The Mumbai police have arrested a former domestic help of BJP MP and actor Manoj Tiwari for allegedly breaking into his flat in the city’s western suburbs and stealing Rs 5.4 lakh, an official said on Tuesday. According to the news agency PTI, the accused, identified as Surendra Kumar Deenanath Sharma, was dismissed from service two years ago after he was caught using duplicate keys to enter the Delhi BJP MP’s Andheri flat last week, the official added. As per the first information report (FIR), Tiwari's manager, Pramod Jogendra Pandey, has alleged that Rs 4.4 lakh went missing from one of the rooms in June last year, after which CCTV cameras were installed on the premises in December. Pandey has alleged that when he stepped out for some work last week, he received an intruder alert on his mobile phone, and the CCTV footage showed the accused entering the flat using duplicate keys and stealing cash from a cupboard, the official said, reported PTI. He said that the manager then alerted the security guard of the building, who detained the accused, who had stolen Rs 1 lakh. The accused allegedly confessed to the thefts after being confronted with the CCTV footage and was handed over to the police, the official said, adding that further investigation is underway. College student robbed in Mumbai's Kurla lane, two arrested The Kurla police have arrested two youths for allegedly robbing a 19-year-old college student of jewellery and a wristwatch after threatening him in a narrow lane in Kurla West earlier this month, police said. The incident allegedly took place on January 14 between 9 am and 2.45 pm in Match Factory Lane, Kurla West. As per the complaint, the victim was intercepted by two men, who allegedly grabbed him, threatened him with assault and forcibly snatched his valuables before fleeing. Police said the stolen items included a 35-gram silver chain worth Rs 9800, a six-gram silver bracelet valued at Rs 1600, a gold ear stud weighing about one gram worth Rs 14,000, and a branded wristwatch worth Rs 1000. The total value of the stolen property was estimated at Rs 26,400. Following the complaint, Kurla police registered a case of robbery under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched a probe. During the investigation, officers analysed local inputs and technical leads and examined CCTV footage from the area. Based on the findings, police arrested Aditya Sachin Sathe, 23, and Shahnawaz Kausar Shaikh, 19, on January 19 with the help of the detection staff. Police said the stolen jewellery and watch have been recovered, and preliminary checks showed that both accused have no prior criminal record. The delay in registering the case was attributed to the complainant. Investigators are continuing to scan CCTV footage to reconstruct the sequence of events and check whether the accused were involved in similar offences. Further investigation is underway. (With PTI inputs)
20 January,2026 02:18 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Western Railway, while sharing Mumbai local train updates, on Monday said that it will operate a mega block at Kandivali on January 20 due to which several services will remain cancelled. An official statement said that suburban train services will be affected on January 20 due to the suspension of exit and entry at the Kandivali car shed. "It is part of operational work being carried out on the Mumbai suburban rail network," officials said. In addition to the car shed suspension, speed restrictions have been imposed on the up and down fast lines between Kandivali and Malad. As a result, several suburban services will remain cancelled for the day. Affected trains on Jan 20 The Western Railway also issued the details of the affected trains. The passengers can also obtain information from the suburban station masters. The list of trains to remain cancelled above Passengers advised to plan travel "The passengers are advised to take note of the changes and plan their journeys accordingly. Western Railway has requested commuters to check the schedule in advance to avoid inconvenience," the officials said. WR completes work on Kandivali-Borivali 6th line project Meanwhile, the Western Railway on Sunday successfully completed sixth line work on Kandivali-Borivali route. With completion of the work Bandra-Borivali route finally has 5th and 6th lines. It will be operational from Monday, January 19, officials said. Western Railway on Sunday successfully commissioned the newly constructed 5th and 6th Broad Gauge lines between Kandivali and Borivali, marking a major infrastructure milestone for Mumbai’s suburban railway system. The 3.21-kilometre section was authorised for public carriage of passengers and freight by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Western Circle, after a detailed inspection and successful speed trials, an official statement said. With the final stretch, the first phase of the Mumbai Central-Borivali 6th Line project now stands fully completed. "A 30-day execution window was planned for the execution of this work from December 18, 2025 to January 17, 2026 during which the existing 5th line also remained suspended between Kandivali and Goregaon stations," officials said. The commissioning of the 6th Line involved extensive permanent way and structural The CRS conducted inspections by motor trolley and on foot, followed by speed trials using electric locomotives on both lines. Trains touched speeds of 85 kmph on the 5th line and 107 kmph on the 6th line during testing, the official statement said. Following compliance with safety norms under the Railways Act, the section has been authorised for regular operations at - - 70 kmph on the new 5th line (Down) - 80 kmph on the new 6th line (UP) - 15 kmph on loop lines with a maximum axle load of 23 tonnes.
