A 38-year-old man who escaped from Navi Mumbai police custody after being arrested in connection with a flesh trade case has been apprehended from his native village in West Bengal, an official said on Thursday, as per PTI reports. According to PTI, the accused has been identified as Sahil alias Shain Shirajul Mandal. He was initially arrested on March 14 and lodged at the Nerul police station lock-up in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, senior inspector Prithviraj Ghorpade of the anti-human trafficking cell stated. However, Mandal managed to escape from police custody at around 6.30 am on March 15, prompting a thorough investigation to track him down, the official said, as per PTI. Following his escape, the police launched a search operation and worked on multiple leads using intelligence and technical inputs to trace his whereabouts. PTI reports that the police received a tip-off indicating that the accused had fled to West Bengal. Acting on this information, a police team was dispatched to West Bengal to track down the fugitive. After an intensive search, Mandal was traced to his native village of Pitaari in Uttar Dinajpur district. The accused was arrested on March 18 and subsequently transported back to Navi Mumbai, the official confirmed, as per PTI. Upon his return, Mandal was produced before a local court, which remanded him in police custody until March 21 for further investigation, PTI reported. The accused has been charged under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, the police said, according to PTI. Further investigation into the case is ongoing to determine how the accused managed to escape from custody and whether any lapses occurred on the part of the police. Police officials have also stated that they are reviewing security measures at the lock-up to prevent similar incidents in the future. Authorities are examining whether Mandal had any assistance during his escape or if any procedural violations contributed to the security breach, as per PTI reports. The successful apprehension of the accused reflects the coordinated efforts of the Navi Mumbai police and the intelligence team. The case highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement in handling sensitive cases related to human trafficking and ensuring the security of those in custody. (With inputs from PTI)
20 March,2025 12:57 PM IST | MumbaiA 45-year-old resident of Ulhasnagar died after his friends allegedly directed a high-pressure water hose at his rectum during Holi celebrations on March 14. The man was admitted to KEM hospital on the same day, but died of complications two days later on March 16, the Kalyan Taluka police said. The victim worked at the venue along with his ‘friends,’ who were also employed there. The accused have been identified as Manish Chaitamani, 36, Krishna Singh, 46, and Saurabh Chanda, 30, all residents of Ulhasnagar. They were playing Holi together on Rang Panchami at the venue and had consumed alcohol,” said Suresh Kadam, police inspector, Kalyan Taluka police. “When one of them noticed a water pipe lying on the lawn. He picked it up while the other two pushed the victim to the ground and separated his legs. They were all in high spirits, laughing, unaware that their actions could be fatal,” Kadam said. Victim was declared dead on Mar 16. Representation pic/iStock He further explained, “The pipe was a high-pressure hose, so even though they couldn’t insert it into the rectum as they had intended, the force of the water was directed inside the victim’s body. Within minutes, he fell unconscious.” The victim was first taken to the Super Speciality Hospital under the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) in Shahad. However, due to his critical condition, he was referred elsewhere. His friends took him to multiple clinics before he was eventually transferred to KEM Hospital, Parel. He received treatment at KEM Hospital from March 15 until the evening of March 16, when he was declared dead. “According to doctors, there were no external injuries, but multiple internal injuries and organ damage due to water entering his body,” Kadam added. On March 16, hospital authorities alerted the Bhoiwada police, who registered a zero FIR. The case was then transferred to Kalyan Taluka police since the crime had occurred in their jurisdiction. On March 17, police arrested the three accused, who were presented in court and remanded to police custody for four days. All three have been booked for murder. In a similar incident from 2015, a 32-year-old car washer in India died after a colleague inserted a high-pressure air hose into his rectum as a prank. The victim, identified as Shankar Mandal, was working at a car service centre in Kolkata when a coworker playfully inserted the hose and turned it on. The force of the compressed air caused severe internal injuries, leading to Mandal’s death. The accused was arrested, and police classified the act as an accident rather than intentional murder. Mar 17The day the trio was arrested
