In a significant breakthrough in the Baba Siddique murder case, the Mumbai Crime Branch has apprehended Sumit Dinkar Wagh, 26, a close associate of the primary conspirator Shubham Lonkar, who remains at large. Wagh, arrested in Akola, is accused of playing a pivotal role in financing the conspiracy under Lonkar’s instructions. He is a graduate of arts and has been involved in illegal betting. “One more accused has been arrested in the case and is being brought to Mumbai from Akola,” said DCP Datta Nalawade of the Mumbai Crime Branch. Focus shifts to financial angle With the shooters, conspirators, and weapon suppliers already apprehended, the Crime Branch has now shifted its focus to unravelling the financial aspects of the case. “Our investigation has moved to the next layer, which is the financial angle, and the accused arrested from Akola is a crucial link,” an official stated. This marks the second arrest tied to the financial side of the Siddique murder case. Earlier, the Crime Branch arrested Gujarat resident Salman Vora during his visit to Akola to meet suspects connected to the case. Numerous transactions The investigation revealed that Wagh transferred money using a Karnataka Bank account (Petlad branch, Anand, Gujarat). Funds were sent to various accused, including Nareshkumar (brother of the arrested Gurmail Singh), Rupesh Mohol and Harishkumar. These transactions were conducted via internet banking using a newly acquired SIM card registered in Vora’s name. ”The money transfers were carried out on the instructions of the wanted accused Shubham Lonkar. The bank account used for these transactions was opened in Vora’s name,” Nalawade added. Officials have revealed that Wagh and Lonkar hail from the same tehsil and share a close friendship, having studied together at a college in Akot city. This connection further underscores Wagh’s role in aiding Lonkar’s alleged conspiracy. This is the 26th arrest in the case so far.
23 November,2024 07:46 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanThe Hill Line police in Ulhasnagar have apprehended a 36-year-old man for allegedly killing his niece while under the influence of alcohol. According to the officials, the accused attempted to destroy evidence by burning the body. Initially, he gave unsatisfactory answers during questioning but later confessed to the crime. The incident came to light on November 21 when the half-burnt body of a three-year-old girl was discovered near bushes behind the Hill Line police station. Following his confession, the police arrested the girl’s maternal uncle, who admitted to trying to conceal the crime. The body was found at a dump yard behind the police station According to the police the man, who was drunk at the time, was playing with the child in Ulhasnagar’s Camp 5 area. “The uncle claimed he accidentally hit the girl, causing her to hit her head on the marble floor, which led to her death. He insisted there was no foul intention. Panicking, he attempted to burn the body to destroy evidence on November 20. The body was found the next day and sent to JJ Hospital for a post-mortem,” said a police officer. The child was reported missing by her parents on November 18, leading to the filing of a kidnapping case. The police launched a manhunt, but it wasn’t until November 21 that her body was found behind the police station. The accused, his wife, and a friend had initially joined efforts to search for the child. “The uncle even instructed his friend to check the bushes near the police station. When asked why he suggested that location, his responses raised suspicion,” a police officer said. He later confessed. “He admitted his involvement, and we verified his location using call data records. The post-mortem confirmed there was no sexual assault,” the officer added. Nine special teams led by DCP Sachin Gore worked on the case, arresting the accused on the day the body was found. Both victim and accused lived in Prem Nagar, Ulhasnagar.