20 January,2026 02:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA fire broke out at a industrial building in Ghatkopar West on Tuesday morning, leaving three persons injured, officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said. According to the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), the Level-I fire was reported at around 10:22 am from the Union Bank building located at Narayan Nagar near Mahendra Hospital in Ghatkopar West. The fire was declared a Level-I blaze at 10:42 am, indicating a minor fire, and was fully extinguished by 1:05 pm, officials added. Fire officials said the blaze was confined to Gala No. 209 on the second floor of an industrial estate comprising one basement, ground floor and two upper floors. The fire affected electrical wiring and installations, fans, irons, steamers, wooden furniture, a sewing machine, garments, steel racks and office files, spread across an area of around 1,000 square feet. Three persons sustained burn injuries in the incident and were taken to Rajawadi Hospital for treatment. The injured were identified as Riyazuddin (30), who suffered 60 per cent burns and was reported to be in a critical condition; Valayat Ali (50), who sustained 3 per cent burns and was stable; and Haddis Ali (51), who suffered 30 per cent burns and was also stable. Hospital authorities said all three injured persons later left the hospital against medical advice (DAMA). Further investigations into the cause of the fire are underway. Bus gutted in fire on highway in Mumbai; no casualty In another incident, a private bus was gutted in a fire on the Western Express Highway in Mumbai's Malad area on Tuesday morning, affecting traffic movement on the busy route for some time, officials said. There was no report of any casualty, they said. The fire brigade received information at around 10 am about the blaze in the Borivali-bound sleeper coach bus near a bridge in Malad (East). There were passengers onboard when the fire erupted in the front portion of the bus, and they were all safely evacuated, a civic official said.The exact number of passengers onboard was not yet known. Firefighters rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze within 30 minutes, but by the time the entire bus was gutted. "No injuries were reported in the incident," the official said. Due to the fire, traffic on the Western Express Highway was affected for some time, according to officials. The cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained.
20 January,2026 01:59 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Congress on Monday appointed three-time corporator Ashraf Azmi as the group leader of the party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Azmi, who won from Kurla, has been made the Congress group leader in the new civic body. The Congress, which allied with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA), RSP, and RPI (Gavai) in the recently held polls, logged its historically lowest tally, managing just 24 seats in the 227-member BMC. The BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won a clear majority in the cash-rich civic body, clinching 89 and 29 seats, respectively, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) won 65 seats, and its ally, MNS, emerged victorious on six. Mark of respect to Bal Thackeray: Eknath Shinde hints at Shiv Sena's claim to Mumbai mayor's post Meanwhile, citing emotions of Shivsainiks, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday hinted at Shiv Sena's claim to the Mumbai mayor's post, projecting it as a mark of respect to Bal Thackeray in his birth centenary year amid a reported tussle with ally BJP, reported PTI. Aware of the political interpretations of his remarks, Shinde attributed the demand to a section of Sena workers, emphasising that Mumbai will have a Mahayuti mayor, reported PTI. Similarly, mayors of the Mahayuti alliance will be installed in those civic bodies where the Shiv Sena and BJP had contested the elections together, he told reporters. "Balasaheb Thackeray's birth centenary year starts from January 23. Some Shivsainiks have the feeling that a Shiv Sena mayor should be installed in the BMC," he said, reported PTI. He stressed that the Shiv Sena would not take any decision that goes against the people's mandate, emphasising that the Shiv Sena and BJP had fought the Mumbai civic elections as an alliance. Amid a debate over the exact motive behind Shiv Sena shifting its newly elected members to a posh hotel in Mumbai, Shinde scotched reports of new political equations emerging in Mumbai or elsewhere in Maharashtra. Officially, the Shiv Sena maintains that the newly elected members were shifted to the hotel for an orientation workshop about the functioning of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The move followed the declaration of the BMC poll results last week, which showed that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena had emerged as the second largest party after the BJP by winning 65 seats. The BJP won 89 seats and its ally, the Shiv Sena, 29, handing the Mahayuti combine a narrow majority in the 227-member BMC. (With inputs from PTI)
