Police have launched a search operation for two former employees of a finance company in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly swindling Rs 8.9 lakh of the firm when they worked there, an official said on Monday, PTI reported. As per PTI, between November 2023 and February 2024, the accused reportedly collected payments from customers for investment purposes but did not deposit the same in the company's account, the official from Bhiwandi Town police station said. When asked to give back the money to the company, the two individuals fled, he said. As per the complaint by an official of the company, the police on Saturday filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the two former employees on charges of criminal breach of trust and other offences, the official said, PTI reported. Efforts are underway to catch the two accused, the police said. The foreigners behind Torres scam Self-proclaimed whistleblower Tausif Reyaz, a wanted accused in the Torres scam where thousands of investors were defrauded, has shared details about the 10 alleged masterminds behind the scam, among whom are foreign nationals from Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey. Following Reyaz's revelations, the police arrested two foreign nationals, one of whom was identified as Valentina Kumari, a Russian citizen with Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status. She has been living in India for the past 17 years after marrying an Indian. Sources within the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) have confirmed that several foreign nationals named in Reyaz’s letter have fled the country and are suspected to be the primary architects of the fraud. However, Reyaz himself has not appeared before the agency so far and was last reportedly seen in Delhi. He has claimed that his life is under threat. In his letter, Reyaz provided details such as passport numbers and photographs of some of the accused. “We have received certain information from the FRRO [Foreigners Registration Office] of the Mumbai police and are currently verifying the details,” an EOW officer stated. According to a letter sent by Reyaz to the authorities on January 4, he identified Olena Stoian and Oleksandra Brunkivska as the masterminds of the scam. Reyaz alleged that the two were also involved in similar scams in Turkey and Ukraine. He claimed that Brunkivska, who operated under the alias “Alia” in India, had remained in the country until the first week of January. Officials suspect that both have since fled India. (With PTI inputs)
13 January,2025 01:07 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA man hailing from Maharashtra's Thane and currently residing in the US, has been scammed of about Rs 1 lakh by fraudsters posing as officials of a piped cooking gas company, police said on Monday, PTI reported. The victim, who owns a house in Thane and is currently employed in New Jersey, received calls from two different numbers on his phone on December 20, 2024. An official from Naupada police station said that the callers claimed to be from the "MNGL" and informed the victim that he had not paid the bills of the gas service provider, PTI reported. The scammers allegedly took Rs 99,900 from the victim through various modes of payment, he said. According to PTI, the victim later realised that he was cheated. Based on the complaint from one of his relatives, the Naupada police on Saturday registered a case against the unidentified scammers under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 318(4) (cheating) and provisions of the Information Technology Act, the official said. No one was arrested so far, the official claimed, adding that a probe is underway, PTI reported. Crooks pose as CBI sleuths, dupe 60-year old of Rs 1.75 crore In yet another case of cyber fraud involving the misuse of central agency names, a 60-year-old retired consultant from Bandra lost R1.75 crore in a two-month-long cyber scam. According to the victim, a woman, she was duped by the accused posing as officials from DHL Courier, Delhi Cyber Crime, the CBI, and a finance department. A case has been filed with the Mumbai cyber cell based on the woman’s complaint. According to the complainant, the fraud began on October 14, 2024. The victim said that she received a call from a woman who identified herself as Ritu Sharma, claiming to be a representative of DHL Courier in Delhi and claimed that a parcel in her name, sent to Bangkok, contained passports, credit cards, clothes, a laptop and 140 grams of MDMA. “As I denied sending any parcel, my call was transferred to individuals claiming to be officials from the Delhi Crime Branch and the CBI. These individuals, including someone who identified himself as Inspector Pradeep Sawant and a CBI officer who identified as Sadhan Pawar, accused me of money laundering, child trafficking, and drug smuggling. They threatened me with arrest and pressured her to cooperate,” said the victim in her statement to the cyber cell. (With PTI inputs)
