Maharashtra

Mumbai, Apr 23 (PTI) Equity benchmarks wilted under selling pressure on Friday as the steady stream of grim news surrounding the COVID-19 crisis in the country sapped risk appetite and raised concerns over the economic recovery forecasts.

A depreciating rupee, which slumped below the 75-mark versus the US dollar, and a negative trend in global equities added to the gloom, analysts said.

After a volatile session, the 30-share BSE Sensex ended 202.22 points or 0.42 per cent lower at 47,878.45.

New Delhi, Apr 23 (PTI) Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd has bought Britain's iconic country club and luxury golf resort, Stoke Park, for 57 million pounds (about Rs 592 crore).

The acquisition adds to Reliance's current stake in Oberoi hotels and hotel/managed residences in Mumbai that it's developing.

Mumbai, Apr 23 (PTI) The Indian rupee slumped 12 paise to 75.06 against the US dollar in opening trade on Friday as muted domestic equities and concerns over rising COVID-19 cases kept investors on edge.

Besides, foreign fund outflows also weighed on investors' sentiment, forex traders said.

Mumbai, Apr 23 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday announced a financial assistance of Rs five lakh each to the families of 13 COVID-19 patients, who died in a fire at a hospital in Virar of Palghar district.

A statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said those who suffered serious injuries in the incident will be given Rs one lakh compensation each.

Mumbai, Apr 22 (PTI) As much as 1,600 metric tons of unexploded ordnance was disposed of by the Southern Command of the Indian Army to help civilian authorities in Mumbai and several other locations, a defence release said on Thursday.

In Mumbai alone, over 800 tons of Unidentified Explosive Objects (UXO) with explosive content of over two thousand kg of RDX/ TNT was disposed of.

Pune, Apr 22 (PTI) Renowned Sanskrit scholar Pandit Ghulam Dastagir Birajdar died at Solapur in Maharashtra on Thursday afternoon following a brief illness, family sources said.

Dastagir, 87, had in-depth knowledge of Hindu scriptures including the Vedas and had translated several books from Hindi and Urdu into Sanskrit.

He had received several awards including the national teachers' award of the Union government.

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari condoled his death.

Virar (Maha), Apr 23 (PTI) Thirteen COVID-19 patients, including five women, died in a blaze at the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Palghar district of Maharashtra on Friday, police said.

There were 90 patients in the hospital, 18 of them in the ICU, when the fire broke out after a blast in the AC unit, an official said.

Nagpur, Apr 21 (PTI) Police have registered a case against a doctor for allegedly molesting a nurse at an old age home in Maharashtra's Nagpur, an official said on Wednesday.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, he said.

The accused, Dr Sanil Varghese (40), is a resident of Mangaldeep Nagar in the city.

"In her complaint, the 19-year-old victim told the police that she was appointed as a nurse by the accused at his healthcare centre-cum-old age home two days ago," the official said.

Mumbai, Apr 21 (PTI) The Maharashtra government on Wednesday imposed several new restrictions including a ban on inter-city and inter-district travel and curbs on office attendance in an attempt to bring the spiralling coronavirus infections under control.

Central, state and local governing body offices shall function with 15 per cent attendance. But emergency services dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic will be exempted from this rule.

Mumbai, Apr 22 (PTI) The rupee opened on a weak note and fell below the 75 per US dollar level in early trade on Thursday as investors fretted over the prospects of stricter lockdown in some parts of the country amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Moreover, foreign fund outflows, and heavy selling in domestic equities weighed on the domestic currency.

At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 75.25 then lost further ground and fell to 75.26 against the US dollar, showing a decline of 38 paise over its previous closing.