20 January,2026 12:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA private bus was gutted in a fire on the Western Express Highway in Mumbai's Malad area on Tuesday morning, affecting traffic movement on the busy route for some time, officials said, reported news agency PTI. There was no report of any casualty, they said. The fire brigade received information at around 10 am about the blaze in the Borivali-bound sleeper coach bus near a bridge in Malad (East), reported PTI. There were passengers onboard when the fire erupted in the front portion of the bus, and they were all safely evacuated, a civic official said. The exact number of passengers onboard was not yet known. Firefighters rushed to the spot and extinguished the blaze within 30 minutes, but by the time the entire bus was gutted, reported PTI. "No injuries were reported in the incident," the official said, reported PTI. Due to the fire, traffic on the Western Express Highway was affected for some time, according to officials, reported PTI. The cause of the blaze was yet to be ascertained. Fire breaks out at Ghatkopar building, no injuries reported In another incident, a fire broke out at a building in Ghatkopar West on Tuesday morning, officials said. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the fire erupted on the third floor of a building in Narayan Nagar near Mahendra Hospital in Ghatkopar West on Tuesday morning, officials said. As per the civic body, the incident was reported at around 10:22 am to the Mumbai Fire Brigade. The blaze occurred in the Union Bank building, which has a ground-plus-three (G+3) structure. Fire officials declared the incident as Level-I at 10:42 am, indicating a minor fire. An update on the situation was issued at 10:51 am. Multiple agencies were mobilised to the spot, including the Mumbai Fire Brigade, local police, the concerned electricity distribution company, 108 ambulance services and BMC ward staff. Firefighting and safety operations were carried out promptly to prevent the fire from spreading. No injuries have been reported so far, officials added. 73-year-old woman dies in fire in Oshiwara flat Meanwhile, a 73-year-old woman died in a fire that broke out in a flat in a residential complex in Mumbai's Oshiwara area on January 17, a civic official said. The fire in Bridge Building near High Point Hotel in Lokhandwala in the locality was reported at 11:15am and was doused at 12:09 pm after four fire engines and other fire fighting vehicles were deployed, he added. "Senior citizen Hiru Chetalani sustained burn injuries and was declared dead on arrival by doctors at civic-run Cooper Hospital. The cause of the fire is being ascertained," the official said. (With inputs from PTI)
20 January,2026 11:57 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMumbai experienced a calm and pleasant winter morning on Tuesday, with mild temperatures and clear skies offering a comfortable start to the day. The early hours were cooler than usual for the city, bringing respite from humidity and providing refreshing conditions for morning walkers and daily commuters. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast maximum and minimum temperatures of around 31 degrees Celsius and 18 degrees Celsius, respectively, for Mumbai on Tuesday. According to IMD observations, the Colaba weather station recorded a minimum temperature of 18.6 degrees Celsius during the morning hours, while Santacruz reported a lower minimum of 16 degrees Celsius. Air quality across the city remained largely satisfactory. Data from the Sameer app showed Mumbai’s air quality index (AQI) at 82 on Tuesday, which falls under the ‘satisfactory’ category. Authorities, however, cautioned that even at this level, people with respiratory ailments, asthma, or heart-related conditions may experience mild breathing discomfort. AQI levels at key locations in Mumbai on Tuesday were recorded as follows: Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC): 93 Kandivali East: 80 Byculla: 59 Andheri East: 83 Chembur: 65 Deonar: 99 Delhi's air remains unbreathable at 397 AQI Meanwhile, Delhi continued to grapple with its air pollution crisis on Tuesday morning with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 397 at 7 am, placing the national capital's air in the 'very poor' category. According to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), while there was a marginal improvement compared to Monday morning, when the AQI was in the 'severe' category at 418. Several areas in Delhi reported alarmingly high AQI levels. Anand Vihar and Ashok Vihar both recorded AQI readings of 444, while Wazirpur registered 446. Other pollution hotspots included Punjabi Bagh (437), RK Puram (421), Bawana (418), ITO (414), Chandni Chowk (412) and Dwarka Sector 8 (412). All these locations fell in the 'severe' category, indicating extremely poor air quality and heightened health risks. 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'. Adding to the deteriorating conditions, visibility across the city remained poor due to ongoing cold wave conditions. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported dense fog in the morning hours, with moderate fog at several locations and dense fog at isolated spots. The temperature around 7 am was recorded at approximately 8.2 degrees Celsius. With severe pollution, cold wave and dense fog persisting, authorities have urged citizens to limit outdoor activities, follow health advisories, and take precautions against the hazardous air quality.
