
06 February,2026 09:07 AM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya IyerBJP corporator Sujata Suraj Patil was elected mayor of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) on Thursday, while Dashrath Sitaram Bhagat was picked as her deputy. The election outcome was formally announced by Thane Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Ranjit Yadav, who served as the presiding officer for the mayoral polls. Patil and Bhagat were felicitated after the declaration. The proceedings began with Municipal Secretary Sanghratna Khillare welcoming the presiding officer. For the mayor’s post, Shiv Sena corporator Saroj Rohidas Patil withdrew her nomination, clearing the way for Sujata Patil’s unchallenged election. Similarly, Shiv Sena candidate Aakash Balkrishna Madhvi pulled out of the deputy mayor’s race. Sujata Patil and Dashrath Bhagat celebrate their win. Pics/By Special Arrangement Dr Kailas Shinde, chief of the 111-seat NMMC, congratulated the newly elected mayor and her deputy by presenting bouquets. Additional Commissioners Sunil Pawar and Dr Rahul Gethe, former MP Sanjeev Naik, former MLA Sandeep Naik, senior civic officials and other dignitaries were present during the proceedings. mid-day posed a few questions to both leaders. Excerpts from the interviews: Sujata Patil, NMMC mayor You have been elected mayor unopposed. How do you view this responsibility?I see this not as a victory but as a huge responsibility. I will work with sincerity and discipline, taking guidance from seniors and eliciting cooperation from all corporators to serve Navi Mumbai. What are your priorities as mayor?Cleanliness, health services, education, environment and traffic planning will be my key focus areas. Providing basic civic facilities to common citizens will remain my priority.As a woman mayor, what is your message?My journey from a homemaker to mayor reflects women’s growing role in public life. I have a Master’s degree in commerce and have been involved in social work and politics for the past 10 years. I will work sensitively for women’s safety and dignity, and inclusive development of the city. Dashrath Bhagat, NMMC deputy mayor What does this victory mean for you?It is a big opportunity and responsibility. I thank all members for their support and will work honestly for the city’s development. What role do you see for yourself in Navi Mumbai’s growth story?Navi Mumbai is known nationwide for its planned development. I will make sincere efforts to contribute to its faster and balanced growth by working with all stakeholders. What assurances would you like to give citizens?Development work will be carried out by taking everyone along. I will focus on issues faced by citizens and ensure their expectations are addressed.
06 February,2026 09:03 AM IST | Mumbai | Amarjeet SinghA routine birdwatching walk turned into a rare wildlife moment on January 24 at TS Chanakya (Indian Maritime University Navi Mumbai), when a birder spotted an albino male curlew sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea) — believed to be the first recorded sighting of its kind in the area. Naturalist and experienced birder Sachin Rane, founder of the Naturalist Foundation, told mid-day that he was guiding clients when the group first noticed redshanks and curlew sandpipers resting together. “As we moved closer to observe the flock, we briefly spotted a greater painted snipe among them, which is also the first-ever sighting of the species at TS Chanakya,” said Rane. He added that the group then crossed to the opposite side to try and photograph the painted snipe and waited for it to reappear. “After a long wait with no further sighting, we shifted our focus back to photographing the redshanks and curlew sandpipers. That’s when we noticed an exceptionally rare bird, an albino curlew sandpiper, within the flock,” he said. Rane explained that while true albino curlew sandpipers are extremely rare, birders more commonly encounter leucistic individuals that appear white. “This sighting turned out to be even rarer than the painted snipe we had initially gone looking for, making it a truly memorable outing for everyone present,” he added.
