Fire at South Mumbai building, no casualties

A fire broke out on the 15th floor of a building in south Mumbai on Wednesday evening.

However, by late night, it was extinguished, without anyone getting injured.

"The fire broke out on the 15th floor of Earnest House at around 8.30 PM," municipal corporation's disaster control Centre official said.

Five fire engines rushed to the spot and brought the fire under control, he said.

The cause of the fire was not known yet, the official added.

An Indian passenger has been arrested at the international airport here for allegedly trying to smuggle in 4.9 kg of rough diamonds valued at Rs 1 crore from the United Arab Emirates, a customs official said on Wednesday. Prashant Harsora had arrived from Sharjah on an Air Arabia Airline flight at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on Sunday, a Customs Air Intelligence Unit officer told PTI. Acting on a tip off, he was intercepted and 4.9 kg of rough diamonds valued at Rs 1 crore were found in his luggage, the official said. "The accused concealed the valuables at the bottom of a bag and also inside the cavity of a digital satellite receiver," he said. He was arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Customs Act, the official said.

Income Tax officer’s son held for robbery

MUMBAI: The Dindoshi police arrested a 16-year-old boy, son of an Income Tax officer, for allegedly robbing cash and valuables worth Rs 2.2 lakh from his friend. The police said that the accused threatened the victim by saying that he could harm him through a history-sheeter. The incident came to light when the victim's mother, Geeta Yadav, approached the police station stating that the accused had been harassing her 15-year-old son for the past six months. After which a case was registered against the accused and he was arrested on August 17, the police said. The police said both the minors are residents of Nagri Nivara Parishad in the Dindoshi area of Goregaon and close friends for last couple of years. The accused managed to rob Rs 78,500 in cash and bangles worth Rs 1.51 lakhs from the minor’s mother Geeta Yadav. The police said that the accused would force the 15-year-old to break into his parents’ cupboards and rob the cash and valuables. The police said that the accused had also snatched away the home keys of the minor and robbed some money from their cupboard by breaking into the apartment. The police have booked and arrested the accused under Indian Penal Code Sections 387 for putting a person in fear of death or of grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion and 392 for robbery.

No water supply in some areas on Aug 24

MUMBAI: There will be no water supply in some par ts of Bandra East and Khar East on August 24. The localities in Bandra East like Kher wadi, Kher Nagar, Behrampada, Naupada, MHADA’s MIG, Teacher ’s Colony, Govt Colony, Kala Nagar, Bandra Kurla Complex, Maharashtra Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar and Naupada will be affected. Even areas in Khar East like Shantilal Compound, Golibar Road, Jaibharat Colony, Maratha Colony, Jawahar and Nagar will be affected. The Mumbai Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has decided to carr y out improvement work in the water supply system under Maroshi – Ruparel water tunnel project. I t will also carr y out allied works on Tansa East and Tansa West main between Sahar and Mahim at 10 pm on August 23 and continue till 4 pm on August 24.

Half-an-hour disruption on Harbour Line

MUMBAI: Ser vices on the Harbour Line were disrupted for half and hour when the branch of a tree fell on the tracks at Masjid Station. The incident occurred at 12.57 pm in the afternoon due to which two trains towards Chhatrapathi Shivaji Terminus (CST ) and two trains towards Vashi and Panvel were cancelled. The Central Railway ’s, Chief Public Relations Officer, Atul Rane, said, “A train going to Vashi from CST was stuck for 28 minutes after which ser vices were resumed.” The CR had faced a similar problem when a cotton tree had fallen on the overhead equipment causing 12 cancellations in March and a delay of half an hour. The tree had fallen on the roof of the platform in Malad on June 13, causing a delay of half an hour and five cancellations that day.

Cops begin probe into watchman’s murder

MUMBAI: The Malad police are investigating the murder case of a 40-year-old watchman whose decomposed body was found floating in water at his work place in Malad on Tuesday night. The watchman had gone missing on the night before August 15. According to the Malad police, deceased, identified as Vik ram Singh, is a resident of Kurar village in Malad East. Singh was work ing as a watchman in Aggar wal Compound, a construc tion site on the Chincholi Bunder Road in Malad West. On August 14, Singh didn’t return back home, due to which his family members registered a case of missing person at the Malad West police station. On Tuesday night, Singh’s decomposed body was found floating in 15-foot deep trench. The police had registered a case of accidental death and suspect it could be a case of murder.