23 November,2024 07:28 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheA special court in Mumbai on Friday remanded an accused arrested in the cash-for-votes case to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till November 29, news agency PTI reported. The probe agency told the court that the accused, Nagani Akram Mohammad Shafi, was the "mastermind" who opened 14 bank accounts in a cooperative bank and transferred money worth Rs 100 crore to the accounts of shell companies with the help of hawala transactions. Shafi was detained on Wednesday by the immigration authorities at the Ahmedabad airport on the basis of a lookout circular (LOC) issued by the central agency. According to officials, he was trying to flee to Dubai. Shafi was later arrested by ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), reported PTI. Shafi was produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court which remanded him in the custody of the probe agency. Judge AC Daga noted that a "prima-facie case is made out showing his [Shafi's] involvement in the crime". Malegaon-based trader was booked in cash-for-votes case Considering the magnitude of the offence, in case the custody of accused is not granted to ED, then the probe agency "will not be in a position to find out end user of the funds, will not be in a position to recover the funds and will not be in a position to reach the co-accused", the court said, according to PTI. The central agency conducted searches in poll-bound Maharashtra and Gujarat last week in the cash-for-votes case registered against a Malegaon-based trader, Siraj Ahmed Harun Meman, who allegedly misused bank accounts of various people to carry out transactions worth more than Rs 100 crore. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya had flagged these transactions, calling it a case of "vote jihad scam" wherein cash was allegedly given to the electorate in exchange for their votes in the Maharashtra Assembly polls. The polling for the 288-member assembly was held on Wednesday. The money laundering case stems from a first information report (FIR) filed by the Malegaon Police on November 7 against Meman — who runs a tea and cold drinks agency — and some of his associates. The complainant in the case is a Malegaon-based man named Jayes Lotan Misal, whose bank account was allegedly misused for illegal transactions, triggering speculation that the accounts were used for routing election funds, PTI reported. ED told the court that Shafi was the mastermind behind opening of the 14 bank accounts with Meman in the Nasik Merchants Cooperative Bank with the help of another accused, Siraj Ahmad. Further, with the help of hawala transactions, Shafi transferred the amount to shell companies and then to various bank accounts, the probe agency said, adding that the investigation has revealed that the scrutiny of documents pertaining to the 14 accounts shows that the majority of the credits amounting to more than Rs 118.40 crore were transferred from the accounts of around 200 firms within a span of one to two months only. Similarly, the amounts so credited in these accounts were immediately transferred to several accounts maintained in the name of various entities, it said and added that Shafi is involved in the criminal act of money laundering and has been found to be indulged directly in the acquisition and possession of proceeds of crime worth Rs 8.66 crore identified so far. It added that the accused has knowingly assisted in layering and laundering of the money. (With PTI inputs)
22 November,2024 10:19 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe officers of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) apprehended a Liberian national at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International (CSMI) Airport in Mumbai for allegedly attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country. Acting on intelligence inputs, the DRI detained the passenger who had arrived from Sierra Leone on Friday. During an inspection of his trolley bag, the officers found it unusually heavy even after emptying it. Following a thorough examination, the officers discovered two packets of a white powdery substance which were concealed in the bag’s false bottom. Upon testing the substance with a field test kit, they confirmed that the substance was cocaine. The seized consignment weighed 3,496 grams and holds an estimated value of Rs 34.96 crore in the illicit market. The passenger was arrested on the spot, and further investigations are underway.
22 November,2024 09:53 PM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanThe Borivali Government Railway Police (GRP) in Mumbai arrested a man for allegedly snatching a gold chain of a woman travelling in Mumbai local train, an official said. The man identified as 27-year-old Vishal Gautam Kaur, was held within 24 hours of him allegedly snatching the gold chain from a woman's neck on a local train on Wednesday, the official said. Kaur, a resident of Malwani, was apprehended after a swift investigation. According to the police, the incident occurred when a 57-year-old woman from Charkop boarded a fast local train from Churchgate to Borivali and was traveling in the first-class coach. As the train slowed down at Goregaon station, the accused snatched the woman's gold chain and jumped off the train onto the platform, fleeing the scene. The suspect was described as slim, wearing black pants, a black jacket, and a face mask, the police said. Following the incident, a team of officials from the GRP, under the guidance of ACP Kishore Shinde and the supervision of Senior Inspector DM Khupekar, Borivali GRP formed two teams and successfully tracked down Kaur in the Malwani area, said an officer. The stolen gold chain, valued at approximately Rs 96,800, was recovered from the accused, the police official added.
