In a major development in the Rs 122 crore embezzlement case involving the New India Cooperative (NIC) Bank, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has arrested a Mumbai BJP leader's brother, an official said on Monday. The officials said that Haji Javed Azam, the younger brother of BJP’s former Maharashtra secretary Hyder Azam, was arrested in the matter. Azam was taken into custody late Monday evening after his name surfaced during the interrogation of Unnathan Arunachalam, alias Arun Bhai, who was arrested on Saturday. Political Connection Unveiled Arunachalam was apprehended from the Crawford Market area, and during questioning, reportedly admitted to receiving ₹32 crore from Hitesh Mehta in 2021. Of this amount, Arunachalam claimed to have handed over Rs 15–20 crore to Javed Azam for safekeeping. Financial Trail and Evidence The EOW has gathered circumstantial evidence to support Arunachalam’s statements. Investigators discovered that Hitesh Mehta had withdrawn ₹18 crore from two separate banks, where the money was held as fixed deposits (FDs), before giving it to Arunachalam. Instead of being deposited in the NIC Bank, the funds were diverted to Arunachalam, while official records falsely stated that the cash was secured in the bank’s vault. Business Investment Angle The EOW is now scrutinizing Azam’s financial transactions and looking into whether his political connections played a role in concealing the crime. It is suspected that he invested the money in his business in Bihar.
17 March,2025 11:18 PM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanTension gripped central Nagpur in Maharashtra on Monday when stones were hurled at police amid rumours that the holy book of a community was burnt during an agitation for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, the officials said, reported the PTI. Four persons were injured in the incident, the officials said. Following the incident Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis called for peace and asked people not to believe rumours. Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio, also said he is in constant contact with the police and asked them to cooperate with the people. "Nagpur is a peaceful city where people share in each other's joys and sorrows, which has always been Nagpur's tradition. Do not believe any rumours," he added, according to the PTI. Police fired tear gas shells and resorted to cane-charge to disperse the mob in Chitnis Park and Mahal areas. Violence also reportedly spread to Kotwali and Ganeshpeth in the late afternoon, officials said, as per the PTI. "Police are managing the situation following stone pelting and tense situation in the Mahal area," the chief minister said in a statement.A complaint was lodged at Ganeshpeth police station in Nagpur the evening alleging the burning of a holy book. Following the complaint, a large number of a community members started gathering in various parts of the city, including Mahal, Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, and Chitanvis Park, police said, adding that sensing trouble, police intensified patrolling and summoned additional security forces to maintain law and order, as per the PTI. Meanwhile, Union minister Nitin Gadkari also appealed for peace and harmony amid violence in parts of Nagpur city. "Nagpur always has a history of peace. I appeal to all my brothers to maintain peace. Do not believe rumours and do not come on roads," the Union minister said in a video message, as per the PTI. नागपूरच्या नागरिकांना विनम्र आवाहन. pic.twitter.com/2jcCv4AaVN — Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) March 17, 2025 Gadkari appealed to people to cooperate with the administration in maintaining the law and order and the tradition of harmony. He said the government would take action against those who indulged in unlawful activities. Nitin Gadkari said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is monitoring the situation. (with PTI inputs)
17 March,2025 11:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTwo people-- a mother and her daughter, were seriously injured after being hit by a speeding car on Lokhandwala Back Road in Andheri West in Mumbai on Sunday night following which the police has booked a 19-year-old driver, an official said on Monday. The police said that both were out for a walk after dinner when the incident took place. The Versova police have registered an FIR against the car driver and have begun an investigation in the matter, an official said. The injured persons were identified as Priyanka Agarwal and her mother, Barkha Thakur, both residents of Lokhandwala. Their relatives told mid-day that they take a walk together every night on the back road in Lokhandwala and were on their routine walk when the incident took place. According to a police official, the incident occurred around 10:30 pm when Barkha and Priyanka were walking. A speeding car lost control and rammed into a parked bus. The driver also hit pedestrians. A close relative of the victims told mid-day, "They walk together every night after dinner. After the incident, a person called from Barkha's phone to the last dialed number and informed the family. The locals rushed them to the hospital where they were admitted for further medical treatment. The locals gathered and came forward to help us." The relative added, "Both of them are admitted in Kokilaben Hospital and are out of danger, but they are badly injured. Our family is praying for their swift recovery." PSI Sandip Kaule of Versova Police Station said, "We have registered an FIR against the 19-year-old driver who was speeding. We have sent blood samples for testing to determine if he was intoxicated. He told the police that he lost control of the vehicle and caused the accident. We have also issued a notice for the driver to appear for questioning in the investigation."
