Officials from the Delhi Crime Branch came to Mumbai on Wednesday to question the two people apprehended in the Salman Khan house firing incident. Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal were questioned for roughly three hours. The Mumbai Crime Branch had previously named criminal Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi as the prime perpetrators of the Salman Khan house firing incident. Following the discovery of significant evidence, both were added to the list of wanted accused, reported ANI. According to the report, a case has been filed against four people in connection with the firing incident at Salman Khan's home, including Anmol and Lawrence Bishnoi. Prior to the shooting, the perpetrators had done reconnaissance on Khan's house several times, including a visit to his farmland. A broken cell phone was confiscated from the accused of the Salman Khan firing incident during their arrest, implying that they may have had other phones in their possession. The Crime Branch is actively looking for these gadgets, the report added. According to the report, the Mumbai Crime Branch also discovered a second pistol, four magazines, and 17 rounds from the Tapi River in Surat. The recovery was made possible by tracking the tracks of shooter Vicky Gupta, who disposed of the weapon and ammo in the river while travelling from Mumbai to Bhuj, Gujarat. The inquiry also revealed that the accused had made financial transactions using their bank accounts, prompting authorities to look for their phones in the river, the report further stated. According to the report, the Salman Khan house firing incident occurred on April 14 when two individuals on a motorcycle fired four rounds outside the Galaxy Apartments, where Salman Khan resides, before fleeing the scene. Both suspects were captured on CCTV footage wearing caps and carrying backpacks. The culprits were initially apprehended by Kutch Police and thereafter handed over to the Mumbai Crime Branch. A local court gave the Crime Branch custody until April 25. Additional charges under IPC sections 506(2), 115, and 201 have been filed in the case. Anmol Bishnoi had claimed responsibility for the attack in a Facebook post shortly after the Salman Khan house firing incident.
24 April,2024 10:44 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA total of 2.09 crore voters will decide the fates of 258 candidates competing for victory in 11 constituencies throughout Maharashtra, with polling planned for the third round of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 on May 7. The deadline for withdrawal of nominations for Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Phase 2 passed on April 22, reported PTI. According to the report, Raigad has 13 candidates, Baramati has 38, Osmanabad has 31, Latur has 28, Solapur has 21, Madha has 32, Sangli has 20, Satara has 16, Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg has nine, Kolhapur has 23, and Hatkanangale has 27, according to government statistics. The electorate has a total of 2,09,92,616 voters, with 1,07,64,741 men, 1,02,26,946 females, and 929 third-gender people. There are 23,036 voting stations spread over 11 seats, the report added. Per the PTI report, one of the highlights of the third phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024 in Maharashtra will be the fierce competition between Supriya Sule of the NCP, who represents Sharadchandra Pawar's faction, and her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar, who is running in Baramati for the rival NCP faction led by her husband, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Furthermore, two members of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj dynasty are running in the elections. Udayanraje Bhosale is running as a BJP candidate in Satara, whereas Shahu Chhatrapati is running on the Congress banner in Kolhapur, the report added. Union Minister Narayan Rane is running for Sindhudurg-Ratnagiri on the BJP ticket. S Chockalingam, Maharashtra's Chief Electoral Officer, reported that preventive steps had been implemented against 95,250 people in the state as of April 22. In addition, items worth Rs 471.89 crore were recovered, including Rs 43.96 crore in cash, Rs 34.78 crore in spirits and Rs 216.47 crore in narcotics, the PTI report added.
24 April,2024 10:16 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTwo persons in Mulund were injured after a tree fell on them following which they wrote a letter to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation regarding the cutting down of the tree. However, it has recently come to light that the BMC had much earlier permitted to trim the tree and it was not. The incident happened on March 29 when Hitesh Saste (30) and Tanvi Kale (28) were passing on their bike when a tree collapsed on them severely injuring them. Mid-day accessed the letter which stated that a private entity had written a letter to cut down the tree in 2018 since it was dangerous; however, the BMC permitted only the branches of the tree to be cut. A BMC official on condition of anonymity revealed, "Near Jay Bharat college, there was a huge banyan tree and we had granted permission for it to be trimmed in 2018 and it was done so twice. It was in good condition after that but it suddenly collapsed since it had rotten from inside." The letter written to BMC in 2018/ Rajesh Gupta "The tree fell when my sister and her friend were travelling; both were trapped under the tree for over 30 minutes. The locals rescued them and took them to a hospital. When we inquired, they said that a letter had been written to BMC requesting permission to cut down the tree but none was granted," said Saurav Kale, Tanvi's brother. He added, "My sister is unable to walk properly and a month on, she's still in the hospital. Such incident would not have happened had the bMC given the permission to fell the tree." Meanwhile, Hitesh Saste, speaking to mid-day, said, "We both got injured in the incident; I injured my spine. I am worried for Tanvi given the mounting medical bills and impending major surgery." Hitesh added that the Kale family had already spent Rs 10 lakhs for her treatment while he was still bedridden. "We approached both the BMC and the police in this regard but there's no headway. The BMC should have permitted the felling of the tree; it would have prevented the occurrence of this mishap," Saste said.
24 April,2024 09:25 PM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheUnion Minister Narayan Rane, the BJP's contender for the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg parliamentary seat in Maharashtra, has questioned Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray's alleged backdoor meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi following an ED notice to his relative. Rane cited an event from 2022 in which the Enforcement Directorate (ED) attached the assets of Shree Saibaba Grihanirmiti Pvt Ltd, which was held by Shridhar Patankar, former state chief minister's Thackeray's brother-in-law. The attachment was tied to an alleged money laundering investigation, reported PTI. According to the report, Rane questioned the rationale for the meeting, citing Thackeray's previous criticism of PM Modi during a public address in Delhi. He pointed out that Thackeray had sharply criticised Prime Minister Modi and pushed people to vote him out, making the meeting appear inconsistent. "Uddhav Thackeray harshly criticised PM Modi and even asked people to vote him out. So why did he even hold a backdoor meeting with Modi after an ED notice," Rane had asked. In the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Rane will face Vinayak Raut, a two-term Shiv Sena (UBT) MP. Rane emphasised the importance of political power in constituency development and promised to continue development activities in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts if elected. He emphasised his current position of power, implying that it allows him to carry out development programmes successfully. "You need power to carry out development in your constituency. I am in power, and if I get elected, I will continue my work of development in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri districts," Rane was quoted as saying in a PTI report. Rane's criticism of Uddhav Thackeray came after he hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party and dubbed it a "Bogus" Janata Party. The criticism came after the Sena (UBT) which is in the opposition had called out the BJP after the NDA candidate for Baramati Sunetra Pawar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were given a clean chit in the MSCB scam. Additionally, Thackeray raked up the Adarsh Housing Society scam and targeted BJP over the induction of former Congress leader Ashok Chavan. He had said, "The ruling party has also become a part of the multi-crore Adarsh Housing Society scam."
24 April,2024 05:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTwo persons, on Wednesday, died after falling into a 40-feet-deep septic of an under-construction building in Mumbai's Malad area. Officials said that one other person is in critical condition and is undergoing treatment at Shatabdi Hospital in Kandivali. The officials of Mumbai Fire Brigade had previously stated that four persons had fallen into the septic tank in Malad's Pimpripada area and that the incident happened around 3.50 pm. It's not yet ascertained as to how the four persons fell into the septic tank. The MFB officials said that upon reaching the scene, it was discovered that several individuals had fallen into the building's drainage system. Firefighters quickly initiated a rescue effort, plunging into the tank with ropes and breathing apparatus. As of 4:30 pm, the officials had safely retrieved three persons from the septic tank and taken them to Trauma Care Hospital for treatment. However, one person remains unaccounted for, and rescue attempts are underway to find them.
24 April,2024 05:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) in Mumbai confiscated 9.67 kilograms of gold smuggled from Africa. The gold was being treated at a melting facility to remove foreign markings before being transferred to the local market. On April 22, officials from the DRI Mumbai Zonal Unit (MZU) searched a melting factory based on specific intelligence. They seized 9.31 kilograms of gold in various forms, including foreign-origin gold, and 16.66 kilograms of silver. Additionally, the melting facility's operators and a key member of the smuggling syndicate in charge of organising transporters and collecting the smuggled gold were detained, reported ANI. "Based on specific intelligence that gold smuggled from Africa through Mumbai International Airport was being processed at a melting facility to remove the foreign markings and being diverted to the local market, the DRI team initiated action on 22nd April. In this operation, DRI seized 9.67 Kg smuggled gold, 18.48 Kg silver, Indian currency of Rs. 1.92 Cr and USD 190000, a total worth Rs. 10.48 Cr," the report cited DRI statement. The statement further said, "Four persons, including the 2 carriers, the recruiter and the melter admitted to being involved in the smuggling of gold into India and, hence, were arrested under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 and remanded to judicial custody." Based on specific intelligence that gold smuggled from Africa through Mumbai International Airport was being processed at a melting facility to remove the foreign markings and being diverted to the local market, the DRI team initiated action on 22nd April. In this operation,… pic.twitter.com/sLTr14J7iH — ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2024 According to the report, investigations indicated that the recruiter gathered gold from transporters, mostly African nationals, and arranged for its processing before turning it over to a local buyer. A follow-up search at the recruiter's office yielded USD 190,000, which the buyer had paid as an advance payment for the smuggled gold. Another search of the buyer's office premises yielded 351 grams of cut pieces of foreign-origin gold bars, 1818 grams of silver, and Rs 1.92 crores in cash. However, the buyer escaped before the authorities arrived, the report stated. Further inquiry revealed that two African nationals living in adjacent hotels had sneaked the gold and passed it over to the recruiter. All four people involved in the smuggling operation were then detained under the terms of the Customs Act of 1962 and remanded to judicial detention, the report added. The ANI report further stated, "The DRI confiscated 9.67 kilograms of illegal gold, 18.48 kilograms of silver, Indian money worth Rs 1.92 crores, and USD 190,000, for a total value of Rs 10.48 crore."
24 April,2024 03:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Enforcement Directorate, on Wednesday, said it has attached land parcels worth over Rs 73 crore of Pravin Raut, an alleged associate of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, pertaining to a money laundering investigation linked to purported Patra Chawl scam case. As per a report in PTI, the immovable properties are located in and around Palghar, Dapoli, Raigad and Thane. Reportedly, both Sanjay Raut and Pravin Raut were arrested in the Patra Chawl scam case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate; the case stemmed from the Mumbai Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) FIR. According to the PTI report, a company named Guru Asish Construction Pvt Ltd was given the work to redevelop the Patra Chawl in the Goregaon area of Mumbai for the rehabilitation of 672 tenants; the construction firm's director is Pravin Raut. Reportedly, the federal agency said in a statement that there had been "significant financial misconduct" while carrying out the Patra Chawl redevelopment. The PTI report stated that a tripartite agreement was signed between the society, Maharashtra Housing and Development Authority (MHADA) and GAPCL wherein the developer was supposed to provide flats to as many as 672 tenants, develop flats for MHADA and thereafter sell the remaining land area. According to the report, ED accused the directors of GAPCL of misleading MHADA and managed to sell the Floor Space Index (FSI) fraudulently to nine developers and took an amount of Rs 901.79 crore without fulfilling their obligations to the tenants and MHADA. The report further stated that a part of the proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 95 crore was diverted to the personal bank accounts of GAPCL's director Pravin Raut. The probe agency further claimed that part of these proceeds were used in acquiring multiple land parcels directly from farmers or land aggregators in either Pravin's name or in the name of his firm Prathamesh Developers. Additionally, the probe agency said that part of the proceeds of the crime were with associated persons and Pravin Raut gifted some of the acquired properties to his family members, the PTI report stated. The ED filed a charge sheet in the Patra Chawl scam case in March 2022.
24 April,2024 03:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing has given Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, clean chit in the Rs 25,000 crore Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB)'scam' case. She was recently announced as the ruling NDA's candidate for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency. Per an ANI report, the EOW's closure report noted that there was no evidence of criminality or misconduct in the matter and that the bank had suffered no losses during the loan or sale of the Jarandeshwar Sugar Mill. The Opposition INDIA bloc criticised the development and doubled down with their 'washing machine' charge against the BJP and accused the saffron party of pushing investigation agencies to ease on the leaders who switch sides and join the ruling party, ANI report added. The report cited that EOW, in its closure report, stated that Sunetra Pawar, who will be taking on sitting MP and NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule in Baramati, stepped down as Jai Agrotech's director in 2008, two years before the company gave Rs 20.25 crore to Jarandeshwar Sugar Mill. The report further added that the mill was later leased to Jarandeshwar, whose director Rajendra Ghadge has ties with Ajit Pawar. According to the closure report, Jarandeshwar paid Guru Commodity Rs 65.53 crore as rent. Reportedly, responding to Sunetra Pawar's clearance, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey criticised the BJP stating that leaders accused of wrongdoing often receive clean chits after joining the party. He accused the BJP of harassing dissenting leaders and rewarding those who join them with ministerial positions or election tickets. Dubey, per the agency report, described this behaviour as dictatorial, highlighting the disparity in treatment between BJP allies and opponents. Anand Dubey told ANI, "Sunetra Pawar, wife of Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, has got a clean chit from the EOW in the Rs 25,000 crore MSCB bank scam case. PM Modi once called them a corrupt family but today, she received a clean chit. The closure report says the EOW did not find any criminal wrongdoing in the case. All Opposition leaders, accused of some wrongdoing or the other, get clean chits after joining the BJP. They make allegations against Opposition leaders, only to get them on their side thereafter and ensure they get a clean chit." He further said, "However, those who are not with the BJP and dare to stand up to them are being harassed and raided by central investigating agencies. Cases are registered against them and they are thrown behind bars. Even chief ministers (of Opposition-ruled states) aren't being spared. And if dissident leaders decide to go with the BJP, they are made ministers and deputy chief minister or are rewarded with tickets to contest the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. If this isn't a dictatorship, then what is?"
24 April,2024 03:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFive women have been rescued from flesh trade in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI. A 27-year-old woman, hailing from Parbhani, was arrested on Monday for allegedly running the prostitution racket, they said Acting on a tip, a team of the police's anti-human trafficking cell kept a vigil on Monday and spotted the accused with five women at a spot on Kalwa Vitava road, reported PTI. The police sent a decoy customer to trap the woman and caught her, an official said. The accused was booked under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, he said, reported PTI. The five rescued women, in the age group of 22 to 33 years and hailing from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, were sent to a shelter home, the official said. In another case, police have registered a case against a man on charges of negligence while bursting firecrackers which led to a blaze in a house located near his residence in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Wednesday, reported PTI. The incident took place on Monday evening during a wedding celebration at the man's residence located in a building in Ambernath area. The accused allegedly burst firecrackers in the compound of his building. One of the lit crackers fell in the balcony of a house located opposite to the building, leading to a fire in the balcony, the official from Ambernath police station said, reported PTI. The fire damaged grilles and some other materials in that house, he said. Based on a complaint by a resident of the fire-affected house, the police on Tuesday registered an FIR against the man under Indian Penal Code section 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage), the official said, adding that a probe was on into the case, reported PTI. (With inputs from PTI)
24 April,2024 12:35 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentPolice have registered a case against a man on charges of negligence while bursting firecrackers which led to a blaze in a house located near his residence in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI. The incident took place on Monday evening during a wedding celebration at the man's residence located in a building in Ambernath area. The accused allegedly burst firecrackers in the compound of his building. One of the lit crackers fell in the balcony of a house located opposite to the building, leading to a fire in the balcony, the official from Ambernath police station said, reported PTI. The fire damaged grilles and some other materials in that house, he said. Based on a complaint by a resident of the fire-affected house, the police on Tuesday registered an FIR against the man under Indian Penal Code section 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage), the official said, adding that a probe was on into the case, reported PTI. In another case, a 61-year-old murder accused who had been on the run for 34 years was arrested from Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Tuesday, reported PTI. Based on a tip-off, the police laid a trap and apprehended the accused, Jahangir Dinmohammad Sheikh, from the western suburb of Andheri in neighbouring Mumbai on Monday evening, an official said, reported PTI. The accused was involved in a murder that took place in a residential building in Mira Road in December 1990, assistant commissioner of police (Crime) Madan Ballal of the MBVV police said. Sheikh is one of the six accused involved in stabbing and killing the victim, Gabrial alias Sudhakar Kristan Amanna (22), during a party, he said, reported PTI. The police had earlier arrested five accused in the case while Sheikh had remained absconding since, the official said. Meanwhile, two men have been arrested here with several firearms and ammunition, police said on Tuesday, reported PTI. Vigilance has been stepped up in the city in view of the Lok Sabha elections, said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Shivraj Patil. On April 18, Shambu Suresh Mahato (35), a resident of Bihar, was intercepted in Saket Road area and four pistols, two country-made revolvers, a magazine and 18 live cartridges were seized from his possession, the DCP said, reported PTI. Mahato had been sentenced to imprisonment in a murder case in Rabale area in 2011 and got into arms trafficking after serving the sentence, the official said. On Monday, police arrested Shebahadur Navbahadur Kharki, a resident of Chandigarh, in Wagle Estate area here and seized two country-made pistols and four live cartridges from his possession, reported PTI. Both were booked under relevant provisions of the Arms Act and IPC. Police were probing the purpose for which the firearms were meant, the DCP said. (With inputs from PTI)
24 April,2024 12:10 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentIn the Salman Khan firing case, Mumbai Crime Branch has recovered strong evidence against gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi, and hence, both are the main conspirators and have been made the most wanted accused, reported news agency ANI. Mumbai Police has registered a case against four people in the firing case at Salman Khan's house, in which Anmol Bishnoi and Lawrence Bishnoi are also accused. Salman Khan firing case update: Before the firing incident, the shooters had done recce of Salman's house According to the information received from the Mumbai Crime Branch, before the firing incident, the shooters had done recce of Salman Khan's house four times. The shooters had also once recceed Khan's farm house. However, Salman had not gone to his farm house for many weeks, and hence they planned to fire at the house, reported ANI. Mumbai Crime Branch officials informed that when the accused were arrested, a broken mobile phone was recovered from them. The Crime Branch said that the accused had more than one phone and now the Crime Branch is searching for the remaining phones as well, reported ANI. A day earlier, the Mumbai Crime Branch also informed about the recovery of the second pistol from the Tapi river in Surat. Mumbai Crime Branch revealed that they had not only recovered the second pistol but also four magazines and 17 rounds, reported ANI. Salman Khan firing case update: Mumbai Crime Branch recovers pistol In this case, on April 22 the crime branch had recovered one pistol from the river. Shooter Vicky Gupta's footprints were found while going from Mumbai to Bhuj in Gujarat, the shooters had thrown the gun and magazine in the Tapi river near Surat. The police are searching for the phones of the accused in the river as the accused had transferred money to the bank several times. The two men, who came on motorbike, fired four rounds outside the Galaxy Apartments, where the actor resides, around 5:00 am on April 14 and fled. CCTV footage showed that both the accused sported caps and carried backpacks. Earlier, Kutch Police arrested the two accused persons and handed them to the Mumbai Crime Branch. Later, a city court sent the two accused to the custody of the Mumbai Crime Branch until April 25 in connection with the Salman Khan firing case, reported ANI. The sections under IPC 506(2) (threatening), 115 (abetment), and 201 (tampering with evidence) have been added in the Salman Khan firing case. Mumbai Crime Branch officials disclosed that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi have been declared wanted accused in connection with the Salman Khan firing case, reported ANI. Anmol Bishnoi, younger brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, claimed responsibility for the firing outside Salman Khan's house through a Facebook post following the attack. (With inputs from ANI)
24 April,2024 10:30 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