20 March,2025 09:26 AM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya IyerPolice seized 286.68 kg ganja valued at Rs 71.68 lakh after raiding a tenement in the Bandra area of Mumbai and arrested a 36-year-old man, an official said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI. The accused, identified as Imran Kamaluddin Ansari, had allegedly brought the cannabis for selling it to customers, an official said, reported PTI. The seizure was made from a chawl (tenement) situated on K C Road in Bandra (west), reported PTI. A case was registered at Bandra police station. The crime branch is investigating the case, the official said. Rs 6.5 lakh ganja seized from tempo in Thane Police have seized ganja valued at Rs 6.52 lakh from a tempo lying abandoned in Thane city of Maharashtra, officials said on Tuesday, reported PTI. Some police personnel spotted the unattended vehicle on Retibunder-Shilphata Road here on March 15. During inspection, they found a large quantity of ganja, valued at Rs 6.52 lakh, inside the tempo. The contraband was being illegally transported, an official from Mumbra police station said, reported PTI. The vehicle was also seized. Authorities have intensified efforts to trace the tempo's owner and driver and crack down on the drug network operating in the region, the police said, reported PTI. A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, they added. Navi Mumbai Police destroys seized drugs worth around Rs 10 crore In February, the Navi Mumbai Police in Maharashtra said that it destroyed seized drugs worth around Rs 10 crore. The destruction of drugs took place at Waste Management Ltd in Taloja MIDC, with senior officials present to oversee the process, an official said. The action followed the police's efforts over the past year. In 2023-2024, the Navi Mumbai police registered 1,143 narcotics-related cases and arrested 1,743 people involved in drug-related activities. These arrests resulted in the seizure of drugs worth Rs 56 crore, said an official. Among those arrested were 111 African nationals and 224 Bangladeshi citizens, with drugs worth Rs 38 crore recovered from them, an official statement said. The drugs destruction process was attended by prominent leaders including Ganesh Naik, Minister of Forests, Maharashtra; Prashant Thakur, MLA; and Milind Bharambe, Police Commissioner of Navi Mumbai. (With inputs from PTI)
19 March,2025 10:43 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTwo Mumbai Police personnel were arrested for allegedly accepting a Rs 20,000 bribe for releasing a car impounded for the investigation in a road accident case, an ACB official said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI. The main accused, Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Sunil Desai, had allegedly demanded Rs 35,000 from the complainant who was booked in a road accident case and his car impounded, reported PTI. After negotiations, Desai allegedly agreed to accept Rs 20,000, the official said. He said the ACB stepped in after receiving a complaint against Desai. ACB officials arrested Constable Shendge for accepting the bribe on Tuesday. Desai was also held, reported PTI. The duo is attached to the MHB police station. They were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Further investigations are underway, the official added. Bombay HC denies pre-arrest bail to sessions court judge booked for bribery The Bombay High Court on Monday refused pre-arrest bail to a sessions court judge booked in a bribery case, reported PTI. Satara District and Sessions Judge Dhananjay Nikam was booked by the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 5 lakh to grant bail in a cheating case, reported PTI. A single bench of Justice N R Borkar, which had heard the matter in chamber as it involved a judicial officer, rejected the application saying it was not inclined to grant any relief. A copy of the detailed order will be available later. Nikam had approached HC in January seeking anticipatory bail claiming innocence and that he was implicated in the case. The petition, filed through advocate Viresh Purwant, said the FIR does not show any direct demand or acceptance of money by Nikam. It claimed he was neither aware of meetings between the complainant and other accused nor that the complainant was related to the accused seeking bail, reported PTI. The plea further said Nikam was on leave or deputation on key dates, which raises doubts about the allegations. As per the complaint lodged by a woman, her father, a civilian defence employee, is in judicial custody for allegedly cheating someone under the pretext of offering a government job. After a lower court denied him bail, the woman filed a fresh bail application in the Satara sessions court, which was to be heard by Nikam. The ACB alleged that two private individuals, Kishor Sambhaji Kharat from Mumbai and Anand Mohan Kharat from Satara, demanded Rs 5 lakh from the woman at Nikam's behest for a favourable order, reported PTI. The ACB claimed the bribe demand was verified during their investigation between December 3 and 9, 2024 confirming that Nikam, in collusion with Kishor Kharat and Anand Kharat, sought the bribe. The ACB has booked Nikam, Kishor Kharat, Anand Kharat and an unidentified individual under the Prevention of Corruption Act, reported PTI. Nikam, in his petition, said he neither avoided hearing the bail application nor made any promise of favourable orders. The petition also claimed no such bail orders were passed during the period. (With inputs from PTI)
19 March,2025 10:28 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA local court in Mumbai has issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against New India Co-operative (NIC) Bank's former chairman Hiren Bhanu and his wife Gauri Bhanu, the officials said on Wednesday, reported the PTI. The two has fled the country just before the Rs 122 crore embezzlement case came to light last month, officials said. The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police, which is investigating the case, has so far arrested seven persons in connection with the case, an official said. "The bank's former chairman and vice chairman, Hiren Bhanu and his wife Gauri Bhanu, are wanted accused in the case. But they left the country on January 26 and February 10 respectively," he said, according to the PTI. As both are out of country and locating them was necessary for the probe of the case, a 'Blue Corner Notice' has been issued against them earlier, he said. "While investigating the case, the EOW had submitted an application before the court about issuing a non-bailable warrant against the Bhanu couple. Accordingly, the court has issued a non-bailable warrant against the couple," he said, as per the PTI. The EOW's probe team failed to find the couple at their known addresses, he said. The search was conducted at their owned and rented apartments in south Mumbai, the official said. According to him, another accused, Unnathan Arunachalam, was hiding in Bihar before being arrested. The police have said that Rs 122 crore were siphoned off from the safes of the bank's Prabhadevi and Goregaon offices in Mumbai. Former General Manager and Head of Accounts at the bank, Hitesh Mehta, was arrested on February 15, following which six other accused were held. Last week, the Mumbai Police conducted a polygraph test on Mehta. According to EOW sources, the test results indicate possible deception in Mehta's responses. The police authorities are probing further financial transactions and possible involvement of more individuals in the large-scale scam, the official said. He added that more arrests in the coming days were very likely as the investigation in the matter further progresses, the news agency reported. (with PTI inputs)
19 March,2025 08:54 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn a shocking incident, a 16-year-old minor college student allegedly fatally stabbed a 20-year-old youth in Vasari Hill Road in Malad area of Mumbai, the police officials said on Wednesday. According to the police sources, the incident took place in the wee hours between 1:45 am and 2 am near in Vasari Hill Road, Malad West. The suspect allegedly stabbed the deceased, identified as Anyant Singh, multiple times on the head, throat, back, and abdomen with a sharp knife before fleeing the scene. Locals rushed Singh to the hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival, officials said. Following the incident, the Malad police registered a case against the suspect and began investigations under the guidance of DCP Anand Bhoite (Zone XI) and police Inspector Arvind Ghag. API Deepak Raiwade, PSI Tushar Sukhdev, and their detection team initiated an investigation and apprehended the accused within four hours, an official said. The police were shocked to discover that the suspect in the brutal murder case was only 16 years and 5 months old, who was detained by the police, said an official. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the crime and revealed that the deceased, along with his friends, had allegedly assaulted him outside the college sometime ago, sources said. They said that the group had also recorded a video of the assault, which was later made viral on social media. As a result, the suspect faced widespread humiliation and was deeply angered. Seeking revenge, he attacked Anyant when they came face to face yesterday, recalling all the past incidents. Further investigation revealed that the suspect was a 12th-grade student at a college in Malad, while the deceased worked at a garbage cleaning unit. The deceased was part of a group that included several local boys, some of whom also studied at the same college as the accused. In January, Anyant and his friends allegedly attacked the accused outside the college, beat him up, and made the video go viral, which was later broadcast on news television channels. The viral video had a profound impact on the accused, leaving him deeply angered towards Anyant and his friends. This lingering resentment is believed to have led to the fatal attack, said an officer from the Malad police station. A case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and since the suspect is a minor, he has been sent to a correctional home, he said. Further investigation in the matter was underway, said senior inspector Vijaykumar Panhale Malad police station.
19 March,2025 08:38 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA special Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act court in Thane district of Maharashtra has sentenced a bus driver to life imprisonment for raping a four-year-old girl and trying to kill her in December 2020, reported the PTI. The court also imposed a fine of Rs 60,000 on 39-year-old accused, who worked as driver of a private bus, in the verdict delivered on Tuesday. The amount shall be paid to the victim as a compensation, said judge D S Deshmukh of the special court for cases under the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act. According to the PTI, special public prosecutor Sandhya H Mhatre told the court that on December 4, 2020, when the girl was playing near her house in Bhayander area of the district, the accused abducted her in his bus and raped her, and later tried to kill her by strangulating her. Thinking that she was dead, he put her in a gunny sack and dumped her on the road, as per the PTI. A passersby rescued the girl, who narrated the incident to her parents. Accused was arrested on the same day. The prosecution proved all charges against the accused beyond reasonable doubt, the judge said. A total of 17 prosecution witnesses were examined during the trial, said advocate Mhatre, the news agency reported on Wednesday. Thane court sentences man to 20 years RI for sexually assault of 6-year-old girl Meanwhile, in an another incident, a special court in Thane district sentenced a man to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment for aggravated sexual assault of a six-year-old girl, reported the PTI. Special judge D S Deshmukh found the 38-year-old accused, a resident of Bhayandar, guilty of charges under sections 376 (Rape) and 376 (AB) (rape on a woman under twelve years of age) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. A copy of the order passed last week was made available on Tuesday. Public prosecutor Rekha Hiwrale said the incident occurred on February 11, 2021, in Bhayander. The victim's mother discovered her daughter was missing when she returned home from work and was informed that the accused, their neighbour, had taken her out for a snack. The girl was found in the accused's house with two notes of Rs 10 in her hand. She later told her mother that the accused had given her money, removed her pants and touched her inappropriately. A complaint was lodged against the accused, who was arrested the next day. The court, in the order, stated, "The act of sexual assault on the child is to be viewed seriously, and such offences are to be dealt with in a stringent manner," according to the PTI. The judge acknowledged the accused's plea for leniency, citing his prolonged detention since 2021 and his family's dependence on him. "The accused submitted that he is now 38 years old. For the last more than four years, he has been in jail. He is the only earning member of the family. He has elderly parents, a wife and children. These facts have to be taken into consideration at the time of awarding the sentence to the accused," he said, as per the PTI. He, however, cited the statutory mandate of the POCSO Act and sentenced the accused to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000, with an additional three months of simple imprisonment in case of default, according to the PTI. The judge ordered that the time that the accused has spent in jail since his arrest be taken into account for his sentence, as per the PTI. (with PTI inputs)
19 March,2025 07:49 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentAn official on Wednesday said that the Thane police have registered a case against two persons for allegedly duping a Kerala man of Rs 2.5 lakh promising to get him a job in the shipping industry, reported news agency PTI. In his complaint to the Naupada police, the 24-year-old Kerala man from Ernakulam said accused Siddhi and Roshan, who posed as officials of a ship management company, had convinced him that they could secure a job for him in South Africa, reported PTI. Trusting them, the complainant visited the duo in Thane, paid them Rs 2.5 lakh and handed over his original passport and Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC), an essential document for seafarers, reported PTI. However, he never got any confirmation about the job. When his attempts to get back his money and documents failed, he filed a police complaint in Thane on Monday, the official said. A probe is underway to find out if the accused, who are absconding, have cheated more people with similar promises, he added. Two booked for cheating construction contractor of Rs 5 lakh in Thane district A case has been registered in Maharashtra's Thane district against two persons who allegedly cheated a construction contractor of Rs 5 lakh by promising him work under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), police said on Tuesday, reported PTI. Police on Sunday registered a first information report (FIR) against the accused, Rajesh Varma (Kuril), a resident of Mumbai, and Mukesh Kadam from Kalwa, under section 420 (cheating) and other relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, an official said, reported PTI. He said that the accused approached the complainant in September 2021, offering to secure a government construction contract for him, and he handed over Rs 5 lakh to them. Over the years, the duo failed to help him get a project under the PMAY and refused to return the money, the official said, adding that a probe is underway. Retd company president duped of Rs 75 lakh by bank wealth manager A retired president of a company was allegedly duped of Rs 75 lakh by the wealth manager of a private bank known to him who promised him lucrative returns on share market investment, Mumbai Police said on Tuesday, reported PTI. The victim had a salary account with a private bank where the accused worked as a wealth manager. He gained the trust of the victim over the past ten years, police said. The accused assured a 12 per cent return if the retired executive invested his money in shares who ended up transferring Rs 75 lakh from his savings and fixed deposits between August 2023 and November 2024, reported PTI. The victim stated in the FIR that he didn't receive any returns on his money. As the accused hesitated to return his money and stopped taking his calls, he approached Juhu Police, an official said. Police registered a case of fraud and launched a search for the wealth manager. (With inputs from PTI)
19 March,2025 06:04 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA 54-year-old anaesthetist has been arrested for making sexual advances and molesting his female doctor at a well-known hospital in Vasai. A source at the hospital told Mid-Day that the accused doctor is a qualified intensivist. “He is MD in Intensive Care,” said a highly placed source at the hospital. The survivor has alleged that the accused doctor would switch off the CCTV cameras at the hospital before making sexual advances and molesting her. According to the complainant’s statement to police, the accused had been sexually harassing her for the last two years. She claims that the accused, a fellow senior male doctor, regularly demanded sexual favours in exchange for promising better career prospects. The complainant, a 35-year-old female doctor, has been employed at the same hospital for the last few years. “According to her statement, the accused would use their position of power and influence within the hospital to coerce or pressure her into complying with these demands, insinuating that her career advancement—such as promotions, opportunities for research, or better job assignments—depended on her acquiescence,” zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Pournima Chougule-Shringi told Mid-Day. The complainant told police that his repeated sexual advances and offers were made under the guise of professional or career-related incentives, creating a hostile and manipulative work environment. “Though she had made an internal complaint at the hospital in January, she did not get a satisfactory response. So, she approached us and we immediately registered a molestation case against the male doctor at Vasaigaon police station on Monday and arrested the accused,” the DCP Pournima added. “The police said that the survivor had been tolerating the sexual harassment for the last two years,” she said. The accused is in police custody for further investigation.
19 March,2025 05:04 PM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar SharmaThe Maharashtra government on Wednesday told the Bombay High Court that it wants to challenge the entire proceedings in the Thane sessions court concerning a magisterial inquiry report on the death of Badlapur sexual assault case accused. The government also said that the sessions court has not extended its earlier order keeping in abeyance the findings of the magistrate's inquiry report. In the report, the magistrate had held five policemen responsible for the death of the 24-year-old Badlapur case accused. The state had earlier this month filed a petition in HC against the sessions court order that kept in abeyance the findings of the magistrate. Public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar on Wednesday told a single bench of Justice R N Laddha that the government now wants to amend its petition to challenge the validity of the entire proceedings pending before the sessions court. The sessions court interim order was passed on applications filed by the five policemen against the magistrate's inquiry report. Venegaonkar said the government's petitions had earlier only challenged the interim order passed by the sessions court. "The sessions court has not extended its order. So now technically there is no stay. The government wants to amend its petitions to challenge the entire proceedings pending before the sessions court," he said. The inquiry initiated by the magistrate was an administrative process and not a judicial process and hence a revision application could not have been filed by the five policemen, Venegaonkar said. He added that a division bench of HC is also seized of the matter concerning the case and hence it was not proper for the sessions court to hear the policemen's application and pass order. Justice Laddha allowed the government to amend its pleas, issued notice to the five policemen and posted the matter for further hearing on May 7. The magistrate had in the inquiry report submitted to HC last month raised suspicion on the claims made by the five policemen that they had to shoot at the accused in self-defence after he allegedly snatched one of their guns while being escorted in a police van from Taloja prison to Kalyan. The magistrate said the policemen were in a position to control the situation and the use of force was not justified. The five policemen then filed an application before the sessions court in Thane against the magistrate's inquiry report. The sessions court in an interim order kept on abeyance the findings of the report pending the final hearing of the application. The government in its applications had said the sessions court order was ¿wrong and illegal¿ and that the judge had erred in keeping in abeyance the findings of the magistrate report. It further said that the sessions court had failed to consider the fact that the HC was seized of the matter related to the alleged encounter of the accused. The deceased accused was arrested in August 2024 for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor girls inside the toilet of a school in Badlapur. He was an attendant at the school. On September 23, 2024, he was killed in an alleged police shootout while being taken from the Taloja prison for questioning. The police claimed he snatched the gun of one of the police personnel in the police van, opened fire, and was killed in retaliatory firing. He was shot at by senior police inspector Sanjay Shinde. Assistant Police Inspector Nilesh More, the two constables and the police driver were also present in the police van at the time of the alleged shootout. The accused was being taken for questioning in connection with a case lodged against him by his wife. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
19 March,2025 04:40 PM IST | Mumbai | PTIA railway vigilance staffer was physically assaulted on board Mumbai-Manmad Panchavati Express train by a group of unruly Monthly Season Ticket (MST) holders who misbehaved with him before beating him, the officials said. The staffer was identified as Chief Vigilance Inspector Shailesh Dubey. The incident was also filmed and it has gone viral on social media. According to Western Railway officials, before the video was taken, the MST holders had punched and kicked the vigilance staff. When Dubey attempted to stop the passengers, one of them began recording the altercation. The incident occurred in coach C2, where certain MST holders had previously created a "hostile environment," preventing other passengers from entering the coach, starting fights, and disturbing the peace. On Tuesday, the situation escalated further when a few aggressive MST holders physically attacked Dubey as he was leaving the coach. This incident was witnessed by on-duty Ticket-Checking Staff (TTEs) NR Sonewale and Rupesh Jadhav. Western Railway has condemned the attack and is taking strict legal action against the offenders. An FIR is being filed against the passengers involved in the assault, the officials said. The railway authorities said that the matter was being discussed to implement checks and preventive measures to avoid such incidents in the future.
18 March,2025 08:44 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarADVERTISEMENT
