Powai police arrested a cleric after a 17-year-old girl alleged that she was sexually harassed by him 10 years ago when she was about seven years old. This sensitive matter came to light during a counselling session, said police. The survivor revealed that the cleric, who taught her Arabic, would allegedly sexually harass her when she failed to complete tasks assigned to her, said cops. “If she didn’t complete her task, he would touch her inappropriately. She shared this with her counsellor and the school approached us to register an FIR,” said an officer. The police arrested the accused within four hours, booking him under the POCSO Act.
27 October,2024 09:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheMumbai Police on Saturday said that it has arrested three people including a woman with Marijuana worth over 6 lakhs in the eastern suburbs of the city. According to the police, a police team from Unit 6 of Mumbai Crime Branch apprehended three individuals, including two men and one woman carrying bags with them, in the vicinity of Tilak Nagar Terminal while they were acting suspiciously. When the police approached the suspects, they allegedly attempted to flee, abandoning their travel bags. "It raised further suspicion, leading the police to detain them. Upon inspecting the bags, the officers founda substantial quantity of marijuana weighing a total of 24.5 kilograms, valued at approximately Rs 6,12,500. In addition, other items worth Rs 6,42,110 were also recovered," said an official. The police said that the suspects had brought the drugs from an another state for sale of the banned narcotics in Mumbai. "A case has been registered against them under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Tilak Nagar police station," the official said. The arrested suspects were produced before court, which granted police custody for further investigation. Further investigations in the matter are being conducted by the officials of Crime Branch's Unit 6, an official said.
26 October,2024 10:45 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThe Thane Police in Maharashtra have booked a 50-year-old woman for allegedly embezzling about Rs 1.3 crore from a credit cooperative society in Thane, an official said on Saturday, reported the PTI. The woman, who worked as the chief clerk at 'Lokmata Savitribai Phule Mahila Path Sanstha', allegedly siphoned off the money between 2016 and 2019, the official said citing the FIR. Police have not identified the woman, according to the PTI. She is accused of manipulating the credit society's records, creating fake entries and facilitating loans in her and her relatives' names with bogus documents, causing the organisation a loss of about Rs 1.3 crore, said the official from Kalwa police station. The funds were then reportedly diverted for her personal use, he added. Six booked for duping businessman of Rs 15 lakh on promise of providing loan Meanwhile, in an another incident, the police have registered a case against six persons for allegedly cheating a 45-year-old businessman from Vashi in Navi Mumbai of Maharashtra of Rs 15 lakh on the promise of providing a loan of Rs 5 crore to him, an official said on Saturday, as per the PTI. According to the police, the accused reportedly approached the victim in August 2022 and made him believe that they were representatives of a prominent finance company. They allegedly told the businessman that they would help in arranging a loan of Rs 5 crore for him through the company. After he was convinced, the accused asked him to pay Rs 15 lakh as processing fee and the loan would soon be granted to him. The victim paid the amount, the police said. The accused later told him that the loan would be disbursed within 20 days, but he never got it, the police official said. The businessman later reached out to the police and based on his complaint, the police registered an FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) against the six accused, the official said on Saturday. He said that further investigations in the matter were underway. (with PTI inputs)
26 October,2024 10:40 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentAn Arabic teacher was arrested by the Mumbai Police after a teenage girl disclosed during a counselling session that she was allegedly molested by him a decade ago, a police official said on Saturday, reported the PTI. A case was registered on Thursday on the complaint of the school where the victim is studying in Class XII, the Powai police station official said. "The 17-year-old girl said at the counselling session that the teacher used to come to her home to teach Arabic. If she did not complete her homework, the accused would touch her inappropriately. The girl said these incidents took place when she was 6-8 years old," the official informed, as per the PTI. The accused was arrested within four hours of the case being registered, the official said, adding he was charged under Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Mumbai cops invoke Information Technology Act against rape accused Meanwhile, in an another incident, the police investigating the rape case lodged by a Mumbai-based woman has invoked Information Technology Act against the 26-year-old accused from Ludhiana, who is on bail, an official said on Saturday, according to the PTI. The accused was arrested in August after the woman accused him of raping her under the pretext of marriage. He was granted bail in September. The forensic