THE Kasturba Marg Police in Kandvali has filed a case against a man named Himanshu Mishra for allegedly defrauding a Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) aspirant of Rs 13 lakh by allegedly promising him a job in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). According to the 26-year-old complainant, he came in contact with Mishra in 2024 through his friend Adarsh Yadav, who informed him that his acquaintance could arrange a supervisor’s job in BMC’s Water Department and demanded money. The complainant initially transferred Rs 65,000 on July 31, 2024, to Yadav’s bank account, who claimed he forwarded the money to Mishra. Later, the complainant began directly communicating with Mishra, who allegedly demanded more money at different stages of the supposed recruitment process. Police said the complainant eventually paid Rs 12,00,010 through digital transfers and Rs 1 lakh in cash, totalling Rs 13,00,010 to the accused. Fake joining letter On August 3, 2024, Mishra allegedly met the complainant in Borivali and handed him a joining letter and identity card for the post of worker-helper in BMC. However, when Mishra continued to demand additional money, the complainant grew suspicious and asked for a refund. Mishra allegedly then called him for a supposed interview at the BMC office in Santacruz, but the accused never appeared. Case filed Investigations revealed that Mishra had cheated another person of nearly R12 lakh. Following the complaint, the Kasturba Marg Police have registered a case under sections 318(4), 336(3), 338 and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for cheating and related offences against Himanshu Mishra, said an officer from Kasturba Marg Police.
14 March,2026 08:50 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA minor argument in Mumbai’s Malad area spiralled into a shocking road rage murder, leaving a 25-year-old biker dead after a violent clash with a cab driver. The victim has been identified as Sharik Ansari, a resident of the Malwani MHADA area in Malad. Ansari worked at a digital marketing firm near Mindspace in Malad. Police have arrested the cab driver, 28-year-old Satyendra Gupta. How the road rage in Mumbai unfolded According to police sources, both the biker and the cab driver were travelling from Malwani towards Andheri via Link Road when a heated argument broke out near Mith Chowky Junction during driving. The verbal spat quickly escalated as both continued driving while arguing. The confrontation intensified when they stopped their vehicles near Infiniti Mall in Malad under the Oswal Metro Station and got into a physical fight. Witnesses said the biker allegedly smashed the driver’s side window of the car using his helmet. In retaliation, the driver reportedly attacked the biker with a sharp object, suspected to be a key. During the scuffle, the pointed object allegedly pierced the biker’s chest and the back of his neck, leaving him with multiple deep injuries. Bystanders and police rushed the critically injured biker to a nearby private hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival. Mumbai Police action Officers from Bangur Nagar Police Station detained the cab driver and another man who was inside the car, reportedly a mechanic, for questioning. The police registered a case and are reviewing the CCTV footage from Mith Chowky, Kanchpada, and the spot to find out the exact motive behind the crime. “We have registered a murder case. The driver has been arrested,” said a police officer. Forensic and police teams have carried out a panchnama and collected evidence. Police sources said the incident took place between 10 am and 11 am. What began as a minor road argument ended in a young life lost within minutes, highlighting how dangerous road rage can become.
14 March,2026 04:48 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA wanted criminal and his accomplice were arrested by the Navi Mumbai Police for allegedly selling narcotic substances under the guise of running a goat farm, leading to the seizure of mephedrone valued at Rs 5.39 lakh, officials said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI. Acting on specific information, a team of the Anti-Narcotics Cell raided a goat farm in sector 13 of Kalamboli on March 10 and arrested Mohd Wasim Samshulhak Chaudhary alias Basim Lungiwala (50), and Adhan Mohammad Patel (32), according to a release issued by the Navi Mumbai Police, reported PTI. Police recovered 13 grams of mephedrone (MD) powder valued at Rs 5,39,200 from the possession of the accused. A preliminary investigation suggested that the accused were selling narcotics under the cover of operating a goat farm, officials added. The accused were wanted in connection with a case registered at Taloja police station under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, reported PTI. "Lungiwala had been booked in at least 14 cases in the Mumbai region, including offences related to theft, house-breaking, possession of stolen property and other crimes registered at various police stations," police said. Further investigation is underway. Hydroponic weed worth Rs 44 crore, diamonds, gold jewellery seized at Mumbai airport Meanwhile, the Customs department has seized narcotic substances, foreign currency, gold and precious stones worth more than Rs 46 crore in separate cases detected over a week at the Mumbai international airport, an official said on March 4, reported PTI. A total of 44.292 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, valued at Rs 44.292 crore in the illicit market, was recovered in different cases from nine passengers who arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport from Bangkok, said the official, reported PTI. All these passengers were arrested under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act). Notably, hydroponic weed refers to cannabis cultivated without soil, using nutrient-rich water solutions in an indoor environment. Additionally, 299 grams of a substance purported to be methaqualone (a psychotropic substance under NDPS Act), with an estimated illicit market value of Rs 74,75,000, was also seized, according to the official. In five separate cases, Customs department personnel seized foreign and Indian currency equivalent to Rs 32,85,668, a total of 455 carats of natural and lab-grown diamonds valued at Rs 94,97,300 besides 21 karat gold jewellery weighing 160.790 grams and valued at Rs 21,51,473, he said, reported PTI. Also, 1,203.69 carats of cut and polished natural emeralds, rubies, blue sapphires, amethyst and multi-stones, valued at Rs 15,16,127, were recovered from air passengers. All seizures were made under relevant provisions of the Customs Act and other applicable laws, the official added. (With inputs from PTI)
14 March,2026 04:26 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentThe Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested a woman official from the Scheduled Tribes certificate scrutiny committee for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh from a man to clear files of his family members in Maharashtra's Thane city, an official said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI. The ACB caught Meenakshi N Unhale (46), the deputy director (Research) of the committee's Konkan Division (Class 1 officer), accepting a bribe from the complainant at her office in the Charai area in Thane on Friday, the official said, reported PTI. The Scheduled Tribes Certificate Scrutiny Committee (STCSC) verifies the genuineness of Scheduled Tribe certificates. Deputy Superintendent of Police (ACB, Raigad-Alibag) Sarita Bhosale stated that Unhale had allegedly demanded Rs 2.5 lakh from the complainant to clear the caste verification files of his wife and daughter. Unwilling to pay the sum, he approached the ACB, reported PTI. The ACB's Raigad unit laid a trap and caught Unhale red-handed in her cabin while accepting the amount, she said. A case has been registered against the accused officer under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and a probe is underway, the official said. Two cops booked for taking Rs 30,000 bribe from tipper truck owner in Jalna In another case, two police personnel were caught allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from the owner of a tipper truck transporting sand in Maharashtra's Jalna district, the Anti-Corruption Bureau said on Friday, reported PTI. Inspector Manoj Kumar Rathod (50) and constable Ravi Jadhav (38), both attached to the Mantha police station, allegedly demanded a bribe from the complainant involved in transporting sand, ACB Inspector Santosh Tigote said, reported PTI. The duo allegedly demanded a monthly bribe of Rs 50,000 to avoid taking action against the tipper vehicle, and Jadhav had accepted Rs 10,000 from the complainant earlier, he said. Unwilling to pay the remaining bribe amount, the tipper truck owner lodged a complaint with the ACB unit in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the official said. He further stated that Inspector Rathod allegedly encouraged the complainant to pay the bribe and suggested that if he helped the police seize two vehicles involved in illegal sand transportation, he would receive a concession in the monthly payment, reported PTI. "We laid a trap at Mantha police station, where constable Jadhav was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe in the presence of panch witnesses," he said. The ACB team recovered Rs 30,000 from Jadhav during a search along with a mobile phone, which has been seized for analysis, the official added. (With inputs from PTI)