06 February,2026 09:01 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavA village with a population of 1600 in Nanded district has seen more than 15,000 birth and death entries in the Central Civil Registration System (CRS) portal in 2025, prompting several leaders, including BJP’s former MP Kirit Somaiya, to seek a detailed probe. Savaleshwar in Kandhar tehsil here saw the recording of 15,570 delayed birth and death registrations in 2025 under the ‘Add Old Event’ category, despite a population of 1666 as per the 2011 Census, its gram sevika Bhavana Kawale said on Thursday. “I have registered only one birth entry, that too on the tehsildar’s orders. The remaining entries appear suspicious. A police complaint is being filed and an inquiry is underway,” Kawale added. Somaiya, who visited Nanded during the day, told reporters this was a “new scam”, adding that the website may have been hacked. “Such fraud has been detected in six locations across Uttar Pradesh and four in Maharashtra. Certificates ranging from 6000 to 25,000 were issued within six months, far exceeding the local population. There may be involvement of a large gang from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. A comprehensive probe must be carried out,” he said. Somaiya said he has submitted a memorandum to the Nanded District Health Officer, Zilla Parishad CEO, and Kandhar Block Development Officer demanding a detailed investigation into such incidents, including at Savaleshwar. Similar suspicious cases have also been reported from Sendur, Sani and Bhavani villages in Yavatmal district, and Ratale in Jalgaon district, raising concerns about a possible wider network, officials said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 February,2026 08:51 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesThermal drone technology has offered a rare glimpse into the nocturnal behaviour of a tigress in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR), capturing footage that would otherwise remain unseen. A thermal drone deployed to monitor radio-collared tigress Tara recorded her separating the carcass of a kill before feeding during night hours — a behaviour seldom seen in the wild. Forest officials said such observations are possible only due to advanced night-monitoring technology. Field Director of STR Tushar Chavan said, “With the help of researchers, we are closely monitoring radio-collared tigress Tara. While the collar provides detailed information on her movement patterns, we are also using advanced thermal drones to track her activity during night hours. The technology has helped us document rare behaviour, including the tigress tigress segregating her prey after a kill before feeding. Such inputs highlight the importance of new technologies like thermal drones in strengthening night-time wildlife monitoring.” Thermal drone image shows Tara Tigress Tara was relocated from the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve to STR on December 9, 2025, under the Maharashtra Forest Department’s long-term conservation programme. She was radio-collared and released into the core forest area on December 13 after the gates of the soft-release enclosure were opened at 7 am. Officials said the tigress initially stayed within the enclosure, displaying natural wild behaviour by making a successful kill and feeding on it for nearly three days. By December 18, Tara began exploring her new habitat and settled on the Sonarli plateau. The following day, she moved towards the Chandoli dam backwaters and, on December 19 at around 6 pm, swam across the dam to reach the Jolambi plateau. Spread across Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, and Ratnagiri districts, the reserve is an important part of the corridor connecting Tilari, Radhanagari, Chandoli, Koyna, and Kali Tiger Reserves in Karnataka. Officials estimate that around 32 tigers use this corridor, with 14 currently in the Sahyadri region of western Maharashtra. The Maharashtra forest department plans to reintroduce more tigers into the landscape and is also working to boost prey populations by increasing herbivore species such as sambar and chital.
06 February,2026 08:47 AM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavResearchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), in collaboration with Melbourne-based Monash University, have developed a simpler and gentler method to recover lab-grown immune cells used in T-cell-based cancer therapies. A team from the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering at IIT Bombay, led by Prof Prakriti Tayalia, developed a new method to gently recover T-cells after growing them in the laboratory, the institute said in a release. The study was carried out in collaboration with Prof Neil Cameron of Monash University. Immunotherapy, which involves boosting the body’s own immune system to recognise and destroy cancer cells, has shown promising results in cancer treatment. In immunotherapies such as CAR T-cell therapy, doctors take T-cells (a type of immune cell) from a patient’s blood and modify them in the laboratory so they can better recognise and attack cancer cells. These modified cells are then grown in large numbers and infused back into the patient’s bloodstream to help fight cancer. A key requirement for T-cell-based immunotherapy is an ample supply of healthy, active T-cells. These cells, grown outside the body, must be collected gently so that they remain alive and functional when returned to the patient. Finding safe and efficient ways to grow T-cells and retrieve them is, therefore, an important part of making these therapies work. Prof Tayalia and her team worked with a specific type of scaffold made using a process called electrospinning. Earlier studies by the team and other research groups have shown that T-cells grown on such scaffolds become more active and multiply faster. However, as T-cells move deep into the spaces between the fibres, they become difficult to remove. For any therapy, cells must be collected, tested and finally delivered to patients, and if too many cells remain trapped in the scaffold, the process becomes inefficient. “Cell recovery sounds simple on paper, but in practice it turns out to be one of the biggest challenges,” said Prof Tayalia, adding that without enough healthy cells, they cannot be tested properly for the therapy. To address this problem, the team grew Jurkat T-cells (a human cell line grown and used in the laboratory to study T-cell biology, cancer and HIV) inside electrospun scaffolds made from a material called polycaprolactone. The researchers observed that the cells actively moved into the scaffold and became tightly lodged between the fibres. Even strong flushing with a pipette using the growth medium could not remove all the cells, especially those stuck at fibre junctions. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 February,2026 08:36 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesMaharashtra minister Ashish Jaiswal has urged the forest department to allow non-vegetarian food in rest houses across reserved forests, sanctuaries, and tiger reserves, arguing the ban was driving tourists to private hotels and affecting forest revenue. Jaiswal, the minister of state for finance and planning, wrote to the office of the state forest minister Ganesh Naik last year in which he argued that while the ban on liquor consumption at the state forest department's facilities may continue, the ban on non-vegetarian food should be lifted as it is “not appropriate” and is causing financial losses to the department. Additional Principal Chief Conservator (administration) Rishikesh Ranjan, in a letter written on January 27 to various regional offices of the forest department and tiger projects, has sought their views on the issue. Some forest officials, however, have opposed it, saying such facilities lie in ecologically sensitive areas and allowing non-vegetarian food there would undermine wildlife conservation. Opposing the proposal, a retired divisional forest officer said that restarting non-vegetarian food would amount to neglecting wildlife conservation and protection, noting that such facilities are located in ecologically sensitive areas. As per a policy decision made over a decade ago, consumption of non-vegetarian food and liquor was banned in rest houses in forest areas, and the decision was subsequently incorporated into a government order. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 February,2026 08:32 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesIn the filmmaker Rohit Shetty firing incident, the investigation officers have found that the main accused — Shubham Lonkar — was using the ‘Signal’ application to chat with the shooters. The ‘Signal’ application is used for private chats, as per police officials. A police officer said, “We found that the accused were using the Signal app to chat with each other, and after the firing, all deleted the app from their phones. With this app, they were also in touch with the main accused — Lonkar, a gang member of the Bishnoi gang. We are retrieving all the chats and taking help from the cyber experts.” Filmmaker Rohit Shetty. FILE PIC/ASHISH RAJE The Mumbai Police have intensified their probe into the firing incident outside filmmaker Shetty’s residence, with the Crime Branch’s Anti-Extortion Cell arresting another accused linked to the supply of the weapon used in the attack. The Anti-Extortion Cell also recovered a revolver, three magazines, and one airgun from Lonkar’s house in Pune while arresting one more accused identified as Aasaram Shrirang Fasle, 42, a resident of Malwadi in Pune. Police have so far arrested five people in the case. Aditya Gayaki, Siddharth Yenpure, Samarth Pomaji, and Swapnil Sakat were arrested on Sunday. The fifth accused, Asaram Fasale, was taken into custody on Thursday. Officials said that all five accused were produced before the Esplanade court (Killa court) on Thursday, and they were remanded in police custody until February 11. The firing incident took place around 12.45 am on Sunday at Shetty’s nine-storey residential building in Mumbai’s Juhu area.
06 February,2026 08:28 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaADVERTISEMENT
-1770352312335_d.png "Skies are expected to gradually clear by the evening, bringing improved visibility later in the day. File Pic")