analysis of the mobile phone of the accused led to the discovery of objectionable videos of the victim woman, the official added. Police have added sections 66E and 67A of the IT Act and 377 (unnatural sex) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the FIR against the accused for allegedly recording sexually explicit videos and photos of the victim and blackmailing her to make them viral. The accused allegedly raped the woman under the pretext of marriage in several hotels in Mumbai, Delhi and Ludhiana from January 2023 to August 2024, the official said. The accused even performed "roka" (a pre-wedding tradition in Punjabi and Sikh weddings) with the victim and also got a hall booked for their "wedding", as per the FIR. The complainant stated that the accused reneged on his promise to marry her and started looking for a new "match" for himself. The accused was held in Ludhiana in August. He was granted bail in September. Besides Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) sections, police also invoked the Dowry Prohibition Act, the official added. (with PTI inputs)
26 October,2024 10:37 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn a major breakthrough in Baba Siddique murder case, Mumbai Police has arrested a suspect from Punjab who was in touch with Lawrence Bishnoi's brother Anmol Bishnoi, the police said. Mumbai Police's crime branch arrested the suspect, identified as Sujeet Singh (32), for allegedly being in touch with abroad-based gangster Anmol Bishnoi. The accused was allegedly communicating through multiple accounts on various social media apps. “Multiple accounts were made on these apps, and they were in touch with each other,” said a police officer. According to the DGP of Punjab Police, Sujeet Singh is a resident of Mumbai and was wanted by the Mumbai police for the murder of Baba Siddique. He was arrested in a joint operation in Ludhiana. The X account of Punjab Police's DGP mentioned that Singh was informed about the killing three days in advance by one Nitin Sapre. The Mumbai crime branch stated that Singh was involved in the conspiracy to kill the Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader Baba Siddiqui. He previously lived in Ghatkopar’s Chedda Nagar area and was apprehended in Punjab’s Ludhiana. While seeking his police custody, the Mumbai Police informed the Esplanade court that they have recovered five firearms and suspect that more may have been supplied to the gang. According to the police, Singh was aware of the conspiracy to kill Baba Siddique and had been in contact with Anmol Bishnoi. He allegedly supplied money to other accused individuals and was involved in the supply of arms. Singh reportedly fled from Mumbai one month before the crime occurred and was arrested in Ludhiana. Singh, also known by his alias name Babbu, was in touch with one Akhtar, a fellow villager. He then came in contact with Sapre and other alleged accomplices four to five months before the crime took place. Babbu has no known criminal record; however, the police are verifying this, sources said. “Singh introduced himself to the group as Babbu. Hence, we are verifying whether he has any criminal record against him,” the police stated. He has been granted police custody until November 4 and further investigations are underway, the police said on Saturday.
26 October,2024 07:53 PM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheA 20-year-old man was allegedly lynched to death in Maharashtra's Thane district and the police has arrested seven people in connection with the case, an official said on Saturday, reported the PTI. He said that the deceased identified as Mohammad Rahmat Saha Alam, originally from West Bengal, was reportedly accused of stealing a mobile phone and beaten to death by a group of people in the Bhiwandi area of Thane district on Wednesday. "Seven persons have been arrested in connection with the lynching of a man," a police official said. Working on several inputs, the police took seven from the group of attackers into custody, while teams of police officials have been sent to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in search of the others involved in the crime, the official said, as per the PTI. Initially, the police found it difficult to identify the victim. Subsequently, they shared his photo on social media which helped them gather more information about him, leading to his identification. The police investigations revealed that the victim had come to Bhiwandi in Maharashtra from West Bengal six months ago, said Thane city police public relations officer Sailesh Salvi, according to the PTI. He added that further investigations in the matter were underway. Youth lynched, cop injured in Bihar Meanwhile, in an another incident in Bihar, earlier this month, a 20-year-old man was beaten to death and a policeman was injured when two groups clashed over a petty issue in Bihar’s Patna district, the police had earlier said, as per the PTI. Three people were arrested in connection with the incident that took place in the Lakhani Vigaha Math area of Danapur sub-division. “Two groups of the locality clashed over a trivial issue on Monday morning. Police got information that a 20-year-old man was beaten to death by his neighbours. When the police reached there, a group of people started throwing stones at them and damaged a police vehicle,” the district police said in a statement. One police personnel suffered injuries in stone pelting. “Additional security personnel were immediately called and the situation was brought under control,” the statement said, the news agency had earlier reported. The body of the deceased, identified as Vishal Kumar, was sent for post-mortem examination. (with PTI inputs)
26 October,2024 03:29 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA case has been registered against six persons after beef was found stocked in a dilapidated house in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI. One person was apprehended, while five others managed to escape when the police raided the premises at Patel Mohalla in Bhiwandi town on Friday morning, an official said, reported PTI. He said the police had received a tip-off about beef stocked in the dilapidated house, and they managed to seize banned meat worth Rs 1.6 lakh, reported PTI. A first information report has been registered under the Wildlife Protection Act against the accused, and a manhunt has been launched for the absconding men, the official said. Meat worth Rs 4 lakh seized in Dombivli by Thane police, accused manage to flee A police official on Monday said that the Thane police have seized meat worth Rs 4 lakh from a tempo and have sent it for analysis, reported news agency PTI. The tempo was intercepted on Sunday on a tip off at Golavali in Dombivli, though its occupants managed to flee, the Manpada police station official told PTI. "The tempo and a car trailing it have been seized. Efforts are on to arrest the persons behind this illegal transportation of meat. They have been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Municipal Corporation Act and Motor Vehicles Act," the Thane police official added. Cops seize 900 kg beef from vehicle in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar; one bookedIn July, one person was arrested after 900 kilograms of beef was seized from a vehicle in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, reported PTI citing a police official. The seized beef was valued at Rs 8.8 lakh. It was seized after a vehicle was stopped on Vaijapur-Shivur road on Wednesday at a check post, said the official as per the PTI report. "The vehicle's driver Ansar Shaikh (23) was booked under section 325 and sub section 5(b)(k) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act," the Shivur police station official said. (With inputs from PTI)
26 October,2024 02:50 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentAn official on Saturday said that the police have registered a case against six persons for allegedly cheating a 45-year-old businessman from Vashi in Navi Mumbai of Rs 15 lakh on the promise of providing a loan of Rs 5 crore to him, reported news agency PTI. The accused approached the victim in August 2022 and made him believe that they were representatives of a finance company and would arrange a loan of Rs 5 crore for him. After he was convinced, they asked him to pay Rs 15 lakh as processing fee. The victim paid the amount, the official said while sharing an update on the Navi Mumbai crime, reported PTI. The accused told him that the loan would be disbursed within 20 days, but he never got it, the police official said while sharing an update on the Navi Mumbai crime, reported PTI. Based on his complaint, the police registered an FIR under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 420 (cheating) and 34 (common intention) against the six accused - Ajit Mhatre, Deepak Mali, Sonali Suryavanshi, Kishore Londe, Subhash Dongra, and Jayjeet Gupta, he added. Police bust cybercrime racket operating from shop in Palghar district, two held The Navi Mumbai police have arrested two persons who were running a cybercrime racket from a shop in Palghar district, an official said on Saturday, reported PTI. The Nhava Sheva police recently registered a case after a man approached them claiming that a woman he had met on a dating app duped him of over Rs 10 lakh promising attractive returns on investment, reported PTI. Tracking the bank accounts where the money had been transferred, the police reached a shop near Vasai railway station in Palghar district, said senior inspector Deepali Patil of the Evidence Management Centre of the Navi Mumbai police, reported PTI. Nine youngsters were working in the shop rented by two men, identified as Yogesh Jain and Himanshu Jain, the official said. Police recovered over 50 debit cards, 18 mobile phones, 17 chequebooks, 15 SIM cards, 8 Aadhaar cards and many other documents from the duo, the official said, reported PTI. Police said Yogesh and Himanshu had recruited the youths from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and opened several bank accounts in their names using fake documents like rent agreements. The duo used the youngsters to commit cybercrimes, the official said. Yogesh and Himanshu have been arrested, the official said, adding that a probe is underway. (With inputs from PTI)
26 October,2024 01:58 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentThe Lawrence Bishnoi gang poses a serious threat to the Mumbai Crime Branch, which has a history of dismantling the city’s underworld. In the wake of the high-profile murder of politician Baba Siddique, the Crime Branch has been ordered to closely monitor anyone associated with the gang. Sources suggest that the police may have made a mistake by releasing Shubham Lonkar, a key suspect previously questioned in a shooting near Salman Khan’s residence. With concerns that inaction could embolden the Bishnoi gang to intensify their extortion efforts, especially after Siddique’s murder, the department is reinforcing its commitment to a zero-tolerance policy against organised crime. The recent arrests of 15 suspects linked to Siddique’s assassination reflect this proactive approach, aiming to curb the gang’s influence and prevent it from becoming a major threat to the city. The 15 accused in Baba Siddique’s assassination case and their alleged roles Dharmaraj Kashyap, 21Kashyap, a scrap dealer from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, and son of a poor farmer, allegedly served as a shooter and helped scout Siddique’s locations from September to October. Though present during the shooting, he did not fire; his associate, Shivkumar Gautam, fired six rounds, three of which were fatal. Kashyap, reportedly part of the conspiracy, was found with a country-made weapon (desi katta). Gurmail Singh, 23 Singh, a Haryana resident, also a son of a poor farmer, has a criminal record. He was arrested for murder in 2019 and released on bail last year. Disowned by his family, he allegedly acted as a shooter but did not fire. Caught at the scene, he was involved in planning and scouting locations with others. Singh was found carrying an Austrian-made Glock and live bullets. Pravin LonkarLonkar, a resident of Akola, is the brother of key conspirator Shubham Lonkar, who is currently absconding. Both brothers have criminal records under the Arms Act, having been arrested by the Vakola Police earlier this year and later released on bail. Pravin was reportedly aware of the entire conspiracy and instructed the shooters to use Snapchat for sharing information, which he later deleted. He co-owns a dairy shop in Pune with his brother, where they became acquainted with Harish Nishad, another accused in the case. Lonkar is said to have radicalised Nishad and involved other workers, including Kashyap, Singh, and the absconding Gautam, in the plot. He allegedly provided logistical support and funds amounting to Rs 4–5 lakh for lodging in Kurla, acquiring a bike, and conducting reconnaissance on Siddique’s locations. Harishkumar NishadNishad, from Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, ran a scrap shop in Pune where the shooters worked. He was allegedly radicalised by the Lonkar brothers, he encouraged the shooters and provided Rs 2 lakh from Pravin Lonkar. Though he initially claimed innocence, the Crime Branch arrested him based on the shooters’ statements implicating him as a key financial facilitator. He is also believed to have scouted Siddique’s locations in Mumbai by bike. Rupesh Rajendra Mohol, Karan Rahul Salve, and Shivam Arvind Kohad were produced in the Esplanade court (Killa Court) in Mumbai on Thursday. PICs/SHADAB KHAN ; (right) Another accused was produced in Esplanade court (Killa Court) in Mumbai on Sunday Rupesh Mohol, 22 Karan Salve, 19 Shivam Kohad, 20Mohol, Salve, and Kohad, all residents of Pune, were affiliated with Kanaujia and Sapre’s gang. The Crime Branch reports that when Kanaujia and Sapre were first approached by Lonkar, these three assisted in conducting reconnaissance of Siddique’s locations alongside Kanaujia and Sapre. Their involvement in these initial activities led to their arrest. Nitin Sapre, 32 Ram Kanaujia, 43 Sapre, from Dombivli, and Kanaujia, from Panvel, were initially recruited by Shubham Lonkar, the main absconding conspirator, and agreed to the assignment, obtaining a weapon from a contact in Udaipur. But upon learning that the target was influential politician Baba Siddique, they hesitated. Instead of outright refusal, they demanded Rs 1 crore (Rs 50 lakh each) to deter Lonkar from involving them. Ultimately, Lonkar turned to scrap dealers in Pune for the task. Kanaujia later handed the weapon to shooter Gautam in Ghatkopar. Both Sapre and Kanaujia have criminal records. Sambhaji Parbi, 44 Pradeep Tombar, 37 Chetan Pardhi, 37Parbi, Tombar, and Pardhi, all residents of Ambernath, were members of Sapre and Kanaujia’s group and participated in the initial planning stages of the operation. Their involvement in these early preparations led to their arrest. Sujit KumarAnother accused, identified as Sujit Kumar alias Babbu, was arrested by the Mumbai Crime Branch on Friday. He was allegedly involved in the conspiracy and was the first to identify the Sapra and Kanoujia gangs in connection with Siddique’s murder. He previously lived in Chedda Nagar, Ghatkopar, Mumbai, and was apprehended at his in-laws’ house in Ludhiana. Bhagwat Om Singh, 32Singh hails from Udaipur and allegedly provided weapons used in Siddique’s murder case, he was staying in BKC and left for Belapur after Siddique was shot dead, he is being probed about how he procured the weapon and what he was doing in BKC at the time of the murder. Accused produced in court on Monday. PIC/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI Amit Kumar, 29Kumar, a resident of Kaithal, Haryana, is suspected by the Crime Branch to have been aware of the entire conspiracy. He maintained contact with the key conspirator, Jisan Akhtar, who has been absconding. He was released from Jalandhar prison on June 7 this year. Another absconding accused is believed to have connected Kumar and Akhtar. Sources indicate that Kumar received approximately R2.5 lakh in his account from an absconding accomplice, which he withdrew and transferred to Akhtar in eight separate instalments. Officials noted that Kumar, who completed high school, was running a liquor shop in Haryana. Absconding accused Shubham LonkarLonkar is a key conspirator in the case, suspected to have direct ties to Lawrence Bishnoi through Bishnoi’s brother, Anmol Bishnoi. After Siddique’s murder, Lonkar allegedly claimed responsibility on Facebook, calling it revenge for the death of Anuj Thapan, an accused in the Salman Khan case who reportedly died by suicide while in police custody. In his post, Lonkar also alleged that Siddique was close to Salman Khan and Dawood Ibrahim. Although the Crime Branch has issued a Look-Out Circular (LOC) for Lonkar, he remains at large and is suspected to have fled the country through Nepal. Jishan AkhtarA resident of Punjab with a criminal background, Akhtar is said by Punjab police to have direct connections with Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother through a communication app. According to police records, he operates his own gang, with approximately 22 members under him. Akhtar was also in contact with Saurabh Mahakal, previously questioned by the Mumbai Crime Branch in connection with a threat note found by Salim Khan during a walk. However, no links were confirmed between Mahakal and this case. Akhtar is currently an absconding suspect in the Baba Siddique murder investigation and is believed to have co-conspired with Shubham Lonkar. Shivkumar GautamShivkumar Gautam was the main shooter in the Siddique murder case. He fired six fatal rounds at the politician. He is still absconding. Challenges for the Mumbai Crime Branch Despite arresting 15 suspects in Baba Siddique’s murder, the Mumbai Crime Branch faces challenges as the main shooter, Shivkumar Gautam, and key conspirators, Shubham Lonkar and Jishan Akhtar, remain at large. Investigators suspect Lawrence Bishnoi orchestrated the murder to send a message to Salman Khan, with links found between the accused and Anmol Bishnoi. However, without Akhtar and Lonkar, the motive remains unclear. The Crime Branch is also considering an SRA project dispute as a possible motive but lacks evidence to support that theory.
26 October,2024 07:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanA man was stabbed by an unknown assailant in Ulhasnagar’s Camp 5 area on the night of October 24, prompting nearby residents to call the police and an ambulance. However, as the ambulance was delayed, bystanders transported the victim, Bharat Duseja, to Central Hospital on a two-wheeler and a rickshaw, where he was declared dead upon arrival. The suspect Gaurav Udanshive with the Hill Line police The Hill Line police reached the scene and identified a suspect within five hours using CCTV footage and technical investigation. The suspect, a 26-year-old man named Gaurav Udanshive, was tracked near Vithalwadi and Kalyan stations and ultimately caught in Ambernath’s Swaminarayan area. A witness who assisted with transporting the victim said, “We saw him lying in a pool of blood. The police arrived quickly, but the ambulance was delayed, so we took him to the hospital ourselves. Unfortunately, he was declared dead on arrival.” The victim being transported on a bike. PIC/Navneet Barhate Preliminary investigations indicate that the incident may have stemmed from a previous conflict between the victim and the accused. Senior Police Inspector, Anil Jagtap said, “An initial FIR was registered against five people, but we confirmed only one was involved in the attack. We apprehended him within five hours.” He added, “We believe Udanshive acted out of rage from a fight that occurred 15 days ago. Our investigation is ongoing.” The accused has been charged under Section 103 (murder) and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
26 October,2024 07:38 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva Agashe
The VP Road police have arrested three people in connection with the death of a man after a physical altercation. According to the police, the victim had been sleeping on the pavement near a building in Girgaon. Some members of the building’s society objected and got into a physical fight with him, which led to his death. The incident was reported on October 22 when 45-year-old porter Jamil Khan succumbed to his injuries. “He used to sleep near Om Sai Co-operative Society at night. The residents objected to this, and a verbal altercation escalated into a physical attack. Some society members beat him with sticks. He was taken to the hospital but was declared dead,” a police officer said. Khan, originally from Bihar, had been living on the streets to earn a living. The police have filed an FIR against six members of the society and arrested three suspects. “Since the victim’s family could not be located at the time, the police officer filed the complaint,” added the officer. Initially, the FIR was registered by the DB Marg police, but the case was transferred to the VP Road police station since the building is in their jurisdiction. The arrested individuals include Vishal Shinde, 28, the society’s watchman; Mayank Jethva, 50; and Santosh Singh, a resident of the building. “Our investigation showed that these three had attacked the victim with sticks and their hands, which led to their arrest. One of them is the society’s watchman,” said a police officer. The suspects are charged under Section 103 (Murder) and Section 3 (Common Intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
26 October,2024 12:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheADVERTISEMENT
