Maharashtra

Mumbai/Pune, Jan 31:Within hours of the state mourning period ending following the death of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) moved swiftly to appoint his wife Sunetra Pawar as the new Deputy Chief Minister, triggering intense political debate over the urgency and strategy behind the decision. Ajit Pawar died in a tragic plane crash near Baramati on the morning of January 28. A three-day state mourning was observed till January 30, during which official programmes were suspended. He was cremated with full state honours on January 29 in the presence of thousands of supporters. However, even as the state mourned, political developments within the NCP moved at a rapid pace. On January 31, the NCP Legislature Party met in Mumbai and unanim...

Baramati, January 29: Maharashtra on Thursday bade a solemn and emotional farewell to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, as chants of “Ajit Dada Amar Rahe” echoed across Baramati during his last rites, held with full state honours. The 66-year-old Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, fondly known as ‘Dada’ in his political bastion Baramati, was cremated at the Vidya Pratishthan college ground, founded by the Pawar family, a day after he and four others were killed in a tragic chartered aircraft crash. Final Rites Amid Emotional Scenes As thousands gathered to pay their last respects, Ajit Pawar’s sons, Parth and Jay, lit the funeral pyre in the presence of senior national and state leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin, and Maharashtra Chief...

Varanasi/Sonbhadra, Jan 31: Police in Sonbhadra district have seized assets worth more than ₹5.77 crore from Bhola Jaiswal and his family in connection with an illegal narcotic cough syrup case, officials said on Saturday. Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Verma stated that under the case registered at Robertsganj Police Station, authorities confiscated seven immovable properties worth ₹4.55 crore located in the Madauli, Bharalai, and Jagdishpur areas of Varanasi, along with four vehicles valued at ₹51.16 lakh. In addition, bank deposits totaling ₹70,99,228 were also attached. The combined value of the movable and immovable properties seized has been calculated at ₹5,77,17,990, marking a significant step in curbing the illegal trade of narcotic substances. Authorities have em...

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jan 31: Maharashtra Minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat expressed regret on Saturday over the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, saying it should have been postponed in light of the tragic circumstances surrounding it. Shirsat remarked that the ceremony, held just a few days after the death of Ajit Pawar in a plane accident on January 28, reflected an unfortunate haste. “This event demonstrates that sometimes a position of power is being treated as more important than human life,” he said. The minister further alleged that the rush to administer the oath appears to be driven by internal politics within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He suggested that a more thoughtful and respectful timing would have...

Nagpur: The Maharashtra government has appointed Manisha Mhaiskar as the new Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) of the Home Department, following the retirement of Iqbal Singh Chahal. A 1992-batch IAS officer, Mhaiskar previously headed the Public Works Department (PWD). Her husband, Milind Mhaiskar, who was managing the Forest Department, has now been assigned responsibility for the PWD. Mhaiskar’s appointment underscores a growing administrative influence from Nagpur, as she hails from the city and will now lead the crucial Home Department. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also holds the Home portfolio, strengthening the administrative link. Additionally, State Minister for Home Pankaj Bhoyar represents the neighboring Wardha district. Career and Achievements Manisha Mhaiskar has ...

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has upheld the dismissal of a probationary assistant teacher accused of sending romantic messages to schoolgirls via WhatsApp. The court rejected the teacher’s appeal against the decision of the school tribunal, emphasizing that the school management was fully justified in taking strict action. Serious MisconductJustice Som Shekhar Sundaran observed that the case was serious, noting complaints from both parents and the local community regarding the teacher’s conduct. “The teacher’s inappropriate behavior provides the school management with sufficient grounds to dismiss him. In such matters, a zero-tolerance policy by the school is entirely justified,” the court stated. The teacher had been appointed as a probationary assistant teacher for a period of thr...