Mumbai Police on Saturday opposed the anticipatory bail pleas filed by two executives of a construction firm in connection with the collapse of a parapet segment on an under-construction metro rail line in Mulund, reported the PTI. The incident took place on February 14, when a portion of a concrete parapet of Mumbai Metro Line 4 fell onto moving traffic, killing one person and seriously injuring three others. Following the accident, police registered a case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder, mischief causing damage, and acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention. Alpesh Patel, managing partner, and Ganesh Gholap, technical director of Milan Road Buildtech LLP, approached a sessions court seeking pre-arrest bail, according to the PTI. In their plea, filed through advocate Suvarna Vast, the executives claimed they had no direct involvement in on-site fieldwork and were falsely implicated, the news agency reported. They argued that the site supervisor had instructed a welder not to touch the hooks of the unfinished precast parapet. According to them, the welder ignored these instructions, leading to the collapse, and later fled the scene. The firm stated that its project director and senior staff rushed to assist victims and fully cooperated with investigators, as per the PTI. Police cite safety responsibility In its written reply, Mumbai Police said the two executives were responsible for ensuring proper safety measures at the construction site. Police told the court that if granted bail, the applicants might not cooperate with the investigation. They also pointed out that although the duo were summoned on 16 February to appear with relevant documents, they failed to do so, suggesting they were evading the probe, reported the PTI. Investigators said that the custodial interrogation was necessary to examine possible safety lapses in the project. Alleged shortcut in construction Police further claimed that officials from Milan Road Buildtech and DB Hill-LBG installed parapets without carrying out essential concreting work. According to investigators, the accused were aware that bypassing standard procedures could cause heavy structures to collapse, yet they allegedly proceeded without informing safety authorities, the news agency reported. Describing the case as serious, police said the incident had triggered public anger and could create law and order concerns. Police also opposed the pre-arrest bail plea of project consultant T. Sai Suresh Kumar. Next hearing on February 25 The matter is scheduled to be heard next on February 25. The case has drawn attention to safety standards and accountability in large infrastructure projects across Mumbai, as per the PTI. (with PTI inputs)
21 February,2026 11:31 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentRailway officials on Saturday said that it recovered drugs worth Rs 13.83 crore from an unclaimed bag in the Awadh Express at Bandra Terminus in Mumbai on Saturday and a probe has been launched into the matter. According to the officials, Train No. 19038 arrived at Platform No. 4 at around 4:20 am on February 21. During routine emergency maintenance checks, Constable Mukesh Mangawa noticed a black bag in the rear general (GS) coach at about 6 am. The bag appeared unusually heavy. With the help of a contractual lockman, the bag was brought to Platform No. 4/5 for inspection. Upon opening the bag, officials found clothes and several brown tape-wrapped packets containing black shiny material. Suspecting the substance to be contraband, senior railway protection officials were immediately informed, the officials said. Senior officers from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) reached the spot shortly afterwards, they said. Dog squad confirms narcotics According to the officials, at around 7:15 am, a dog squad was called to examine the bag. A trained narcotics detection dog indicated the presence of drugs. A second dog squad team also verified that the contents were narcotic substances. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) railway team later arrived and conducted a detailed examination at the spot. 31 packets seized In the presence of CCTV surveillance, the bag was formally opened and checked. Officials seized 31 brown tape-wrapped packets containing black shiny material and two shirts and one pair of jeans, said the officials. "The total weight of the suspected charas was found to be 13.834 kilograms. The estimated market value of the seized narcotics is approximately Rs 13.83 crore," an official statement said. Each packet was labelled, sealed and handed over to the GRP for further investigation, it said. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on 21 February 2026. The railway officials said that they have launched an investigation into the matter to identify the owner of the bag and trace the person involved in the transportation and intended destination of the seized drugs.
21 February,2026 10:50 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarA Kurla resident has been booked by Govandi police for allegedly duping a film-industry light technician of Rs 22 lakh by falsely claiming ownership of a BMC-allotted flat. Police said complainant Sajid Shaikh, 34, was searching for a rental home in Govandi in 2023 when he was introduced to the accused through a relative. The man allegedly claimed a room in Samarpan CHS had been allotted to him by BMC in 2012 and showed electricity bills and tax receipts to support the claim. Sajid and his wife moved in November 2023 after paying a Rs 22 lakh deposit for a 36-month agreement and lived there for seven months believing the tenancy was legal. On June 6, 2024, BMC officials with police visited and informed them the flat had never been allotted to the accused, forcing them to vacate immediately. “Our belongings and we were suddenly on the road. We already had EMIs to pay, no savings left, and nowhere to go,” Sajid said. When he sought a refund, the accused allegedly issued a Rs 23 lakh cheque that bounced, prompting him to approach police.
21 February,2026 10:43 AM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya IyerA travel planner was booked for allegedly duping senior citizens of Rs 33 lakh after promising them a tour of Assam and Meghalaya, a police offcer said on Friday. Rahul Jain was booked on the complaint of construction businessman Shivshankar Agarwal, 61, who has claimed 60 people were duped, an officer from Vakola police station said. “Through a mutual contact, the victims, who are part of a club, got in touch with Jain, who introduced himself as a holiday planner. In July last year, a meeting was held at a hotel in Santacruz, where Jain presented a detailed itinerary and finalised a tour package costing Rs 75,000 per member. It was agreed that the payment would be made in three instalments,” the officer said. Jain collected Rs 33 lakh from 60 people , but in October told them the tour would have to be cancelled or postponed due to heavy rain, the officer said.“In November, Jain handed over cheques as part of the refund process. He then went unreachable, which made the tour party realise they had been cheated. The cheques also bounced. Jain has been booked for cheating and fraud,” he said. 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
21 February,2026 09:20 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesThe Special Task Force (STF) of the Railway Police Commissionerate’s Crime Branch has arrested a 38-year-old man on charges of theft. According to the officials, the accused, identified as Vinay Rameshchandra Soni, a resident of Kanpur Dehat district in Uttar Pradesh, has been involved in robbing train passengers. He was arrested on January 17. Gold and silver recovered His arrest came following a complaint registered at the Kalyan Railway Police by a passenger. According to the complainant, the victim was returning from Prayagraj with his family on June 13, 2025, via the Patna Express train when their trolley bag got stolen. The bag contained valuables worth Rs 63,000, including a gold chain and silver ornaments. Railway police got information about Soni’s presence at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus on January 14. A trap was laid, and he was caught at the station at around 7 pm, said an official. Following his detention, the police recovered 147 grams of gold and 55 grams of silver from his home in Kanpur. Accused’s Modus Operandi . Purchasing tickets posing as traveler . Targeting sleeping passengers . Stealing handbags, purses . Stealing gold jewelry and valuables Recovered items. Gold: 147 gm. Silver: 55 gm . Total value Rs 21,01,000
21 February,2026 09:12 AM IST | Mumbai | Madhulika Ram KavatturFour persons sustained severe burn injuries following a gas cylinder blast that triggered a fire at Dighe Chawl in the Vakola area of Santacruz East on Thursday evening. The incident was reported at 6.52 pm, prompting a swift response from the Mumbai Fire Brigade. According to officials, the fire broke out in a room at Dighe Chawl, located behind Rekha Medical near Vakola Bridge. The blaze was reportedly caused by a cylinder explosion inside the premises. A neighbour points to damage caused by cylinder blast in Dighe Chawl at Dhobi Ghat in Vakola on Friday; (right) The house of the Gawde family in Dighe Chawl where the cylinder blast occurred. Pics/Atul Kamble Firefighters from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) rushed to the spot and managed to extinguish the flames by 7.26 pm, preventing the fire from spreading to adjoining structures in the densely populated chawl. All four injured persons were initially taken to VN Desai Hospital in Santacruz for primary treatment. Based on the severity of their burns, three of them were later shifted to Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (Sion Hospital) for further management, said officials. 7.26 pmTime the fire was doused One academic year lost The youngest victim, 15-year-old Yash Gowale, would have appeared for his SSC (Std X) exams had this unfortunate incident not occurred. “He was studying for his first paper, which was today [Friday]. But now his entire year will be wasted. Though everyone does get an opportunity to write the exam in October, still he will have to wait till next academic year. Though he has lesser burns, the impact on his life is larger,” said Swapna Powle, his cousin. Spot: Dighe Chawl, Vakola, Santacruz East Time: 6.52 pm Day: Thursday Victim details Sumati Gowale. Age: 70. Burns: 45-60%. Condition: Critical Avantika Gowale. Age: 45. Burns: 30-40%. Condition: Stable Yash Gowale . Age: 15. Burns: 10%. Condition: Stable Javed Shaikh. Age: 30. Burns: 33% . Condition: Stable with impact on stomach
21 February,2026 09:08 AM IST | Mumbai | Ritika GondhalekarTwo childhood friends from Mumbai allegedly turned to chain-snatching after searching online for “easy ways to earn money,” police said, in a case where financial stress, poor judgment, and social media influence combined to turn a long friendship into a criminal partnership. The MHB Colony police cracked the case within 24 hours, arresting both accused and recovering the stolen chain and motorcycle used in the crime. The accused Jatin Ramesh Naik, 34, one of the two accused arrested; (right) Hardik Harshadbhai Naik, 25, the second accused held in the chain-snatching case Residence: Same locality in Goregaon East Police say neither had a prior criminal record. Case snapshot Police station: MHB Colony Accused: 2 childhood friends Crime solved in: 24 hours Recovered:Gold chain Motorcycle used in crime What happened Victim: 24-year-old domestic workerChain purchased in Oct 2025Weight: 6.9 grams. Hardik borrowed his cousin’s Hero Xpulse motorcycle.. Two men on a motorcycle intercepted her.. The pillion rider snatched the chain and pushed her when she resisted.. They fled towards Shivaji Nagar.. A local resident noted the bike number, helping police track the accused. The incident Date: February 13, 2026Time: Around 2.30 pmLocation: Shagun Hoteljunction, Dahisar West Police action The operation was carried out under the supervision of.... DCP (Zone XI) Sandeep Jadhav,. Senior Inspector Harish Gavli,. PSI Mangesh Kirpekar,. PSI Sandeep Gorde, along with the detection team of MHB Colony police station.An officer said financial pressure and poor judgment drove the crime.“They had no previous criminal history. Debt and bad decisions pushed them into the offence,” the officer said. Motive police claim . Investigators said both accused were under financial strain.. Jatin worked as a delivery executive with loan liabilities . Hardik was unemployed and in debt . Police say they searched online for quick-money options and allegedly came across chain-snatching videos How police cracked it . CCTV footage traced the bike. Registration led to suspects. Both arrested on Feb 14 Items recovered Chain (Worth about R96,720)Hero Xpulse motorcycle
21 February,2026 07:38 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanMahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) customers, beware of SMSes from cyber fraudsters portraying themselves as gas suppliers. Sohrab Anklesaria, 55, a resident of Santacruz West, became a victim of cyber theft of Rs 1.92 lakh on Tuesday, February 17, but timely reporting of the matter to the Cyber Fraud Helpline, 1930, and Santacruz police station helped him recover the sum in two days. Anklesaria alleged that he had received an SMS purportedly from MGL claiming that last month’s payment hadn’t been ‘updated’. He added that his accountant subsequently installed an APK file at the instructions of a person describing himself as an MGL officer. The latter’s number had been included in the SMS. The SMS received by the victim on February 17 February 19Day unauthorised transaction was reversed VictimSpeak ‘The fraudsters, through the installed app, must have accessed my phone remotely. Around Tuesday evening, they tried to transfer funds from my credit card but failed due to transaction limits. However, they still managed to transfer Rs 1.92 lakh from my password-protected current account’ Sohrab Anklesaria, complainant The police investigation Anklesaria approached the police on Tuesday evening. After the FIR was registered, the police took the transaction ID from Anklesaria and sent an email to the receiving merchant to freeze the funds, and the latter responded to the request within an hour How such frauds unfold 1 Fraudsters don’t include suspicious links or files in the initial SMS, most probably to avoid raising suspicions2 Instead, the content of the SMS is designed to instil a sense of fear and urgency in the receiver, and to capitalise on that, the phone number of a fake official is included3 The official instructs the victim to perform an action that leaves them unsecured, like installing APK files4 The newly installed app shows a meagre pending amount, such as R5, motivating the victim complete the process just to be done with it5 Even if a person doesn’t go ahead with the payment, chances of cyber fraud are still high due to the installation of the file Police advisory Cyber fraudsters have access to huge consumer data. The best practice to keep oneself secure from threats like these is to avoid responding to phishing links, third-party APK files and scam calls
21 February,2026 07:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Sarthak MehtaWhat began as a routine hiring to help an elderly couple cope with health issues quickly spiralled into a costly betrayal in Santacruz West. Within days of joining their home, a 28-year-old domestic worker allegedly stole his 73-year-old employer’s phone and credit card and used them to order nearly Rs 9.8 lakh worth of smartphones online. Police tracked the trail, laid a trap at the delivery point, and arrested him while he arrived to collect the goods, recovering the phones and restoring the money. Representation pic/iStock 15No. of smartphones ordered Accused profileName: Subhash Kumar SinghAge: 28Job: Domestic servantJoined household: About one week before incidentPolice say he had recently been placed in the job through a service provider. Case snapshot Location: Santacruz WestPolice station: Santacruz policeAccused: Subhash Kumar Singh, 28Victim: Ravi Mahavir Prakash, 73Total fraudulent purchase: Approx R9.8 lakhItems ordered: About 15 smartphonesArrest: At delivery point in Sahar