A 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. AklekarA man who had been on the run for around 23 years after allegedly murdering a woman has been arrested from Maharashtra's Thane district, the police said on Tuesday, reported the PTI. The 52-year-old accused who has been identified as Mohammad Tarbez Mohammad Idris Ansari, was on Monday apprehended from Dombivli town, where he was living under a fake identity for two decades, an official said, according to the PTI. Ansari was booked for allegedly killing his sister-in-law and also kidnapping his nephew, an official said. According to the police, Ansari had allegedly killed his younger brother's first wife and kidnapped his five-month-old nephew in Virar town of Palghar district in 2002. Senior Inspector Aviraj Kurhade of the Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar (MBVV) said that on June 6, 2002, the accused and his brother's second wife, Afrin Banu, allegedly brutally murdered 30-year-old Shabana Parvin by slitting her throat with a sharp weapon, and they also kidnapped her five-month-old son. The Virar Police in Palghar district of Maharashtra had registered a case under IPC sections 302 (murder), 363 (kidnapping), and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), he said, as per the PTI. The victim was the first wife of Ansari's younger brother, and Afrin Banu was the latter's second wife, the official said, reported the PTI. The police investigations revealed that Ansari was opposed to his younger brother's marriage to the victim and later forced him to marry Afrin Banu, he said. Assistant police inspector Datta Sarak said that the police received a tip-off that the accused was hiding in Dombivli, and they raided his rented room on Monday, as per the PTI. He said that the accused had initially fled to Lucknow, where he lived for three years, before relocating to Dombivli in Thane district, where he spent the last 20 years under a false identity. According to the police, the second accused, Afrin Banu, surrendered in 2015 but was acquitted due to lack of evidence. The kidnapped child, now a 23-year-old man, currently lives with his father and stepmother in Lucknow, the news agency reported. (with PTI inputs)
18 March,2025 08:05 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentMore than 50 individuals have been taken into custody, and five First Information Reports (FIRs) have been lodged in connection with the recent violence that broke out in Maharashtra’s Nagpur city, according to PTI reports. The violence erupted on Monday evening, prompting a swift police response to contain the unrest. As per PTI, Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Singal confirmed that the disturbances began after rumours circulated about the alleged burning of a holy book belonging to a particular community. The unrest reportedly stemmed from an agitation by a right-wing group demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb, located in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Singal said, “The police have taken more than 50 persons into custody and registered five FIRs at various police stations in connection with the violence.” He added that the police acted swiftly to prevent the situation from escalating further. Nagpur Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule held a review meeting with the police commissioner and the district collector to assess the situation. According to PTI, Bawankule highlighted that social media was misused to incite tensions and vitiate the atmosphere. He urged political parties not to exploit the situation for political gains and appealed to all communities to maintain peace and harmony. "Social media was used to vitiate the atmosphere and there was no failure on the part of the home department. The police acted as a shield between the Hindu and Muslim communities during the violence, and several policemen sustained injuries while managing the situation," Bawankule said, as per PTI. Bawankule also reassured the public that the situation in Nagpur is currently under control, though tensions remain high in some areas. "The situation is a little tense, but there is peace in the city with an adequate police force deployed," he stated. According to PTI, local authorities have intensified security measures across sensitive areas in Nagpur to prevent any further escalation. Police patrols have been increased, and additional forces have been stationed at key points to maintain order. The five FIRs registered pertain to charges of rioting, damage to public property, and assault on police personnel. Officials have confirmed that they are working to identify other individuals involved in the violence through CCTV footage and witness statements. (With inputs from PTI)
18 March,2025 04:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentMandvi Police have recovered the torso of a woman whose severed head was found in a suitcase last week in the Virar, Palghar district. The woman, identified as Utpala alias Soma Das, was allegedly killed by her husband, Harish Hipparagi, on January 8. Hipparagi purportedly decapitated her near a drain along the Virar-Nalasopara Link Road, where he dumped her torso stuffed in a bag. According to police sources, the chilling case came to light on the evening of March 13 when local children discovered an abandoned suitcase near the Pirkunda Dargah area of Virar in Palghar district. Out of curiosity, the children opened the suitcase and were horrified to find a human head inside. Shocked by the gruesome discovery, they immediately alerted the local authorities. Mandvi Police quickly arrived at the scene and launched an investigation into the matter. A forensic team was also called in to collect evidence from the crime scene for further examination. As per police reports, the investigation soon led to the arrest of Harish Hipparagi. The police revealed that Hipparagi murdered his wife on January 8 and cut off her head. He then dumped her torso in a drain near the Virar-Nalasopara Link Road in Palghar district and later concealed the severed head in a suitcase, which he disposed of several kilometres away near the Pirkunda Dargah at Virar Phata. Following Hipparagi’s arrest, the police subjected him to intense interrogation. Based on the information he provided, the Mandvi Police, with assistance from fire officials, managed to locate the torso from the drain. "The act was brutal and calculated," said a police officer involved in the investigation. "We are now conducting DNA tests to confirm the identity and match the head with the torso."
