A leopard that was earlier captured from a residential Bhayandar society in Mumbai, fitted with a radio-collar and later released into the wild, has been found dead, officials said on Thursday. The leopard had entered Parijat Society, a residential building in Bhayandar East of Thane district in Maharashtra was released back into the wild on December 25, 2025. Maharashtra Forest Department had on December, 19, 2025 safely rescued the leopard after it entered into a housing society and attacked multiple people. The animal was captured by rescue teams from Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and the Thane Forest Division. According to sources, the carcass of the animal was discovered at Nagla inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). Forest officials were alerted and immediately reached the spot. Read more: Bhayandar wakes to terror as leopard jumps balconies, injures residents A postmortem examination has been carried out on the leopard, and the final cause of death is yet to be confirmed. Forest department officials said further details will be known once the postmortem report is received. Health check at SGNP After its rescue, the leopard was taken to Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Borivali, for a medical examination. Veterinary officers confirmed that the animal was healthy and had not suffered any injuries during the rescue operation. Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik had also visited the site on December 20, 2025 to review the situation. He had also met injured residents at a hospital to enquire about their condition. Following his directions, forest officials decided to monitor the leopard closely before releasing it back into the wild. A committee formed by the Chief Wildlife Warden and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Maharashtra, along with senior forest officials from the western region, reviewed the case. After a detailed presentation by officials from SGNP, the committee decided to fit the leopard with a Satellite GPS collar and a microchip before releasing it into its natural habitat. Leopard was released with GPS collar The leopard was fitted with a GPS satellite collar and microchip at SGNP after completing medical checks. It was then released into its natural habitat on December 25, 2025. The operation was carried out by teams from SGNP and the Thane Forest Division under the supervision of Anitta Patil, Conservator of Forests and Director, SGNP, and Sachin Repal, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Thane. Read more: Leopard rescued from Bhayandar society returns to wild Monitoring to reduce human-wildlife conflict The GPS collar allows forest officials and a research team from an NGO to track the leopard’s movement using GPS and radio signals. This will help officials study leopard behaviour and reduce human–leopard conflict in the region.
05 February,2026 08:36 PM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet JadhavBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sujata Patil was elected mayor of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) on Thursday, while Dashrath Bhagat was elected deputy mayor, reported the PTI. Both were elected unopposed after Saroj Rohidas Patil withdrew her nomination for the mayoral post and Akash Balkrishna Madhavi pulled out of the deputy mayoral contest, a civic official said. Thanking the party leadership for their support, Sujata Patil said cleanliness, public health, education, environmental protection and transport planning would be her main priorities as Mayor. Patil has earlier served as a corporator and was also Chairperson of the Women and Child Welfare Committee of the NMMC. Former Member of Parliament Sanjeev Naik said that differences between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, which had surfaced during the election campaign, have now been resolved. “The Mahayuti alliance will work together for the development of Navi Mumbai. Even if the Shiv Sena remains in the opposition, I am confident they will support development-related work,” Naik said, according to the PTI. BJP emerged as largest party in NMMC In the January 15 elections to the 111-member Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, the BJP won a clear majority with 65 seats. The Shiv Sena secured 43 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) won two seats, while one seat went to an Independent candidate. Navi Mumbai mayor race For the mayor’s post, Saroj Rohidas Patil from Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Sujata Suraj Patil from the BJP had filed their nominations, signalling a keen contest for the civic body’s