14 March,2026 03:06 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentThree persons have been arrested in connection with an attempted break-in at a jewellery store in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI. The accused were apprehended from Thane city for the crime that occurred in the Naigaon area on March 4, an official said. "Following the break-in attempt that took place around midnight on March 4, two teams were formed to apprehend the accused," said Pournima Chougule-Shringi, Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone 2 Vasai, reported PTI. Investigators analysed CCTV footage from the area and technical inputs, which led them to a tourist vehicle used in the crime, she said. Acting on a tip-off, the vehicle was intercepted in the Ghodbunder Road area, and the accused, Shafiq Lalan Ansari (36), Mehboob Jani Syed (20), and Shakir Sajid Sheikh (22), all residents of neighbouring Mumbai, were caught, the official said, reported PTI. Three held for burglary in Navi Mumbai; valuables worth Rs 36 lakh seized In another case, Three persons have been arrested for allegedly breaking into a house and decamping with gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 36 lakh in Navi Mumbai, police said on Saturday, reported PTI. The crime branch made the arrests on March 10 within 24 hours of the burglary that occurred at a residential building in the Kalamboli area, an official said. According to the police, the accused broke into the flat on the evening of March 9 and stole gold and silver ornaments and cash worth about Rs 36 lakh. A case of theft and break-in was registered, and following investigation, the crime branch zeroed in on the trio and apprehended them from Daighar village in Thane district, the official said, reported PTI. The accused, Pawan Rohidas Jadhav (25), Sumit Rohidas Jadhav (22), and Shivaji Jagan Rathod (23), were caught with the stolen valuables, he said, reported PTI. Three run over by goods train in Palghar; kin claim they were fleeing police Meanwhile, three men were killed after a goods train ran over them while they were walking on the tracks near Palghar railway station in Maharashtra, the Government Railway Police (GRP) said on Saturday, reported PTI. Their grieving families have, however, claimed that the trio was running on the tracks, as the police were chasing them at the time of the accident on Friday night. Swapnil Shailesh Palande (23), Kunal Kumar Dubla (23), and Afroz Khalil Sheikh (28), all residents of the Virendra Nagar area in Palghar East, were knocked down by a goods train between 8.30 pm and 9 pm, an official said, reported PTI. (With inputs from PTI)
14 March,2026 02:05 PM IST | Palghar | mid-day online correspondentThree persons have been arrested for allegedly breaking into a house and decamping with gold and silver jewellery worth Rs 36 lakh in Navi Mumbai, police said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI. The crime branch made the arrests on March 10 within 24 hours of the burglary that occurred at a residential building in the Kalamboli area, an official said. According to the police, the accused broke into the flat on the evening of March 9 and stole gold and silver ornaments and cash worth about Rs 36 lakh. A case of theft and break-in was registered, and following investigation, the crime branch zeroed in on the trio and apprehended them from Daighar village in Thane district, the official said, reported PTI. The accused, Pawan Rohidas Jadhav (25), Sumit Rohidas Jadhav (22), and Shivaji Jagan Rathod (23), were caught with the stolen valuables, he said, reported PTI. Three held for theft bid at jewellery store in Palghar In another incident, three persons have been arrested in connection with an attempted break-in at a jewellery store in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Saturday, reported PTI. The accused were apprehended from Thane city for the crime that occurred in the Naigaon area on March 4, an official said. "Following the break-in attempt that took place around midnight on March 4, two teams were formed to apprehend the accused," said Pournima Chougule-Shringi, Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone 2 Vasai, reported PTI. Investigators analysed CCTV footage from the area and technical inputs, which led them to a tourist vehicle used in the crime, she said. Acting on a tip-off, the vehicle was intercepted in the Ghodbunder Road area, and the accused, Shafiq Lalan Ansari (36), Mehboob Jani Syed (20), and Shakir Sajid Sheikh (22), all residents of neighbouring Mumbai, were caught, the official said, reported PTI. ST scrutiny panel officer held for taking Rs 2.5 lakh bribe in Thane Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Bureau has arrested a woman official from the Scheduled Tribes certificate scrutiny committee for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh from a man to clear files of his family members in Maharashtra's Thane city, an official said on Saturday, reported PTI. The ACB caught Meenakshi N Unhale (46), the deputy director (Research) of the committee's Konkan Division (Class 1 officer), accepting a bribe from the complainant at her office in the Charai area in Thane on Friday, the official said, reported PTI. (With inputs from PTI)
14 March,2026 01:57 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA 58-year-old man was arrested in the early hours of Saturday for allegedly murdering his wife following a domestic dispute at their residence in Dharavi. According to police, the complainant, Shivram Amrit Solanki (33), a scrap metal trader residing at Bhaiya Wadi Chawl in Mulund West, approached the police after the incident and lodged a complaint against his father. The accused, Amrit Megha Solanki (58), a resident of Room No. 9, Jamba Pascal Chawl near Gurudutt Gym in Dharavi Koliwada, was arrested under the relevant sections of murder. Victim sustained severe head and facial injuries Police sources said the deceased, Surajben Amrit Solanki (52), wife of the accused, sustained serious injuries to her head and face during the assault. She was rushed to Sion Hospital, where she was declared dead. According to the police, the accused allegedly got into an argument with his wife as he believed that she paid more attention to their children and ignored him. In a fit of anger, he allegedly strangled her using a rope and his hands, and also assaulted her on the head and face with a copper water bottle, said an officer from the Dharavi police. Weapon seized, probe underway The weapon used in the crime, a copper bottle and its lid, has been seized. Further investigation into the case is underway, he added.
14 March,2026 12:42 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA 28-year-old private employee from Mumbai was allegedly duped of Rs 2.18 lakh by a man she met on a dating app. The accused befriended the Mulund resident online, gained the trust of her family by promising marriage and cheap travel bookings, and later disappeared after taking the money. According to the police, the woman, who lives with her parents and younger sister, first connected with the accused through a dating app in August 2025. He introduced himself as Kaushik Raj Abhaykumar Singh, also known as Ankit Singh, claiming he was based in Delhi and originally from Bihar. He told the woman that he ran multiple businesses, including a company named AIVIRA Living Pvt Ltd, and was involved in arranging hotel bookings and flight tickets. After their initial interaction on the dating platform, the two began communicating regularly through Instagram and later on WhatsApp. Over time, their friendship grew closer and the accused expressed his intention to marry her. In September 2025, they met at a restaurant in Powai and continued meeting thereafter. “The accused also visited the woman’s residence in Mulund and met her parents, further strengthening the family’s trust in him,” a police official said. During their conversations, he told the woman that he could arrange airline tickets and hotel bookings at cheaper rates through his contacts. When the woman and her family planned trips to places such as Goa, Varanasi, and later international destinations including Belgium and Amsterdam, he offered to handle the bookings. Believing him, the woman and her father began transferring money to bank accounts provided by him and his associates for flight tickets and hotel reservations. Between September and October 2025, the woman transferred several amounts through online transactions to accounts belonging to people introduced by the accused, including individuals identified as Shubham Sharma and Ankita Rajkumar Choukse. The payments included transfers of Rs 55,600 twice, Rs 65,000 and Rs 42,000, taking the total to Rs 2,18,200. Accused issued cheques worth over Rs 2.2 lakh that later bounced; Mumbai Police begin probe Police said the accused kept giving excuses for delays in issuing the tickets, citing technical issues or personal emergencies. On some occasions, he returned small amounts to maintain the woman’s trust and assured her that the remaining money would be refunded soon. He later issued cheques worth over Rs 2.2 lakh to the woman’s father, but both cheques bounced when deposited in the bank. When the woman and her family tried to contact him later, his phone was found switched off. During their inquiries, they also learnt that he had allegedly cheated other women in a similar manner. Realising they had been defrauded, the woman approached the Mulund Police and lodged a complaint. Based on the complaint, the Mulund Police registered a first information report (FIR) under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cheating and criminal breach of trust and have begun investigating the case. The police are now trying to trace the accused and verify whether more victims may have been targeted using the same modus operandi.
13 March,2026 08:33 PM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya IyerA case has been registered against five people, including a former government employee, for allegedly transferring state-owned land using forged documents in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Friday, reported news agency PTI. According to the police, the accused misled the registrar's office and used outdated land records to transfer plots under the Birwadi Gram Panchayat in Shahpur taluka, reported PTI. The case was registered following a complaint by the deputy collector and administrator (new towns) of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). "The complainant alleged that the accused conspired to embezzle government property by attaching old 7/12 extracts from 2010, despite having no legal ownership of the land. They selected incorrect legal articles to facilitate the illegal transfer of government-owned land into private hands," an official said, reported PTI. The police have named Ajay Vedprakash Chhabra, Rajni Ajay Chhabra, Mangesh Mahadev Kolekar, Reena Ratnesh Jain, a partner in a construction firm and B S Gaikwad, the then in-charge joint deputy registrar of Bhiwandi, in the FIR registered under sections 318 (cheating), 336 (forgery) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, reported PTI. "The fraud took place on August 1, 2025, at the Joint Deputy Registrar-2 office in Bhiwandi. By misleading the state machinery, the accused managed to transfer the land and embezzle government funds," he said. A probe is underway, and no arrest has been made so far, he added. RTO agent held for taking bribe to issue learner's licence In another case, an RTO agent was arrested in Thane for allegedly seeking and accepting a bribe from a man who wanted a two-wheeler learner's licence, a Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) official said on Friday, reported PTI. He identified the accused as Bhiwandi resident Krishnakumar Mishra (44), reported PTI. "Mishra sought Rs 5,000 from a man who wanted a learner's licence for a two-wheeler. The man approached the ACB after he found out the stipulated fee for this process is just Rs 200. Mishra was caught on Thursday in a trap while accepting Rs 4.300. He had collected Rs 700 earlier," the official said, reported PTI. A case was registered under Prevention of Corruption Act at Wagle Estate police station and further probe is underway, the official added. (With inputs from PTI)
13 March,2026 04:57 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentAn RTO agent was arrested in Thane for allegedly seeking and accepting a bribe from a man who wanted a two-wheeler learner's licence, a Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) official said on Friday, reported news agency PTI. He identified the accused as Bhiwandi resident Krishnakumar Mishra (44), reported PTI. "Mishra sought Rs 5,000 from a man who wanted a learner's licence for a two-wheeler. The man approached the ACB after he found out the stipulated fee for this process is just Rs 200. Mishra was caught on Thursday in a trap while accepting Rs 4.300. He had collected Rs 700 earlier," the official said. A case was registered under Prevention of Corruption Act at Wagle Estate police station and further probe is underway, the official added, reported PTI. Two cops booked for taking Rs 30,000 bribe from tipper truck owner in Jalna In another case, two police personnel were caught allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from the owner of a tipper truck transporting sand in Maharashtra's Jalna district, the Anti-Corruption Bureau said on Friday, reported PTI. Inspector Manoj Kumar Rathod (50) and constable Ravi Jadhav (38), both attached to the Mantha police station, allegedly demanded a bribe from the complainant involved in transporting sand, ACB Inspector Santosh Tigote said, reported PTI. The duo allegedly demanded a monthly bribe of Rs 50,000 to avoid taking action against the tipper vehicle, and Jadhav had accepted Rs 10,000 from the complainant earlier, he said. Unwilling to pay the remaining bribe amount, the tipper truck owner lodged a complaint with the ACB unit in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the official said, reported PTI. He further stated that Inspector Rathod allegedly encouraged the complainant to pay the bribe and suggested that if he helped the police seize two vehicles involved in illegal sand transportation, he would receive a concession in the monthly payment. "We laid a trap at Mantha police station, where constable Jadhav was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe in the presence of panch witnesses," he said, reported PTI. The ACB team recovered Rs 30,000 from Jadhav during a search along with a mobile phone, which has been seized for analysis, the official added. (With inputs from PTI)
13 March,2026 04:37 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA private moment inside a residential lift in Andheri has spiralled into a police case after CCTV footage of the incident was allegedly spread across a housing society nearly three months later, triggering humiliation for a 36-year-old housewife and raising questions about misuse of surveillance systems in residential complexes. The woman approached the Sakinaka police station after residents allegedly mocked her in public over the viral clip, which investigators say may have been accessed and circulated by a person responsible for handling the society’s CCTV backups. How the video spread Police suspect the footage was accessed from the CCTV backup system. Representation pic/istock Key points under probe >> CCTV footage allegedly extracted from the backup server>> Suspected circulation within the housing society>> Video shared with friends outside the complex>> The accused is believed to be a family member of the society office bearer who handled CCTV backups. Case snapshot Victim: 36-year-old housewifeResidence: Andheri, MumbaiFamily: Husband + 2 childrenIncident month: January 2026Location: Housing society lift When victim found out “On March 9, when the woman went to the market, some women began mocking her, saying she was the same person seen in the lift CCTV footage,” a police officer said. A young resident who was present with the women then informed her that the video had gone viral within the society. What the FIR says Police say the woman was entered the lift while returning home when an unknown man also stepped inside. Investigators say the two appeared attracted to each other and began kissing, unaware that the entire moment was being recorded by the CCTV camera inside. Police action FIR: RegisteredInvestigation: UnderwayPolice are now probing how the footage was accessed, copied and circulated, as unauthorised sharing of CCTV recordings can amount to serious privacy violations and criminal offences.
13 March,2026 03:46 PM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaADVERTISEMENT
