Kandivali was shaken by a horrific incident in which a 4-year-old child was kidnapped and brutally murdered. According to police sources, the suspect, who arrived on a bicycle, abducted the child and later drowned him. After committing the crime, the suspect returned to the scene and abandoned the child’s body approximately 30 meters away from where the victim’s family was sleeping before fleeing. Police have launched a thorough investigation and are actively scanning CCTV footage from the area to identify and track down the suspect. The deceased child, who lived with his parents in Kandivali East, had visited his maternal grandmother's house in Iraniwadi, Kandivali West, a day before the incident. His grandmother, who resides on the footpath, was with him when he was abducted. Around 2 a.m., an unidentified individual arrived on a bicycle and kidnapped the child while he was sleeping next to his grandmother. About half an hour later, the suspect returned and abandoned the child’s body near a construction site, a short distance from his maternal grandfather’s location, before escaping. A preliminary investigation and medical reports confirm that the child died due to drowning. Police suspect that the accused deliberately killed the child by submerging him in water. The suspect's image has been captured on CCTV, and multiple police teams have been deployed to track him down. DCP Anand Bhoite of Zone XI has confirmed the incident.
22 March,2025 01:25 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA court in Maharashtra's Thane district has sentenced a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for the murder of a man in 2016, reported news agency PTI. Additional sessions judge A N Sirsikar convicted the accused, Ajay Lalbahaddur Vishwakarma, of the charges under section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to life imprisonment and a five-year rigorous imprisonment term, reported PTI. The sentences will run concurrently, the court ordered. The court, however, acquitted Sanjay Firatlal Goutam, a co-accused in the case, citing lack of conclusive evidence against him. A copy of the order passed on Thursday was made available on Saturday. Additional public prosecutor Rekha Hiwrale informed the court that on July 27, 2016, the victim, Jay Prajapati, went missing after informing his father that he was at Bhayandar railway station, reported PTI. She said messages were sent from Prajapati's mobile phone, demanding Rs 15 lakh for his release. However, despite efforts by his family and the police, the victim could not be traced, and his body was later discovered wrapped in a motorcycle cover in the mangroves. The prosecution said the forensic investigation and digital evidence linked Vishwakarma to the crime. At least 16 prosecution witnesses, including the victim's kin and medical officers, were examined during the trial, she said. The court noted that key prosecution witnesses testified after a six-year delay, leading to some discrepancies, reported PTI. However, judge Sirsikar observed that minor inconsistencies should not undermine the credibility of the evidence. The court ruled that while the prosecution failed to prove the ransom demand and the involvement of the second accused, it successfully established that Vishwakarma had a motive to kill Prajapati due to personal enmity. He highlighted that the discovery of the deceased's body at the instance of the accused and the extra-judicial confession before a witness played a crucial role in securing the conviction, reported PTI. The judge, in his order, ruled that the case did not fall under the 'rarest of rare' category warranting capital punishment. The court acquitted the co-accused, Sanjay Firatlal Goutam, stating that his mere presence at railway stations captured in CCTV footage was insufficient to establish his role in the crime. (With inputs from PTI)
22 March,2025 12:56 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA 53-year-old man from Maharashtra's Thane district was allegedly cheated of Rs 67.65 lakh by cyber fraudsters who lured him to invest in online share trading, police said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI. The police registered a first information report (FIR) under relevant provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act on Thursday and have identified three persons involved in the fraud only through their mobile phone numbers, an official said, reported PTI. He said the complainant has alleged that the accused contacted him in December 2024 and convinced him to invest in share trading by promising him high returns. The accused provided a trading application to the man and instructed him to transfer money to different bank accounts, the official said. He said the complainant transferred Rs 67.65 lakh over multiple online transactions till January 2025. However, when the man later sought to withdraw his profits or the original investment, the fraudsters stopped responding, the official added. "We have registered an FIR under the IT Act, and efforts are underway to track down the accused through their mobile numbers and bank transaction details," a senior police officer said. Assistant manager of bank duped of Rs 1.35 cr in online stock market investment scam A 45-year-old assistant general manager with the Export Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) was duped by fraudsters of Rs 1.35 crore by luring her into making 'investment' in the stock market through bogus apps, police said on Friday, reported news agency PTI. While the cheating took place between December 9, 2024, to February 25, 2025, the woman filed a complaint with the Cyber Police Station two days ago, said an official. According to the complainant, unidentified persons added her mobile number to two WhatsApp groups where purported tips about stock market investment were shared. After a few days, the 'admin' of the groups called her, and told her that she could make a handsome profit if she installed mobile apps 'QuantsAIS' and 'Angel One' and purchased shares through them, reported PTI. The woman followed the advice. 