The sessions court in Mumbai has acquitted four people arrested for a murder in Malwani, Malad, in 2013, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish their involvement in the alleged assault of a suspected thief who later died in police custody. The incident Twelve years ago on March 5, three to four alleged thieves reportedly broke into SA Engineering, a commercial workshop inside Malwani’s Jurassic Park premises, by breaking the tin roof to commit theft. Four people, including two owners, managed to nab one of the suspects, while the others fled. The accused immediately informed the Malwani Police about the incident, following which Sub-inspector VK More dispatched a team to the spot. The detained suspected thief, later identified as Javed Hajrat Ali, was handed over to constables Ankush Bane and Ajit Jadhav and taken to the police station. Later, on the complaint of SA Engineering’s owners, Amarjeet Ramkishore Singh (56) and Vijay Singh (54), the police registered a case under sections 380 and 457, along with Section 34 of Indian Penal Code 1860 against Ali. Around 10.30 am the next day, Ali reportedly complained of abdominal pain and was shifted to Bhagwati Hospital, where doctors declared him dead before admission. Initially, Malwani Police registered an accidental death case. Post-mortem and investigation findings However, Ali’s post-mortem revealed 83 injuries, including abrasions on elbows, chest, ribs, back, and thighs. Based on the inquest findings, Sub-inspector Bhagwan Khare concluded that the accused had assaulted Ali before handing him to the police. The police then booked four accused: Singh, Vijay, and two other employees under Sections 342, 302, and 34 of IPC. All the four were arrested on March 19, 2013. As the death occurred in police custody, the joint commissioner of police (crime branch), Mumbai, transferred the investigation to Detection Crime Branch (DCB), Crime Investigation Department (CID), Unit 11. Following this, Assistant Inspector Pradeep More re-recorded the statements of the police officers and other witnesses whom Inspector MP Pandharmise had earlier examined. He also recorded new statements from a couple of more witnesses and Pandharmise. Defence’s argument Defence lawyer Abdul Kalam highlighted serious contradictions in the prosecution’s case. He said More testified that Javed was brought to the police station around 6 am and had no injuries except a single abrasion on his left elbow. Javed remained in police custody from 6 am to 10.30 am, during which no complaint of assault was made. The post-mortem injuries did not align with the condition observed by police officers when he was produced before them. Kalam argued that the injuries likely occurred after the police took custody and were not inflicted by the accused. Court verdict After examining 17 witnesses and reviewing all the material evidence, the sessions court held that the prosecution had failed to establish common intention or any direct assault by the four accused. The court noted significant inconsistencies between the medical findings and the police testimonies. In its judgment on November 28, the court ruled that the prosecution had not successfully proved the charges under the relevant sections of IPC, 1860. Consequently, the accused were entitled to an acquittal. Case timeline March 5, 2013: Alleged theft committed and FIR registered May 28, 2013: Charge sheet filed in the case August 30, 2015: Charges framed in the case March 6, 2015: Evidence presented October 15, 2025: Judgment reserved November 28, 2025: Judgment delivered Total witnesses examined: 17
12 December,2025 09:18 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThe MRA Marg police in Mumbai have arrested a 42-year-old man for stealing mobile phones by posing as a deaf-mute and distracting shop owners with donation pamphlets. Seven stolen phones were recovered from him. The accused, Govindswami Venkatswami, a resident of Marunga, Tamil Nadu, allegedly targeted shopkeepers in South Mumbai. The first complaint was lodged by Himanshu Kirti Shah, who runs a shop near Fort. Venkatswami would roam around shops with donation pamphlets, pretending to be deaf-mute, and discreetly steal mobile phones while engaging shopkeepers. Two thefts in a day Police said the first incident occurred on June 6 between 12.45 pm and 1 pm near Janmabhoomi Press, where the accused stole Shah’s phone. Later, between 1.30 pm and 1.50 pm, he stole another phone belonging to 24-year-old Vaishnavi Manoj Dodke at Kala Ghoda. Similar modus operandi An officer from MRA Marg police said, “We received complaints of a similar modus operandi and recovered CCTV footage from the shops. Using the footage, we identified the accused and arrested him near Kalimata Temple, Kumbharwada Junction, on December 8.” Since Venkatswami did not speak Marathi or Hindi, the police arranged a Tamil–Telugu interpreter. During interrogation, he confessed to the crimes.
12 December,2025 08:33 PM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaThe Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Central Railway has solved a theft case within three days, leading to the arrest of the key accused and uncovering his involvement in another major robbery. The incident occurred on September 20 aboard Train No 12167 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT)–Banaras Express near Jalgaon, where a woman passenger reported that her purse containing gold ornaments worth around Rs 3 lakh had been stolen. A case was registered with GRP Bhusaval/Jalgaon. A special RPF team comprising assistant sub-inspectors and constables analysed technical evidence and human intelligence inputs, leading to the arrest of the prime accused, Mahesh Lingayat, on September 23, just three days after the incident. During interrogation, Lingayat confessed and also admitted to another theft on Train No 12905 Porbandar–Shalimar Express on December 26, 2024, where jewellery worth Rs 9.64 lakh was stolen. That case, too, had been registered with GRP Bhusaval/Jalgaon. Following his statement, the GRP, assisted by the RPF, recently arrested two more suspects, Rajkumar Vishwakarma and Manoj Jadhav. A case under Section 305(C) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita has been filed against all three. Officers said the coordinated effort showcased sharp intelligence analysis, effective use of surveillance technology and strong teamwork between the RPF and GRP, enabling the swift detection of both cases. Central Railway urged passengers to remain vigilant about their belongings and to contact the railway helpline on 139 in case of any emergency. ‘I’m so thankful’: Mumbai commuter gets lost iPhone back with help of railway cops Pranay Bhagat is deeply grateful to the railway cops. On December 6, he had lost a brand new iPhone on the train and was dejected by the thought that he would never get it back. “I had bought the new iPhone just last month and lost it in the train at CSMT on Saturday. Since the phone was new, I had not activated its safety mechanisms. I tried to track it down, but couldn’t at my level. I had also filed a complaint with the railway police. I am so happy that I did so, because I got my device back. I’m so thankful to the railway cops,” Bhagat said. He was among thousands of Mumbai railway commuters, many of them emotional and happy, who had turned up at a huge gathering on Wednesday at the Police Grounds in Ghatkopar — the headquarters of the railway police department — where their mobile phones stolen on the city’s local trains and stations were handed back to them after due verification. Wrapped in a brown envelope in a plastic cover, many opened the packets to find their phone intact. “Of course, the data was gone, but I got my phone back. It has resale value,” said Prathamesh Kadam. How many phones... “In total, 1018 phones have been returned to their original owners after due verification. Of these, 444 were recovered from Mumbai itself, 216 from Maharashtra and 358 from other states like Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. The total estimated value of the phones recovered is Rs 1.8 crore (Rs 1,80,33,668)," Mumbai railway police commissioner M Rakesh Kalasagar told mid-day. These phones were recovered in the second phase of the operation between September and November 2025, stolen in the years 2023, 2024, and 2025. Under the first phase in June and July 2025, a total of 684 mobile phones worth R1,11,39,626 were recovered and returned to their owners on July 25. Teams involved During this special campaign, 28 teams from Central Railway and 29 from Western Railway — making a total of 57 teams — actively worked on this operation. Through their efforts, mobile phones stolen and taken across 17 states of India, and in Union Territories such as Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu, were traced and recovered.
12 December,2025 04:08 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMumbai Police has arrested a domestic help for allegedly stealing jewellery and diamonds worth Rs 3.57 crore from the house of a 93-year-old woman who lives in Marine Drive area, reported news agency PTI. The accused was identified as Archana Salvi, a resident of Kalyan, an official said, reported PTI. The incident occurred between April 27 and July 26 this year at the Bharti Bhuvan building, and came to light when the old woman's son, who works in Dubai, visited his mother and found that the jewellery was missing, reported PTI. Police kept Salvi, who had worked there as a temporary help, under surveillance and found financial transactions amounting to lakhs of rupees in her account, reported PTI. She was detained and later placed under arrest as she admitted to the crime, the official said. Police recovered Rs 1.26 crore worth valuables from her, and probe was underway, he said. Man held in Mumbai for duping people by promising them cheaper MHADA flats In another case, police have arrested a 53-year-old man in Mumbai for cheating people by promising them flats of state-run housing agency MHADA at rates cheaper than market prices, officials said on Thursday, reported PTI. The accused was identified as Jitendra Sukhlal Rathod, who was nabbed by a team of the police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Wednesday from the Chembur area, an official said, reported PTI. During probe it was revealed that at least eight cases of cheating and forgery were registered against Rathod in various police stations since 2022. Earlier, the EOW had arrested a 48-year-old woman, Bela D'Souza, in connection with the cheating case, reported PTI. A 58-year-old woman, who stays in the Mazgaon area, had filed a complaint against D'Souza and others for duping her of Rs 70 lakh by promising a MHADA flat at a cheaper price, reported PTI. During the probe, it came to light the accused persons, including Rathod, had duped many others by promising cheaper flats, he said. Meanwhile, the Mumbai police have arrested a man for allegedly cheating a couple of Rs 72 lakh in a forex trading fraud, officials said. A search was underway for two other accused individuals -- a man and his son -- in the case, they said. The victims in their police complaint said they got in touch with the accused three years back. The three accused told the couple, residents of Borivali in Mumbai, that they were major investors and ran a successful forex trading business. (With inputs from PTI)
12 December,2025 10:50 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPolice have arrested a 53-year-old man in Mumbai for cheating people by promising them flats of state-run housing agency MHADA at rates cheaper than market prices, officials said on Thursday, reported news agency PTI. The accused was identified as Jitendra Sukhlal Rathod, who was nabbed by a team of the police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Wednesday from the Chembur area, an official said, reported PTI. During probe it was revealed that at least eight cases of cheating and forgery were registered against Rathod in various police stations since 2022. Earlier, the EOW had arrested a 48-year-old woman, Bela D'Souza, in connection with the cheating case, reported PTI. A 58-year-old woman, who stays in the Mazgaon area, had filed a complaint against D'Souza and others for duping her of Rs 70 lakh by promising a MHADA flat at a cheaper price, reported PTI. During the probe, it came to light the accused persons, including Rathod, had duped many others by promising cheaper flats, he said. Housemaid arrested for theft of jewellery worth Rs 3.5 crore In another case, Mumbai Police has arrested a domestic help for allegedly stealing jewellery and diamonds worth Rs 3.57 crore from the house of a 93-year-old woman who lives in Marine Drive area, reported PTI. The accused was identified as Archana Salvi, a resident of Kalyan, an official said, reported PTI. The incident occurred between April 27 and July 26 this year at the Bharti Bhuvan building, and came to light when the old woman's son, who works in Dubai, visited his mother and found that the jewellery was missing, reported PTI. Police kept Salvi, who had worked there as a temporary help, under surveillance and found financial transactions amounting to lakhs of rupees in her account. She was detained and later placed under arrest as she admitted to the crime, the official said. Police recovered Rs 1.26 crore worth valuables from her, and probe was underway, he said. Meanwhile, the Mumbai police have arrested a man for allegedly cheating a couple of Rs 72 lakh in a forex trading fraud, officials said. A search was underway for two other accused individuals -- a man and his son -- in the case, they said. The victims in their police complaint said they got in touch with the accused three years back. The three accused told the couple, residents of Borivali in Mumbai, that they were major investors and ran a successful forex trading business. (With inputs from PTI)
12 December,2025 08:00 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMumbai Police on Thursday said that it has busted an illegal call centre in Malad area which was allegedly involved in selling banned medicines to foreigners. According to the police, the Bangur Nagar Police arrested five men for allegedly running the call centre that duped foreign customers by posing as representatives of overseas online pharmacies. Illegal call centre raided The police said that the accused -- Ayub Shaikh (30), Faizan Bhaleem (27), Farukh Shaikh (29), Moin Ahmed Shaikh (32) and Zeeshan Nasir Ansari (22) -- had set up a fake call centre at Chincholi Bunder in Malad (West) area of suburban Mumbai. The suspects operated by calling customers in countries such as the United States and pretending to represent international and US-based companies. Foreign customers duped The accused allegedly convinced customers that they were authorised distributors of restricted erectile dysfunction medication such as Viagra and Shilajit-based products. Police said the suspects took money from customers abroad under the pretext of delivering these medicines, which cannot be sold or exported through such channels. A case has been registered under sections 318(4), 319(2), 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with sections 66(A), 66(D), 75 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and section 20 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. All five accused have been arrested and have been remanded to police custody until December 15, 2025. "The investigation is ongoing and the police is further identifying the number of victims duped by the suspects," said an official.