17 March,2025 10:23 PM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaA 17-year-old boy and his 16-year-old girlfriend were detained for allegedly killing a septuagenarian in Palghar district, a police official said on Monday, reported news agency PTI. The official said 75-year-old Kishore Brijmohan Mishra, a vendor residing in Naigaon East, had gone missing on February 15, after which two teams were formed to trace him. "As per CCTV footage, he was last seen alighting from a train at Bhayander station with a young girl. We detained her and her boyfriend for questioning. The duo claimed the victim was molesting the girl, following which they decided to kill him," Naigaon police station senior inspector Vijay Kadam said, reported PTI. "The two bludgeoned Mishra with stones and tiles near a public toilet. The body was recovered from nearby bushes on February 22. While initially an accidental death case was registered at Uttan Sagri police station, a murder FIR was registered after the minor couple was held. They have been charged with murder and destruction of evidence," Kadam said, reported PTI. Two workers held for beating colleague to death on suspicion of theft Two workers were arrested for allegedly beating their colleague to death on suspicion of theft in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Monday, reported PTI. Based on a complaint by the accused persons' employer, the Bhiwandi police on Saturday registered a case against the duo under section 103(1)(murder) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, inspector Pramod Kumbhar of the Narpoli police station said, reported PTI. He said both the accused and the victim worked for a mandap decorator. The accused, Raju alias Baitullah Khan (26) and Ajay (25), suspected their colleague Anil Brijlal (36) of stealing Rs 1,200, the official said, reported PTI. He said the duo allegedly attacked Brijlal with iron rods and bamboo on the evening of March 14, and injured him. The victim was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead. (With inputs from PTI)
17 March,2025 09:04 PM IST | Palghar | mid-day online correspondentTwo persons were arrested for allegedly beating their colleague to death on suspicion of theft in Maharashtra's Thane district, the police said on Monday, reported the PTI. Inspector Pramod Kumbhar of the Narpoli police station said that based on a complaint by the accused persons' employer, the Bhiwandi police on Saturday registered a case against the duo under section 103(1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). He said that both the accused and the victim were known to each other and worked for a mandap decorator. The accused, Raju alias Baitullah Khan (26) and Ajay (25), suspected their colleague Anil Brijlal (36) of stealing Rs 1,200, the official said, according to the PTI. The official said the duo allegedly attacked Brijlal with iron rods and bamboo on the evening of March 14, and injured him. The victim was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead, as per the PTI. Two teachers accused of beating child at school in Thane district; case registered In an another incident, the police in Thane district registered a case against two female teachers of a school for allegedly beating an 8-year-old student, an official said on Sunday, reported the PTI. The police action against the teachers from the Central Railway School in Kalyan area of Thane district came on a complaint by the boy's father, he said. The complainant is a Central Railway employee, said a police official. He alleged that his son was repeatedly targeted by the two teachers due to a dispute between him and senior CR officials. The man told the police that he had approached the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights after one of the teachers hit his son last October. The principal had then expressed regret over the incident, he said. On March 1, the second teacher allegedly slapped the minor. When confronted, she apologised but failed to explain her action, the father said, according to the PTI. Following his complaint, a coordination officer from the District Women and Child Development Department accompanied the family to the Mahatma Phule Chowk police station, where an FIR was registered on Saturday, the news agency reported. The railway officials have not yet commented on the allegations. The teachers have been booked for voluntarily causing hurt under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the official said, adding that an investigation is underway. (with PTI inputs)
