A 40-year-old man from Thane district in Maharashtra has been detained for reportedly practising black magic and claiming to have the ability to fight off "evil spirits." A woman from Kisan Nagar had requested the Thane man's assistance for her daughter, who frequently became ill after being separated from her husband. Despite eight visits to the accused for therapy, her daughter's condition remained unchanged, reported PTI. According to the report, the accused had advised the woman to take her daughter and other family members to a crematorium on the Padgha-Borivili road on April 20 night, where he would perform rituals to rid them of "evil spirits" for a charge of Rs 5,000. The woman after reaching the spot, per the PTI report, found out that six to eight other persons were also present on the spot on the advice of the Thane man who claimed he would help them get rid of "evil spirits". The villagers, however, discovered his activities, they caught him and turned him over to the police. He has been charged under the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil, and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act 2013 in response to the woman's complaint, the news agency report further stated. In a separate incident, a 40-year-old history-sheeter was detained for attempting to murder a woman during a heist in Thane district. According to another PTI report, the accused entered the woman's home in Baneli village, Titwala area, at about 1 pm on Monday with the intent to rob her. When the woman struggled, he stabbed her repeatedly with a knife. Her calls for aid drew the attention of neighbours, who captured the perpetrator and handed him over to the police, the report added. The accused, who has a history of robbery charges lodged against him in numerous police stations throughout the area, has been charged with various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including attempted murder. Meanwhile, in another case from Thane district, the Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested a man for accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 on behalf of an official from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
23 April,2024 01:45 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentAn executive employed with a multi-national investment banking company became a victim of investment fraud and lost Rs 31 lakh in the process. The Nayanagar police are investigating the case. According to police sources, the man was at his home in Mira Road on January 20, when he received a WhatsApp message from a woman who enticed him with the promise of earning extra part-time income and making profits through investment in share trading. Deceived by the offer, the man agreed to invest. The accused woman sent him two different links via WhatsApp and instructed him to fill in his details. Upon completion of the process, he was added to various WhatsApp groups with numerous investors. The man proceeded to invest approximately R31 lakh through different transactions between January 20 and April 20. When he attempted to withdraw the profits, he was told to invest more money and was cautioned not to withdraw any funds until he reached R50 lakh in earnings. "Growing suspicious, the man began demanding his money back, but the fraudsters stopped responding to his calls and messages. Upon realizing that he had been deceived, he approached Nayanagar police station on April 20, as reported by an officer from the station. We have registered an FIR under various sections of the IPC and IT Act and commenced our investigation," the officer said. Rs 31 lakh Sum lost by victim ‘Growing suspicious, the man began demanding his money back, but the fraudsters stopped responding to his calls and messages. Upon realizing that he had been deceived, he approached Nayanagar police station on April 20, as reported by an officer from the station. We have registered an FIR under various sections of the IPC and IT Act and commenced our investigation’ A police officer, Nayanagar police station
23 April,2024 09:49 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanIn three days, Mumbai Customs authorities confiscated gold worth more than Rs 4.44 crore, leading to the arrest of four individuals. The seizures, which took place between April 19 and April 21, 2024, totalled approximately 6.815 kilograms of gold and diamonds valued at Rs 2.02 crore across 13 cases. According to officials, the gold and diamonds were concealed using a variety of tactics, including concealing the smuggled items in noodle packages. The seizures were part of an ongoing campaign to curb smuggling at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, reported ANI. Reportedly, the officials of Mumbai Customs, in their statement on X (formerly Twitter), said, "During 19-21 April 2024, Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone-III seized over 6.815 Kg Gold valued at Rs. 4.44 cr & Diamonds valued at Rs. 2.02 cr total amounting to Rs. 6.46 cr across 13 cases. Diamonds were found concealed in noodle packets. Four pax were arrested." During 19-21 April, 2024, Airport Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone-III seized over 6.815 Kg Gold valued at Rs. 4.44 Cr & Diamonds valued at Rs. 2.02 Cr total amounting to Rs. 6.46 Cr across 13 cases. Diamonds were found concealed in noodle packets. Four pax were arrested. pic.twitter.com/j5wAPV5jAk — Mumbai Customs-III (@mumbaicus3) April 22, 2024 In a second operation, Mumbai Customs detected and seized 2.314 kilogrammes of coloured pills suspected of being MDMA, with an estimated worth of Rs. 4.62 crore, reported ANI. #WATCH | Maharashtra: During 19-21 April, 2024, Mumbai Customs seized over 6.815 Kg of gold valued at Rs 4.44 crores and diamonds valued at Rs 2.02 crores, total amounting to Rs 6.46 crores across 13 cases. Diamonds were found concealed in noodle packets. Four Passengers were… pic.twitter.com/02LzDS1aDZ — ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2024 The pills were concealed in fabric organisers, which resulted in the arrest of both an Indian and a foreign individual, the report added. "The officers of APSC Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone III intercepted and seized 2.314 Kgs of coloured pills appearing to be MDMA valued at ₹ 4.62 Crores, concealed in 02 cloth organizers. A controlled delivery operation led to the arrest of an Indian and a Foreign National," Customs officials stated. The officers of APSC Commissionerate, Mumbai Customs Zone III intercepted and seized 2.314 Kgs of colored pills appearing to be MDMA valued at ₹ 4.62 Crores, concealed in 02 cloth organizers. A controlled delivery operation led to arrest of an Indian and a Foreign National. pic.twitter.com/WgWzJ4ZDSd — Mumbai Customs-III (@mumbaicus3) April 19, 2024 According to the report, earlier in April, Mumbai Customs recovered around 10.02 kilograms of gold worth Rs 6.03 crore across 12 cases. The gold was disguised in a variety of ways, including ingestion, hiding in body cavities, and concealment in bags and underwear. Three people were arrested in connection with the seizures.
