Mumbai News Highlights: Sujata Saunik becomes Maharashtra’s first female Chief Secretary (2024)

The Chembur Trombay Education Society's N G Acharya and D K Marathe College have imposed a dress code banning torn jeans, T-shirts, revealing dresses, jerseys, and attire revealing religion or cultural disparity. This follows a Bombay High Court ruling on June 26, which upheld the college's ban on hijabs, burkas, and naqabs, stating it does not violate fundamental rights.

The notice, issued on June 27, mandates formal and decent dress, with specific guidelines for both boys and girls. Despite the ban, students can change out of religious attire in designated common rooms. The directive aims to maintain discipline, with a compulsory 75% attendance.

College authorities emphasized that the notice reiterates existing rules. The High Court supported the college's right to enforce a dress code for discipline, dismissing a petition against the ban by nine students.

Speaking at an event organised by the Ministry of Law and Justice titled 'India's Progressive Path in the Administration of Criminal Justice System,' Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya underscored the critical role of effective implementation.

"It is our natural tendency to resist change or we loathe to come out of our comfort zone. It is a fear of the unknown that causes this resistance and engulfs our rationale," CJ Upadhyaya said.

The three new criminal laws-- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam--will come into effect across the country from Monday, replacing the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively.

A rape accused on the run for the last one year was arrested from Antop Hill in Mumbai, an MBVV police official said on Sunday.

Atulkumar Jaiprakash Yadav (25) is accused of taking a woman to different hotels between 2022 and 2023 and raping her after spiking her drinks, the Naigaon police station official said.

"The woman filed a complaint on July 14 last year. He is accused of filming her and then blackmailing and threatening her. He was arrested by a team of the Crime Branch Unit II of Vasai," the official added.

Western Railway will run a special train between Dadar and Nandurbar from July 5 to July 27 to clear passenger rush, an official said on Sunday.

The special fare train will depart from Dadar every Friday 15 minutes past midnight and reach Nandurbar at 08.35 a.m. on the same day. It will proceed from Nandurbar every Friday at 8:55 p.m. and reach Dadar at 5:15am, the official said.

The train will halt at Borivali, Virar, Palghar, Vapi, Valsad, Navsari, Bhestan, Chalthan, Bardoli, Vyara and Navapur stations in both directions.

On June 9, when the monsoon set in, several pockets inMumbairecorded nearly 100 mm rainfall in 24 hours. However, since then, the rain activity receded, leading to hot and sultry weather conditions.

Data procured by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) showed that between June 1 and June 30 (morning), the Santacruz observatory registered 347 mm rain, falling short by nearly 190 mm from its typical average of 537 mm rainfall.

Speaking toThe Indian Express, Sushma Nair, scientist, IMD Mumbai, said, “Even though there was an early onset, the westerly winds did not have much strength and therefore, they could pull in moisture and bring heavy showers. Besides, we did not witness any major rain giving systems in June.”

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) on Sunday said it has withdrawn the notices given to 55 teaching and 60 non-teaching staff of non-renewal of contracts and asked them to continue their work.

The contracts of the teaching and non-teaching staff at four TISS campuses -- Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad and Guwahati were due to end on June 30. Read More

The police have registered a case after a temple was allegedly desecrated by members of a minority community in Maharashtra's Thane city, an official said on Sunday.

Based on a complaint lodged by a woman, the police on Saturday registered a first information report under section 295 (destroying, damaging or defiling a place of worship or sacred object with intent to insult the religion of any class of persons) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the official said.

The alleged incident occurred in the Hazuri area of the city on June 23, he said.

Senior IAS officer Sujata Saunik on Sunday took over as Maharashtra's Chief Secretary, becoming the first woman in the state's 64-year-old history to occupy the top post.

Saunik, an IAS officer of the 1987 batch, succeeds Nitin Kareer who retired as the chief secretary on Sunday. She will have a year's tenure before retiring in June next year, an official said.

Before her elevation as the chief secretary, Saunik, whose husband Manoj Saunik is also a former state chief secretary, was the additional chief secretary in the state home department.

A 16-year-old boy consumed rat poison after being beaten up allegedly by his two aunts, a Mumbai police official said on Sunday.

The incident happened on Friday in the Dadar residence of the two women after he refused to go for some work, the Bandra Kurla Complex police station official said.

"He ran away to his father's place in Bharat Nagar in Bandra, bought rat poison and consumed it. He is recuperating in Bhabha Hospital. His father's statement has been recorded and we have issued summonses to the two aunts to join the investigation into the incident," Sub Inspector Rahul Chandanshiv of BKC police station said.

The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has not renewed the contracts of more than 100 teaching and non-teaching staffers, claimed some faculty members, inviting sharp criticism from the teachers and a students' body.

The contracts of the teaching and non-teaching staff at four TISS campuses -- Mumbai, Tuljapur, Hyderabad and Guwahati -- were due to end on June 30, some faculty members on Sunday told PTI on condition of anonymity.

A bulk of them worked on the TISS campuses other than Mumbai, they said.

"We asked the administration about the status of funding last month and we were told that there was no reason to worry and suddenly notices were issued that contracts have not been renewed due to lack of funds. This is sheer mismanagement on part of the administration which could not foresee what was coming," a faculty member said.

Five persons, including a woman, are feared drowned in a waterfall close to the backwater of Bhushi Dam in Pune's Lonavala area on Sunday, a police official said.

According to the police, the incident happened between 12.30 pm and 1 pm, and teams of police and local volunteers were working to locate the tourists. The waterfall is located behind the Railway’s rest house near the dam.

Finally, after close to a month’s wait, their Common Entrance Test (CET) result is out but admissions cannot start because the Maharashtra CET Cell has announced another CET for the same courses because many complained they had missed the first one.

Students seeking admission to these courses inMumbaiUniversity-affiliated colleges are still waiting for theMaharashtraCET Cell to hold the Common Admission Process (CAP).

However, there is no clarity on the same in the absence of guidelines for the process. Amid all the ambiguity, these admissions are stalled, causing stress among students as all other undergraduate degree admissions are already halfway through.

As the Sant Tukaram Maharajpalkhi(palanquin) arrived in Kasarwadi-Nashik Phata area in Pimpri-Chinchwad on Sunday, people who had lined up on both sides of the Pune-Mumbai highway scrambled for adarshanand a few of them even got hurt in the rush.

Like every year, the palanquin left Akurdi, where it had stayed overnight after leaving the temple town of Dehu on Saturday. Accompanied by scores ofwarkaris,thepalkhileft Akurdi around 5 am.

“The people of Akurdi had made arrangements for the overnight stay of thepalkhi. Food and refreshments were provided by local people,” said Iklas Sayyed, a local resident. Read more

Rain is likely to intensify in Mumbai this week and the weather department has issued a yellow alert for Sunday. Mumbai residents can expect moderate to heavy rainfall today and heavy to very heavy rain tomorrow. Orange alerts have been issued for Ratnagiri, Raigad and Sindhudurg districts while yellow alert is in place for Thane and Palghar districts.

So, those stepping outside are advised to carry umbrellas.