top leadership role. Both candidates’ nomination papers were accepted following scrutiny. Meanwhile, Akash Balkrishna Madhvi from Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Dashrath Sitaram Bhagat from the BJP are contesting for the deputy mayor’s position, with their nominations also cleared by the municipal administration. Political significance of mayor’s role While the mayor’s role is largely ceremonial, the position holds significant political importance, including presiding over general body meetings and representing the city at official events. The deputy mayor assists in these responsibilities and steps in when required. Sujata Patil, after her election as the mayor, said cleanliness, public health, education and environment protection are some of her primary focus for Navi Mumbai. (with PTI inputs)
05 February,2026 07:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra has recorded an increase in road accidents and serious injuries for the sixth consecutive year, although road deaths have shown a marginal decline, officials said on Thursday, reported the PTI. The figures are based on provisional accident data for 2025 released by the state transport department. The state reported 36,450 road accidents in 2025, continuing the upward trend despite stricter enforcement measures. The number of people seriously injured in accidents rose by eight per cent during the year. Official data shows that Maharashtra recorded 24,971 road accidents in 2020. This number rose to 29,477 in 2021, 33,383 in 2022, 35,243 in 2023, 36,110 in 2024, and further to 36,450 in 2025, according to the PTI. After a sharp decline in 2020 due to restrictions during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, accident numbers have increased steadily every year since. Maharashtra currently has a vehicular population of more than 4.5 crore. Despite the rise in accidents, the state managed to reduce road fatalities slightly in 2025, marking the first such decline since 2021. In 2025, Maharashtra recorded 15,549 deaths in 14,440 fatal accidents, compared with 15,715 deaths in 14,565 fatal accidents in 2024. However, the overall trend in fatalities has remained upward since 2020, when 11,569 people lost their lives in road accidents. The death toll increased to 13,528 in 2021, 15,224 in 2022, 15,366 in 2023, and 15,715 in 2024. Transport dept credits safety measures In a release issued on January 22, Additional Transport Commissioner Bharat Kalaskar said the reduction of 166 deaths, or 1.05 per cent, in 2025 reflected the positive impact of continuous road safety measures taken by the transport department, as per the PTI. The release said the state government has set a target of reducing road accidents by 50 per cent by the year 2030. Measures include the formation of road safety cells at both state and district levels, among other initiatives. Serious injuries remain major concern While fatalities declined slightly, the number of serious injuries continued to rise. Maharashtra recorded 23,756 serious injuries in road accidents in 2025, up from 22,051 in 2024. The data shows a steady increase in serious injuries over the years: 13,971 in 2020, 16,073 in 2021, 19,540 in 2022, 21,446 in 2023, and 22,051 in 2024. Sanjay Sasane, principal of the Institute of Driving Training and Research Society (IDTRS) in Pune, said poor driver training is one of the major reasons for the rise in road accidents. He pointed out that while motor vehicle rules prescribe a training syllabus for all drivers, mandatory training currently applies only to commercial vehicle drivers. Sasane, a former RTO officer, said that two-wheelers and four-wheelers account for nearly 70 per cent of road accidents and vehicles on the road, yet this segment receives limited attention, the news agency reported. He stressed the need for a proper training mechanism to educate drivers about traffic rules, emergency vehicle control, and hazard perception to improve road safety. (with PTI inputs)
05 February,2026 07:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentWestern Railway (WR) has collected over Rs 72 crore in fines through intensive ticket-checking drives conducted between April 2025 and January 2026, officials said on Thursday. According to WR, more than 27 lakh ticketless and irregular passengers, including cases of unbooked luggage, were detected during the period, resulting in a recovery of Rs 172.55 crore, nearly a 47 per cent increase compared to the corresponding period last year. In January 2026 alone, fines exceeding Rs 17 crore were collected from 2.82 lakh offenders, marking a 31 per cent rise year-on-year. Mumbai suburban, AC locals under focus In the Mumbai suburban section, intensified checks led to the detection of 9.75 lakh ticketless or irregular travellers between April 2025 and January 2026, with total recoveries touching Rs 45.60 crore, including fines from AC local trains. During January 2026, WR recovered Rs 4.34 crore from over 1.02 lakh cases in suburban services. Special focus was also placed on AC suburban locals, where surprise checks were carried out to curb unauthorised travel. Over one lakh penalty cases were booked in AC locals during the period, yielding fines of Rs 3.38 crore, a 97 per cent jump over last year. Fake UTS ticket racket detected WR officials also highlighted the detection of a fraudulent ticketing case during a joint enforcement drive. A woman passenger travelling in a Virar-bound local was found using a fake virtual UTS AC pass generated through a fraudulent application circulated on WhatsApp. She was deboarded at Bandra and handed over to the Railway Police with the help of the Railway Protection Force for further legal action. 30.75 lakh passengers caught travelling without tickets in FY 25-26, says CR Earlier in January, the Central Railway said that during its intensified efforts to curb unauthorised and ticketless travel have led to achieving significant results during the financial year 2025-26 between April to December. An official statement said that through systematic ticket checking drives, the railway apprehended 30.75 lakh passengers travelling without valid tickets, marking an increase of nearly 10 per cent compared to 28.01 lakh passengers during the same period last year. A total of Rs.183.16 crores was recovered in penalties, over 20 per cent higher than the Rs.151.99 crores collected in the previous financial year, the officials said. December 2025 figures highlight sharp rise In December 2025, ticket checking teams caught 3.24 lakh passengers travelling without valid tickets, compared with 2.93 lakh passengers in December 2024, indicating a rise of more than 10 per cent, the statement said. Penalties collected during the month amounted to Rs.18.25 crores, a jump of nearly 35 per cent from Rs.13.55 crores in December 2024, said the officials. According to the Central Railway, during April-December 2025, its divisions reported the following figures: - Bhusaval division: Rs.63.83 crores from 7.54 lakh cases - Mumbai division: Rs.55.12 crores from 12.82 lakh cases - Pune division: Rs.20.84 crores from 3.41 lakh cases - Nagpur division: Rs.20.75 crores from 3.33 lakh cases - Solapur division: Rs.8.39 crores from 1.81 lakh cases - Headquarters: Rs.14.22 crores from 1.83 lakh cases
05 February,2026 06:49 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday said the Vikas Kharge-led committee probing the alleged Pune land scam has not yet submitted its report, ruling out a clean chit to anyone at this stage. According to the PTI, Bawankule was responding to questions over media reports claiming relief to Parth Pawar, son of late deputy CM Ajit Pawar, in the matter. Parth Pawar’s mother, Sunetra Pawar was sworn-in as the deputy chief minister of state following Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash near Baramati. Mundhwa land deal under scrutiny The sale of 40 acres of land in Pune’s upscale Mundhwa area for Rs 300 crore to Amadea Enterprises LLP, where Parth Pawar is a majority partner, came under scrutiny after it emerged that the land belongs to the government and could not be sold. The firm was also allegedly exempted from paying Rs 21 crore in stamp duty, reported PTI. The committee has sought an eight-day extension to submit its findings, which the government will grant, Bawankule told reporters in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. “The report has not been officially submitted to the state government. Therefore, there is no scope for giving a clean chit to Parth Pawar or anyone else. I urge people not to speculate on such a serious issue and confuse the public,” he said, reported PTI. Five-member committee probing the matter The five-member committee, headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) Vikas Kharge, is examining alleged procedural lapses in the registration of the purchase deed related to the Mundhwa land. The probe focuses on aspects such as valuation, documentation and the role of officials involved in the registration process. The panel was constituted in early November amid political controversy and was initially asked to submit its report by December 6 last year. The deadline was later extended twice after the committee sought more time to examine records and responses from multiple departments. While earlier indications suggested