13 January,2025 11:39 AM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentThe Byculla police, in a significant crackdown, apprehended four individuals accused of producing counterfeit currency. Authorities suspect that the group not only manufactured the fake notes but also circulated them within the city. The police suspect that the group had been making fake notes for the past five to six months and have launched a manhunt to apprehend one accused who is still at large. “We received information that one person would be present near Prasad paan-bidi general store to sell the fake notes. The team from Byculla police acted on the tip-off and three individuals were identified at the location. One of them was found to be in possession of fake notes of Rs 200 and Rs 500 denominations. The three individuals have been arrested,” Dattaray Kamble, DCP, Zone III, told mid-day. The trio was aidentified as Asif Bable alias Usman, 48, Yasin Shaikh, 42, and Bhim Bandela, 47. “Upon interrogation, they revealed that they made the fake currency notes in Wada, Palghar district. Subsequently, a team was sent to Palghar from where Neeraj Wekande, 25, was arrested. We also found fake notes at the location in Wada,” Senior Police Inspector Chimaji Adhav said, adding that the cops were on the lookout for the financier of the operation. According to the police, Wekande and the wanted accused had financed the group. “Their modus operandi was to add fake notes in a bundle of authentic notes. Wekande and one more person financed the group. We suspect this group might have supplied other small groups across the city with counterfeit notes. We are investigating the matter,” said an officer. The police seized a laptop, colour printer, lamination machine, colour laser printer, fake note detector and butter paper from Wada. They are now looking into the backgrounds of the accused, who have been booked under Sections 178 (counterfeiting coins, notes, currency, bank notes or government stamps), 179 (using counterfeit or forged coins, currency notes, bank notes, or government stamps as genuine), among others, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
13 January,2025 07:51 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheSix persons, who appeared for the recently held Mumbai Police Recruitment Examination, 2025, have been arrested for cheating, police said. The exam was being held for the post of drivers and constables over the last two days. Aspirants appeared from all over Maharashtra. Police said that while four were caught using Bluetooth devices for cheating, two others were caught for impersonation after sending dummy candidates with their hall tickets to take the written exam. Separate cases have been registered at the Oshiwara, Kasturba Marg, Tilak Nagar, Kandivli, and South Mumbai-based police stations. A total of 62,000 aspirants from across Maharashtra attended the police recruitment examination held at 90 centers across Mumbai for the constable post this year. Krishna Mahadevarao Dalvi, 25, was caught using a Bluetooth device in the examination hall at Raigad Military School in Jogeshwari. Dalvi, a native of Jalna, was found in possession of a Bluetooth device and a chip, which were seized by the police. At this center, 440 candidates had arrived to take the examination, of which 437 were from the Jalna district. Examination centre chief and police inspector Vijay Mandye detained Dalvi for questioning. The Tilak Nagar police apprehended two aspirants using Bluetooth devices in the examination hall. They had hidden the Bluetooth chips in their undergarments and planned to activate them in the washroom. However, they were caught during a routine check. The accused were identified as Ganesh Vighane from Beed and Rameshwar Wagh from Sambhaji Nagar. In Kandivali, Nikhil Nagargujar, 25, a resident of Beed, was arrested for allegedly creating a duplicate hall ticket to appear for the police constable examination on Sunday. According to the police, Nagargujar was disqualified from the examination due to low marks. He did not inform his family about the disqualification and instead created a fake hall ticket. During a routine check at the examination hall, the fake hall ticket was discovered, and Nagargujar was taken into custody. The Kasturba Marg police arrested Rauf Pathan, 25, a resident of Aurangabad, for allegedly cheating during the police recruitment examination at the Borivali East centre. Pathan was found with a chip hidden on his chest and a Bluetooth device in his ear. Around 650 students appeared for the exam at this center. Another student was caught by the South Mumbai-based police station for sending a dummy candidate with his hall ticket to take the exam on his behalf. “We have registered a total of six cases across the city and arrested students for cheating in the police recruitment examination. In most of these cases, the students were caught using Bluetooth devices,” said Joint Commissioner of Police for Administration S Jayakumar.
12 January,2025 11:12 PM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaUnidentified persons broke into the ATM of a nationalised bank and ran off with over Rs 25 lakh in cash in Maharashtra's Palghar district on Sunday, police said, PTI reported. The theft took place around 3:30 am in the Boisar area, an official said. According to senior inspector Sirish Pawar of the Boisar police station, thieves broke into the ATM and fled with over Rs 25 lakh, PTI cited. The authorities have yet to determine the number of people involved in the incident, as just one person is visible in the CCTV tape. The accused also sprayed something on the camera equipment prior to the break-in, he said. CCTV footage from the Boisar area in Maharashtra's Palghar district captured unidentified individuals breaking into a nationalised bank's ATM around 3:30 am on Sunday. The suspects fled with over ₹25 lakh in cash, and authorities are analysing the footage for leads.Via:… pic.twitter.com/gehIlqS32L — Mid Day (@mid_day) January 12, 2025 The official said a case has been filed under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhit, and further probe is underway. PTI reported. Mumbai cyber crime cell busts 'Task Fraud' gang, 6 held The Cyber Crime Cell of the Mumbai Police has busted a gang of fraudsters and arrested six people for allegedly operating a 'Task Fraud', an official said. The police seized Rs 7 lakh, 11 mobile phones, 47 different bank cards, 104 ATM cards, passbooks and a bank manager's stamp from the gang, he said. According to the police, the arrested individuals were identified as Pramod Kumar Behra, Rakesh Kumar Chaudhary, Suvendru Das, Jaideep Parda, and Manoj Kumar Raut. The complainant, a senior citizen, had previously worked in the Gulf and after retirement he had moved to Mumbai. He had social media accounts. "In September last year, he received a message from an unknown person who introduced herself as Nisha, who purportedly worked for a marketing company. She told him he could earn Rs 70 for following an Instagram account. Initially, he refused, but the fraudster convinced him to reconsider himself once he received the money. She told him that her company helps young artists and bloggers gain fame and sent him a link to follow an Instagram account. The fraudster obtained his personal and bank account information and provided him with a code, he then asked him to contact further on a Telegram account," an official explained. Initially, to lure the complainant, he was given a fake task and he even received the payment, this led him to trust the fraudsters, the police said. (With PTI inputs)
12 January,2025 09:50 PM IST | Palghar | mid-day online correspondentMumbai Police on Sunday said that it has busted a gang allegedly printing and selling fake Indian currency notes and nabbed four people in connection with the matter. According to the officials, the officials of Byculla Police in central Mumbai had initially received a tip-off regarding three people visiting Byculla area for selling counterfeit Rs 500 currency notes and accordingly a special team was formed under the guidance of Chimaji Adhav, the senior police inspector of Byculla Police station. The team of officials laid a trap and detained three people from a spot in Byculla area and their searches led to the recovery of fake hundreds of Rs 500 currency notes, an official said. "As many as 200 fake Rs 500 notes were found in their possession which turned out to be fake, the trio were detained from the spot and later taken to Byculla Police Station for further interrogations," the official said. The fake notes were seized, and an FIR was filed by the police under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), the police said. It said that during interrogation, the suspects were identified as Umran Balbale, 48, Yasin Shaikh, 42, Bheem Badela, 45, said an official. Their interrogations led to a name of another suspect who was identified as Niraj Vekhande, 25 from Wada in Palghar district of Maharashtra, he said. "Acting on the information, a police team was dispatched to Wada in Palghar which camped there for about two days to trace and nab the suspect and after detailed investigations using technical support, they located Niraj Vekhande who was later placed under arrest," an official said. The police said that upon searching Vekhande’s premises, along with the help of witnesses, the police found all the equipment required to produce counterfeit Rs 500 notes. The seized items included laptops, printers, lamination machines, and other materials suspected to be used in printing counterfeit currency production. "The action was carried out under the guidance of senior police officers of Mumbai Police and the entire detection operation was led by Police Inspector Jitesh Shingote and other officers of Byculla Police Station," the official said.
12 January,2025 07:23 PM IST | Mumbai | Asif RizviAn official on Sunday said that the police have arrested two persons for illegal possession and sale of codeine phosphate in Maharashtra's Thane district, reported news agency PTI. Cough syrups with codeine phosphate have an intoxicating effect on nerves and they are widely abused due to easy availability at pharmacies. The government has banned codeine-based syrups. The police on Saturday apprehended the two persons in Kachore village in Kalyan area and seized 192 bottles of codeine phosphate from their possession, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kalyan, Atul Zende said, reported PTI. They were carrying the substance illegally with the intent to sell it, the official said. A case has been registered against the duo under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, he said, reported PTI. Authorities have initiated an investigation to trace the supply chain and identify other potential links in the illegal drug trade, police said. One held with mephedrone worth Rs 1 lakh in Thane district A 26-year-old man was arrested for alleged possession of mephedrone worth Rs 1 lakh in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Saturday, reported PTI. The police's patrolling team intercepted the accused on the MIDC road in Dombivili town late on Friday night and recovered 34 gm of mephedrone from him, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Atul Zende of Zone III, Kalyan, reported PTI. The contraband was valued at Rs 1.08 lakh, he said. The official said a case has been registered against the accused, Vinay Iyer, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, reported PTI. Zende said earlier this week, the police seized 1,123 gm of ganja worth Rs 25,500 and 40 bottles of cough syrup worth Rs 9,000 in separate raids, reported PTI. He said the anti-drug drive will continue, and special teams were formed to monitor and prevent drug-related activities in the region. (With inputs from PTI)
12 January,2025 12:16 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA 25-year-old student, Krishna Mahadevarao Dalvi, who had arrived to appear for the Police Constable Driver recruitment exam 2025 at Raigad Military School in Jogeshwari, was caught red-handed by Oshiwara police while attempting to cheat. Krishna Dalvi, a native of Jalna, was found in possession of a chip and a Bluetooth device, which were confiscated by the police. During the exam, he was reportedly in contact with a friend, receiving assistance, which was uncovered during the investigation. Krishna Dalvi is now facing criminal charges and has been arrested. He is scheduled to appear in the local court in Bandra on Sunday afternoon, before he could become a police constable. The Mumbai Police Department is currently conducting recruitment for the position of Police Constable Driver. On Saturday, written exams were held for candidates in Mumbai. The exam centre at Raigad Military School in Jogeshwari, New Link Road, was designated for some candidates, with 440 candidates arriving to participate in the examination. Of these, 437 were from Jalna district. All candidates were thoroughly checked before being allowed entry into the exam center. After some time, a candidate's suspicious behaviour was noticed, prompting the center chief and Police Inspector Vijay Mandye to detain him for questioning. The police discovered a chip and a Bluetooth device on him, revealing that he was attempting to cheat. After being brought to the police station, Krishna admitted to receiving help from his friend during the exam. He had hidden a digital chip in his undergarment and used a Bluetooth device in his ear, ensuring it remained hidden. The police filed a case against him, and he was arrested.
12 January,2025 11:47 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaAn official said that the Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police on Saturday arrested three persons for their alleged association with the jewellery company that owns the Torres brand, reported news agency PTI. The jewellery company is accused of cheating investors of crores of rupees through a combination of Ponzi and multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes. The official from the Navghar police station said that offences have been registered against the management and staff of the company in connection with the Torres scam, reported PTI. The Mumbai police's Economic Offences Wing has carried out raids in Colaba, Dadar and Dombivali and confiscated important documents, investment papers as well as cash as part of its probe into the alleged Torres scam, reported PTI. Earlier, a Mumbai police official had said that the magnitude of the scam had reached Rs 18.5 crore and was expected to rise further. Police arrest director and two foreign nationals The Shivaji Park police have arrested three people—the director of a jewellery brand, an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and a citizen of Uzbekistan—for allegedly duping investors of Rs 13.48 crore through a Ponzi scheme. The accused lured victims with promises of high weekly returns, exclusive offers, and rewards for referrals via a flashy app. An look-out circular (LOC) has been issued against two absconding accused who are suspected to have fled the country. The arrested individuals include Sarvesh Surve, the company director, Valentina Kumari (an OCI national), and Tania Kasatova, an Uzbekistan citizen. Police suspect the fraud’s scale could exceed Rs 700 crore, with statements from victims still being recorded. The scheme targeted investors through a jewellery brand named Torres, which operated six stores in Mumbai, including branches in Dadar, Girgaon, Sanpada, Mira Road, and Kandivli. Investors were lured via the company’s app, “Torres Club,” which displayed investment statuses and promised weekly returns. The Shivaji Park police revealed that Sarvesh Surve’s identification documents were used to make him the company director and beneficiary. The other two arrested women were employees. An LOC has been issued against two absconding accused. Interestingly, the Torres app now displays a notice claiming its employees looted their shops. The notice urges investors to register complaints against an individual named Abhishek, allegedly involved in a robbery at one of their branches. Torres has promised to return the investors’ money, but the claims remain unverified. Five individuals have been booked under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act, 1999. (With inputs from PTI)
12 January,2025 08:44 AM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentThe seven accused in the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog in Beed district, have been booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Deshmukh was killed on December 9, 2024, when he attempted to foil an extortion bid by the accused. A Crime Investigation Department team has been probing the murder. The accused are Surdarshan Ghule, Pratik Ghule, Sudhir Sangale, Krishna Andhale, Vishnu Chate, Siddharth Sonawane, and Jairam Chate. Of these, Krishna Andhale is still at large. However, Valmik Karad, who has been booked and arrested in the extortion case and is linked with a senior minister from Beed, has not been charged under MCOCA yet. Police are investigating the link between the extortion and the murder, and sources said more accused were to be brought under the MCOCA. This gives police special powers and provides for additional criminal penalties including the death penalty, and the bail conditions are also stricter. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had made an announcement in the state legislature that the accused would be tried under MCOCA. Police sources say the accused in the Beed murder would be fit for trial under the stringent Act if there is record of them having links with organised crime.
12 January,2025 07:24 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentTwo unidentified men stole 50 tolas of gold jewellery, worth about Rs 40 lakh, at gunpoint from a shop in Vasai on Friday night. The shop owner was injured in the heist. The owner of Mayank Jewellers located in Kaul Heritage City’s Agarwal & Dosti Complex in Vasai, Ratanlal Sanghvi, was packing up preparing to close the shop at around 9.15pm when two men arrived on a motorcycle. CCTV footage of the store owner being threatened with a gun One wore a helmet and the other a mask. They brandished a gun and looted 15 to 20 jewellery boxes from the store’s safe. When Sanghvi tried to resist, they struck him on the head with the butt of the gun, leaving him injured. No security guard was employed at the store, and the owner had not taken the safety precaution of closing the shutters while packing up. The burglar assaulting the store owner with the butt of the gun An FIR has been registered at Manikpur police station under relevant sections of BNS and Arms Act against the unidentified accused. A total six teams of MBVV police have been deployed to trace the accused. The crime branch is also conducting a parallel investigation into the sensitive case that has left everyone shocked in the area. The burglars flee the jewellery store with their loot The injured Sanghvi has been admitted to Cardinal Gracias Hospital in Vasai and his condition is reported to be stable. On the day of the incident, his son Manish, who manages the shop with him, was away on work. Sanghvi’s other son Abhilesh Sanghvi said, “We are cooperating with the police and hoping for a quick resolution.” DCP Pournima Chougule-Shringi said, “The jeweller had not hired a security guard, and didn’t follow safety measures while closing the shop. He should have locked the main door from inside while packing the jewellery. We are taking help of CCTV footage to trace the accused.”
12 January,2025 07:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaADVERTISEMENT
