Latest news with #Thane-based
New Indian Express
13 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Congress high command has the final word
After politically low-key Harshvardhan Sapkal was recently appointed the Maharashtra Congress chief, many believed his 'closeness' with the high command may have had a major role in the appointment. Now, the same Sapkal is finding it difficult to place his 'confidants' at key posts in the state Congress unit. He recently decided to remove incumbent Maha Cong social media head Vishal Muttemwar and replace with his 'person of choice'. Here, Sapkal made an error; he went through with the decision without informing the national social media head and state incharge. Therefore, the file for appointing a new social media head is stuck in the corridors of Delhi. Shinde confidant returns to real estate business Dy CM Eknath Shinde's 'Man Friday', Thane-based developer Ajay Ashar, has decided to alienate from his political patron and focus on his sprawling real estate business. Ashar apparently had a key role in lifting Shinde to the CM's seat. He was among the main 'negotiators' with the BJP top brass and even shouldered the responsibilities of the high-cost 'takeover' in Maharashtra. As reward, Ashar was appointed as vice-chairman of Maharashtra Institute for Transformation (MITRA) – a financial planning body. But after Shinde was handed the second fiddle in the new govt, Ashar was removed from the role. Thus, Ashar has once again found time for his real estate ventures. CIDCO's 55th anniversary event goes overboard Maharashtra government's City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) recently celebrated its 55th Foundation Day, highlighting the organisation's global standards in urban planning and development. As part of the bash, several CIDCO higher-ups were reportedly provided 55gm gold value coins embossed with the 55th foundation day mark. The buzz was that these heavy coins were put on the CIDCO exchequer under different heads. Unfortunately, the CIDCO, in charge of the Navi Mumbai airport, is struggling to pay the salary of its own employees. The cash-rich board is allegedly being looted by its top officers by inflating local land prices. Sudhir Suryawanshi Our correspondent in Maharashtra
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Top babus now tasked with fact-checking media reports
More than three months after the general administration department prescribed stringent guidelines for electronic and print media, it was found that by and large, there is massive laxity in the implementation of critical orders. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Chief secretary Sujata Saunik has now issued revised orders, saying it will be the responsibility of the additional chief secretary, the principal secretary and the secretary of the department concerned to ensure that orders are implemented in their letter and spirit. CM Devendra Fadnavis had held a series of meetings on publication of govt news in print and electronic media. The general administration department issued guidelines from all departments for securing accuracy of media reports. Then, it was submitted that in the event of a false news report, a clarification was to be published in 24 hours in case of print media and within an hour on electronic media. But it was found that no critical step was taken by the directorate general of information and public relations (DGIPR) for publication of govt response. To build the state govt's image, Saunik has directed heads of all departments to take immediate cognisance of false news in both electronic and print media and issue a proper clarification immediately. All departments must involve departmental liaison officers in the entire exercise. DGIPR will ensure that the statement of facts is submitted to the agency concerned immediately. A senior bureaucrat said that in the recent past, DGIPR lost significance since most of the cabinet members have their own public relations officers, most of whom are private. The entire episode has created a big challenge for DGIPR. Due justice The conviction of a Thane-based hawker for a murder attempt on a former assistant municipal commissioner in 2021 assumes significance since it was found that most public servants are reluctant to lodge a complaint in view of the complex procedure and harassment. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Kalpita Pimple, then assistant commissioner, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), was seriously injured when she was attacked by the hawker and his colleagues while she was removing illegal structures. The hawker attacked her with a sharp weapon, chopping off three of her fingers. Her colleague, too, was grievously hurt. TMC officials as well as police personnel immediately nabbed the hawker. More significant is the fact that a team of lawyers led by Shishir Hiray submitted the chargesheet in a time-bound period. Hiray brought it to the notice of the judge that it was a murderous attack and maximum punishment should be imposed on the accused. He said it was a prestigious case for him since hawkers attack officials and vanish from the scene, with no witness coming forward to depose. Sessions judge Ashutosh Bhagwat accepted Hiray's contention and gave the hawker seven years of rigorous imprisonment for the murder bid.