23 April,2024 09:38 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA man from Virar near Mumbai allegedly hanged himself in his house after releasing a video on social media in which he blamed his wife and a policeman, an official said on Monday, reported the PTI. The police have registered an FIR for abetment of suicide against the wife of the deceased identified as 28-year-old Abhay Palshetkar, after he hanged himself from the ceiling of his house on Saturday, an official said, according to the PTI. Abhay Palshetkar and his wife, married for 11 months, quarrelled on Saturday, following which she approached the police and lodged a complaint against him, he added. "In the video clip, Palshetkar claimed that he was summoned to the police station after his wife lodged a complaint and a policeman threatened him about taking action. Prima facie, he killed himself due to the alleged threat and the complaint," police said, as per the PTI. Deputy Commissioner of Police Jayant Bajbale told reporters that police are examining the role of the concerned policeman and suitable action will be taken. Teen killed in Ghatkopar, one held Meanwhile, in an another incident, Mumbai Police on Monday arrested a man for allegedly attacking and killing a 16-year-old boy in a dispute about a girl in Ghatkopar, an official said, reported the PTI. The police apprehended the suspect, 19-year-old Rushikesh Gurav, from Diva in neighbouring Thane district of Maharashtra for the attack that took place on Sunday night, the official from the crime branch said, according to the PTI. The victim had warned Gurav against meeting a girl from his locality in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar in Mumbai, he said, as per the PTI. When Gurav reached the locality to meet the girl, the victim confronted him but was attacked with a sharp weapon, the official said. The suspect fled the scene, and locals noticed the injured boy and rushed him to a hospital, where he was declared dead, he said. The police established the identity of the accused based on the CCTV footage from the area, and a case has been registered against him under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, he added. (with PTI inputs)
22 April,2024 10:24 PM IST | Palghar | mid-day online correspondentNationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Jitendra Awhad reportedly got threat call allegedly from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang on Monday, reported the ANI. Jitendra Awhad reacted to the question of receiving a threat call and refused to comment. "All these things go on, received many threat calls like this. I won't comment on that," Jitendra Awhad told the ANI. A person reportedly named Rohit made a threatening call from Australia and the gang is said to have demanded lakhs of rupees from Jitendra Awhad, according to the ANI. Reacting to PM Narendra Modi's remarks on minority and said that there are Sikhs, Jews, Buddhists, and several other religions and this kind of statement from the Prime Minister is not acceptable. "Such a statement does not suit the Prime Minister of the country. There are Sikhs, Jews, Buddhists, and several other religions. If the Prime Minister of this country targets only one religion, he degrades the dignity of his position. This is the pressure of the first phase of elections," he said, the ANI reported on Monday. While addressing an election rally, PM Modi took several jibes at Congress and said the "royal family" of the party will not be in a position to vote for the party as Congress is not contesting the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat. "These days those who left Congress tell one thing very seriously, they are all saying that Congress is no longer Congress, it has gone into the grasp of urban Naxals. Congress is now in the grab of Communists. One of our friends asked them how can you say this, they said look at their (Congress) manifesto. See the Congress manifesto of this election. What Congress has said in its manifesto is serious and worrying. And it is their attempt to implement the Maoist thinking. They have said that if Congress government is formed, there will be survey of property belonging to each person. How much gold our sisters have, that will be found out, calculated," PM Modi said, the news agency reported. "Our tribal families have silver, that will be evaluated,...how much property government employees have, money, job that will be probed. Not only this, they have said that the gold that the sisters have, and other property, that will be distributed equally. Is it acceptable to you? Does the government have a right to snatch your property? Does the government have the right to take the wealth built by you with your hard work?" PM Modi asked, according to the ANI. He said the gold that mothers and sisters have is not for show only, it is linked to their self-respect. (with ANI inputs)
22 April,2024 07:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMumbai Police arrested four people for alleged negligence after a nine-year-old boy died while playing in his society garden due to electrocution on April 13, an official said on Monday. According to the police sources, four suspects including three committee members of residential societies were booked under the charges of death due to negligence. The electricity maintenance contractor of the society was arrested on 16 April while three society members who are aged between 63 to 72 were arrested on Sunday, an official said. The incident had occurred in the Goregaon east's Gokuldham area on April 13 when a nine-year-old boy, lost his life due to electric shock while playing in his residential society garden. The boy came in contact with live electric wires and had fallen unconscious after which his father and other society residents rushed him to Lifeline Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. The boy, identified as Aryaveer Chaudhary, was residing with his parents on the ninth floor of Maharaja Retreat Society in Gokuldham, Goregaon. Aryaveer, a fourth-grade student, was playing in the society's garden. He encountered an exposed wire in a lamp, resulting in a severe electric shock, an official said. Based on the complaint of the father, the Dindoshi Police had registered a case under section 304 (A) (death due to negligence) of the Indian Penal Code against four unknown said an officer from the Dindoshi Police Station, the officials said.
22 April,2024 07:36 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThe Mumbai Police on Monday arrested a man for allegedly attacking and killing a 16-year-old boy in a dispute about a girl in Ghatkopar, an official said, reported the PTI. The police apprehended the suspect, 19-year-old Rushikesh Gurav, from Diva in neighbouring Thane district of Maharashtra for the attack that took place on Sunday night, the official from the crime branch said, according to the PTI. The victim had warned Gurav against meeting a girl from his locality in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar in Mumbai, he said, as per the PTI. When Gurav reached the locality to meet the girl, the victim confronted him but was attacked with a sharp weapon, the official said. The suspect fled the scene, and locals noticed the injured boy and rushed him to a hospital, where he was declared dead, he said. The police established the identity of the accused based on the CCTV footage from the area, and a case has been registered against him under section 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code, he added. Meanwhile, in an another incident, the police arrested a 44-year-old brick kiln worker for allegedly killing his wife in Maharashtra's Palghar district after a fight, an official said on Monday, reported news agency PTI. The incident took place on the intervening night of Friday-Saturday in Ambiste village in Wada taluka, he said. The 34-year-old victim objected to her husband allegedly having an extramarital affair while he was against her habit of consuming liquor, Wada police station's senior inspector Datta Kindre told PTI. After a fight late at night, the man allegedly hit his wife with a stone and then kicked her following which she died on the spot, the official told PTI. After being alerted, the police rushed to the spot and shifted the body to a government hospital for post-mortem. The police caught the man in the nearby Kulte village on Saturday when he was trying to escape to Arnala, the official said. The man was arrested and booked under Indian Penal Code section 302 (murder), reported PTI. The accused was on Sunday produced before a local court which remanded him in police custody for five days, the police said. (with PTI inputs)
22 April,2024 06:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMalad Police have filed an FIR against six persons who allegedly defrauded a bank by securing a loan amounting to nearly Rs 39 lakhs using counterfeit gold as collateral. The case was registered based on the complaint filed by the bank's manager. The accused in the case were identified as Sapna Bhatt (Gold evaluator), Shami Khatri, Jayendra Jadhav, Rafat Khatri, Yash Parekh and Jalpaben Parekh. Police sources said that the accused persons had fraudulently obtained loans totalling Rs 38.80 Lakhs and have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including cheating and conspiracy. The bank manager of Modal Bank told the police in his statement that they granted loans amounting to Rs 69.86 lakhs to the accused persons between 2020 and 2022. Bhatt, one of the accused, served as the bank's valuator and based on her gold valuation certificate, the loans were extended to five persons. By 2023, the borrowers had repaid approximately Rs 31 lakhs of the loan and subsequently ceased further payments and the outstanding dues were Rs 38.80 lakhs. The bank then convened a meeting in January 2023 and subsequently decided to recover the outstanding amount by selling the gold used as collateral. However, during the re-evaluation, they discovered that the pledged gold was fake and a valuator confirmed it. Despite the bank issuing notices to all the borrowers, including Bhatt, there was no response. Suspecting fraudulent activities, the manager reached out to the Malad Police, filing a written complaint. Subsequently, the police registered a case against the accused. "We have registered a case under sections 120(B) (facilitating crime), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 409 (criminal breach of trust by banker), 420 (cheating), 463 (forgery), 464 (making false document), and 465 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code. No arrests have been made yet as the investigation is underway," said an officer from Malad police station.
22 April,2024 11:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA Mumbai cop who was reportedly returning from a relative's funeral died in an accident on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway in the early hours of Sunday, an official said, reported the PTI. The cop, identified as a police sub-inspector (PSI) Suraj Chaugule (55) was driving to his Navi Mumbai home in a car after attending the funeral of a relative in Maharashtra's Raigad district when he met with the accident around 3 am, the official said, according to the PTI. Suraj Chaugule, who was attached to the Parksite police station in Mumbai's Vikhroli area, reportedly lost control over the wheel near Panvel and the vehicle crashed into the railing along the first lane of the expressway's Mumbai-bound arm. He was alone in the car, the official said, as per the PTI. After being alerted by the locals, police rushed Suraj Chaugule to a nearby hospital but doctors declared him dead, he said, the news agency reported on Sunday. The car in which he was travelling was badly damaged, the official added. 10 cops on way for poll duty injured as bus overturns Bastar Meanwhile, in an another incident, 10 personnel of the Madhya Pradesh Police were injured when a bus ferrying them for poll duty overturned in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district on Sunday, a senior official said, reported the PTI. A senior police official from Jagdalpur said that those injured belonged to the Madhya Pradesh Police, as per the PTI. According to the news agency, the incident took place near Raikot village on Geedam-Jagdalpur road under Geedam police station limits, the official said. After the poll duty in Bastar seat, where voting was held on April 19, the security personnel were heading from Faraspal (Dantewada) to Gariband in Mahasamund parliamentary constituency which will go to polls on April 26, he said. The bus, with 36 personnel from the Madhya Pradesh Police onboard, skidded off the road when its driver took a turn in order to save a cattle which suddenly arrived there and the vehicle overturned, he said, reported the PTI. At least 10 occupants of the bus received injuries in the accident, the official said. (with PTI inputs)
21 April,2024 10:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentFive people were booked for allegedly cheating a petrol pump owner of Rs 1 crore by promising oil container from foreign country, police said, the PTI reported on Sunday. According to the news agency, an FIR has been registered against five persons for allegedly cheating a petrol pump owner from Bhiwandi city in Thane district under the pretext of selling him an oil container, the police said. "The accused persons promised the dealer of petroleum products to get an oil container from abroad for Rs 2 crore. The victim paid them Rs 1 crore but never received any oil container promised to him. The alleged incident occurred in December 2023," a police official added, as per the PTI. The case was registered on charges of cheating and others under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. No arrest has been made so far, the official added. Man cheated of Rs 45.69 lakh in share trading fraud in Navi Mumbai Meanwhile, in an another incident, earlier this week, a man from Navi Mumbai lost Rs 45.69 lakh to cyber fraudsters who lured him to invest in share trading, a police official had said on Tuesday, reported the PTI. Based on a complaint, a first information report (FIR) has been registered against five persons under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act, an official from the cyber police station had earlier said, as per the PTI. The 44-year-old complainant alleged that the accused contacted him on different social media platforms and lured him to invest in share trading, assuring good returns, the official said. The complainant invested Rs 45.69 lakh between March 2 and April 14, and has claimed that he did not get any returns and could not recover the invested amount, he said, according to the PTI. The police are trying to establish the identities of the accused with the help of the mobile numbers, WhatsApp groups and telegram IDs they used to contact the complainant, the official said, the news agency reported. (with PTI inputs)
21 April,2024 08:57 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentMumbai Police arrested a 58-year-old man for allegedly raping his teen step-granddaughter over the last 10 years in Maharashtra, reported the ANI. Based on the complaint of the 19-year-old victim, Mumbai Police registered a case against the man under sections 376 (2)(F)(N), 354, 354A, 323, 504, 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, as per the ANI. The accused, as per information, allegedly threatened her with death if she ever shared the ordeal with anyone. The complainant told police that the accused, who resides in the neighbouring house, used to come to the house when she was alone and used to rape her. The grandfather was allegedly sexually harassing the girl since 2014. When she objected, he used to beat her and threaten her saying that if she told anyone about it he would kill her, said a police officer. Scared of his threat the girl never told about her ordeal to anyone. However, recently she opened up to her parents after which the girl along with her family registered a complaint at the nearest police station against him, the PTI reported on Sunday. Based on her complaint, the Kurar police launched a search for the accused and nabbed him from Virar of Palghar district in Maharashtra, a police official said, the news agency reported. Meanwhile, a 45-year-old Bhayandar butcher was arrested on Sunday from Mumbai Metropolitan Region for allegedly raping a four-year-old girl, police said, reported news agency PTI. A case was registered against the Bhayandar butcher under section 376 (Punishment for rape) of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, an official said, reported PTI. Police are investigating the exact sequence of events in the crime. The accused, who runs a mutton shop, was attacked by local people and his shop was damaged before he was handed over to police, reported PTI. People gathered outside Navghar police station demanding that the accused man be handed over to them, reported PTI. Police, however, defused the situation. (with ANI and PTI inputs)
21 April,2024 05:02 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