20 January,2026 09:17 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentBorivali may not have driverless trains like London or Tokyo, but it has now entered the same global league as some of the world’s most complex urban rail hubs when it comes to train operations. With the commissioning of the Siemens Westrace MK-II interlocking system, Borivali now operates Mumbai’s largest and most advanced signalling setup. The station has replaced its ageing relay-based system with the largest Electronic Interlocking (EI) network in the Mumbai suburban railway. The new system controls 381 train routes, manages 90 track points across seven running lines and is operated through dual 65-inch 8K display screens. Upgraded signalling room now resembles a modern mission-control centre, capable of handling dense train movements with greater speed, precision and safety. “The new system manages hundreds of routes, points and signals across multiple running lines, significantly improving operational reliability and safety,” a WR spokesperson said. Key features of Borivli’s new signalling system 381 operational routes56 signals90 points123 track circuits across seven running linesDual 65-inch 8K control screens
20 January,2026 07:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarThe Mira-Bhayandar Metro service will become operational next month, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Monday. The upcoming Mumbai Metro Line 9 — a crucial extension of Line 7 — connects Dahisar East in Mumbai to Mira-Bhayandar in Thane district. “People are eagerly waiting for the Metro. The work is almost complete. I have spoken to the chief minister, and we will start the Metro next month after local body (ZP and panchayat samitis) elections are held on February 5,” he said, adding that the Metro will significantly ease traffic congestion and improve public transport. The minister also announced that the city will start receiving water from the Surya Dam, which is expected to resolve long-standing water supply issues. Commenting on the outcome of civic polls, Sarnaik said he was satisfied with the BJP’s victory under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The people have shown their support. We worked on development, but perhaps people did not fully trust us. Still, our vote count increased by 1.90 lakh,” the Shiv Sena leader said. He said the Marathi-non-Marathi controversy during the election period benefited the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT). The issue of regional identity stemmed from an assault on a shopkeeper in Mira Bhayandar by activists of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena last July. The MNS and other groups had organised a massive protest march to assert the Marathi identity. 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
20 January,2026 07:40 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesA major traffic jam occurred on Monday along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad NH-48 highway due to a protest against the Vadhavan Port and “other destructive mega projects being imposed on the district”, including on forest and land across Palghar and Dahanu. The large crowd comprising Communist party members dressed in black marched from Tarapur to Palghar, where local fishermen, the Adivasi community, and labourers joined them in protesting outside the Collector’s Office. The protesters strongly opposed the Vadhavan Port, the proposed airport, Murbe Port, the Kelwe Textile Park, and the so-called ‘Fourth Mumbai’ project. They alleged that these projects are environmentally destructive, socially unjust, and pose a direct threat to the survival of the local population. Speaking with mid-day Ramkrishnan Tandel, president of the National Fishworkers Forum (NFF), said, “All these projects will lead to destruction of traditional fishing livelihoods and marine ecosystems, apart from large-scale displacement of Adivasi and farming communities. There will be a loss of agricultural land, salt pans, mangroves, and shared coastal resources due to these projects. These projects will destroy around 107 villages from Palghar to Dahanu. Such destructive development will not be accepted by the people of Palghar.” Tandel asserted that fishermen will not be able to fish if Vadhavan Port is constructed. “This project is not environmentally friendly; it will damage the sea, forest and land,” he added. The Communist party was set to march and protest at the Palghar Collector’s Office today as well. As a result, major traffic jams can be expected on the NH-48, impacting those travelling between Mumbai and Gujarat. To maintain law and order, police personnel have been deployed at Hutatma Chowk in Palghar, at railway stations from Palghar to Dahanu, Old Palghar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk, and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Chowk. All schools along the route of the protest march have been given a holiday. On Monday, local schools were shut at 10 am. NH-48 traffic advisory The Palghar traffic police issued an advisory regarding heavy traffic along NH-48 from 8 am to 10 pm on Monday, and 6 am to 2 pm today. Heavy vehicles have been barred, and they will be stopped from entering at Acchad Naka and Amboli.