area Rs 9.8LWorth of smartphones ordered online How the theft happened Dates: February 16-17 Police say the accused:. Stole the victim’s phone, credit card, and R4000 cash. Left the house early morning on Feb 17. Used the victim’s phone to access OTPs and passwords. Placed online orders for multiple high-end phones. The victim and his wife had hired the accused through a domestic services company due to health concerns Online fraud details Platform used: FlipkartTotal value of orders: About Rs 9.8 lakhDevices ordered: Roughly 15 smartphonesPolice said the accused used the victim’s phone to authenticate payments through OTP verification Recovery and refund Police coordinated with Flipkart.Outcome:. Orders cancelled/returned. Products taken back. Full amount restored to victim’s credit card What happened . Police monitored the delivery point. Delivery agent arrived with parcels. Accused appeared to collect them. Police arrested him on the spot. All phones seized immediately
21 February,2026 07:20 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaA 70-year-old businessman from Mulund, Mumbai, lost Rs 2.75 lakh to cyber fraudsters after dialling a fake customer care number while attempting to book a hotel online. According to Navghar Police officers, the complainant, who is a resident of Mulund East, was trying to book a hotel in Pune through an online travel portal on February 6 around 1 pm. After paying Rs 5,602 via Google Pay for the booking, he received a message stating that his reservation was incomplete and required updating. He then searched online for the travel portal’s customer care number and found a mobile number. When he called the number, the person on the other end claimed to be a customer care executive and asked him to continue the conversation on WhatsApp. He subsequently received messages from another number under the name “Rahul Kumar Mishra”. The caller first asked him to transfer Rs 10 as a verification amount and later instructed him to share his debit card details to process a refund. Believing he was speaking to authorised personnel, the victim shared the details. Within hours, three transactions, Rs 10, Rs 1,90,005.90 and Rs 85,000, were debited from his account, amounting to Rs 2,75,015.90. Realising he had been duped, he approached the police. The accused include the unidentified caller, the WhatsApp user posing as Rahul Kumar Mishra, the person who allegedly created the fake booking interface, and the beneficiaries of the siphoned funds. Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the IT Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and have begun an investigation.
19 February,2026 07:56 PM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya IyerOfficers of the Mumbai Customs Zone–3 seized more than 24 kg of suspected hydroponic weed and over 1.3 kg of gold in multiple cases at the city airport between February 11 and February 17. According to a press note issued by the Airport Commissionerate, the cases were detected through spot checks, advance passenger information system (APIS) profiling, and specific intelligence inputs. Hydroponic weed seizures Based on spot checks and APIS profiling, customs officers booked three cases involving the seizure of 9.581 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, valued at approximately Rs 9.58 crore in the illicit market. The contraband was recovered from three passengers who had arrived from Bangkok. All the three accused were arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. In separate operations based on specific intelligence inputs, officers filed three more cases involving 14.780 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, valued at Rs 14.78 crore. Narcotics were recovered from three passengers arriving from Bangkok, who were subsequently arrested under the NDPS Act. In total, 24.361 kg of suspected hydroponic weed, estimated to be worth more than Rs 24.36 crore in the illegal market, was seized during the week. Gold smuggling cases Customs officers also filed three gold-smuggling cases during the same period. A total of 1,336.62 grams of gold, valued at approximately Rs 1.85 crore, was recovered from three passengers. Further investigations are underway in all cases. Drug smuggling attempts soar at Mumbai airport, 207 cases booked in FY26 In a major crackdown at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the Airport Commissionerate of Mumbai Customs Zone-3 has reported a sharp surge in narcotics cases this financial year. According to officials, 207 cases have been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act until January 2026 (FY 2025-26), compared to just 57 cases in FY 2024-25, marking nearly a fourfold jump. Authorities said the spike reflects both heightened enforcement and increasingly sophisticated smuggling attempts being detected at the airport. In FY 2024–25, customs officers registered 57 cases, arrested 81 persons and seized 388.42 kg of narcotics valued at Rs 435.57 crore. The haul included 383.13 kg of hydroponic weed worth Rs 383 crore and 5.09 kg of cocaine valued at Rs 50.9 crore.
19 February,2026 03:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