18 March,2025 04:14 PM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar SharmaA dispute over a pet dog bite in Thane city escalated into a violent altercation, leaving a 45-year-old man severely injured, according to the police. As per PTI reports, the incident took place on March 14 in Balkum Pada, where the victim, a resident of the locality, was bitten by his neighbour’s pet dog. Following the incident, the victim confronted the dog’s owner, advising him to keep the animal under control to prevent such incidents in the future, an officer from the Kapurbawdi Police Station said. The discussion soon turned heated, leading to a quarrel between the two neighbours. According to PTI, the dog’s owner, in a fit of rage, allegedly assaulted the victim with a cricket bat. The sudden escalation of the argument into physical violence left the victim with serious injuries. The injured man was promptly rushed to a nearby hospital, where he is undergoing treatment for his injuries, PTI reports. The extent of the injuries has not been disclosed, but officials confirmed that the victim suffered grievous harm due to the attack. Political meddling stifling dog birth control programme in Mumbai, allege activists While BMC records show 14,954 dog sterilisations in 2023, animal activist Santosh Shirke has claimed that sterilisations surgeries conducted under the dog birth control programme have actually plummeted from 24,000 in 2017, to under 12,000 in 2023. Shirke attributes the alarming decline to undue political interference and manipulation of tenders in municipal corporations. Shirke, who is based in Pune and represents the Federation of Animal Welfare Organisations, has raised serious concerns over the dwindling numbers of dog sterilisation surgeries across Maharashtra and other parts of the country. In a letter to the chief minister, he has alleged gross negligence by civic officials. “The federation is seeking nothing extraordinary. We need to balance human rights and animal welfare. Such political interference and constant pressure is leading to citizens taking laws into their own hands, resulting in the brutal treatment of dogs and puppies,” said Santosh Shirke, secretary, Federation of Animal Welfare Organisations. “For the last several years, the number of birth control surgeries for dogs per month has been going down drastically. This has led to a rise in dog bites,” said Manoj Oswal, president of Janice Smith Animal Welfare Trust. Political influence Shirke and Oswal alleged that certain political leaders seek absolute control over the “lucrative” dog control programme, focusing on high-budget cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune. These leaders have allegedly written direct letters to municipal commissioners, pressuring them to allocate tenders to specific organisations while side-lining others. “In many instances, municipal commissioners have been compelled to transfer tenders to non-bidding parties or lower-ranked bidders (L2/L3) while bypassing the legitimate winners. In some cases, work orders have been suspended or stopped entirely due to political pressure,” said Shirke. Call for transparency Animal welfare advocates and civic activists are demanding an independent inquiry into the alleged manipulation of municipal tenders. They insist on transparency in awarding contracts to ensure that experienced and qualified organisations handle dog sterilisation efforts rather than politically favoured entities with no expertise. According to the guidelines laid down by the Animal Welfare Board of India, the number of dogs can be controlled only if 30 per cent of the dogs are sterilised every year. Considering the current stray dog population in Mumbai, it is necessary to sterilise 32,000-34,000 dogs every year and a minimum of 365 dogs every month. Rising dog bite cases Data from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Deonar Abattoir office reveals a sharp rise in reported dog bite cases in Mumbai from 2020 to 2023. Obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act last year, the data has raised serious concerns about public safety and animal welfare. Social activist Jeetendra Ghadge, who filed the RTI and is part of The Young Whistleblowers Foundation, said, “The rising cases show the failure of sterilisation programmes. I haven’t received 2024 data yet, but I’m sure cases have increased. The stray dog population is growing, and I see no intervention from the civic body.” Neal Shah, a Charni Road resident, said, “I have been feeding dogs for the past decade and currently feed at least 80 to 100 dogs daily. I started with five to ten dogs, but the number gradually increased. Whenever I see a rise in the number of stray dogs, I report this to animal NGOs and the BMC, which helps get them sterilised. However, dog bites increase when animals are hungry or unsterilised, and this needs urgent attention from the civic body.” Ghadge added: “BMC should not only address stray dog populations but also establish a dedicated portal for reporting complaints related to cruelty towards stray dogs and also towards pet dogs by their owners.” ‘A serious concern’ Speaking to mid-day, Pawan Sharma, founder and president of Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare, said, “Community animal population is a serious concern across the country, and ABC programmes are the only legal, ethical, and humane solution to address it. Unfortunately, the current focus has been limited to dogs, while other animals such as cats, pigs, mules, donkeys, horses and abandoned cattle continue to multiply unchecked.” “The BMC has the resources and potential to set a benchmark in animal welfare. If executed effectively, its model could be replicated across other cities and towns, significantly improving the conditions of community animals.” (With PTI inputs)
18 March,2025 01:02 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
