A 23-year-old woman doctor was molested in the subway of Vashi railway station in Navi Mumbai and a hunt was on for the accused, a police official said on Monday.

The incident took place on Sunday afternoon when the victim was on her way to board a suburban train to Kharghar, he said.

“The 25-year-old man touched her inappropriately and fled from the spot. Based on CCTV footage of the area, a hunt has been launched for the accused,” he said.

A case under section 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with the intention of outraging her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at Vashi railway police station, the official informed.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday batted for a “caste survey” on the lines of the one conducted in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government and said such a move will help find the exact population of all communities so that proportionate benefits can be given accordingly.

Addressing a public meeting in Madha in Solapur, Mr Pawar also said the state government was positive about quota demands of the Maratha community.

“I am of the opinion let there be a caste-based survey here. The Bihar government carried it out in that state. With such an exercise, we will come to know the exact population of OBCs, SCs, STs, minorities, general category etc as benefits are given as per proportion of population,” he said.

Informing that he, along with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, had sought details of the caste survey in Bihar, Mr Pawar said the exercise must be carried out in Maharashtra even if it costs “some thousand crores” as it will bring a “clear picture before the public”.

Mr Pawar said the state government was positive about quota demands of the Maratha and Dhangar communities, but with the emphasis that such a move must not affect the 62 per cent reservation in place (52 per cent for SCs, STs and OBCs, as well as 10 per cent for Economically Weaker Sections).

“If reservation is given to Marathas and other communities from the existing 52 per cent, then those groups receiving benefits in this segment will be disappointed. Our efforts are to ensure quota provided above the 62 per cent at present is legally sustainable in the High Court and Supreme Court,” he said.

Mr Pawar said quota activist Manoj Jarange has sought Kunbi certificates for Marathas so that the latter can get benefits under the Other Backward Classes category, whereas groups from the OBC category are submitting memorandums that no other community must be included in their segment.

He said the state government was working on the demand for providing Kunbi certificates by holding discussions with experts and noted lawyers, since any move that does not stand the test of law will make people claim the ruling dispensation cheated them.

“The Dhangar community is seeking inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe category, while tribals are resisting it,” said the Nationalist Congress Party leader, who joined the Shinde government on July 2 this year.

Businessman Darshan Hiranandani broke silence on his explosive affidavit today to insist that he has not filed it under pressure — an allegation made by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, who is currently battling “cash-for-query” allegations.

In an interview to Times Now, Mr Hiranandani said he spoke up since the cash for query allegations named him “directly and personally”. He also admitted that he has used Mahua Moitra’s parliamentary login ID and password to post questions from Dubai – a situation, if proved, will mean a breach of privilege and lead to her suspension from parliament.

Calling his actions a “crazy error of judgment and deeply regrettable,” he said he has embarrassed himself directly and “my company indirectly” and it was “incumbent on me to come forth”.

“In any allegation we prefer to come forward with the truth and that’s what I have done in this case,” he said, adding that his affidavit has been sent to the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Parliamentary Ethics Committee.  

In response to the affidavit that made headlines last week, Mahua Moitra had alleged that the Prime Minister’s Office “held a proverbial gun” to Mr Hiranandani’s head and made him sign a white paper that was later “leaked to the press”.

“Darshan Hiranandani has not been summoned by the CBI or the Ethics Committee or indeed by any investigative agency yet. Who then has he given this affidavit to,” she had said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.  

Regarding the use of her login and BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s call for an investigation, Ms Moitra had issued a strident demand.

“Request NIC to please release ALL details of MPs publicly to show they were physically present in place from where IDs were accessed by their PAs & researchers/interns/staff.  Don’t use Fake Degree wala for leak, make this public NOW,”she had posted on X.

“All parliamentary work of MPs done by PAs, assistants, interns, large teams.  Respected @ashwinivaishnaw please release details of location & login details of ALL MPs with CDRs. Please release info on training given to staff to login,” she had added in another post.

Following a complaint to the CBI by  advocate Jai Anand Dehadrai, Mr Dubey has demanded immediate suspension of Ms Moitra, alleging that she “took bribes to ask questions” in parliament from Mr Hiranandani to target the Adani group and PM Modi.

He has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, accusing the Trinamool MP of breach of parliamentary privilege, contempt of House and criminal conspiracy. The matter is now with the Ethics Committee.

Ms Moitra has said she welcomes any kind of inquiry. “Multiple breach of privileges pending against fake degreewala & other @BJP4India luminaries. Welcome any motions against me right after Speaker finishes dealing with those,” she posted on X, formerly Twitter.

In his affidavit, Mr Hiranandani had said Ms Moitra thought the only way to attack PM Modi was by attacking Adani Group chief Gautam Adani, and so she “expected support”.

For this, she shared her parliamentary login ID so he could frame the questions. He went along with the idea because he thought through her, he would get support in the Opposition-ruled states, he had said in the affidavit.
 
He had also claimed that Ms Moitra received support from others in this effort, including journalists, Opposition leaders and former Adani Group employees, who fed her unverified information.

In this context, he had named Sucheta Dalal — who has denied the allegations in a post on X — and a few others.