11 December,2025 11:33 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThe Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police has arrested a 53-year-old man for allegedly cheating several citizens of crores of rupees by promising cheap MHADA houses in Mumbai and Thane, the police said on Thursday. The accused identified as Jitendra Sukhlal Rathod was arrested from the Chembur area after a special police team traced him through technical surveillance and on-ground intelligence, it said. According to the police, a woman complainant in the case had alleged that the accused and his associates promised government-quota MHADA plots at very low rates. Believing them, she and some others paid over Rs 70 lakh between 2012 and 2013, through bank transfers and cash. The accused allegedly gave fake MHADA allotment letters to make the victims believe the documents were genuine. "During investigation it was found that the total fraud amount is more than Rs 2 crore," said an official. The arrest operation was carried out under the supervision of senior police officials. The team consisted of API Nitin Pawar, Police Naik Mandar Rane and Police Constable Jayesh Attarede, under the guidance of Senior Inspector Nitin Patil and investigating officer API Bhushan Deore, said an official. Multiple cases registered in Mumbai and Thane EOW officials said that Rathod is also an accused in several past cheating cases registered at various police stations, including -- Vanrai Police Station (2022), Samtanagar Police Station (2023), Juhu Police Station (2023), Shivaji Park Police Station (2024), Dadar Police Station (2024), Dindoshi Police Station (2025), Achole Police Station, Vasai (2024), Manikpur Police Station in Vasai (2024). Citizens urged to come forward with their complaints Mumbai Police have appealed to the public, saying that anyone else cheated by Jitendra Rathod under the promise of affordable MHADA homes should contact the EOW immediately.
11 December,2025 10:04 PM IST | Mumbai | Anish PatilThe Dahisar Police in Mumbai have arrested a 27-year-old man who allegedly impersonated a Crime Branch officer and attempted to extort Rs 50,000 from a family engaged in handmade imitation jewellery work, officials said on Thursday. According to police sources, a complaint was filed by a 35-year-old businesswoman dealing with imitation jewellery work. She was residing in a rented home at Arvind Chaturvedi Chawl, Ganesh Nagar, Rawalpada (Dahisar East) with her husband, two daughters, and three artisans from West Bengal. On December 8 at around 6 pm, the accused, claiming to be a 'Crime Branch officer,' allegedly accused the family of running illegal commercial work from a residential room and threatened to file a case unless they paid him Rs. 50,000. Believing him to be genuine, the complainant even showed him sample jewellery. The accused then allegedly took Rs. 300 from her purse and her husband’s original Aadhaar card before ordering them to meet him with the full amount by 9 p.m. at the Hanuman Mandir junction on the highway, official sources said. When her husband later met the accused at the spot, the man, identifying himself as Chandresh Pathak, repeated the threat and demanded the money. The couple, sensing something suspicious, approached the Dahisar police and lodged a complaint. "Acting on the complaint, police traced and arrested Pathak for extortion, criminal intimidation, and impersonating a public servant. Further investigation is underway to verify if he has targeted other households in a similar manner," said an officer from Dahisar police station. Pathak was produced before the Borivali Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Wednesday and remanded to police custody.
11 December,2025 06:20 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanTwo civic employees are among three people arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 16,000 to stop the demolition of an illegally constructed structure in Maharashtra's Thane district, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said on Thursday, reported the PTI. The accused have been identified as Rajesh Kadam (43), a clerk in the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation’s (MBMC) anti-encroachment department; Suhas Keni (55), a sanitary worker from the same department; and Sanjay Bhola (47), a private individual who acted as the middleman, as per the PTI. According to Sachin Gore, inspector with the Thane ACB, the two MBMC staff members had initially demanded a bribe of Rs 20,000, later settling at Rs 16,000. The complainant had built a small temporary room using iron sheets for short-term use at Kajupada on Ghodbunder Road, and the civic employees allegedly sought payment to avoid taking action against the structure. The complainant then approached the ACB, which laid a trap near a hotel and caught Bhola while he was accepting Rs 16,000 on behalf of the two municipal employees. Following Bhola’s arrest, the ACB team subsequently detained Kadam and Keni as well. An investigation is currently underway. A case has been registered at the Kashigaon police station under the relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Meanwhile, in an another incident, last month, a court in Mumbai on Thursday sentenced a former Assistant Commissioner of GST to five years’ imprisonment in a bribery case, stating that his conduct "does not deserve any leniency", as per the PTI. Special Judge for Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) cases, A. V. Kharkar, found Ashok Nayak guilty under the Prevention of Corruption Act as well as for criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on him. The case was lodged in May 2017 following a complaint by a businessman who owns a bar and