LIVE! Cong-led govt in MP will NOT ban ‘Accidental Prime Minister’

15:08  Govt ready to hold assembly polls in J-K: Rajnath :  The Centre Friday said in the Lok Sabha that there was no other option left with the Governor but to recommend President’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir as no party or alliance staked claim to form government and asserted that it was ready to hold assembly polls in the state.

Replying to a discussion on the resolution on a presidential proclamation about imposition of President’s Rule in the state, Home Minister Rajnath Singh also rejected claims of some opposition parties that the BJP was propping up a regional party to form government.

The resolution was adopted by a voice vote. If the BJP wanted to indulge in horse-trading to form government, then it would have done so during the six-month Governor’s Rule, he said. The Home Minister said the then Governor N N Vohra had sent a report in June after speaking to leaders of all major parties that none of them had expressed any intention to form a government. — PTI

15:01  Cong-led govt in MP will NOT ban ‘Accidental Prime Minister’:  The Congress-led government in Madhya Pradesh Friday said it has not banned the film ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’, in which Anupam Kher plays former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Department of Public Relations of Madhya Pradesh government tweeted that there is no decision by the government to ban the film, adding that media reports announcing the ban were not factual.

The film has sparked a row over alleged distortion of facts. The clarification came after a section of media reported that the film, based on the book of the same name by Singh’s media advisor Sanjaya Baru, has been banned in the state.

The film, whose trailer was released recently, has a motley of actors playing the key players of the Nehru-Gandhi family and Kher playing Dr Manmohan Singh. PTI

14:47  Fire in storeroom at ISRO’s Ahmedabad campus:  A minor fire broke out Friday at the Indian Space Research Organisation  campus in Ahmedabad, an official said. The fire broke out in a storeroom in ISRO’s Space Application Centre, the official said. Chief Fire Officer M F Dastur said the fire was brought under control in an hour, adding that five fire tenders were deployed for the operation, but only one was used.

“The fire started in a store room in the SAC campus Friday morning. Only some old books got burnt in the incident. The fire was brought under control within one hour,” he said. — PTI

14:39  Three of Indian-origin family killed in accident in Iceland:  Seven members of a UK-based Indian-origin family were involved in a freak accident in Iceland when their SUV crashed off a bridge on Thursday, killing two women and a child. Four others, including two British Indian brothers and two young children, remain in critical condition after being airlifted to a hospital in Iceland’s capital Reykjavik.

The family was reportedly on holiday in the Nordic island country when their hired Toyota Land Cruiser slammed through a railing while crossing a high single-lane bridge at Skeidararsandur, a vast sand plain in the southern part of the country.

The Indian Ambassador to Iceland, T Armstrong Changsan, visited the injured at Landsptali hospital, where he spoke to hospital staff and the chaplain before contacting family members in India. “The situation is very bad. Three people have died and one of them is an infant. There were seven people,” he told local media.

The holidaymakers from the UK included two couples in their thirties and three children, aged around three, eight and nine. While the youngest girl was killed on the spot, the other girl remains in surgery. According to local reports, the two adults killed in the crash were the wives of the two British Indian brothers. — PTI

14:05  Fire in ISRO Ahmedabad under control:  Ahmedabad: A fire breaks out inside Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), 5 fire tenders at the spot. The fire is now under control.

13:54  We’re always reminded that we cheated: Jones on ball-tampering scandal :  Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft’s recent statements on the ball-tampering scandal have added to the constant reminder that the Australians “cheated”, former cricketer Dean Jones said lambasting the two players’ “attempts to garner sympathy”.

While Bancroft has blamed the incident on David Warner, who is also banned, Smith said it was a result of the “win at all cost” culture promoted by Cricket Australia’s top officials.

Jones, writing for ‘The Age’ newspaper in Melbourne, felt the two players should have kept quiet, served their bans, which are ending soon, and tried to earn back their places in the side.

While Smith and Warner’s one-year bans end in March, Bancroft’s nine-month suspension concludes in the next few days. “These interviews are almost as bad as the fine grade of sandpaper the players used to scratch the ball. Why am I so upset with these interviews? Everywhere Australian players go around the world, we are always reminded that we have cheated,” Jones said. “It feels like we have a huge tattoo on our foreheads that we cannot erase. These three boys were old enough to make the right decisions. Sadly, they have to pay for their consequences, as do we,” he added. Jones said the Australian cricket fans have had enough of the controversy that led to a review of the country’s cricket culture and axing of top CA officials.

“What were they thinking? Who advised Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft to do those interviews with Fox Cricket? All this has done is add more fuel to a fire that the majority of the public don’t really want to hear about anymore,” he said.

Jones feared a retaliatory interview by a “furious” Warner, who has so far kept quiet about what happened in Cape Town, would only make it worse. “…the Bancroft interview with Adam Gilchrist seems like the junior opener wanted to throw Warner under the bus…He definitely got the jump on Warner and it seemed like payback in full. How could these two guys open the batting together again?” he asked.

“Now I hear he (Warner) is considering doing a television interview in reaction to Bancroft’s comments, which have painted him in a poor light. I feel that would be the worst thing Warner could do,” he opined. Jones said if the idea behind the interviews was to get sympathy, the plan has backfired for the duo. “Well they have made another bad judgment. The public just wants you to do the right thing. If you are not good enough, then you are not good enough. They didn’t have to resort to cheating,” he said. — PTI

13:41  ‘Accidental Prime Minister’ based on facts, says Kher :  “We can’t change the facts,” said veteran actor Anupam Kher, who plays the role of Dr Manmohan Singh in the upcoming biopic ‘The Accidental Prime Minister.’

The trailer of the movie, which was released yesterday, drew a lot of flak from the opposition Congress party which poked holes in the portrayal of the former prime minister.

The party also criticised the teaser saying that the movie shows Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi in a wrong light.

However, Kher, in an exclusive interview with ANI, stated that the film is based on facts as chronicled in a book by Sanjaya Baru — Dr Manmohan Singh’s media advisor between 2004 and 2008.

“If we make a film on the issue of Jallianwala Bagh or The Holocaust or any historic incident, we can’t change the history or the facts. That’s what we have done here,” the 63-year-old said.

“The book is written by a man who was very close to the prime minister at that time. This book was either ignored or people moved on after its release. So why this hue and cry now?” he questioned.

Kher further said he is just an actor in this movie and has tried to play his part in the most efficient way. “I have worked so hard in this movie for my look and everything that even my mother could not identify in this look,” he added.

Kher’s comment comes a day after Maharashtra Youth Congress raised objections to the film and asserted that if the film is released without prior screening for their office bearers, they will resort to “other options” to stop the screening of the film.

Stating that the trailer features incorrect representation of the facts, the youth wing has demanded a special screening of the film to ensure that none of the scenes is factually incorrect.

13:28  Foreign journalists violating Indian laws liable to be punished: MHA:   All foreigners have to respect Indian law and those found in violation are liable to be punished but that does not mean they are blacklisted forever, a Home Ministry official said on Friday after a Reuters journalist was denied entry into India for allegedly violating visa rules.

The action against Cathal McNaughton, chief photographer at the news agency’s Delhi office who was recently sent back from the airport here after his arrival from an overseas trip, is not permanent and can be reviewed after six months or a year, the official told PTI.

“Everybody has to follow law. For violation, the consequence is the same for everybody. Foreigners should respect Indian law. If any Indian visits abroad and violates the law of that country, he or she is also liable to be punished,” the official said.

McNaughton, an Irish national who won the Pulitzer Prize in May 2018, allegedly travelled to restricted and protected areas in Jammu and Kashmir without permission. He also reported from the state without valid permission.

“He may be a winner of some awards, but that does not give him the licence to violate Indian laws. The Ministry of External Affairs regularly informs foreign journalists about Indian rules and regulations. And in certain places, a foreigner is required to take permission. If you violate these rules and regulations, we are bound to take action,” the official warned.

“If somebody is denied entry, it does not mean that he is blacklisted forever. It may be reviewed after six months or one year,” he said.

Image: Cathal McNaughton, chief photographer, Reuters.

13:06  Meghalaya miners’ rescue: What Odisha’s firemen will do :  Update on the Meghalaya miners’ rescue mission: Odisha’s Director General of Fire Services B K Sharma said a 20-member team led by chief fire officer Sukanta Sethi left for Shillong in a special Indian Air Force aircraft with equipment, including high-power pumps.

“Get, set and go,” Sharma tweeted as the selected members of the Odisha Fire Services team boarded the IAF plane. “They will assist local authorities in the rescue of the trapped coal miners,” he said.

Stating that the team was carrying at least 20 high-power pumps, an official said each pump is capable of flushing out 1,600 litre water per minute. “Odisha is among the few states endowed with the experience of handling such calamities,” the official said.

The fire services personnel are also armed with several other high-tech equipment and gadgets for use during the rescue mission.

The team will first study and analyse the situation at the site before working out plans for the search and rescue mission, the official said.

Noting that carrying out a rescue operation in a coal mine will be a unique experience for Odisha Fire Services personnel, he said, “Our men are well-trained and capable of handling any situation.” They have successfully carried out difficult rescue operations within and outside the state, including Kerala in the past, with the help of well-trained and experienced personnel, said the official.

A team of 240 Odisha fire service personnel had assisted in rescue operation of flood-ravaged Kerala in August this year.

Earlier, in 2014, they had taken part in relief and rescue operations in Andhra Pradesh during cyclone Hudhud.

12:29  Why is Cong questioning freedom now?:  I&B Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on The Accidental Prime Minister trailer tweeted from BJP handle: Can’t we extend our wishes for a film? Congress has been all for freedom, why is it questioning that freedom now?

12:12  When Gadkari stepped in to rescue Kejriwal from heckling crowd:  Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal was interrupted by the audience, who imitated coughing action during his speech at an event in Delhi.

When Kejriwal’s request to the audience to maintain silence went in vain, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari intervened and asked them to pay heed to the chief minister’s speech. Gadkari told Kejriwal to continue with his speech, and told the audience, “Please keep quiet. This is an official event.”

The event was organised on Thursday to launch nine projects aimed at cleaning the Yamuna river.Kejriwal, who has been suffering from chronic coughing, is often seen coughing at the public events in mid of his speech.

Kejriwal has attacked Gadkari with allegations of corruption several times in the past. Nitin Gadkari had even filed a defamation suit against Delhi Chief Minister, which was later settled after Arvind Kejriwal issued a written apology.

At the event, Kejriwal praised Gadkari asserting, “Nitin Gadkariji has never made us feel that he belongs to a rival party. I don’t know about others, but the way he has showered love on us, I don’t think the BJP people have got that much love.”Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan were also present at the occasion. — ANI

11:53  Happy birthday, INC!:  
Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh and Congress President Rahul Gandhi cut a cake on Congress Foundation Day.

The Indian National Congress is one of the world’s largest and oldest political parties of its kind, and was formed on December 28, 1885, by British civil servant Allan Octavian Hume.

In its initial days, the party was not formed to demand independence from British rule. It was rather set up to bring together a group of educated individuals on a common platform to influence policymaking.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi hoisted the national flag at the party HQ in New Delhi, followed by cutting a cake to celebrate the occasion.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “On #CongressFoundationDay let us celebrate & acknowledge the selfless service & contributions of millions of Congress workers, men & women, who have helped build & sustain the Congress party over the ages. We owe these unsung heroes our gratitude & respect.
I salute them all.”

Sonia Gandhi is the longest-serving president of the party till date. She joined the party as a primary member at the 1997 plenary session and was elected president in 1998.

11:51  When everything else fails…:  “Home Alone” star Macaulay Culkin has announced that he will legally change his name to Macaulay ‘Macaulay Culkin’ Culkin in 2019. The actor took to Twitter to share the news. He decided to change his middle name to ‘Macaulay Culkin’ after an online vote on his lifestyle and humour website, Bunny Ears.

“My new middle name has been chosen. You voted and the winner is clear. In 2019 my new legal name will be: Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin. “It has a nice ring to it (if you like my name).” he tweeted.

The 38-year-old actor had also discussed the name change in an interview with Jimmy Fallon, saying he decided he needed a name spruce-up after being reminded of his current middle name, Carson, on his passport. PTI

11:43  Dr Singh’s legacy won’t be the product of a single movie or book: Omar :  Omar Abdullah @OmarAbdullah weighs in on the Congress demanding a prior screening of the Accidental Prime Minister before it is released.