17 March,2025 07:32 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentThe Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police on Monday said that it has filed a chargesheet in the Torres scam case against eight accused. The officials said that the chargesheet was submitted in a special Mumbai court. According to the chargesheet, the names of the accused in the case include M/s Platinum Hern Pvt Ltd, Tania @ Tazagul Xastova, Valentina Ganesh Kumar, Sarvesh Surve, Alpesh Khara, Tausif Riyaz, Armen Atian and Lallan Singh who are charges under sections 316(5), 317(2), 317(4), 317(5), 318(5), and 61 of the BNS Act, along with Sections 3, 4 of the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (in Financial Establishments) Act (MPID Act), and Sections 21 and 23 of the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Act (BUDS Act). The officials said that the total amount that was allegedly cheated in the Ponzi scheme stands at Rs 142.58 crore. The scam affected a total of 14,157 investors, who were allegedly lured into investing in the fraudulent scheme, the officials said. The police officials had earlier said that the investors had reportedly been promised lucrative returns, only for the company to stop making payments earlier this month. The fraud came to light when hundreds of disgruntled investors gathered at the Torres jewellery store in the Torres Vastu Centre building in Dadar (West), demanding their promised sums. The police had allegedly disclosed that the company’s promoters enticed investors by offering extravagant rewards such as cars, flats, gift cards, and hampers to draw them into their fraudulent schemes.
17 March,2025 06:58 PM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanA 39-year-old automobile engineer, Sachin Sambare, who was imprisoned for nearly five years on rape charges, was released on bail on March 10 after filing a petition in the Bombay High Court from jail, alleging that he was a victim of an extortion racket involving women lawyers, police officers and others. The petitioner, Sachin Sambare, claimed that certain women lawyers befriend men on a matrimonial site, dating apps and other social media platforms and eventually coerce them into entering physical relationships. Later, they demand vast amounts of money, threatening them with false rape accusations. He alleged that he fell victim to such a gang after coming in contact with a woman lawyer in 2017 and was subsequently wrongfully imprisoned for four years and nine months. After coming across multiple similar cases in newspapers, he filed an RTI to gather information about the woman lawyer who accused him. The RTI revealed that the lawyer who accused him of rape had allegedly ruined the lives of at least five other men using an identical modus operandi. He obtained details of six rape FIRs registered in various police stations. Additionally, 22 criminal cases had been filed against the complainant and her family across Maharashtra and the charges included cheating, extortion, forgery, trespassing and theft. Petitioner’s allegations Sambare, a resident of Vikramgarh, Palghar, was working as a manager for an international bus brand. In a conversation with mid-day, he alleged that the woman who accused him of rape is part of a larger extortion racket. “The modus operandi of the syndicate, which includes women lawyers, is to befriend working men, get into physical relationships with them and later fabricate financial troubles to ask for money. If the men refuse, they blackmail them with false rape accusations. Members of this gang even appear as witnesses in the FIRs,” he said. Once a complaint is lodged, a specific police officer from the station concerned summons the accused for an “inquiry,” threatening them with arrest. The officer then suggests a settlement, demanding large sums of money to make the case disappear. Sambare recounted that he met the woman in 2017 on Shaadi.com, where she introduced herself as a lawyer—though she was not one at that time, as she obtained her law degree only in 2021. Over time, their conversations deepened, and they began meeting regularly. She frequently asked him for money under various pretexts, and he provided financial help multiple times. However, in 2019, when she asked for R5 lakh and he refused, she filed a rape complaint against him at Rabale police station. The investigating officer demanded R10 lakh to “settle” the case, but when he refused, he was arrested on June 23, 2020. The officer seized his car and also froze his bank account. “The investigating officer was in close contact with the complainant’s lawyers. After my arrest, he pressured my family members, which led my mother to withdraw R2 lakh from an ATM and hand it over to him. The officer then froze my bank account,” Sambare said. “During the pandemic, when my mother fell seriously ill, my family had no money for her treatment. Since my bank account was frozen, they were unable to withdraw funds. Due to the lack of money, my mother did not receive timely medical care and tragically passed away,” he added. “After my arrest, an officer from the Rabale Police demanded R10 lakh from my family. When we refused to pay, he defamed me by spreading false news in the media, claiming that I had duped more than 30 women. However, when the charge sheet was filed, no other names appeared—only the woman who was the