16 April,2026 06:24 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
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Police have seized more than 130 filled and empty LPG cylinders stored illegally at a godown inside a mall in Maharashtra's Thane city, officials said on Thursday, reported news agency PTI.
The cylinders were seized on Wednesday.
Based on a tip-off, the police raided the premises and seized a total of 138 gas cylinders, of which 85 which were empty. The collective value of the cylinders of different gas companies is around Rs 4.48 lakh, senior inspector Sunil Warude of the Chitalsar police station said, reported PTI.
A case was registered under various sections of the Essential Commodities Act and the Liquified Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order against the accused, identified as Attaullah Khan, he said, reported PTI.
In another incident, a 34-year-old woman from Maharashtra's Thane was allegedly cheated of Rs 54,000 while trying to book a helicopter service for Kedarnath and Badrinath, police said on Thursday, reported PTI.
The woman told the police that she was recently searching for Kedarnath tour services when she received an Instagram message offering rides to the famous shrines.
Upon contacting the number mentioned in the message, the complainant was approached by a person who asked her to pay 50 per cent of the total amount as an advance, reported PTI.
The woman then transferred Rs 54,000 to a Bank of Baroda account under the name "Himalaya Tour" based in Dehradun, police said. However, after receiving the money, the person neither confirmed the booking nor refunded the amount, reported PTI.
A case has been registered based on the woman's complaint, and a probe is underway, the official said.
Meanwhile, two forest department officials have been arrested in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 to issue an NOC for a petrol pump, the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) said on Thursday, reported PTI.
The accused have been identified as forester Vilas Shivaji Sanap and forest guard Rekha Gaikwad, both stationed at the forest department office in Kunda, Mamnoli, under Kalyan taluka, it said, reported PTI.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (ACB) Anil Jaykar, the complainant had received a sanction to open a new petrol pump and required a mandatory no-objection certificate (NOC) from the forest department, reported PTI.
When he applied for the certificate, Sanap allegedly demanded Rs 50,000 to process the request. Following negotiations, the bribe amount was reduced to Rs 25,000.
After being alerted, the ACB laid a trap at the forest office on Wednesday and caught Gaikwad while accepting the bribe amount on behalf of the forester.
Sanap and Gaikwad have been arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and a probe is underway, the official said.
(With inputs from PTI)
