The Navi Mumbai police restarted the search operation with experts' help early this month. Pic/Hanif Patel

The search for murdered policewoman Ashwini Bidre's mortal remains has reached the final stage. Of the nine locations that came up during the search, two, showing strong signals of presence of a metal object, have been zeroed on.

Having a radius of five metres, both locations are covered with mud that's nearly two metres deep. The police will now take a call on how to remove the objects from these locations, as they will need specialised machinery for it. After an initial investigation, the police had procured a gradiometer, an equipment to locate metal objects underwater, from Israel. "During the two-day search operation, experts found nine spots with the help of the equipment; strong signals emanated at two of the spots," said an officer.

These two locations are expected to have objects at a depth of 25 to 40 metres below the water surface. "The depth varies according to tide. Our search also revealed that the objects are covered with one-metre thick mud, which is hard and can't be removed manually," said the officer. These spots also have deep wells, said a source, adding, "Sending divers in these wells can be dangerous to their lives. Hence, we are considering bringing in machines capable of drilling deep underwater."

Bidre's husband Raju Gore told mid-day, "We are looking forward to the next step from the police, which involves removing the objects and lifting them to the surface."

The flower tattoo on the woman's right forearm is the only identifier

Deja vu seems to have struck the Rabale MIDC police. Close to a year after they found the headless body of a murdered woman who could be identified only because of a tattoo, another such case has come to light, this time of a woman, whose body was found highly decomposed, with the only mark of recognition being a flower tattoo on her right forearm.

The highly decomposed body was found on April 9

The police found the body on April 9, after being alerted by the control room about a foul smell emanating from a sewer carrying industrial waste close to Airoli railway station. When a team visited the spot, they saw the highly decomposed body of a woman with maggots all over it. Her face was beyond recognition. A closer examination helped cops lay hands on their only clue - the tattoo.

The woman was wearing this kurta

Dumped or hacked
Speaking to mid-day, inspector P Jadhav of Rabale police station said, "We saw the upper body on a dry surface, while her legs were submerged in the sewer water. The deceased was removed from the water and upon examination, the tattoo was found on the forearm. A dupatta was also found around her neck. Prima-facie, we suspect the deceased might have been known to the assailant and that the body could have either been dumped or the accused may have hacked the woman to death."

Armed with only the flower tattoo on the right forearm of the deceased, and a picture of the chudidar and decomposed body, policemen have fanned across Mumbai, Thane and neighbouring areas looking for some clue from the missing persons register, whose description could match with that of the remains.

Limited clues
A parallel investigation is being done by the local crime branch, who also visited the spot. Tushar Doshi, deputy commissioner of police (crime) said, "We have limited clues in hand. We could not find any tailor's name on the greenish yellow Punjabi kurta that the deceased was wearing. We could not find anything concrete from the spot, as there was a lot of muck and waste in and around the area where the body was found; it was already in a decomposed state."

The local police have already started showing the tattoo to tattoo artists in and around the area. Cops are also checking if a bar dancer or woman employee from the MIDC industrial area have gone missing in the last few days. Meanwhile, the autopsy has thrown up details about the way the woman was killed. The remains were sent to the NMMC hospital's Vashi post mortem centre. During the course of the procedure, autopsy surgeon Dr Bhushan Jain confirmed the woman was strangulated to death and had also suffered a head injury. Dr Jain said, "The incident might have happened around three to five days ago, as the upper body and face had been eaten up by maggots. The body was in a highly decomposed state. The death was due to strangulation and head injury."

Ante mortem injuries
A source at the police station said prima-facie it seems that the deceased might have been between 30-35 years old, the injuries on the body were ante mortem (before death) injuries and a dupatta, possibly worn by the woman, was used to strangulate her. Since the body was partly submerged in water, early signs of decomposition were visible on the lower remains, whereas the upper remains were highly decomposed. Rabale police have registered a case of murder and destruction of evidence against unknown assailant(s).

Also Read: Navi Mumbai headless torso case: Horrific details of the brutal murder

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Pune city famous for its climate, pensions city which got transform to an IT hub has finally got its reward. Pune has always been counted in the list of the cleanest cities of India. On Monday it was really a proud moment for the Punekars because the Urban Affairs Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri has launched 'The Ease of Living' report on Monday around 3:50 pm.

Out of 4,000 cities and towns in India, where about 300 cities have a population over 1,00,000 and seven cities have a population of more than 3 million, only 3 cities of Maharashtra – Pune, Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai – are the most livable places in the country which means from Maharashtra four cities were into top ten. Pune has been ranked first in the Ease of Living Index with Navi Mumbai coming in second, Greater Mumbai ranked at three and Delhi languishing at 65. 

The report evaluated 111 cities on a 100-point scale across 78 indicators under four primary parameters which was divided- Institutional, Social, Economic and Physical. Although, cities like Howrah, New Town Kolkata, and Durgapur did not take Part in it. While Delhi is really ranked low that is 65th rank. And, Rampur in UP is ranked the lowest. To the utmost surprise, Chhattisgarh has made it to the top 10 in the list and Indore which gives a tough competition to Pune is ranked 8th.

The 'Ease of Living' index is an initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to assess the most livable cities all over India and rank them on a 100 point scale. Apart from presenting the overall national ranking of 111 cities, the report will present the ranking of the cities across pillars, category, and geographical zone and population classifications. The city of Pune is expected to maintain this rank. And, helps to set a benchmark. It is expected to give a tough competition to all the other cities out there. Known for its cultural capital of Maharashtra state as well as the Oxford of east.

Chennai has been ranked 14 and New Delhi languishes at 65 while Kolkata refused to participate in the survey. While the citizens have been claiming that the city is reeling under lack of open space, ironically Mumbai has been ranked number one among 111 cities in the category of public open spaces. The state's richest civic body, BMC had to collate the data from several institutions, and submit to the central government. While the transportation and security were sent across by the state government, the majority of the data was compiled by the civic body that defined how livable the city is.

Vijay Singhal, additional municipal commissioner, said, "We have topped the list of megacities, which had over 4 million population. There were seven mega cities in this. And wherever we have lacked we will try and improve on those aspects and accordingly try and score better next time."

The rankings of the cities all over Maharashtra are as follows:
Pune is 1st, Navi Mumbai is 2nd, Greater Mumbai is 3rd, Thane is 16th, Virar is 20th, Nasik 21st, Solapur 22nd, Nagpur 31st, Kalyan 50th, Chinchwad 69th, Aurangabad 97th.

With inputs from PTI

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

With the arrest of two persons, the Mumbai police have recovered 29 two-wheelers stolen from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai in the last three years, a senior official said Friday.

One Harshad Kohli had lodged a complaint with Yellow Gate police station that his scooter was stolen from Bhaucha Dhakka ferry wharf in Mazgaon area here some days ago.

Acting on a tip-off, police laid a trap and arrested Meraj Sheikh (19) Sunday from the Yellow Gate area. His interrogation led to the arrest of his accomplice Mushtaq Mansuri (19) from Belapur in neighbouring Navi Mumbai.

The duo revealed that they had stolen several two-wheelers from Mumbai and Navi Mumbai in the last three years, the official said. Police recovered 29 stolen two-wheelers from their possession and further probe was on, the official said.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.

The lockdown may have played havoc with the schedule of their next, but Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Sanon are seeking comfort in the small progress they have made. For months, the team had been on the hunt for a suitable title for the comedy that also features Paresh Rawal and Dimple Kapadia. Now, the makers have finally christened it Second Innings. "The title fits our story seamlessly," says director Abhishek Jain about his maiden Hindi venture.

The production house has previously tackled diverse social issues with their offerings Bala (2019), Luka Chuppi (2019) and the recent Angrezi Medium. Second Innings explores the idea of adopting parents through Rao and Sanon's characters, who feel a vacuum in their lives and decide to bring an older couple home to complete the family.

Dimple Kapadia and Paresh Rawal

"We were supposed to begin shooting in Delhi in March, but now everything has been pushed due to the pandemic," says Jain, indicating that the schedules will have to reworked when normalcy returns.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

A day after Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor explained the controversies regarding her having tested corona positive last month; the Lucknow Police pasted a notice at her house, asking her to record her statement.

Kanika Kapoor has been charged under IPC Section 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and Section 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the IPC.

Deepak Kumar Singh, ACP, Krishna Nagar said that the singer will have to come to the police station and give her a written statement. Further action will be taken after this.

On Sunday, Kanika took to Instagram to express her gratitude to the health workers who treated her. She also wrote that several stories were doing the rounds and she was fully aware and knew that some information has been misrepresented.

According to Kanika, she arrived in Mumbai on March 10 from the UK. During this time, she was scanned at the international airport. Until that time no advisory had been issued that required her to quarantine herself.

She had come to Lucknow to meet her family on March 11, when there was no scanning system for domestic flights. On March 14 and 15, Kanika went to lunch and dinner with her friends.

She pointed out that all the people she had interacted with in the UK, Mumbai, and Lucknow are healthy and their reports have also come up negative.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti's Tiger Baby Films has one of the most intriguing pages on social media. The page has the most evocative artistic narrations, orated to viewers by eminent personalities from the industry.

They recently brought into play their new series on social media called 'Off the record' where the most prominent actors of the Indian film industry describe one of their most exemplary scenes from one of their movies.

This time around, it was Anushka Sharma on the mike as the actress spoke about her introduction scene as Farah in Dil Dhadakne Do and everything that makes the scene unique and special while giving some unknown sneak peeks into how the shooting went down.

Earlier, Farhan Akhtar and Ranveer Singh have also shared similar stories from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Dil Dhadakne Do respectively. Tiger Baby films shared the post on social media with the caption, "Off The Record with Anushka Sharma | Dil Dhadakne Do."

"We make films for the silver screen but the little stories that make the big picture don't always come through.
Here's introducing our 'Off The Record' series where cast and crew from the Tiger Baby clan let us in on what went into creating some of their best scenes, what their psychology was in that moment and why this particular scene will always remain unforgettable to them. #nowrolling #storybehindthescene #offtherecordwithtigerbaby." (sic)

Off The Record with Anushka Sharma
Film: Dil Dhadakne Do
Scene: Farah's introduction scene", have a look right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

We make films for the silver screen but the little stories that make the big picture don't always come through. Here's introducing our 'Off The Record' series where cast and crew from the Tiger Baby clan let us in on what went into creating some of their best scenes, what their psychology was in that moment and why this particular scene will always remain unforgettable to them. #nowrolling #storybehindthescene #offtherecordwithtigerbaby Off The Record with Anushka Sharma Film: Dil Dhadakne Do Scene : Farah's introduction scene

A post shared by Tiger Baby (@tigerbabyfilms) onApr 26, 2020 at 11:26pm PDT

The film was mounted on a huge scale but also highlighted the importance of staying together and how a family comes first. And Anushka, as always, delivered a layered and nuanced performance. 

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

 According to a recent study, the number of suicide attempts in youth has doubled since 2008.

The research looked at trends in emergency room and inpatient encounters for suicide ideation and attempts in children ages 5-17 years at U.S. children's hospitals from 2008 to 2015.

During the study period, researchers at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center identified 115,856 encounters for suicide ideation and attempts in emergency departments at 31 children's hospitals. Nearly two-thirds of those encounters were girls. While increases were seen across all age groups, they were highest among teens ages 15-17, followed by ages 12-14.

Just over half of the encounters were children ages 15-17; another 37 percent were children ages 12-14; and 12.8 percent were children ages 5-11. Seasonal variation was also seen consistently across the period, with October accounting for nearly twice as many encounters as reported in July.

Using data from the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS), the researchers used billing codes to identify emergency department encounters, observation stays and inpatient hospitalizations tied to suicide ideation and attempts. In addition to looking at overall suicide ideation and attempt rates in school-age children and adolescents, the researchers analyzed the data month-by-month and found seasonal trends in the encounters. Peaks for encounters among the groups were highest in the fall and spring, and lowest in the summer.

"To our knowledge, this is one of only a few studies to report higher rates of hospitalization for suicide during the academic school year," said study lead author Greg Plemmons.

Rates were lowest in summer, a season which has historically seen the highest numbers in adults, suggesting that youth may face increased stress and mental health challenges when school is in session.

"The growing impact of mental health issues in pediatrics on hospitals and clinics can longer be ignored," said Plemmons.

The study has been published in the journal Pediatrics

A highly decomposed body of a 42-year-old woman was found dumped on a roadside near the Mumbai-Agra highway here in Maharashtra, police said Sunday.

A group of devotees proceeding on foot to Shirdi temple town spotted the body, bearing injury marks on head, at a forest in Asangaon area of Sahapur taluka on Friday, an official at Sahapur police station said. An Aadhaar card found stuck in her clothes revealed her identity as Vandana Khermode, hailing from Solapur district in Maharashtra, he said.

The police subsequently sent the body for postmortem to J J Hospital in neighbouring Mumbai. Based on the autopsy report, a case was registered by the police on Saturday under IPC section 302 (murder) against unidentified persons, he said. The body was later handed over to the woman's relatives, he said, adding that a probe was on to ascertain why and where she was killed.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

If you appreciate great sound — which is rich, heavy and laidback yet energetic — an event that will be held at Bandra's Corona Garden will give you reason to look forward to the weekend. Celebrating World Record Day today, a music conglomerate has organised a vinyl record sale with mo­re than 2,000 titles on discount, including albums by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and Linkin Park.

Listeners will be able to enjoy a series of acoustic sessions by city-based musicians Nikhil D'Souza, Mali (Maalavika), Tejas, Aarifah and Ramya Pothuri. The day-long affair will end with a special showcase by Kadak Apple Records, where each singer will perform an original composition, accompanied by the rest of the musicians. There will also be an indoor electronic stage that revolves around the 45" vinyl record culture, where DJs Zokhuma (Arman Menzies), ENG (Kunal Lodhia) and Pinnacle will be playing records.

"The simplicity of playing a vinyl record and enjoying the rich, warm sound makes the experience personal and extraordinary. It's the only physical format of music that has seen a rise in demand. The maximum sales take place in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru via online stores," says Jay Mehta, digital head business, Sony Music, organisers of the event.

Aarifah

For 26-year-old Mumbai multi-instrumentalist Aarifah, the introduction to vinyl records happened recently, not unusual for millennials. "A bandmate introduced me to vinyls at a record shop in Mahim. I got to learn the mechanics first hand, which was pretty cool," the Dadar resident tells us. She will be performing her unreleased acoustic originals, which are lyrically-heavy and melancholic. These are also songs she plans to record and release later this year. The musician will be performing her single, Resilient. "This one is about heartache and being resilient through that. The focus is to keep my lyrics as honest as possible," she says, adding that listeners can look forward to a mellow vibe with lots of harmonies as the quartet (Tejas, Mali, Aarifah and Ramya) conclude the concert together.

ON Today 13, 2 pm onwards
AT Corona Garden, St John Baptist Road, Bandra West.
LOG ON TO (to RSVP) insider.in
FREE

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

We were sufficiently chuffed after having spent some quality time with the affable, gentle Periyappa, the resident wise old doggie in the Kings Circle neighbourhood, and had retreated towards our other favourite pastime along its pavements — secondhand book-shopping.

The area holds a special space for yours truly — a Ruiaite. As a collegian, it offered an inviting mix of south Indian fare, from enterprising roadside kiosks to cafés that ran on autopilot; mind you, each of them ensured that no matter what budget you were staring at; you never went hungry when the urge cropped up just before that boring afternoon lecture. And then, there were those saviours from the pre-mega bookstore era — the secondhand pavement bookwallahs. From a mindboggling range of titles to the delightful haggling [we learnt our first lessons in bargaining here]; these booksellers were responsible for some pretty good deals that landed up in our bookshelf at home.

Interestingly, when we sat down yesterday to plan out this column, the Google doodle also helped a bit; it jogged our memory to an important nugget from back then. The doodle was to celebrate the birth of the world's first atlas created by Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius. Some of our first intriguing journeys into the world of maps was courtesy these secondhand booksellers whose drop dead pricing made it tough to resist the map-crazy collegian in a time where finding an atlas of hand drawn maps from the late 1800s was worth its weight in gold.

Fast forward to the present. We met with architect, photographer, archivist and collector Robert D Stephens a week before his ongoing exhibition at a swish SoBo gallery. Robert, an American who swears by his local train commute, is as 'Bombay' as it gets. And his love affair extends to his endless search for books about the city from every decade and century. Many of his finds are now part of the exhibition, themed on guidebooks that were written for tourists and city folk. As we ogled at the 'loot' that he displayed for sneak peek, the glee in his eyes [and understandably so] was akin to a pirate who had brought his treasures to the safety of dry land.

"My go-to guys are the booksellers along Fort's pavements," he shared with us, adding how over the years, this faithful bunch has ensured that buying books remains a sub-culture and part of the landscape in and around this buzzing commercial district. While their numbers have dwindled and business continues to get affected [thanks to the ongoing project to 'upgrade' the city], loyalists still throng these parts. Just like the vendors of Kings Circle, they too know that time, and many other factors might not be on their side, and with the sweeping hold of the internet, they could be staring at the dark end of the tunnel.

Yet, the optimist in us finds it reassuring when we learn how almost an entire exhibition could have been sourced not from a brick-and-mortar institution or buys off e-stores but from the neighbourhood bookseller.So, in case you haven't till now, make a trip to check out one of these silent superheroes, find our favourite read, engage in some friendly bargaining, Bombay-style, and take home that rare find. It will be well worth it, take our word.

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

The romanticising of vinyls is not without reason - the gritty, warm sound, the bout of nostalgia and the act of listening may all be cliches, but they also hold true. And today being World Record Store Day, there is perhaps no better way of spending it than actually being in one. So here are a few that can satiate everyone from the grandpa obsessed with Madhubala to the hipster who wears socks from different pairs. Take your pick.

The Revolver Club
Jude D'Souza (seated in pic), CeO at The Revolver Club, says, "I once got a call about someone wanting to purchase weapons and another one asking how they could join this club." He explains that the name is a play on the revolving aspect of vinyls and also an ode to a Beatles album. D'Souza set up the store with co-founder Shalom Benjamin about three years ago, and it has now become a go-to hub for record junkies.
At: LJ Road, Mahim West.
Call: 9833182255
Cost: Rs 100 to Rs 25,000

Royal Music Collection
Known simply as Abdul Razaak's store to those in the trade, this shop tucked away in Fort has been around since 1982. Featuring an array of languages and genres, the stock is a treasure trove of collectors' records. "Most of my customers are regulars and now that record players are back, I get some new ones too. Much what I have comes from old collections, so it's cheap and exquisite," says Razaak, the owner.
At: Kitab Mahal, Dr DN Road.
Call: 98209 33365
Cost: Rs 250 to Rs 2,000.

Music Circle
Pilak Bhatt, owner of Music Centre, which has been around for five years, says he has been collecting records for the last 40 years. At his store you can find both pre-owned records and new ones. "Because of my passion and love for music, I want this format to stay alive. Analogue sound is natural and warm and records have lovely artwork. Plus, there's ample information about the artistes. The sound of Mp3s isn't great, and people are realising that, which is why this revival has come about," Bhatt says.
At: V Mall, Kandivali east
Call: 9833062221
Cost: Rs 300 to Rs 2,000

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Louiz Banks

I must first establish that jazz is not solely American music. It was born there, no doubt, but gradually it has become a universal musical language, seamlessly integrating with other cultures around the world driven by gifted musicians with an open mind. Thereby becoming a well-loved genre of music. There's a bunch of young and talented musicians in Mumbai and India who are getting into jazz in a serious manner despite the fact that they also play other genres of popular music.

Rhys Sebastian D'Souza

They are versatile, but jazz is their focus, which is great. Because of their commitment, supported by application and daily practice, they are bringing freshness and vitality to the growth and popularity of jazz.

Rhythm Shaw

I am happy about this because it's my dream to bring jazz to the intelligent masses. Among the youngsters who are the driving forces in this amazing movement are Gino Banks, Sheldon D'Silva, Mohini Dey, Anurag Naidu, Andrew Kanga, Rhythm Shaw, Abhinav Khokhar, Rahul Wadhwani, Vasundhara Vee, Sonia Saigal, Isheeta Chakravarty, Harmeet Manseta, Tarun Balani, Ron Cha, Sharik Hassan, Shirish Malhotra and Rhys Sebastian D'Souza, among other talented musicians.

Isheeta Chakravarty

Each of them is bringing his/her own perception and unique individuality to the understanding and 'live' performance of jazz. These artistes are taking the jazz movement forward into the now and beyond. God bless their zeal and may their tribe increase manifold. My dream is becoming a reality.

As told to Soumya Vajpayee Tiwari

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

Stretching from the imposing skyrises of Colaba and Malabar Hill to the fishermen's colonies in Worli, the prestigious VVIP Mumbai South Lok Sabha constituency is the richest in the country making it a high-stakes affair for the two main contestants - Shiv Sena sitting MP Arvind G. Sawant and rival Milind M. Deora of the Congress.

Despite being wealthy, the constituency is barely 'generous' in exercising its franchise - it was way back in 1967, when George Fernandes won on a single point agenda of providing sufficient water supply to all, that 67.42 per cent electorate voted.

Again in 1991, the voting percentage plummeted to an abysmal 38.65, giving credence to the belief that people in high-rises remain indifferent to the political process. But in 2014 the percentage went up to a modest 52.48.

The population of Mumbai South is approximately 20 lakh and the voter strength is 14,85,846 including 15 per cent of some of the country's richest, a large 70 per cent dollop of middle-class and a sprinkling of 15 per cent eking out an existence in slums in what is one of the few fully urbanized constituencies of India.

Unconcerned by the turnout figures, Shiv Sena's Sawant exudes is optimistic of winning again.

"I am the voice of the masses and the classes. I have been present whenever and wherever I was needed in the past five years," Sawant told IANS.

On his rival Deora, he shot back: "Where was he for the past four years and nine months? This is what commoners and business community ask me. It is my work for all sections and my contacts with the masses that will decide the election."

Though incommunicado despite repeated attempts by IANS, the former Union Minister Deora has remained unflustered by the opposition barbs.

After all, in a political-corporate coup of sorts, last fortnight, he secured the open support of key players from India Inc, sending panic waves in the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-Sena combine.

Ranked as one of the most cosmopolitan constituencies, Mumbai South is beset with many problems that have remained unresolved over the years.

"There are hundreds of old buildings, ancient sewage lines, house gullies, traffic congestion and slum pockets in Darukhana, BPT, Colaba and Worli which are of great concern," Waris Pathan, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen's sole Mumbai MLA, told IANS.

Though there is the ambitious Coastal Road project coming up, Patyan says "a lot will depend on its implementation, or it will be disastrous for the entire city".

Besides, there is the gnawing problem of security in the region which has witnessed two of the worst terror strikes in the country - the 1993 serial bomb blasts and the 2008 terror strikes.

Not surprising, since this constituency is home to the country's most affluent business districts which contribute hugely to the national exchequer, some of the poshest residential complexes, Indian and foreign banks, and national and international firms are headquartered here.

There are also offices of global corporates, airlines, embassies, luxury hotels, swanky restaurants and pubs, global tourist attractions, open shopping plazas, malls and multiplexes, reputed schools, colleges, an array of heritage buildings, the official residences of Maharashtra Governor, Chief Minister, the Chief Justice of Bombay High Court and other judges, the Legislature and the Mantralaya.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get the latest updates