the panel could submit its report by February 6, Bawankule said on Thursday that an additional extension would now be granted. The committee also includes the Pune divisional commissioner, the commissioner of land registration and director of land records, the inspector general of registration and controller of stamps, and the Pune district collector. Activists question delays Meanwhile, Pune-based RTI activist Vijay Kumbhar criticised the repeated extensions, alleging that the probe was being delayed and could eventually turn into a formality. In a post on X, Kumbhar claimed that officials responsible for preventing alleged irregularities were themselves part of the committee, making a fair outcome unlikely. He also raised questions over alleged unpaid stamp duty, arguing that public revenue could not be protected through “clean chits” or shell entities. Social activist Anjali Damania also questioned the delay in the inquiry. In a post on X earlier this month, she said that if government functioning continued as “business as usual” following Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash, the investigation into the Mundhwa land deal should not be stalled. She demanded that the committee’s report be made public without delay. Government stance The state government, however, maintained that appropriate action would be taken after the report is formally submitted. Asked about the mayoral post in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Bawankule said two to three shortlisted names had been sent to state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan. “The decision will be taken in a core committee meeting today,” he said, reported PTI. A decision on whether to give the deputy mayor’s post to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena will also be taken, the senior BJP leader added. Responding to a question about the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) entering the mayoral contest in Mumbai, Bawankule said the move would ensure there is no confusion among its corporators about whom to vote for. (With PTI inputs)
05 February,2026 06:34 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday hailed a recent major automobile deal with Indonesia and noted that the vehicles will be manufactured at the company’s Nashik plant, adding to the growth and employment opportunities in the district. The deal was finalised between Indonesia and Mahindra & Mahindra. "CM Fadnavis congratulated Mahindra & Mahindra for securing its largest-ever export order to supply 35,000 Scorpio Pik-Up vehicles to Indonesia," officials said, according to the ANI. CM Fadnavis said he was proud that the milestone export deal is “Made in Nashik”, adding that it reinforces Maharashtra’s position as India’s leading manufacturing hub and aligns with the Centre’s Make in India initiative. Biggest export order The Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) announced that it has received its biggest export order to date, involving the supply of 35,000 light commercial vehicles to Indonesia in 2026. The order exceeds the company’s total export volumes recorded in the financial year 2024–25 and marks a major achievement for its global operations, the ANI reported. In a statement, the company said it will deliver the vehicles to Agrinas Pangan Nusantara, an Indonesian entity, as part of the country’s Koperasi Desa/Kelurahan Merah Putih (KDKMP) Project. The large-scale government-backed initiative aims to strengthen cooperatives and support Indonesia’s national food security transformation, the news agency reported. Manufacturing in Nashik All vehicles under this export order will be manufactured at Mahindra’s Nashik facility. The Scorpio Pik-Up vehicles will be deployed for a state-owned programme focused on cooperatives across Indonesia. Mahindra said the vehicles will help improve rural logistics by enabling efficient transportation of agricultural produce from farms to markets. Under the partnership, Mahindra will work closely with Agrinas Pangan Nusantara to equip local cooperatives, known as Koperasi, with durable and reliable vehicles. The collaboration aims to ensure a smooth and efficient supply chain, helping fresh produce move directly from farmers to consumers. The initiative is expected to strengthen village-level commerce, improve first-mile aggregation of farm produce, and support intra-village logistics. Mahindra added that the customised Scorpio Pik-Up vehicles are designed to handle rough rural terrain and narrow farm tracks, making them suitable for cooperative operations, as per the ANI. (With ANI inputs)