Omar tweeted,  “As much as the Congress, it’s branches/off-shoots & other well wishers of Dr Manmohan Singh may find the movie disagreeable, we can’t talk about intolerance & then threaten to stop all screenings. Dr Singh’s record & legacy won’t be the product of one single movie or book.”

The Maharashtra Youth Congress on Thursday raised objections to the Anupam
Kher starrer ‘The Accidental Prime Minister,’ and asserted that if the
film is released without prior screening for their office bearers, they
will resort to “other options” to stop the screening of the film. In
a letter to the makers of the film, the party’s Maharashtra youth wing
has raised objections to the “incorrect presentation of the facts” and
has demanded a special screening of the film to ensure that none of the
scenes is factually incorrect. 

11:40  One militant killed in encounter in J-K’s Pulwama district:  A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Awantipora area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Friday, police said. Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Banderpora-Rinzipora area of Awantipora on Friday morning following information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired on the search party of the forces, who retaliated. In the ensuing gunfight, one militant was killed, the official said.

He said the slain militant has been identified as Ishfaq Yousuf Wani, a resident of Qoil area of Pulwama in south Kashmir. Further details are awaited, the official said. PTI

10:49  Cold morning in Delhi, minimum temps settles at 5 deg Celsius:  Delhiites woke up to a cold Friday morning as the minimum temperature was recorded at five degrees Celsius, two notches below the season’s average. Humidity was recorded at 91 per cent. The weatherman has forecast clear skies through the day with the possibility of haze or smoke, and the maximum temperature is likely to settle at 21 degrees Celsius. According to a MeT department official, the minimum temperature on Saturday might dip to three degrees Celsius.

On Thursday, the minimum temperature was recorded at 3.4 degrees Celsius, making it the coldest December day in the national capital since 2014. The maximum temperature was recorded at 21.3 degrees Celsius. — PTI

10:36  IAF, Odisha govt, NDRF, Kirloskar join hands to rescue Meghalaya miners :  An Odisha Fire Services team has left for Meghalaya in a special aircraft to assist local authorities in the rescue of the 15 trapped coal miners.
An Indian Air Force C-130J transport aircraft has also taken off from
Bhubaneswar carrying NDRF personnel and equipment to help in the rescue
efforts, news agency ANI said quoting a source.

Over two weeks after a rat-hole mine collapsed in Meghalaya’s East Jaintia Hills, trapping 15 people underground, the Indian Air Force has finally come forward to help.

The Air force is airlifting men and equipment including high power pumps of National Disaster Management Authority to Guwahati this morning. Kirloskar Brothers — an Indian heavy equipment firm — has offered to expedite the rescue operation by sending powerful pumps to draw water from the pit.

A team of experts from the state-run Coal India Limited is being rushed to the spot to oversee the exercise.

On Thursday, divers detected a foul smell emanating from the pit, giving rise to fears that it could be from that of decomposing bodies below, but the NDRF said that the odour could be from the stagnant water in the mine pit.

Mining was banned across mineral-rich Meghalaya in 2014 after environmentalists raised concerns of groundwater pollution. However, that did not deter local residents from illegally extracting coal on the sly through rat-hole mines, which involves digging into the side of hills and then burrowing horizontal tunnels to reach coal seams.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik tweeted earlier to say Odisha stood in solidarity with the families of the trapped coal miners in Meghalaya. “A 20 member team of specially trained Odisha Fire Services personnel is joining the rescue operations. Wishing them the best as #Odisha prays for the safety of the miners,” Patnaik posted.

Image: The Odisha fire services team poses ahead of their departure to Meghalaya.

10:13  Dense fog grips Delhi, hampers train, flight services:  

As the dense fog and cold wave conditions continued to engulf the national capital, several flights and trains coming in and departing from Delhi were delayed on Friday morning causing inconvenience to the passengers.

As many as 14 trains were delayed by over three hours. The list of delayed trains included Barauni-New Delhi Vaishali Express, Mahabodhi Express, Poorva Express, Shiv Ganga Express.

According to Indian Meteorological Department, cold wave to severe cold wave conditions will continue to prevail over major parts of Delhi and other northern Indian states including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, north Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Uttar Pradesh for two more days.

The minimum temperature in the national capital is predicted to take a dip by 1 degree Celsius and likely to freeze at 3 degree Celsius on Saturday.

According to the weather forecaster, dense fog was observed at isolated places over Punjab and Chhattisgarh and moderate fog was observed at isolated places over Haryana, Delhi and West Uttar Pradesh at 5.30 am on Friday.

The IMD predicted that dense fog during late night and morning hours is likely to prevail at isolated pockets including Delhi and Chandigarh on December 30 and 31.

Further, the Air Quality Index of Delhi shows that concentration of both pollutants, Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) and Particulate Matter 10 (PM 10), is in the “poor” category. 

— ANI

10:10  Congress celebrates 133rd Foundation Day :  
Delhi: Senior Congress leaders including Dr.Manmohan Singh arrive at party HQ on Congress Foundation Day. The Indian National Congress conducted its first session in Bombay from 28 to 31 December 1885 at the initiative of Allan Octavian Hume.

10:00  Sensex rallies over 300 pts, Nifty reclaims 10,800 level:  The BSE benchmark Sensex rallied over 300 points and NSE Nifty reclaimed the 10,800 mark on firm global cues, heavy foreign fund inflow and strengthening rupee, today.

Extending gains for the third session, the 30-share index was trading 306.16 points, or 0.86 per cent, higher at 36,113.44. The index had ended 157.34 points, or 0.44 per cent, higher at 35,807.28 in the previous session Thursday. The broader Nifty too jumped 86.75 points, or 0.80 per cent, to 10,866.55 .

The gains on Dalal Street were led by pharma, auto, realty and financial stocks. Top gainers include HDFC duo, Reliance Industries, ICICI Bank, L&T, ITC, HUL, SBI, TCS and Sun Pharma, rising up to 2 per cent.

On the other hand, Coal India, NTPC and Hero MotoCorp were the top losers, falling up to 1 per cent. According to Rahul Mishra, AVP (Derivatives), Emkay Global Financial Services, markets have been very volatile through the month; state election, global cues and crude oil price movement have kept the market busy.

However, market has seen good recovery since Nifty hit the month’s low on state election result day. Global cues provided good resistance, he said. The rupee, meanwhile, strengthened against the US dollar, up 30 paise at 70.05 a dollar from its previous close. — PTI

09:58  Dense fog grips Delhi, hampers train, flight services :  As the dense fog and cold wave conditions continued to engulf the national capital, several flights and trains coming in and departing from Delhi were delayed on Friday morning causing inconvenience to the passengers.

As many as 14 trains were delayed by over three hours. The list of delayed trains included Barauni-New Delhi Vaishali Express, Mahabodhi Express, Poorva Express, Shiv Ganga Express.

According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), cold wave to severe cold wave conditions will continue to prevail over major parts of Delhi and other northern Indian states including Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, north Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Uttar Pradesh for two more days.

The minimum temperature in the national capital is predicted to take a dip by 1 degree Celsius and likely to freeze at 3 degree Celsius on Saturday.

According to the weather forecaster, dense fog was observed at isolated places over Punjab and Chhattisgarh and moderate fog was observed at isolated places over Haryana, Delhi and West Uttar Pradesh at 5.30 am on Friday.

The IMD predicted that dense fog during late night and morning hours is likely to prevail at isolated pockets including Delhi and Chandigarh on December 30 and 31.

Further, the Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi shows that concentration of both pollutants, Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) and Particulate Matter 10 (PM 10), is in the “poor” category. — ANI

File pic.

09:49  Actor Mahesh Babu’s bank accounts frozen over tax dues:  

The Goods and Services Tax department said it has attached the bank accounts of Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu to recover service tax dues from him.

According to a press release issued by the Hyderabad GST Commissionarate, Mahesh Babu has not paid the Service Tax during 2007-08 for the taxable services he rendered as brand ambassador, appearance money and advertising for promotion of products among others.

“The total tax due from him was Rs. 18.5 lakh. Today the GST department has attached his bank accounts in Axis Bank and ICICI Bank for an amount of Rs. 73.5 lakhs which includes tax, interest and penalty, it said.

When contacted, a senior official of the GST department said Mahesh Babu failed to get any reprieve from any appellate authority on this issue.

08:43  Congress objects to Kher’s ‘The Accidental Prime Minister’, demands prior screening:  

The trailer of The Accidental Prime Minister, based on the eponymous book by former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s media advisor Sanjaya Baru, has sparked a row over alleged distortion of facts. The trailer shows Singh as the victim of the inside politics of the Congress ahead of 2014 general elections, which the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) lost.

Raising objections to the “incorrect presentation of the facts”, Maharashtra Youth Congress demanded a prior screening of the movie and declared that they wouldn’t let the movie be screened anywhere in the country if their demand is not met.

“If the said movie is released without prior screening for our office bearers and without making necessary changes recommended by us that we find out after viewing the movie it will be understood that you are doing this deliberately and we have other options open to stop the screening of the same across India,” Congress said in its letter.

Meanwhile, Anupam Kher, who is essaying the role of Singh in the film, said that the movie is going to be a “game changer” in political biopics as it does not shy away from taking real names.

Directed by Vijay Gutte, the political drama features Akshaye Khanna as Baru, German actor Suzanne Bernert as Sonia Gandhi, Arjun Mathur as Rahul Gandhi and Aahana Kumra as Priyanka Gandhi.

08:26  DGCA asks airlines to make in-flight announcement in local language:  

Indian aviation regulator asked airlines to make in-flight announcements in regional languages wherever possible. Executives, however, said it was virtually impossible to execute this.

In an instruction to the head of operations of all airlines, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said: All airlines may consider using local language, to extent feasible while making in-flight announcements other than English and Hindi. Additionally, to enhance awareness about cultural heritage, pilots can make announcements about the important monuments or sites en route.

Airline bosses, speaking anonymously, said implementing the order would lead to issues of rostering for crews. A single aircraft sometimes flies through half a dozen language zones in a single day. Which language cabin crew would one assign to such aircraft? This will add a new level of complexity to cabin crew hiring, training and deployment processes, which means more money, said an executive of a private airline.

In fact, the circular is in violation of the DGCAs own regulations. According to Civil Aviation Regulation 21, Part 175, announcements related to, in-flight manuals, airworthiness regulations can be presented in English. Placards related to public information are to be presented in English and Hindi.

Officials said the Airports Authority of India has asked aerodromes under its control to start making announcements in local languages, in addition to Hindi and English.

— Arindam Majumder/Business Standard

07:50  5 killed as major fire breaks out in Mumbai high-rise building:  

Five people, including four senior citizens, were killed and two others injured in a major fire that broke out in a high-rise residential building late on Thursday evening, a civic official said.

The 16-storey building is located in suburban Tilak Nagar, where search and rescue operation by the Mumbai Fire Brigade is underway, said the official from the Disaster Management Unit of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.

“Our fire brigade control room got information about the incident at 7.51 pm after which our fire-fighting team along with an ambulance rushed to the spot,” he added.

“The blaze started on the 10th floor of the building, Sargam Society (G+16), located near Ganesh Garden in Tilak Nagar,” he said.

The fire brigade team rescued six people from the floor and admitted them to the nearby Rajawadi Hospital, he said.

According to a senior doctor at the civic-run hospital, five of them succumbed to burn injuries.

The two injured, including a fireman, were admitted to a hospital, where their condition is stable, the doctor said.

The civic official identified the deceased as Sunita Joshi ,72, Bhalchandra Joshi ,72, Suman Shrinivas Joshi ,83, Sarla Suresh Gangar ,52, and Lakshmiben Premji Gangar, 83.

Sunita Joshi is the mother of Sanjay Joshi, in-charge of the Vikhroli police station, he said.

The fire has been brought under control, but its cause will be known only after an inquiry, he added.

Fire brigade personnel are searching the building to ascertain if there are more casualties, he said.

Local residents said indiscriminate parking of vehicles in the area delayed the arrival of fire brigade tankers and equipment.

— PTI