restaurant in the city. According to the complaint, Nayak, then serving as Assistant Commissioner of Central Excise, demanded Rs 12 crore to settle a matter pending with the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He allegedly insisted that 25 to 30 per cent of the amount be paid within a day or two to prevent the complainant’s arrest by the ED, according to the PTI. The complaint further stated that Nayak claimed he could resolve the issue by using his influence with a “senior bureaucrat” in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The original demand of Rs 12 crore was later reduced to Rs 10 crore. Acting on the complaint, the ACB laid a trap and arrested Nayak while he was accepting the first instalment of Rs 1.25 crore. The court observed that the evidence proved beyond doubt that the accused had demanded illegal gratification to influence an unknown public servant and had willingly accepted the money. As a public servant, he was expected to perform his duties honestly and sincerely, and his actions did not warrant any leniency, the judge said. However, taking into account his age and a cardiac condition, the court awarded him simple imprisonment rather than rigorous imprisonment. (with PTI inputs)
11 December,2025 04:37 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentThe Marine Drive Police have arrested a 44-year-old domestic worker from Kalyan, Thane, for allegedly stealing a large quantity of gold, silver, and diamond jewellery from a high-rise residence in south Mumbai. The accused, identified as Archana Sunil Salvi, was taken into custody after investigators recovered valuables running into several crores of rupees. In a press conference held at the Marine Drive Police Station on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner of Police Praveen Munde briefed the media about the theft, recovery, and the ongoing investigation. According to the Marine Drive Police, the theft took place between August 27 and September 26. Valuables kept in the master bedroom locker of the complainant’s residence went missing during this period. Police said jewellery weighing approximately 9,288 grams—including gold, silver, and diamonds—with an estimated value of over Rs 3 crore was seized during the probe. The accused had reportedly gained the trust of the family over several months and used her access to systematically remove the ornaments from the locker. The missing valuables were discovered when the complainant checked the locker and found items worth Rs 3.16 crore unaccounted for, prompting a police complaint. Marine Drive Police officers, including Senior Inspector Nilesh Bagul, initiated an investigation during which they reviewed Salvi’s movements and financial activities. Police said she allegedly transported the stolen jewellery to her hometown and had previously travelled to Dubai, raising suspicion among investigators. During the search following her arrest, the police recovered the stolen gold, silver, and diamond jewellery. The total value of the seized property has been reported as approximately Rs 9.29 crore, and authorities are now investigating whether the remaining jewellery is linked to other thefts and whether any of it had been sold. Further inquiries are underway to determine if Salvi had been involved in similar thefts elsewhere. A team comprising officers from the Marine Drive Police Station, crime detection teams, and senior supervisory officers executed the operation. Following her arrest, Salvi was produced in court on December 5, where she was remanded in police custody until Wednesday.
11 December,2025 03:46 PM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentThe Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted nearly 40 searches across India, with a major concentration in Padgha near Mumbai, in connection with a money-laundering probe arising from cases registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Maharashtra ATS against individuals linked to alleged ISIS activities in the state. Officials said the searches were based on FIRs filed earlier by NIA and ATS related to an alleged criminal conspiracy involving members of an ISIS-inspired sleeper module operating in Pune. The ED action aims to verify suspected money flows, funding channels, and support networks connected to the accused. The module is believed to have been working to further the ISIS agenda in India. Investigators alleged that the accused conspired to commit terrorist acts with the objective of disturbing public order and waging war against the Indian government. The federal agency stated that the suspects had allegedly helped assemble improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at a rented house in Kondhwa, Pune, using materials procured and stored there. During 2022–2023, the group reportedly organised bomb-making workshops and carried out a controlled test explosion in forested areas near Pune. Previous seizures included explosive material, tents, a drone, and multiple electronic devices. The NIA, assisted by the Maharashtra ATS, had carried out coordinated raids across Padgha–Bhiwandi, Borivli, Pune, Thane, and Mira Road as part of its investigation into the ISIS-linked network. During the operation, officers arrested 15 suspects, including former SIMI member Mohammad Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan, who had long been under surveillance for alleged involvement in radical activities since the 1990s. Investigators said Nachan had earlier recruited youths and organised weapons and explosives training camps in Padgha. The 2023 ISIS Pune module crackdown had brought him back on the radar. (Nachan later died during the ongoing broader probe.)
11 December,2025 11:30 AM IST | Mumbai | Anish PatilADVERTISEMENT