Indian Express
11-06-2025
- Indian Express
3 held for abducting Thane martial arts trainer in Nagaland
Three persons were arrested in Nagaland Wednesday for allegedly abducting a 67-year-old Thane-based martial arts teacher, police said. While the accused are being brought to Mumbai on transit remand, the elderly man could not be rescued as he was arrested by the Nagaland police in a case, an official said. The 67-year-old man, who conducts martial arts classes and had trained police personnel, was allegedly lured by the accused offering massive investment opportunities in bamboo plantations Nagaland. An official said that on May 26, the Thane resident went to Dimapur in Nagaland on a flight. Two days later, his son received a call saying that his father had been kidnapped. The caller further threatened to murder his father if he did not pay Rs 1.5 crore. The son then made a payment of Rs 55,000 and went to the nearest Parksite police station in Vikhroli. The police registered an FIR and the matter was handed over to the Mumbai crime branch that sent a team to Nagaland to rescue the senior citizen. The team identified the three local residents involved in the abduction and placed them under arrest. However, an official from Nagaland police said that the 67-year-old man was arrested based on complaints by some local residents that he had cheated them of around Rs 20 lakh in connection with a bamboo plantation venture.
Mint
05-06-2025
- Health
- Mint
Health insurance vs medical corpus: What should senior citizens prioritize?
Mumbai-based Sarita Aggarwal, 62, has had an ₹8 lakh health insurance policy from a national insurer for nearly two decades. But in recent years, the annual premium has shot up—from ₹25,000 in 2022 to ₹35,000 in 2023, and then ₹52,500 in 2024. She's bracing for yet another hike in 2025. She has been considering discontinuing the policy and building a medical emergency fund instead. 'Even as I am paying such a huge premium, I had to sue my insurer thrice to get my claim settled. I won twice," she said. 'Damned if you do and damned if you don't,"she says. Yet, she suspects she'll keep renewing it, simply because there seems to be no alternative. Thane-based Sameer Deshpande, 58, took a different path. After early retirement, he converted his employer-provided insurance into a private plan covering himself, his wife, and son. When the insurer hiked the premium from ₹18,000 to ₹35,000 in just a year—owing to his age slab change—he dropped himself from the policy. 'I was uncomfortable with this hike. I decided to exclude myself from the policy and renewed it only for my wife and son which cost me ₹21,000. I feel it's smarter to pay cash on demand than to shell out ever‑rising premiums for uncertain coverage," said Deshpande. Also read: Senior healthcare crisis: Why insurance must cover more than just hospital stays Insurance vs investment Rising premiums are forcing many seniors to reconsider the value of insurance versus building a medical emergency corpus. "Hospitalisation is an uncertain event - difficult to quantify the medical bill and just how many times one may get hospitalised. Insurance will surely offer better risk protection against medical corpus, but if the premium amount becomes more than 33% of the total coverage, it is wise to look for alternatives," said Kumar. Vaibhav Aggarwal, CFA, a behavioural finance professor at O.P. Jindal Global University, ran some calculations for a relative who had been hospitalized three times in the past 10 years. 'I assumed eight hospitalisations in the next 10 years, with the super top-up coverage being used a couple of times and only the base policy for the rest. The total internal rate of return for cumulative inflows and outflows came to 18%. This simulation helped me convince her to continue with the policy," said Aggarwal. There's also a chance you may end up paying more in medical costs if you opt to pay in cash. 'Insurance companies negotiate fixed packages, often reducing treatment costs by around 20%. In contrast, individuals without coverage may face inflated bills or unnecessary procedures, as there is no insurer to audit the charges. You're at the mercy of the hospital," Aggarwal cautioned. 'If you can't afford the insurance," he noted, 'you can never afford the hospitalization." Also Read: Your EPF makes you eligible for ₹7 lakh life insurance. Here's what you need to know How to make insurance affordable While rising premiums can feel unsustainable, consider the share of premiums in your overall expenses. 'As long as your annual premium is equal to or lower than your two months of expenses, it should be fine. It should not exceed 15-20% of your annual expenses, as data from OECD countries shows," said Kumar. What should you do if it reaches that level? To maintain decent coverage, you may consider pairing a low-coverage base health plan with a super top-up policy. A super top-up plan comes with a deductible, which means the policyholder will have to pay the amount up to deductible from her own pockets or from the base policy before the super top-up coverage kicks in. The deductible makes the premium of super top-up plans much lower than a regular health plan. "Keeping a base plan of ₹5-10 lakh and layering it with a super top-up significantly improves affordability. Having both from the same insurer can simplify claims, but it isn't mandatory," said a spokesperson from Ditto. If this too is unaffordable, simply maintain a super top-up without a base policy and keep the emergency fund ready to meet expenses equivalent to the deductible threshold. The premium hike in super top-up is relatively slower. Few people buy a top-up plan which works exactly like the super top-up with a difference that one can only use it for a single claim or hospitalization within the policy period. Mohan Govindrajan, a 66-year-old living in Chennai paid ₹50,000 to 54,000 annually for himself and her wife separately for their 10-lakh policy. Govindrajan noted that 10 years ago, the premium was significantly lower, around ₹10,000 to 20,000. They also have a top-up plan that covers them with ₹20 lakhs sum insured with a 10 lakh deductible. 'The premium hike in the top-up plan has been much slower than my base policy," he said. If insurers do not sell you a super top-up due to health or any other reason, there are ways to lower your premium of the existing policy. "Some insurers offer discounts if you pay premiums upfront for two to five years. This can help save money and protect against future premium hikes," said Ditto. Dropping non-essential add-ons is another option. "Riders such as critical illness, hospital cash, and OPD cover can push premiums up. If you have sufficient savings to handle smaller expenses, consider removing them and focusing purely on hospitalization cover," Ditto said. Use wellness programmes efficiently."Insurers such as Aditya Birla, Niva Bupa, and Care offer wellness programmes that reward you for meeting health goals such as discounts or reward points if you stay active or go for regular health checkups. These aren't huge savings, but they can help a little with the overall cost," said Ditto. Also Read: How corporate India is quietly becoming the health insurer for your parents Alternatively, if your children are employed, they should consider adding parents in employer-sponsored group plans as dependents. If you qualify, this can provide decent coverage at a lower cost. Last but not least, opt for government schemes. If you are over 70, you can enrol in the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, which will make you eligible for ₹5 lakh insurance cover. While dropping the insurance policy to invest the premium equivalent in an investment product seems viable, one should look for other alternatives to keep the policy running without burning a hole in the pocket.
