Maharashtra

Mumbai, Mar 26 (PTI) Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday ordered night curfew in entire Maharashtra from March 28 in view of the unabated rise in COVID-19 cases, an official statement said.

The curfew order will come into effect from the Sunday night. Also, local authorities should ensure that shopping malls remain shut between 8 pm and 7 am, Thackeray ordered after a meeting here.

He also warned of stricter restrictions if people did not observe COVID-19 safety protocol, an official release said.

Mumbai, Mar 26 (PTI) The Centre might have slashed the fuel rates so that the BJP does not suffer on the issue of price rise in the five poll-bound states, including West Bengal, the Shiv Sena alleged on Friday without naming the NDA constituent.

The Sena, in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', also said that instead of giving a "relief of few paise" to people, the central government should share with them some part of "additional income" it earned due to the "huge" rise in petrol and diesel prices in the past one year.

Mumbai, Mar 26 (PTI) Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said that "some people in Delhi" are preparing to form UPA-II, which is why the existing UPA needs to be strengthened if the opposition is to fight the BJP.

He made the statement while speaking to reporters in Delhi, a day after he reiterated that NCP chief Sharad Pawar should head the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) that is currently being led by the Congress.

Thane, Mar 25 (PTI) Unidentified persons broke into an ATM and decamped with Rs 45 lakh cash in Murbad town of Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Thursday.

The theft took place at a State Bank of India ATM on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, an official said.

According to the police, the accused had allegedly stolen the money without tampering with the machine.

The police are examining the CCTV footage from the premises and a case of theft has been registered at Murbad police station, the official added.

Nagpur, Mar 26 (PTI) The civic body in Maharashtra's Nagpur city on Friday issued a notification banning Holi celebrations and Shab-e-Barat processions in public and private places amid the rise in COVID-19 cases.

The state government has already imposed strict restrictions in Nagpur till March 31.

According to an order issued by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation, not more than five people will be permitted to gather at public places during the festivals on March 28 and 29.

Mumbai, Mar 23 (PTI) A day after Kangana Ranaut won her fourth National Film Award, the actor said though she takes interest in matters of national importance, she has "no connection with politics at all".

Ranaut, who is known for her provocative statements, recently made headlines for her Twitter spat with actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh over the ongoing farmers protests and locking horns with the Maharashtra government after her office was demolished by the BMC.

Mumbai, Mar 20 (PTI) Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said NCP chief Sharad Pawar should take over as UPA chairperson.

The need of the hour is to strengthen the United Progresstive Alliance so that it emerges as a strong alternative to the BJP, Raut told reporters in Nashik.

Nagpur, Mar 20 (PTI) Goods worth Rs 5.80 lakh of an e-commerce firm were stolen from a truck during a journey from Telangana to Nagpur in Maharashtra, police said on Saturday.

A total of 320 boxes were loaded in the truck at Medchal in Ranga Reddy district on March 7, to be delivered at Yerla area of Nagpur.

According to driver Hamid Khan (43), unidentified persons stole three boxes containing mobile phones, body spray, deodorants and other material during the journey.

Thane, Mar 19 (PTI) A 29-year-old building supervisor was sentenced to 10 years in jail by a special POCSO court in Thane for raping a teen girl in 2015.

Judge SB Bahalkar, in his order on Thursday, convicted Mangesh Kamble under sections 376(2)(i) and 354B of IPC as well as POCSO Act for raping a 14-year-old girl on September 11, 2015 at a construction site in Mira Road, Additional Public Prosecutor Varsha Chandane said.

Thane, Mar 19 (PTI) The body of a 33-year-old woman was found in a forest area of Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district in the wee hours of Friday, police said.

The body was recovered from a hillock in Shelar village and the police suspect that she was allegedly raped before being murdered.

"The woman had gone to graze her cattle on Thursday, but did not return home till night. Sensing that something was amiss, a search was carried by her husband and villagers and her body was found in the wee hours," an official of Bhiwandi taluka police station said.