20 January,2026 07:36 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaIn a first, the Ministry of Earth Sciences has sanctioned a grant of Rs 71.74 lakh for Mumbai University’s Centre for Excellence in Marine Studies. The grant is to be utilised for a project on ‘bio-prospecting of marine microalgae’. Through this project, the university is set to explore how ‘microalgae’, which are commonly found along India’s west coast, can be tapped for their use in various industries such as skin care products or nutraceuticals like omega-3s. Professor Varsha Kelkar Mane, the Centre’s deputy director, who is leading the project, said, “The main objective of this project is to explore the possibilities of using these microalgae, especially in the rapidly developing cosmeceutical industry. Marine microalgae play a vital role in acting as carbon sinks, food webs, and primary producers, together with offering vast potential in biotechnology for sustainable fuels, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics, supporting several Sustainable Development Goals.” As per Prof Kelkar Mane, these microalgae are rich in proteins, lipids, vitamins, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds. This makes them ideal for human and animal nutrition. The organisms can also grow rapidly and adapt quickly, making them ideal for industrial applications. “The west coast of India has so far been untapped for this resource, and the project aims to effectively address the same,” she said. In numbers Number of research personnel involved: 1 Principal investigator, 1 Research Fellow, 5 PhD students assisting Coastal areas being explored for microalgae species: Dwarka to Veraval in Gujarat, Mumbai, Raigad-Ratnagiri coast line, GoaMumbai areas being studied: Dadar, Juhu, Madh, Gorai, Mulund saltpansNumber of marine microalgae species being studied: 10
20 January,2026 07:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Aditi AlurkarTensions flared in Malad East’s ward 39 after a clash broke out between workers and members of the Congress party and the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), leaving several injured in the incident. According to the police, the incident occurred on January 17, a day after the BMC election results were declared, in which Congress candidate Madhu Brijesh Singh lost. Following the results, Madhu’s husband, Brijesh Singh, along with his brother, Sarvesh Singh, and over a dozen supporters, arrived at the NCP party office in ward 39 and allegedly vandalised the office and also assaulted NCP candidate Suman Indrajeet Singh, her family, and party members, blaming her for Madhu’s defeat. The incident led Kurar police to register cross FIRs and make arrests. In her complaint, Suman claimed that Brijesh blamed her and her husband for his wife’s defeat, allegedly saying that had she not contested the election, his wife (Madhu) would not have lost. He also accused her of refusing earlier to support him and then deliberately entering the fray, which he claimed led to his defeat. Suman further stated that she, her family, and supporters are living in fear and have demanded strict action against the accused. Kurar police confirmed that cross FIRs have been registered, and acting on the complaint filed by the NCP candidate and her supporters, police arrested Brijesh and his brother Sarvesh. Seven to nine other accused involved in the incident are still wanted, said police. The arrested accused were produced before a local court, which remanded them to police custody till January 20. Senior Inspector Sanjeev Tavde confirmed the arrests and the registration of cross cases, adding that further investigation is underway. Police sources also revealed that Brijesh is an accused in the murder case of former deputy shakha pramukh Shiv Sena Sachin Sawant. Ward facts In the recently held BMC polls, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Pushpa Ramesh Kamble emerged victorious in ward 39, bagging 6411 votes. Madhu Singh secured second position with 5228 votes, followed by Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) candidate Vinaya Sawant with 4059 votes, while NCP candidate Suman Singh polled 2173 votes. January 17Day the incident occurred
20 January,2026 07:28 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanADVERTISEMENT
