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Mumbai residents should note that January 15, 2026, will officially be a dry day in Mumbai. This dry day on January 15 is being observed due to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

According to the standard protocol of the Maharashtra State Election Commission the sale and distribution of alcohol are completely prohibited during voting to maintain law and order and ensure a fair democratic process.

Scope of the Ban

The dry day will be observed across all 227 wards of Mumbai city and its suburban districts. All liquor shops, wine stores, bars and licensed permit rooms will remain closed.

Mid-Week Public Holiday

To facilitate maximum voter participation the Maharashtra government has declared January 15 a public holiday under the Negotiable Instruments Act. This will apply to:

Government and semi-government offices.

Private companies, IT parks, and factories.

Schools, colleges, and banks.

Interestingly Mumbaikars will experience a rare “double dry day” week.

It’s worth noting that January 14 (Makar Sankranti) is also a dry day.

Also Read: Maharashtra Declares January 15, 2026 Public Holiday for Local Body Elections; Bank and Market Status Unclear

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A major discrepancy has been discovered in Mumbai’s draft electoral roll. The Maharashtra State Election Commission (SEC) has confirmed that over 1.1 million entries representing approximately 10.64% of the city’s voters or 10.3 million total are duplicates.

This issue reportedly came to light during the ongoing revision of the voter list ahead of the long-delayed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

Officials stated that 4.33 lakh voters’ names were listed more than once in the draft list published last week. Furthermore some names were repeated as many as 103 times. It’s worth noting that the SEC attributed these discrepancies to printing errors, relocations clerical errors and the omission of deceased names.

To address this situation the Commission has extended the deadline for filing objections from November 27th to December 3rd. The final voter list will now be released on December 10th.

Worryingly a large portion of the wards with the highest number of duplicate names were previously represented by opposition corporators from parties like the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (SP). Two of the most affected wards fall in Worli. It’s worth noting that this is the constituency of MLA Aditya Thackeray who has openly alleged “millions of duplicate names,” fake entries in homes and many voter cards lacking essential details.

He also requested more time for the investigation and warned that refusing to grant an extension could cast doubt on the fairness of the upcoming elections. According to SEC data Ward 199 in Worli recorded the highest number of duplicate entries at 8,207. As if that wasn’t enough, 7,741 duplicate entries were recorded in Ghatkopar’s Ward 131, 7,624 in Parel-Lalbaug’s Ward 203, 7,585 in Kalachowki’s Ward 205 and 7,584 in Century Mills’ Ward 194.

Civic officials clarified that the 1.1 million figure represents repeated entries, not individual voters. The important news is that the BMC has begun door-to-door verification to clean up the rolls. Booth-level officers have been instructed to confirm identities fill out verification forms, and ensure that no voter appears more than once. All 25 Assistant Municipal Commissioners have been appointed nodal officers for the verification drive which is scheduled to continue until December 5th.

An SEC official stated that the Supreme Court has directed that Mumbai’s civic elections be completed by January 31, 2026. There may be a slight delay due to the discovery of large-scale duplications. Depending on the speed of the correction process polling could take place in late January, or the commission could request an extension until early February.

As the clean-up work continues, political exposure to the issue is also increasing. Opposition parties are demanding complete transparency and thorough reforms to ensure a credible election process in the country’s richest municipal corporation.

Also Read: Mumbai Temple Controversy: Priest Arrested After Goddess Kali Idol Found Dressed Like Mother Mary

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A shocking case of cyber fraud has come to light in Mumbai. A 65-year-old retired L&T executive and legal advisor from Mulund was duped of approximately Rs 9.94 crore by fraudsters posing as officials of the prestigious brokerage firm Anand Rathi Shares and Stock Brokers Limited.

The victim identified as Ghanshyam Machhindra Mhatre fell victim to a major investment scam perpetrated through a fake trading application called “AR Trade Mobi.”

The fraud reportedly began in June when Mhatre received a WhatsApp message from a woman. She identified herself as Suman Gupta and claimed to be an “admin” for Anand Rathi.

Furthermore she convinced him to invest through the app which was falsely presented as the company’s official trading platform.

To appear credible he sent a download link and collected their PAN and KYC details. Not only this but soon after the victim was added to a WhatsApp group called “Anand Rathi VIP 12,” where several people pretended to be analysts and market experts.

They also regularly shared IPO recommendations, stock tips and mutual fund updates. This created an atmosphere that appeared completely legitimate.

As the fake app began showing consistent profits Mhatre believed his investments were growing.

Encouraged by the promised returns he continued investing large sums for several months. Between June and November he transferred a total of Rs 9,94,76,958 to multiple bank accounts provided by the scammers, believing he was participating in IPOs and high-return schemes.

When he tried to withdraw his returns every transaction failed.

The fraudsters claimed the failures were due to “technical issues” and later demanded additional money for taxes and commissions.

Sensing something was amiss, Mhatre went to Anand Rathi’s actual office in Malad (East).

Officials confirmed that no employee named Suman Gupta worked there and that the AR Trade Mobi app had no connection to the company. Only then did he realize he had fallen prey to a complex cyber fraud.

Following this revelation Mhatre filed a complaint at the East Zone Cyber ​​Police Station (Shivajinagar). The police have also registered an FIR against ten unidentified individuals under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act.

Importantly preliminary investigations indicate that the fraudsters are part of a large, organized network operating across the country. Furthermore this network allegedly creates fake WhatsApp groups using the names of well-known financial institutions. They also lure victims through fraudulent apps by promising high returns and false profits.

Cyber ​​police are now tracking money transactions to identify and arrest those involved in this scam estimated to cost approximately Rs 10 crore. Authorities have also warned the public about the increasing number of such investment frauds, which exploit trusted brand names and social engineering techniques.

Also Read: Ghodbunder Highway Work to Be Completed by January 2026, Confirms Maharashtra Transport Minister