The state government had declared its intention to bifurcate Thane district kicking up a controversy. While the people from the five talukas of Jawhar, Mokhada, Dahanu, Talasari, Wada have been demanding that Jawhar be declared as the new district, the people from Palghar want Palghar to be the district headquarters. The state government has so far not announced any details of the proposed new district nor the location of the new district headquarters.

Police seize UMC poll cassette
Following orders by Deputy Speaker Vasant Daokhare (Congress), Thane Commissioner of Police Bhujangrao Mohite on Saturday confiscated video recordings of the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation's mayoral poll.

The video cassettes weretaken out of the township from the cable network InSindhu to Thane soon after the live telecast of the election had completed.

The disappearance of what could amount to crucial evidence in solving the dispute over the mayoral elections had caused a furore in the township and also in the state Legislative Assembly.

Stone hurled at local, one hurt
A resident of Worli commuting in a local train was injured in a stone-throwing incident early on Saturday.

Fakir Ahmed Chand Pasha Sheikh (22) was standing on the footboard of a fast train at around 10.45 am when the mishap occurred. An unidentified person threw a stone at the train while it was passing between Vile Parle and Santacruz. The stone hit Shiekh on his left hand. Sheikh, who suffered fractures on the fingers of his hand, got off at Bandra railway station. The railway police then took him to the Bhabha hospital where he was treated upon and discharged. Bandra police have registered a case under Section 152 of the Indian Railway Act.

Panvendor shot at in Bhiwandi
A pan vendor was shot at in the red-light area of Hanuman Tekdi, Bhiwandi early on Sunday. Ramesh Chimappa Poojari (40) was fired at by an unidentified assailant near Gaurav Hotel at 8.45 am. Eye-witnesses informed Bhiwandi police investigating the attack that the assailants arrived on foot and fired one bullet into Poojari's back without even speaking to him and fled. Poojari was first taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial hospital and later rushed to the Singhania hospital, Thane after his condition was declared serious. Eyewitnesses further informed that the gunman was about six feet tall and wore a green shirt. The motive behind the attack was yet to be known. "It appears to be case of mistaken identity," said a senior official of the Bhiwandi police.