'Service executives' of both the apps then called her, and asked her to deposit money in certain bank accounts for investing in the stock market. She transferred as much as Rs 1.35 crore. The apps displayed the amount she had deposited, and she could also see that her investment was 'growing', the complainant told police. As of February, the apps showed that she had made a profit of Rs 6 crore. But when she called executives of both the apps and asked them to return the principal amount of Rs 1.35 crore, they said they could not do so immediately and gave various reasons, reported PTI. After repeated demands, they stopped responding to her calls. At this point the woman realized that she had been duped. A case was registered and further probe was underway, the official said. (With inputs from PTI)
22 March,2025 12:28 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA case has been registered against a man for allegedly furnishing fabricated and false documents with his pre-arrest bail plea in a court in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Saturday, reported news agency PTI. Based on a complaint by a court official, the police on Thursday registered a case against Krishna Peinurkar under sections 318(4)(cheating by personation), 336(2) (forgery), 227(giving false evidence) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, an official said, reported PTI. According to the police, the alleged accused applied for pre-arrest bail on February 18, and attached affidavits and other relevant documents with the application. The official said during verification, the documents were found to be fabricated and false. He said a probe is underway, and no arrest has been made in the case. Thane court sentences man to life imprisonment in 2016 murder case A court in Maharashtra's Thane district has sentenced a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for the murder of a man in 2016, reported PTI. Additional sessions judge A N Sirsikar convicted the accused, Ajay Lalbahaddur Vishwakarma, of the charges under section 302 (murder) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced him to life imprisonment and a five-year rigorous imprisonment term, reported PTI. The sentences will run concurrently, the court ordered. The court, however, acquitted Sanjay Firatlal Goutam, a co-accused in the case, citing lack of conclusive evidence against him, reported PTI. A copy of the order passed on Thursday was made available on Saturday. Additional public prosecutor Rekha Hiwrale informed the court that on July 27, 2016, the victim, Jay Prajapati, went missing after informing his father that he was at Bhayandar railway station, reported PTI. She said messages were sent from Prajapati's mobile phone, demanding Rs 15 lakh for his release. However, despite efforts by his family and the police, the victim could not be traced, and his body was later discovered wrapped in a motorcycle cover in the mangroves. The prosecution said the forensic investigation and digital evidence linked Vishwakarma to the crime. At least 16 prosecution witnesses, including the victim's kin and medical officers, were examined during the trial, she said. The court noted that key prosecution witnesses testified after a six-year delay, leading to some discrepancies. However, judge Sirsikar observed that minor inconsistencies should not undermine the credibility of the evidence, reported PTI. The court ruled that while the prosecution failed to prove the ransom demand and the involvement of the second accused, it successfully established that Vishwakarma had a motive to kill Prajapati due to personal enmity. He highlighted that the discovery of the deceased's body at the instance of the accused and the extra-judicial confession before a witness played a crucial role in securing the conviction. The judge, in his order, ruled that the case did not fall under the 'rarest of rare' category warranting capital punishment. The court acquitted the co-accused, Sanjay Firatlal Goutam, stating that his mere presence at railway stations captured in CCTV footage was insufficient to establish his role in the crime. (With inputs from PTI)
22 March,2025 11:49 AM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentThe Crime Branch in Vasai arrested a 40-year-old serial killer from Bengaluru. The killer Niranjan Kumar a native of Bihar’s Saran district, had been changing his locations, identities as well and profession in different states to remain at large despite committing heinous five murders. “The killer is a master of disguise who left behind a trail of deception and fear. He would work as a plumber, security guard, in a garage, box packaging firm, etc to maintain a low profile by changing his alias,” said a police official. Inspector Sameer Ahirrao of Crime Branch Unit 2, Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police, said, “Kumar first killed his step-mother and step-siblings in West Bengal in 2002 and later killed his best friend in 2008 in Vasai; ‘but he was never caught in any case.’ The Crime Branch officials have been investigating the unsolved cases registered at different police stations in the MBVV police commissionerate. “We were probing into a murder case of 2008 registered at Manikpur police station. The deceased Manoj Sah was the best friend of Kumar who killed him by banging his head against a wall, later strangled him using a shoelace and left for Surat where he remained underground by changing his identity,” said another officer privy to the investigation. Pic/Hanif Patel Inspector Ahirrao said, “Kumar told us that his mother died when he was too young, so his father got married to a woman who would allegedly ill-treat him. He claimed that his father would also not take care of him properly. So, he killed his step-mother, two step sisters aged six and seven years old and a step-brother who was only two years old in 2002 in the Haldia district of West Bengal.” “Though Kumar’s father had registered a murder case at a police station in Haldia but the case remained unsolved, as the killer had left the state and absconded to Maharashtra,” Ahirrao said. “He initially lived in Navi Mumbai before moving to Vasai, where he befriended Manoj Sah who got him a job for survival. They had been living in a chawl area in Vasai but over some dispute, Kumar killed Sah in 2008 and left Maharashtra for neighbouring state’s Surat city,” Ahirrao said. After scanning the case files of Sah, the Crime Branch officers reached his hometown in Chhapra city of Saran district in Bihar. “His neighbours and relatives told us that Kumar hardly visited once or twice since 2002. Though he had snapped contact with all his relatives he had got a voter ID card made in Bihar and through human intelligence network, we managed to get his mobile number,” Ahirrao said. The investigation team retrieved the call data records (CDR) and checked his mobile tower location which was Bengaluru. After getting the technical details, another team was dispatched to Bengaluru and Kumar was nabbed after 17 years. “Kumar was working as a plumber in Bengaluru. He changed his name to Raju, Ajay Vijay Shukla, Niranjan Kumar, Ranjan, etc to conceal his identity. We have been told that his father died in 2015. He was living with a woman, who he married in 2020,” said Ahirrao. Kumar will be produced before the local court in Vasai to seek his police custody for further investigation.
22 March,2025 09:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar SharmaThe Maharashtra Cyber Cell, investigating the India’s Got Latent case, has issued a third summon to Samay Raina, asking him to appear before the officer on March 24. Raina had skipped two earlier summons, citing his presence abroad. Sources indicate that he is likely to appear this time as he has returned to India. On Thursday, Raina posted on Instagram, saying, “Hello guys, I am rescheduling my India tour. You all will get the refunds shortly. See you soon.” Raina has been in the USA and Canada since the controversy broke out after a video of one of the episodes, where a digital content creator and podcaster Ranveer Allahabadia appeared as a judge and used foul language, went viral. Following the backlash, Allahabadia apologised, but multiple FIRs were registered against him, Raina, and other judges who appeared on the show. Allahabadia has recorded his statement before the Cyber Cell, admitting his mistake. As the host of the show, Raina’s statement is crucial for concluding the investigation. Both the Cyber Cell and Mumbai’s Khar police are conducting separate inquiries into the case. Raina’s scheduled performances in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and other cities were called off due to threats from right-wing organisations. The Cyber Cell has recorded statements from several judges who appeared on the show, including influencers Apoorva Makhija and Poonam Pandey.
22 March,2025 07:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanMumbai-based share trader Mahendra Shah and his son Megh Shah are absconding after a raid was conducted at their rented flat in Paldi, Ahmedabad, where the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized around 88 kg of gold bars, 19.66 kg of studded gold jewellery and Rs 1.37 crore in cash. According to sources, DRI teams also visited Mumbai and seized the Shahs’ luxurious 4BHK bungalow, Madhuban, at Lokhandwala in Andheri West. House help and caretakers are worried about their salaries and have been visiting the bungalow for the past two days. Gold bars seized from Mahendra and Megh Shah’s rented flat Sources also revealed that the Shahs, who have offices abroad, claim to have bought the seized gold using their earnings from the share market. However, this claim does not align with the findings of the investigating agencies. The agencies have also learned that the Shahs had been frequently travelling abroad. Considering the large seizure of gold with foreign markings, the agencies suspect that the Shahs may be running a large-scale gold smuggling racket, which is currently under investigation. “The initial input was received by us, and since a large quantity of gold was involved, the case was handed over to the DRI,” said Sunil Joshi, DIG, Gujarat ATS. Sources in the Gujarat ATS said that the accused in the case are share market brokers and have their bases both in Ahmedabad and Mumbai and further investigation on their network is being conducted by the DRI. According to officials, Mahendra has a business in Dubai. An employee of the family, Pooja, who has been working in the Shah household for the past few months, told mid-day on Friday, “I’ve been taking care of Megh Shah’s three-month-old son. The family has installed 12 to 15 CCTV cameras inside the house.” The sealed entrance of Madhuban bungalow, the Shahs’ residence, at Lokhandwala West on March 21. Pic/Nimesh Dave “My salary is stuck now. A day before the incident, I was told my salary would be paid via UPI. But, I didn’t receive it. For the past two days, I’ve been visiting the house and trying to contact the family but their phones are switched off,” she added. The raid The DRI team searched the flat in Paldi, Ahmedabad on March 17 suspecting a smuggling operation. The input was received from the Gujarat ATS. In the search, they recovered 87.92 kilograms of gold bars, valued at around Rs 80 crore. Most of the gold bars bear foreign markings, indicating that these were smuggled into India. They also found 11 luxury watches, including a Patek Philippe one studded with diamonds, a Jacob & Co timepiece, and a Franck Muller watch; and jewellery weighing 19.66 kilogrammes, studded with diamonds and other precious or semi-precious stones.
22 March,2025 07:03 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish Vaktania | Faizan KhanThe Oshiwara Police have arrested a 25-year-old fraudster accused of duping people by offering fake online bookings for villas, resorts, and hotels. According to police sources, the accused lured victims by advertising attractive deals for luxury accommodations through social media and fraudulent websites. Once victims made advance payments, he would disappear without providing any bookings. The scam came to light after a 40-year-old real estate broker lost Rs 42,000 in January. The complainant, who was planning a holiday with family and friends in Karjat, Khopoli, or Lonavala, came across an Instagram advertisement from an account with over 14,000 followers. He clicked on the link, obtained a WhatsApp contact number, and initiated a conversation with the agent. "The accused offered a package of Rs 85,000 for an 18-member group for a two-day stay in Lonavala from March 16 to 18. He demanded an advance payment of Rs 42,000, which the complainant transferred from his bank account," said an officer. However, on February 1, some members of the travel group warned the complainant about the travel company's poor reputation. Sensing fraud, he contacted the agent to cancel the booking and requested a refund. The accused neither returned the money nor responded to calls or emails. After multiple failed attempts to reach the agent, the complainant reported the matter to the cyber helpline and subsequently filed an FIR at Oshiwara Police Station. Acting on the complaint, the police launched an investigation and arrested the accused in Pune. The arrested individual, identified as Akash Rupkumar Jadhvani (25), is a resident of Pant Nagar and has a history of similar fraud cases at Malabar Hill, LT Marg, and Vile Parle police stations. "Jadhvani used to stay in PG accommodations, using those addresses as proof of residence to open bank accounts where he deposited fraudulent money. Once a complaint was registered and his account was blocked, he would move to a new PG, open another bank account, and continue his fraudulent activities," the officer said. Under the supervision of Senior Inspector Mohan Patil and Police Inspector Prabhat Mankar, a cyber team comprising PSI Sharad Devde and Head Constable Ashok Konde tracked and apprehended him.
21 March,2025 08:54 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThree persons were arrested in connection with the death of a man amid Holi celebrations in Thane district on March 14, a police official said on Friday, reported news agency PTI. Satyaprakash Upadhyaya was part of group celebrating the festival by spraying water on each other in Varap village, which led to a dispute with Krishna Singh, Surabh Chanda and Manish Singh, Kalyan Taluka police station senior inspector Suresh Kadam said, reported PTI. "The three pushed a water hose into his pants, causing severe internal injuries after water entered his body through the anus. Upadhyaya was taken to a hospital in Ulhasnagar and then transferred to KEM Hospital in Mumbai, where he died on March 17. As per the post mortem report, he died of forced water intrusion," the official said, reported PTI. Krishna Singh, Surabh Chanda, and Manish Singh have been arrested under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provisions for murder and other offences, he added. 60-year-old woman killed at home in Thane district, jewellery looted A 60-year-old woman was murdered, and jewellery was looted from her home in Maharashtra's Thane district, a police official said on Friday, reported PTI. Rajni Patkar was alone in her apartment at a housing complex in Kalyan when she was targeted on Thursday evening. Police said there was forced entry to the house, reported PTI. The official said that Patkar, who was found in a pool of blood, died at the scene. Her mangalsutra and other jewellery in the house are missing, he said. A case has been registered and police are going through CCTV footage of the area for leads, the official added. Two brothers murdered by group of five over old enmity in Nashik Two brothers were killed allegedly by a group of persons over an old enmity in Maharashtra's Nashik city, a police official said on Thursday, reported PTI. The incident took place in Ambedkarwadi in Bodhale Nagar at 9:30pm on Wednesday and the deceased have been identified as siblings Umesh Jadhav (32) and Prashant Jadhav (30), the official said, reported PTI. "The two were attacked with sharp weapons and iron rods. They were rushed to the district hospital where doctors declared them dead on arrival. The attackers have been identified as Sagar Garad, Anil Redekar, Sachin Redekar, Yogesh Rokde and Avinash alias Sonu Ushire and efforts are on to nab them," he said, reported PTI. "The attack was the fallout of an old enmity and also due to efforts to establish supremacy in the area. A case has been registered under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for murder and other offences," the Upnagar police station official added. (With inputs from PTI)