Mint
31-05-2025
- Mint
How Thane-based engineer ‘spied' for Pakistan: A Facebook request, honey-trapping, sketches about warships, submarines
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a Thane-based engineer on May 29 on charges of providing sensitive information to a Pakistani intelligence agent, who allegedly honey-trapped him on social media, officials said. The accused was identified as 27-year-old Ravindra Murlidhar Verma. According to news agency PTI, he is a resident of Kalwa in neighbouring Thane city in Maharashtra, an official said on Thursday. He was reportedly working as a junior engineer in a defence technology firm. The official said that Verma, as an employee of the defence technology company, "had access to enter the Naval Dockyard in south Mumbai and he used to work at the naval ships. Verma reportedly had been in contact with the Pakistani agent since November 2024. The official said that Verma was honey-trapped by a Pakistani agent who posed as a woman and befriended him on Facebook. According to police, he was lured into passing classified information after being honey-trapped by a Pakistani agent posing as a woman on Facebook. "He was found to have shared sensitive information about a vital installation with the 'Pakistan Intelligence Operative' (PIO) through WhatsApp from November 2024 to March 2025," the official said. According to officials, Verma had been in contact with the Pakistani agent since November 2024. They said Verma had received friend requests on Facebook from users with account names as Payal Sharma and Ispreet in 2024, which he accepted. While chatting with him, both these account users -- posing as women --initially portrayed that they were from India and worked on a project for which information about warships was required, the official said. "After a few sessions of conversations, they honey-trapped him and started digging sensitive information about vital installations," he said. Official said Verma used to share all the sensitive information with Pakistani operatives. "He was very much aware of what he was doing and to whom he was passing on the sensitive information. He was getting money in exchange for providing the information," he said. Police alleged that the Thane-based engineer shared sensitive information about warships and submarines to the Pakistani intelligence operative through sketches, diagrams and audio notes. They said that Verma received money from various bank accounts in India and abroad in return. "During the investigation, it came to light that Verma shared sensitive information knowingly and intentionally multiple times. In exchange for the information, he received money from various bank accounts from India and abroad," an official told PTI on Friday. It was also found that he had shared information about various warships and submarines to the Pakistani Intelligence Operative (PIO), another official said. The official said that Verma worked as a junior engineer with a defence technology firm and, by virtue of his work, he had access to the Naval Dockyard in south Mumbai. "He would also go on board naval ships and submarines," the official said. "During his visits to the Naval Dockyard, he was not allowed to carry a mobile phone inside. Therefore, after finishing his work there, he used to share sensitive information about warships and submarines by making sketches or diagrams. Sometimes, he would share information through audio notes also," the official added. "The ATS suspects that he also shared the names of submarines and warships to the Pakistani agent," he said. A case was registered against him and two more persons who were in contact with him, under section 3 of the Official Secrets Act that deals with espionage, and section 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). According to PTI, officials of the ATS Thane unit took Verma into custody on Wednesday based on a tip-off. "After interrogation, Verma was placed under arrest for his alleged involvement in the crime," the official said. He was produced before a court, which sent him to the ATS custody till Monday. "The ATS is examining his mobile phones and gadgets used in sharing vital information through the social media platform with the PIO," the official said, adding that, "Further probe in the case was underway."
