A scrap dealer from Navi Mumbai has been arrested for allegedly supplying a weapon to the shooters involved in the killing of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique. The arrest brings the total number of individuals in custody to 10. Baba Siddique was fatally shot on October 13 near the office of his son, an MLA, in Bandra.

The accused, identified as Bhagwat Singh Om Singh (32), originally from Udaipur, Rajasthan, and currently residing in Navi Mumbai, was arrested by the Mumbai Police’s crime branch. He was remanded to police custody until October 26.

Two shooters, Gurmail Baljit Singh (23) and Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap (19), are also in custody, while three conspirators, including Shivkumar Gautam, remain absconding.

Of the 10 arrested, five individuals initially demanded ₹50 lakh for the job but later withdrew due to a dispute over payment and the influence of the slain politician. These five, who provided logistical support to the shooters, were paid ₹5 lakh.

The police have also suspended three officers for negligence after videos surfaced showing a Lawrence Bishnoi gang sharpshooter commenting on Siddique’s murder while in custody. A lookout circular has been issued for three additional suspects, including Shivkumar Gautam, Shubham Lonkar, and Mohammed Zeeshan Akhtar.

A serious cleanliness and health crisis has emerged in the project-affected villages of Sonari and Karal due to garbage accumulation in a natural water drainage channel built by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA). The blocked drain, constructed at a cost of crores, was intended to manage water drainage for the villages but has now become a hotspot for waste buildup.

The situation has resulted in increased health risks for local residents, as stagnant water and accumulated waste have led to a rise in mosquito, rat, and cockroach populations. This has heightened concerns over the potential spread of diseases.

The problem is further exacerbated by the presence of numerous hotels, food outlets, and liquor shops along the JNPA-Panvel main road near Karal Fata, a bustling area that contributes to the waste issue. Local residents have called for immediate action from authorities to clear the blockage and address the sanitation crisis before it worsens.

Efforts to clean the drainage system and enforce better waste management practices are urgently needed to ensure the health and safety of the affected communities.

Illegal encroachment by hawkers continues to plague Nerul node.

The Hawkers

The situation in Nerul is still terrible despite the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s (NMMC) continuous efforts to address the problem of unlicensed hawkers. Despite the fact that authorities frequently seize hawkers’ carts and supplies, these merchants appear to be unfazed and return to their locations the very next day.

Residents are getting more and more irritated as they have to stroll on crowded streets due to hawker stalls blocking the walkways. This increases the possibility of mishaps and injuries, posing a serious safety risk.

To address this problem, NMMC officials have sent out many teams and worked repeatedly to remove the encroachments. Their efforts seem futile, though, since hawkers continue to resurface every day, re-establishing their presence. “Strict actions have been taken repeatedly, and our team is constantly working to resolve this issue,” said a Nerul Ward Office representative. The hawkers, however, return. Despite the fact that many of our employees are busy with election-related tasks, we are determined to resolve the hawker issue.

More effective actions are being demanded by local residents. “The actions taken by the NMMC are insufficient; we face the same problem every day,” said one worried individual. We require more sustainable and knowledgeable solutions.