Commuters complain of garbage, unhygienic toilets, encroachments and poor infrastructure despite the city’s cleanest-city ranking, transfer of maintenance responsibilities to Central Railway remains underway.

The Railway

Despite Navi Mumbai being recognised as India’s cleanest city, several railway stations across the city continue to struggle with cleanliness and maintenance issues, causing inconvenience to daily commuters.

Stations at Vashi, Sanpada, Juinagar, Nerul, Seawoods-Darave, Belapur, Kharghar, Airoli, Ghansoli and Koparkhairane have reportedly been facing problems such as improper garbage disposal, unhygienic toilets, poorly maintained footpaths and inadequate lighting. Commuters have also raised concerns over unauthorised hawkers occupying footpaths, forcing pedestrians to walk on busy roads. Unregulated auto-rickshaw parking has further contributed to traffic congestion outside several stations.

In August 2026, the transfer of 17 railway stations developed by CIDCO to Central Railway was completed. However, CIDCO’s existing cleanliness contracts continued until September 30, with Central Railway scheduled to take over the responsibility from October 1. Seawoods-Darave station has also received complaints regarding waterlogging, construction debris, garbage accumulation and poor toilet maintenance. Passengers have expressed concerns over the condition of lifts, footbridges and other facilities.

Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Dr Swapnil Nila said the transfer of cleanliness responsibilities was still underway due to pending contractual and staff-related procedures. He added that some cleaning and repair work had begun and improvements would become visible after the transition was completed. Commuters are expecting authorities to take urgent steps to improve station cleanliness and passenger facilities.

23-year-old woman allegedly strangled by her boyfriend at a Sector 9 lodge; police launch investigation into the incident.

The Murder

A shocking incident was reported at Happy Residency Lodge in Sector 9, Ulwe, where a 24-year-old man allegedly murdered his 23-year-old girlfriend before dying by suicide.

According to the police, the incident came to light around midnight on Wednesday. The preliminary investigation suggests that the crime may have been linked to complications in their relationship. However, the exact motive is yet to be established. The woman’s father, Satyaveer Singh Chaudhary, a resident of Sankeshwar Plaza in Ulwe, approached the police after his daughter went missing on Tuesday. The family was scheduled to travel outside the state by flight, but the woman failed to return home.

Following the complaint, Ulwe police began searching for her. A technical investigation helped them trace her location to Happy Residency Lodge in Sector 9. When police reached the lodge at around 1 am on Wednesday, they found the woman’s body inside a room. Her boyfriend, identified as Bharat Pankaj Bhardwaj, alias Gaurav, was also found dead after allegedly hanging himself.

According to the post-mortem findings, the woman was strangled to death before the man died by suicide at around 4.45 am. Police have registered a murder case against the deceased man under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Further investigation is being conducted by the Ulwe police.

Navi Mumbai Police arrest accused from a Lonavala hotel, he allegedly promised affordable flats in Ulwe but failed to deliver.

Cheating

Navi Mumbai Police have arrested a man accused of cheating four people of approximately Rs 19 lakh by promising to provide flats at below-market prices in Ulwe. The accused, identified as Shailendra Devprabhakar Dwivedi, was arrested from a hotel in Lonavala.

According to the police, Dwivedi allegedly posed as a journalist and claimed to be associated with a real estate development firm, Shri Guru Builders and Developers. He reportedly promised affordable flats in a building being developed at Plot No. 453 in Sector 24, Ulwe.

Using these assurances, he allegedly collected a total of Rs 19 lakh from four people but failed to provide the promised flats. Vijay Jha (42), an incense-stick businessman, lodged a complaint at the Ulwe police station on October 7. After the complaint was registered, the accused allegedly went into hiding and frequently changed locations to avoid arrest. He also reportedly circulated misleading social media posts about Navi Mumbai police personnel.

Following a technical investigation, the police traced him to a hotel in Lonavala and arrested him around midnight on Thursday. Deputy Commissioner of Police Amit Kale stated that several other serious cases, including extortion, illegal possession of weapons, assault and obstructing government officials, had previously been registered against the accused at various police stations in Navi Mumbai and Thane. Further investigation is underway.