21 March,2025 07:00 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA 60-year-old woman was brutally murdered at her residence in Maharashtra’s Thane district, with valuable jewellery looted from the premises, a senior police officer confirmed on Friday. The victim, Rajni Patkar, was alone in her apartment at a housing complex in Kalyan when the attack took place on Thursday evening. As per PTI, police have stated that there were clear signs of forced entry, indicating that the assailants may have broken into the house before committing the crime. According to PTI, Patkar was discovered in a pool of blood, and preliminary investigations suggest that she succumbed to fatal injuries at the scene. Among the stolen valuables were her mangalsutra and other pieces of jewellery, which were found to be missing from the residence, the police official added. In a similar incident in February 2025, a 42-year-old woman was stabbed to death in public, allegedly by her neighbour over a financial dispute in Maharashtra’s Thane district, police said, as per PTI. The victim, identified as Seema Kamble, was attacked in the Barkupada area of Ambernath in the afternoon. An official stated that Kamble had an ongoing dispute with her neighbour, Rahul Dingarkar, over money she had lent him. During a heated argument, Dingarkar allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed Kamble multiple times, leading to her immediate collapse. She succumbed to her injuries soon after, according to PTI. The police were alerted and promptly took the accused into custody. A case under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered. Authorities have also begun recording statements from witnesses and local residents as part of their probe. Meanwhile, in another legal development, a Thane court acquitted a 36-year-old woman accused of murdering her five-month-old son in December 2021. The woman had been charged with drowning her infant in a water drum, but the court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove her guilt, as per PTI. The Principal District and Sessions Judge, S.B. Agrawal, delivered the judgment on January 20, clearing the woman of all charges. The prosecution had alleged that on December 24, 2021, the woman threw her baby into a water drum outside her home in Kalwa’s Saiba Nagar locality, resulting in his tragic death. However, the defence contended that there was no concrete evidence linking her to the crime. Initially, the woman had reported to the police that her child had gone missing from the hammock where he was sleeping, claiming an unknown individual had abducted him. CCTV footage from the vicinity showed two unidentified women walking around at the time of the incident, but no connection was established between them and the disappearance of the infant. Eventually, the child's body was discovered in a water drum outside a neighbour's house, with an autopsy confirming drowning as the cause of death. (With inputs from PTI)
21 March,2025 01:44 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentHitesh Mehta, the prime accused in the Rs 122 crore embezzlement case at New India Cooperative Bank, is set to undergo a brain-mapping test in the coming days, a senior police officer said on Friday. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police, which is investigating the large-scale misappropriation of funds at the bank, is making efforts to gather further information on the case, as per PTI reports. Mehta, who previously served as the bank's general manager and head of accounts, underwent a polygraph test —commonly referred to as a lie detector test—last week at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Mumbai’s Kalina area. However, according to officers, the results were inconclusive and failed to provide concrete details regarding the use of the siphoned funds or the involvement of other accused persons. In an attempt to extract more information and establish crucial links in the New India Cooperative Bank scam case, the EOW has now decided to proceed with a brain-mapping test, the officer stated. “We have taken a decision to conduct a brain-mapping test on Hitesh Mehta, but the exact date is yet to be finalised. The test will be carried out at the FSL,” the officer was quoted as saying by PTI. A court has already granted permission for forensic psychological tests on Mehta, paving the way for further investigation into the New India Cooperative Bank scam case, PTI reported. So far, EOW has arrested seven individuals in connection with the scam. However, former chairman of the bank Hiten Bhanu and his wife Gauri remain absconding and are listed as wanted accused in the case. A local court has issued a non-bailable warrant against the couple, officers said. According to the police, a staggering Rs 122 crore was siphoned from the safes of New India Cooperative Bank’s Prabhadevi and Goregaon branches in Mumbai. Mehta was arrested on 15 February, with six other individuals subsequently taken into custody in connection with the scam. In the last few years, Hitesh Mehta is the first accused on whom the Mumbai EOW has conducted a polygraph test, he said, according to the PTI. "The test lasted three hours, and around 50 questions were asked to him," he said, the news agency reported. The officials had prepared a questionnaire, and forensic physiology experts asked the questions to him, the official said. (With inputs from PTI)
21 March,2025 01:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
