Bombay HC relief and Maharashtra Diwali aid lead regional news

The Bombay High Court granted relief in two cases as Maharashtra announced pre-Diwali financial support. The developments underscored a wider regional focus on welfare, rights and energy security.Stock photo used for illustrationMumbai,Oct 27, 2026 17:08 ISTCourts, government relief measures, energy policy and political developments were among the major stories from western and central India on Tuesday, according to news agency Press Trust of India.The Bombay High Court intervened in cases involving actor Imran Khan and a Pune student, while the Maharashtra government approved financial support for drought-hit farmers and funds for state transport employees’ salaries ahead of Diwali.The Bombay High Court kept in abeyance until November 2 a notice issued by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office to actor Imran Khan, a US citizen. The notice had directed him to leave India by October 28.The court also quashed a criminal case against a 20-year-old engineering student from Pune for reposting a controversial comment after ‘Operation Sindoor’. It observed that the post was an isolated act and that the student had voluntarily deleted it and expressed remorse. The Maharashtra cabinet approved an advance payment of Rs 5,000 each to nearly 1.5 crore farmers whose crops suffered damage of more than 33 per cent in 304 drought-hit talukas. Officials told PTI that the aid would be distributed before Diwali.The state government also issued a notification allocating Rs 391.02 crore to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation. The funds will enable the cash-strapped undertaking to pay salaries to its employees before Diwali. In Gujarat, BJP leader Tarun Chugh claimed that around three crore ‘infiltrators’ from Bangladesh were among those who did not come forward to verify their eligibility as voters during the SIR process.Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said party president Mallikarjun Kharge had made a ‘mistake’ with his controversial remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Chavan said leaders from all political parties should never compromise on civil language.Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India was set to strengthen its position as a global refining hub. He said the country’s oil processing capacity would rise to 300 million tonnes a year by 2030, even as refinery capacity declined in Europe and other parts of the Western world.Puri also said India had managed energy supply disruptions caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by expanding its LPG import sources to 41 countries. He said the availability of cooking gas in the country remained uninterrupted during the crisis.The minister said the Centre had no immediate plan to raise the level of ethanol blending in petrol beyond the current 20 per cent.In Chhattisgarh, the state government directed all district collectors to remain alert for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall caused by Cyclone Arnab. Officials told PTI that the government had ordered round-the-clock relief camps, uninterrupted medical services and increased vigilance, with zero casualties as the goal.A 21-year-old man from Chhattisgarh was allegedly detained in Russia and tortured to force him to join the war. Local police wrote to the Indian embassy after his 17-year-old sister approached the Bilaspur district administration for help to bring him back.Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that the Maharashtra forest department had been ordered to cut more than 32,000 trees near the eco-sensitive Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary. He claimed the move came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit next month for the ground-breaking ceremony of a hydropower project.The day’s developments included court relief in two cases, financial measures for farmers and transport employees, statements on energy security and fuel policy, a cyclone alert, political exchanges and concerns over a Chhattisgarh man allegedly detained in Russia.- Ends