main complainant in my case,” he said. Behind bars While in jail, Sambare read newspapers and came across cases from Punjab and Haryana, where high courts had rejected the bail application of a woman accused of honey-trapping and filing nine fake rape cases within 14 months. Similarly, the Jabalpur bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court took cognisance of another woman filing six cases from 2016 to 2022, all accusing men of ‘raping her on the pretext of marriage’. Last year, the Karnataka High Court dealt with multiple rape cases filed by a woman, who had accused 10 different people of rape over 10 years. The court directed the state DGP to alert all police stations about such fake cases. “I sought information from the department concerned through RTI regarding how many rape cases the lawyer had registered, against whom, and in which police stations. It was not easy, but after multiple appeals, I started receiving information. The RTI responses revealed that from 2012 to 2025, she had filed rape charges against six people, including me, in Vashi, Tilak Nagar, Palghar, Rabale, CBD Belapur, and, most recently, at Lonavala Gramin police station in February 2025. All the accused were doctors, engineers, government employees and businessmen. After gathering information, I found that some had been acquitted, some were out on bail, and in some cases, a B-summary had been filed. In the case registered at the Lonavala police station, she accused a man working in London of raping her on the pretext of marriage. I compiled details from these reports, along with high court orders, and submitted them to the Navi Mumbai commissioner and other police officials, demanding an inquiry and action against the woman. However, no officer took my complaint seriously,” he said. Legal recourse “In September 2024, I filed a writ petition in the high court, submitting judgments from Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, along with records of the six rape cases filed by the lawyer and 206 pages of supporting documents,” Sambare said. “Meanwhile, I applied for bail twice in the sessions court and twice in the high court. Each time, the accused lawyer appeared in court with her legal team, alleging that I was threatening and defaming her. As a result, my bail applications were rejected. The court never heard my petitions on merit. In January this year, I sent a reminder letter to the court requesting a hearing on my pending writ petition,” he added. Observing that genuine rape cases suffer due to false allegations, a Bombay High Court division bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Dr Neela Gokhale directed the director general of police (DGP), Maharashtra, to investigate the claims made by the petitioner and submit a report to the court within eight weeks. Sambare has also sought an inquiry against a police officer allegedly involved in filing false rape cases. “This false case has destroyed my world, my career—everything. I don't know how I will rebuild my life. Strict action must be taken against women who misuse the law for their advantage so that this kind of crime can be stopped,” he said. Activist Speak Deepika Narayan Bhardwaj, documentary filmmaker and director of Ekam Nyaay Foundation, said, "Thanks to Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Neela Gokhale this man is being heard after suffering for years. Otherwise, no one in the system cares about plight of false rape case accused. I know of at least four more cases within Mumbai where one woman has filed multiple rape cases against different men, alleging false promise of marriage by all in order to either force marriage or extortion. I had personally written to the Mumbai police commissioner to form a special investigation team to look into one such case, but there was no response. It is a tragedy that and police, who are themselves custodians of law are abusing rape laws. If they are not shying away from misusing law to commit extortion, imagine what regular people would be doing. Lives are being destroyed due to false rape cases. I have worked on cases where men are victims of serial rape case filers who have filed anything from three to 19 rape cases only to extort money and police has taken no action. It is time to stop this menace. I hope the chief minister takes cognisance of this case and orders an inquiry into all such cases across Maharashtra. 'Allegations are baseless' Meanwhile, Tukaram Nimbalkar, the police officer who arrested Sambare, stated, "All the allegations against me are false and baseless. The Human Rights Commission has also conducted an inquiry into the matter. The ACP of Vashi division had carried out an investigation, but the report did not support the claims made by the complainant [Sambare]. Now that the court has ordered an inquiry, the truth will finally come to light. Asked why Sambare's bank account was frozen, he said, "The accused was absconding, which necessitated this action."
17 March,2025 03:27 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanFour people have been arrested in Thane for allegedly attempting to extort Rs 50 lakh from a former councillor after blackmailing him, officers said on Monday. According to news agency PTI, the complainant is a former councillor from the Kulgaon Badlapur Municipal Council. He had received an objectionable photograph of himself with a woman. The sender of the message allegedly demanded Rs 50 lakh from him to not make the photo viral, a police release said. Last month, the former councillor approached the police, following which they worked on various leads and arrested a 32-year-old man from Badlapur area in Thane on March 15, the release further stated.Based on his interrogation, the police subsequently arrested three of his associates, PTI reported. The accused had earlier been involved in dacoity, drug-related and other criminal cases, the police added. Thane court acquits three men in extortion and murder conspiracy case A court in Thane has acquitted three men accused of attempting to extorty money and conspiring to murder a man, citing lack of substantial evidence to support the charges. According to PTI, Principal District and Sessions Judge SB Agrawal passed the order on March 4, stating that the prosecution failed to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt. A copy of the order was made available last week. As per PTI, the prosecution alleged that the accused, identified as Mohmmed Arafat alias Guddu alias Sayko alias Chikna Arif Lokhandwala and Javed Umardin Mansoori, both aged 40, and Shakir Umardin Mansoori, 46, all residents of Shanti Nagar in the Mira Road area of Maharashtra’s Thane district, conspired to extort Rs 25 lakh from the complainant. The alleged conspiracy took place between December 5, 2021, and March 20, 2022. The prosecution claimed that the accused had been closely monitoring the complainant’s movements, gathering details about his residence, office, and vehicle, and sharing the information with their associates via WhatsApp. They also allegedly received two pistols and live cartridges as part of the plot. However, the police's Anti-Extortion Cell apprehended them before the plan could be carried out, according to PTI reports. During the trial, the defence counsel challenged the prosecution’s version, highlighting inconsistencies and questioning the credibility of the evidence. The court observed that the forensic reports failed to establish the involvement of the accused in the crime. The video footage and photographs presented by the prosecution did not clearly identify the accused, nor was there any conclusive proof that they had contacted the complainant directly to demand the extortion money. Furthermore, the court noted that the prosecution was unable to establish ownership or usage of the seized documents, SIM cards, and USB drives by the accused. The court stated that there was no direct evidence linking the accused to the extortion attempt or the alleged conspiracy to commit murder. As a result, the court ruled that the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence to substantiate the charges. Consequently, the court acquitted all three accused — Lokhandwala, Shakir Mansoori, and Javed Mansoori — of the charges of extortion and criminal conspiracy. (With PTI inputs)
17 March,2025 11:45 AM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentArunachalam Ullahanathan, a wanted accused in the New India Cooperative Bank scam, surrendered to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) officials after evading arrest for over a month. According to EOW officials, Ullahanathan was taken into custody after surrendering in Mumbai and was subsequently produced before the Esplanade court. The 62-year-old, who worked as an electrical contractor, had met the key accused former General Manager Hitesh Mehta before becoming involved in the New India Cooperative Bank fraud. Authorities allege that Mehta misappropriated Rs 40 crore and handed it over to Ullahanathan. “The main accused, Hitesh Mehta, confessed that he had given Rs 40 crore to Arunachalam,” a police officer said. (Left) Hitesh Mehta, former GM of the New India Co-operative Bank produced in the Esplanade court. FILE PIC/ASHISH RAJE Following this, Ullahanathan allegedly transferred Rs 15 crore to his son, Manohar. “The father handed over the money to his son. We arrested him, but he couldn’t provide any information about his son’s whereabouts. After a thorough investigation, the court granted him judicial custody,” police added. Investigators revealed that Ullahanathan initially came into contact with Mehta while working on an electrical project at the bank’s Prabhadevi branch. “He worked as a contractor and had approached Mehta for payment regarding an electrical job. It was then that Mehta informed him about the misappropriated funds and handed over the cash. We suspect they first met in 2013,” the police officer said. On February 16, Ullahanathan went absconding, prompting EOW officials to issue a lookout circular (LOC). Authorities suspected he had fled abroad and even announced a reward for information leading to his arrest. However, on Sunday, he surrendered near Crawford Market, after which officials took him into custody. This marks the sixth arrest in the Rs 40 crore embezzlement case. On Friday, police arrested Kapil Dedhia, who allegedly received Rs 12 crore from the misappropriated funds. “A portion of the money was given to Dedhia by Arunachalam,” police disclosed. Ullahanathan has been remanded to police custody until March 18.
17 March,2025 10:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheMumbai Customs on Sunday said that it seized Rs 8.47 crore worth of gold at Mumbai airport in multiple operations over the week. It said that between March 13 and 15, Mumbai Customs officers at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport seized a huge quantity of 24KT gold in four different cases. The officials said that in total, 10.923 kg of gold was recovered which is valued at approximately Rs 8.47 crore in the market. In one of the cases, the Mumbai Customs officials stopped an airport staff member on suspicion and found six oval-shaped capsules containing gold dust in wax hidden in the pockets of his pants. "The total gross weight of the recovered gold was 2936 grams, and the net weight was 2800 grams, valued at Rs 2.28 crore. The airport staff member was arrested under the Customs Act, 1962," said an official. In an another operation, an airport staff member, working in the international departure area, was intercepted by Customs officers. Seven oval-shaped capsules containing gold dust in wax were concealed in his underwear. The total gross weight was 3031 grams, and the net weight was 2900 grams. "The seized gold values at Rs 2.36 crore in the matter. The staff member was later placed under arrested," said the official statement. In one of the operations, during the night shift, a third airport staff member was stopped, and Mumbai Customs officers recovered two pouches containing 24KT gold dust in wax from his undergarment. The total gross weight was 1687 grams, and the net weight was 1610 grams, valued at Rs 1.31 crore. Further investigation led to the arrest of three individuals, including the airport staff member, the officials said. They said that, in a separate case, while inspecting garbage bags from an international flight, the officials from the Mumbai Customs department discovered two black pouches containing gold dust in wax inside the trash. The pouches weighed 3.269 kg gross and 3.120 kg net, valued at Rs 2.53 crore. "The gold was concealed in the garbage from the aircraft’s lavatories and pantry, the officials said, adding that in all four cases, the seized gold was confiscated under the Customs Act, 1962 and further investigations were ongoing.
16 March,2025 10:05 PM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanA domestic help has filed a complaint against her employer for allegedly raping her in Goregaon area of Mumbai, the police said on Sunday, adding that the accused is on the run and efforts were on to nab him, reported the IANS. The victim has alleged that she was repeatedly raped by her employer on at least two occasions at her employer's house in Bangur Nagar area of Goregaon in norther Mumbai, police said. She told the police that the sexual assaults took place while the family members of the accused were away from home, the police said, the IANS reported. According to the IANS, the family of the 35-year-old woman registered the rape case on Saturday at Bangur Nagar Police Station, following which she was taken for a medical test, an official said. The 40-year-old accused raped the domestic help on two successive days in the past fortnight and threatened her not to tell anyone about it or else he would harm her physically, police said, the news agency reported. The suspect has been booked under section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) that deal with rape and criminal intimidation, police said. After the accused raped the victim on the first day, the victim was petrified and avoided mentioning the incident to anyone in her family. The accused, allegedly took advantage of her silence and raped her the next day as well while his family members were away, the police said, as per the IANS. A police official said that the woman did not muster the courage to go to work on the third day and quit the part-time domestic help job at the accused's house. On Saturday, when the victim’s family inquired about her decision to stop working and staying home for some days, she opened up and told them about the horrific incident at her employer’s home, the police said, according to the IANS. Thereafter, her family did not waste any time and filed a rape complaint at Bangur Nagar Police Station. The police registered a case and has began to search and nab the accused. (with IANS inputs)
16 March,2025 06:13 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