05 February,2026 05:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Thursday criticised the state government over the 36-hour traffic congestion on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, questioning whether inquiries into such incidents ever lead to meaningful action, news agency PTI reported. Thackeray expressed displeasure over the lack of disaster preparedness and road maintenance on the expressway, saying the only thing managed “promptly and efficiently” was toll collection. He demanded that tolls collected during the traffic jam be refunded to motorists and urged the government to prepare a concrete action plan to prevent similar situations in the future. Traffic on the expressway came to a standstill after a tanker carrying highly flammable propylene gas overturned near the Adoshi tunnel in the ghat section on Tuesday around 5 pm. Commuters faced severe disruption, with the Mumbai-bound carriageway reopening only early on Thursday, 33 hours later. In a post on X, Thackeray said, “The Mumbai-Pune Expressway was completely shut for nearly 32 hours. Passengers suffered terribly. And as usual, the government only ordered an inquiry into the matter. Many such incidents have been followed by many inquiries. The real question is: Does the government or the administration ever learn anything from them?” मुंबई-पुणे द्रुतगती मार्ग जवळपास ३२ तास ठप्प होता. प्रवाशांचे कमालीचे हाल झाले. आणि यानंतर नेहमीप्रमाणे सरकारकडून या प्रकरणाच्या फक्त चौकशीचे आदेश दिले गेले. या आणि अशा अनेक घटनांच्या अनेक चौकश्या होतात. पुढे त्यातून काही बोध सरकार, प्रशासन घेतं का? हा प्रश्न आहे. मंगळवार ३… pic.twitter.com/2RA5yxOG0Z — Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) February 5, 2026 He asked whether the administration has any ready action plan to clear roads quickly during emergencies. “It has been 24 years since the expressway was completed. But during this period, the government neither considered exigencies that could arise nor ensured that the road remains of top quality. The only thing done promptly and efficiently was toll collection,” he said. MNS chief questions govt’s preparedness, demands quick remedies Thackeray questioned if the government’s responsibility is limited to building roads and collecting tolls. He noted that while a Mumbai-Pune high-speed railway project was announced in the Union Budget, ensuring a smooth and reliable road journey remains a priority. “These days, no one can predict how long the journey between Mumbai and Pune, the growth engines of the state, will take,” the MNS chief said. He urged the government to refund tolls collected during the jam and prepare a public action plan for immediate remedies in similar incidents, without creating unnecessary hurdles at checkpoints. Thackeray also questioned the role of guardian ministers, asking why citizens feel helpless despite administrative oversight. The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, India’s first 6-lane concrete, access-controlled tolled expressway, spans 94.5 km and connects Mumbai, Raigad, Navi Mumbai, and Pune. (With PTI inputs)
05 February,2026 03:50 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA 20-year-old man was killed on the spot on Thursday morning after his motorcycle met with an accident involving a container truck near the Kharegaon bridge on the Mumbai–Nashik Road in Thane. According to information received by the disaster management control room at 5.48 am, the accident occurred near the Kharegaon toll naka when the victim, riding a motorcycle from Thane towards Nashik, lost control of his vehicle and fell under the rear tyres of a container that was passing close by. Akash Chandra Pujari was a resident of Dahisar in Mumbai. He suffered severe injuries after coming under the container’s tyres and was declared dead at the spot. Traffic police personnel, disaster management staff with a pickup vehicle, fire brigade officials with a high-rise fire tender and two rescue vehicles, and an ambulance rushed to the scene. The container driver fled the spot following the accident and is currently unidentified, police said. Dahisar youth was on his way to Trimbakeshwar in Nashik The body was later shifted to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa, Thane, for further legal formalities in the presence of traffic police officers. Police said Pujari had left home around 4 am on his motorcycle to travel to Trimbakeshwar in Nashik with friends for temple darshan. At the time of the accident, he was travelling alone. The damaged container and motorcycle were removed from the road with the help of traffic police, following which traffic on the Mumbai–Nashik Road was restored. The accident had led to traffic congestion on the stretch for about an hour.
05 February,2026 02:00 PM IST | MumbaiThe Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Thursday came down heavily on the Centre over the India–US trade agreement, describing it not just as a deal but a “declaration of war” against Indian farmers and labourers. In a scathing editorial published in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena (UBT) said the agreement endangers the livelihood of the country’s food producers and questioned whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi is safeguarding India’s interests or acting as a “sales agent” for the United States (US). The editorial called upon farmers and workers across the nation to unite and seek accountability from the Central government. It said the agreement was signed at a time when the domestic economy is under strain, noting that the Indian rupee had slipped to a record low of 92 against the US dollar in late January. Despite this, the government appeared “intoxicated” by the deal, the editorial said, accusing it of projecting US President Donald Trump as a “new deity” while “mortgaging the nation’s sovereignty”. The editorial asserted that Prime Minister Modi “should not remain in office for even a moment after sacrificing the interests of Indian farmers and national sovereignty”. Quoting Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Saamana claimed that the Prime Minister signed the agreement out of “fear” and under “immense pressure” from Trump. According to Gandhi, the deal had been stalled for nearly four months and was suddenly signed for “mysterious reasons”. ‘Fine print’ of India-US trade deal spells trouble for economy, farmers: Saamana While the BJP has hailed the agreement as a “magnificent announcement” that would benefit 1.4 billion Indians, the editorial said the fine print paints a bleak picture for the domestic economy. It claimed that India would reportedly stop buying oil from Russia and instead switch entirely to US oil imports worth 500 billion dollars. It further alleged that India would scrap tariffs on US agricultural products, coal and technology. The editorial pointed out that although US tariffs on Indian goods are expected to come down from 50 per cent to 18 per cent, India’s effective tariff burden would jump sharply from 3.31 per cent earlier to 18 per cent. Warning of serious repercussions for the agriculture sector, the Thackeray camp said a proposed “zero tariff” regime would result in subsidised and cheaper American produce flooding Indian markets. Commodities such as cotton, milk and dairy products, pulses, soybean, maize, almonds, walnuts, fruits and vegetables would be sold duty-free, making them cheaper than domestic produce and pushing Indian farmers and agricultural labourers out of competition. In a country where farmers continue to die by suicide due to mounting debt, the editorial said, the government is “rolling out the red carpet for foreign products”, reiterating that the Modi government has compromised the interests of Indian farmers and national sovereignty in favour of the United States. (With IANS inputs)
05 February,2026 12:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn a ruling hailed by legal experts as a landmark, the Maharashtra Real Estate Appellate Tribunal (MahaREAT) has dismissed an appeal filed by a homebuyer against Kanakia Spaces Realty Pvt Ltd, holding that an unsigned and unnotarized appeal uploaded online cannot be treated as a valid filing for the purpose of statutory limitation. The bench relied on forensic analysis of server records and defence evidence to pass the order. The ruling, delivered on January 29, 2026, in Miscellaneous Application No 751 of 2025 (Anubhav Virmani v. Kanakia Spaces Realty Pvt Ltd), is being viewed as a significant precedent on the use and misuse of digital filing systems in real estate disputes. Background of the dispute The case arose from a complaint filed by flat purchaser Anubhav Virmani before the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA), which was dismissed as premature on January 30, 2025. Under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, the statutory deadline to challenge the order before MahaREAT expired on March 30, 2025. Virmani claimed that he filed his appeal online on April 8, 2025, attributing the eight-day delay to frequent professional travel between Mumbai, Gurugram, Jaipur, and Indore. He accordingly sought condonation of this limited delay. Serious filing irregularities During the proceedings, MahaREAT found that the appeal uploaded on April 8, 2025, was unsigned, unverified, and unnotarized. Tribunal records revealed that the appeal was actually notarised and formally executed only on August 4, 2025, resulting in a delay of 125 days, not eight as claimed by the appellant. Significantly, during oral arguments, the appellant’s counsel admitted on record that an incomplete and unsigned appeal had been uploaded earlier. This admission proved decisive. Developer’s defence Kanakia Spaces Realty Pvt Ltd, represented by Advocate Vinod Talreja, filed a detailed reply contending that the April upload was a “shell document” intended solely to generate a misleading filing date. The developer challenged the credibility of the travel-based explanation, pointing to long and unexplained periods of inactivity, including: January 30 to February 7, 2025 (nine days), and February 26 to March 30, 2025 (33 days). It was further argued that digital tools such as e-signatures, email, and video conferencing were readily available. The defence also noted that the appellant’s office in BKC and his lawyer’s chamber in Andheri fell along his regular commute, rendering the travel excuse implausible. The defence relied on multiple Supreme Court judgments, including State of Madhya Pradesh v. Ramkumar Choudhary (2024), Union of India v. Jahangir Jeejeebhoy (2024), and Basawaraj v. Special Land Acquisition Officer (2013), to establish that negligence, lack of bona fides, or deliberate concealment cannot be condoned. Tribunal’s findings Despite MahaREAT’s reputation for being purchaser-friendly, the bench conducted a forensic examination of server logs, notarization dates, payment receipts, and uploaded documents. It concluded that a legally valid filing occurred only on August 4, 2025, Advocate Talreja pointed out. Advocate Vinod Talreja. Pic/By Special Arrangement In unusually strong language, the Tribunal held that the appellant “did not come before this Tribunal with clean hands,” attempted to mislead the court, and that condoning such conduct would create a “dangerous precedent.” Rejecting reliance on a blanket liberal approach to condonation of delay, the bench clarified that judicial discretion cannot override statutory limitation where bad faith and procedural abuse are evident. It warned that permitting unsigned appeals to be regularised months later would encourage litigants to upload incomplete documents merely to secure earlier filing dates. Final order The Tribunal dismissed the application for condonation of delay and rejected the appeal as time-barred, holding that the actual delay was 125 days. Broader implications Legal experts say the ruling will have wide-ranging consequences for real estate litigation and digital court processes: >> Integrity of e-filing systems: Unsigned or unnotarized documents cannot be used to backdate filings.>> Limitation law reaffirmed: Statutory deadlines remain binding, even in consumer disputes.>> Balanced adjudication: The order underscores judicial neutrality in builder–buyer cases.>> Professional accountability: The ruling highlights the consequences of procedural misconduct.>> Public confidence: The judgment reassures litigants that digital filings will face strict scrutiny. The MahaREAT ruling in Virmani v. Kanakia Spaces Realty is expected to serve as a national reference point on limitation, digital filing discipline, and ethical litigation. Legal commentators describe it as a defining judgment in the era of electronic court processes, signalling that attempts to manipulate digital filings will not be tolerated. Advocate Vinod Talreja said the decision reinforces the principle that consumer protection must operate alongside procedural and ethical rigour, ensuring that digital tools strengthen rather than undermine the justice delivery system.
05 February,2026 11:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Vinod Kumar MenonA 21-year-old undergraduate student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay was found dead on the Powai campus in the early hours of Wednesday, February 4. Police have launched an inquiry to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident. According to officials, the student was found in an injured condition near a hostel building around 1.30 am and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. Preliminary investigations suggest that the student may have fallen from the terrace of a hostel building. The exact sequence of events, however, is yet to be determined. The deceased hailed from Pilani, Rajasthan. The Powai police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and are recording statements from hostel residents, security personnel, and the student’s friends. No suicide note has been recovered so far, police said. Further clarity is expected after the post-mortem examination and analysis of other evidence. “The autopsy has been scheduled for Thursday, February 5, as the family is expected to arrive. Forensic surgeons at the Rajawadi postmortem centre have been requested to defer the procedure until then,” a hospital source said. The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the campus, with students expressing shock over the sudden loss. “It is deeply disturbing and heartbreaking to lose one of our peers. We are trying to support each other during this difficult time,” said a postgraduate student. The institute has not issued an official statement yet. Past tragedy In another incident, on August 2, a Delhi-based master’s student had allegedly died by suicide on the institute’s premises. Help available Samaritans Mumbai (Mon-Fri, 10 am-4 pm)8422984527 Connecting NGO (10 am-8 pm)9922004305 9922001122 Snehi (10 am-10 pm)9376804102 Ankahee (4 pm-10 pm)8655486966 iCALL (Mon-Sat, 10 am-8 pm)9152987821 Hitguj (24x7)022 24131212 1 Life7893078930 Aasra9820466726 With inputs by Aditi Alurkar
05 February,2026 11:42 AM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya IyerADVERTISEMENT
-1770303168836_d.png?tr=w-436,h-271 "The leopard (above) was fitted with a GPS satellite collar and microchip before its release into the wild. File Pic")
