<p>The Rafi Ahmed Kidwai (RAK) Marg Police have arrested Habibul Baksh Sheikh, who had been absconding for over 20 years. A former resident of Sewree, Sheikh was booked and arrested in a burglary case but went missing in 2005 after securing bail.</p>
<p>According to the police, Sheikh was initially arrested and <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/thane-civic-body-files-complaint-against-81-unauthorised-schools-68-firs-registered-23490074" target="_blank" rel="none noopener"><strong>lodged</strong></a> in jail but later secured bail and never returned.</p>
<p>Despite multiple summonses for court hearings, he failed to appear. In 2005, the court declared him absconding and issued a non-bailable warrant against him.</p>
<p>As part of Mumbai Police&rsquo;s recent drive to apprehend absconding <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/amp/mumbai/mumbai-crime-news/articles/" target="_blank" rel="none noopener"><strong>criminals</strong></a>, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ragasudha R. (Zone 4) formed a special team led by Sub-Inspector Pallavi Jadhav to track down Sheikh.</p>
<p>During the investigation, police discovered that he had moved out of Mumbai to evade arrest and was living with his family in Uttar Pradesh&rsquo;s Banda district.</p>
<p>A team was deployed to UP, and with the assistance of local police, they successfully arrested him.</p>
<h2 class="page-title mt-0">Wadala accidents: &lsquo;We know living on footpaths is dangerous, but no other option&rsquo;</h2>
<p>In the last three months, two children&mdash;a four-year-old boy and a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler&mdash;were killed in separate road accidents on Balaram Babu Khedekar Marg in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-crime-news/article/wadala-toddler-run-over-mother-injured-23489136" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Wadala West</a>. In both cases, the victims, children of slum families living on footpaths, were crushed to death by motorists. The families, while talking to mid-day, expressed their disappointment and anger towards the authorities, who, according to them, failed to provide a secure housing system.</p>
<p>Nikhil Londhe, who lost his son in the accident on Sunday, said his family previously lived in a slum near&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-crime-news/article/mumbai-four-year-old-boy-killed-after-being-hit-by-car-in-wadala-driver-held-23451555" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Shree Ram Mandir</a>&nbsp;in Wadala West. Along with his wife and two sons, they resided in huts until the BMC demolished their settlement, leaving them with no alternative housing. &ldquo;We couldn&rsquo;t find another place to stay. This spot had relatively open footpaths, and the roads were narrow with fewer vehicles passing through, so we moved here with our families,&rdquo; said a relative.</p>
<p>In the early hours of Sunday, Londhe&rsquo;s son, Vardan, and his wife, Priya, were sleeping on a footpath when a car allegedly ran over them, killing the child. Priya sustained fractures to her left shoulder and back and is currently undergoing treatment in the hospital.</p>
<p><strong>Homeless residents speak</strong></p>
<p>Other slum residents, while speaking to mid-day, expressed their frustration over frequent displacements, urging the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-crime-news/article/mumbai-wadala-police-busts-vicious-child-selling-ring-four-arrested-23321314" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation</a>&nbsp;(BMC) to provide them with a permanent settlement.</p>
<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not like we want to live on footpaths, knowing how dangerous it is, but do we have any options?&rdquo; said a distressed Ravi Daund. &ldquo;I earn Rs 300 to Rs 500 a day, and even that is not guaranteed. With this kind of money, I cannot afford to rent a kholi (chawl), and these days, even living in a jhopda (hutment) is becoming impossible. Where will we go?&rdquo; he added.</p>
<p>Another resident said, &ldquo;If the BMC can provide us with a place to live without the constant fear of eviction, it would be a huge relief. Right now, we are always afraid&mdash;either of being killed while sleeping or crossing the road, or of being thrown out of our jhopda and becoming homeless again,&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Residents speak</strong></p>
<p>&ldquo;They are always making a mess here. They urinate and defecate in the open, some smoke ganja, and many drink at night. This place has become extremely unsafe&mdash;we don&rsquo;t know how they will behave or react. Some days, they fight among themselves, hurling abuses and even assaulting each other,&rdquo; said a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-crime-news/article/mumbai-mob-beats-man-to-death-over-parking-in-wadala-23386979" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">shop owner</a>.</p>
<p>Another resident said, &ldquo;We have colleges and schools in the vicinity, with young girls frequently passing through. Who will be responsible if an untoward incident occurs? The BMC should permanently relocate them elsewhere.&rdquo;</p>
<p>Another shop owner, who has been in the area for over 17 years, added, &ldquo;The authorities demolish the slums, but the dwellers return the next day. A permanent solution is needed, or this cycle will continue for generations.&rdquo;</p>
<p><strong>Other death</strong></p>
<p>Last year, on December 21, a four-year-old boy was crushed to death by a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) in the same area. The boy lived in the slums, located opposite Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar College that&rsquo;s right opposite&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/Mumbai-News-Wadala-police-inspector-Shalini-Sharma-prevents-suicide-18231159" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Wadala bus depot</a>.</p>
<p>The boy, identified as Ayush Kinawade, was allegedly playing on the road when the SUV, driven by a 19-year-old Bhushan Ghole, hit the child. Ghole, reportedly, was reversing his vehicle when the child unknowingly came in front of the vehicle. The child was crushed by the vehicle&rsquo;s tyre. Ghole was arrested by the RAK Marg police.</p>
<p>Like the recent incident, in this 2024&rsquo;s incident, people were living illegally on footpaths, near&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/Mumbai-20-year-old-man-s-body-cut-to-pieces-as-he-has-an-train-accident-19340178" target="_blank" rel="none noopener">Ambedkar College</a>. mid-day could not locate Ayush&rsquo;s family in the slums, but a local resident said they moved to their hometown after the incident.&nbsp;</p>
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Mumbai Police nab Habibul Baksh Sheikh, a burglary suspect who had been absconding for 20 years, from Uttar Pradesh.



Mumbai burglary suspect arrested after 20 years on the run

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Mumbai Police have arrested Habibul Baksh Sheikh, who was absconding for over 20 years after securing bail in a burglary case. He was traced to Uttar Pradesh and taken into custody.



Mumbai Police arrest burglary suspect who was absconding for 20 years

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