22 November,2024 09:34 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanIn a recent case, the North Division Cyber Police arrested a Mira Road man in connection with a fraudulent share trading scheme that targeted a retired teacher, an official said. The man has been identified as Shivam Varma, the official said. According to police sources, the teacher, who became a victim after clicking on an advertisement about shares and likes, was lured into investing a significant sum of Rs 23.69 lakh. She was later misled with promises of high returns, but when attempting to withdraw her supposed profits, she was asked to invest more money. Realising she had been scammed, the teacher approached the cyber police, the official said. After a thorough investigation led by Deputy Commissioner Dutta Nalavade, the police traced the fraud to Shivam Varma from Mira Road, who had provided his bank account details to an absconding suspect. Shivam confessed to helping the fraudsters in exchange for 25 thousand rupees. The police are continuing their search for the absconding individual linked to the scam, said an officer. During the interrogation, it was revealed that Shivam Varma and the absconding accused became friends in a bar. The absconding accused offered Varma 25,000 rupees for providing a single bank account. Under the pretext of making quick money, Varma opened a bank account and handed it over to the absconding accused. This account was later used by the fraudulent gang for depositing the proceeds of the cyber scam. More than Rs 35 lakh in cyber fraud was deposited into Varma's account, including complaints amounting to Rs 2 lakh, the officer added.
22 November,2024 08:15 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA crime branch team from Mumbai has apprehended a 26-year-old Akola man in connection with the Baba Siddiqui Murder Case. The accused, Sumit Dinkar Wagh, was arrested by the crime branch team from Nagpur on Friday. Wagh is accused of facilitating money transfers to the Nareshkumar — who is the brother of arrested accused Gurnail Singh — Rupesh Mohol, and Harishkumar, through a Karnataka Bank account in Anand, Gujarat. The transactions were carried out via internet banking using a newly acquired SIM card registered under arrested accused Salman Vora’s name, on the instructions of the Shubham Lonkar, who is on the run. Wagh and Lonkar hail from the same tehsil and have studied together in Akot City of Akola. Wagh, who is the 26th accused in the Baba Siddique Murder Case, is being brought to Mumbai for further investigation.
22 November,2024 06:54 PM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanIn a move to protect digital rights and ensure fairness in online ticketing, Maharashtra Cyber Cell has suggested Artificial Intelligence (AI) and stricter rules for online ticketing to curb black marketing of tickets for concerts and events, the police said. In an official statement, the Cyber Cell department said that it has taken a proactive stance against recurring issues in ticket booking for high-profile events. It said that the Maharashtra Cyber has observed a growing number of complaints related to technical failures and unregulated practices on ticketing platforms, such as BookMyShow. "The issues are particularly pronounced for events where demand significantly exceeds supply, leaving genuine fans frustrated and to address these shortcomings and curb black-market ticket sales, Maharashtra Cyber has proposed a series of reforms for ticketing platforms. Key instructions include deploying Al-based firewalls to differentiate between human and bot traffic, implementing a waitlist system to ensure fair allocation of tickets, and monitoring repeated attempts to bypass queues," the official statement said on Friday. It said that ticketing platforms are also advised to analyse repetitive patterns, such as the use of identical mobile numbers, email IDs, or payment methods for multiple purchases, and to report suspicious activities to law enforcement for further investigation and on-ground measures have also been emphasised to enhance security and accountability. The statement further stated that Maharashtra Cyber suggests deploying undercover personnel to identify scalpers, improving queue management at event venues, and conducting random ID verifications of attendees. The department recommended using dynamic QR codes, tamper-proof entry bands, and OTP-based verification for select attendees to ensure ticket authenticity and prevent unauthorised access. "The measures aim to foster a seamless and secure experience for genuine ticket buyers while deterring fraudulent activities. Starting 15th December 2024, Maharashtra Cyber will mandate the implementation of name-based ticketing for events and concerts likely to sell out or where demand far exceeds supply. The system will require the ticket holder's name to be printed on the ticket or band or embedded into the QR code of an RFID band and verified against a government-issued ID card on the day of the event," it said. A Notice U/s 168 Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 was issued to BookMyShow directing the implementation of these instructions. These instructions are not limited to BookMyShow but are applicable to all ticketing platforms, such as Zomato Live and Paytm Insider, the Cyber Cell said. It said that the initiative aims to enhance accountability, prevent unauthorised resales, and ensure that tickets are used exclusively by genuine buyers.
22 November,2024 04:45 PM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanThe Navi Mumbai police on Friday filed a case against three members of a family for the alleged rape of a 24-year old woman, an official said on Friday, PTI reported. Based on a complaint, a case was registered against the man and his parents under section 376 (rape) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The woman claimed that the man, a resident of Panvel's Vavanje village, had lured her into a physical relationship by promising to marry her, the official said, PTI cited. The official said that the man allegedly raped the woman at different locations between October 2023 and May 2024, and the man's family later rejected the woman on the issues of her caste and insulted her. Last month, the Thane police arrested three persons and are on the lookout for another in connection with the alleged rape of a teenage girl in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said. Four persons allegedly targeted the 17-year-old girl and her cousin when they were walking on a road along a water pipeline between Majiwada and Saket around 11 pm on October 6, he said, as per the PTI. The accused threatened the two with a knife and snatched away their mobile phones, while one of them allegedly raped her, as per the PTI. The accused also warned the duo of dire consequences if they spoke about the alleged crime, the official said. According to the PTI, after the teenager approached the Kapurbawdi police station on Tuesday, cops arrested three of the accused, identified as Yogesh Mallinge (21), Parhsuram Lakde (28) and Omkar Patkar (22). The fourth accused Avinash Dhotre, who allegedly raped the minor, is absconding, said the station house officer of Kapurbawdi police station. However, police did not disclose why the teenager filed the complaint late. Thane: Woman raped, killed over Dowry; husband booked A married woman was raped and murdered in Thane district in Maharashtra, a few days after her marriage allegedly over dowry on July 16, reported PTI. As per the police, a dowry harassment case has been registered against her husband. The woman was allegedly raped by three priests working at a temple in Sheel-Daighar area near Dombivli on July 6, and later murdered. All three have been arrested by the police. Following the murder and arrests, the woman's father lodged a complaint stating that her husband and in-laws were harassing her for dowry, said an official of NRI police station in Navi Mumbai. As per the complaint, they even took away her child when she came to stay with the parents, and while under stress she visited the Ganesh temple on July 6, PTI reported. No arrest has been made in the dowry harassment case yet, the police official said. (With inputs from PTI)
22 November,2024 02:38 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentPolice have detained two women after the body of a newborn girl was found in a duct of a building in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Friday, reported news agency PTI. Police suspect the baby died after she was dumped in the building duct in the Ambernath area in the Thane district on the intervening night of Wednesday-Thursday, reported PTI. Two women have been detained and a probe is underway to ascertain if the newborn's mother is involved in the crime, the official added. Man held for killing 3-year-old niece in Thane district A 38-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly killing his sister's 3-year-old daughter and trying to burn the body in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Friday, reported PTI. The child from the Ulhasnagar area went missing on November 18 and her partially burnt body was recovered from the bushes near a police station Thursday. Acting on technical inputs and human intelligence, police took the child's uncle into custody. An official said the girl fell and died after the accused slapped her over something, reported PTI. The accused then set the body on fire to destroy it, said senior inspector Anil Jagtap of the Hill Line police station, adding that a probe is underway. Two teens drown in lake in Thane district, friend missing Two boys drowned while their friend is missing after they entered a lake in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Friday, reported PTI. The teenagers, in the age group of 13-15, went to the water body in Bhiwandi on Thursday evening for a bath. However, they started sinking, the official said, reported PTI. After being alerted by the locals, firemen rushed to the spot and fished out the bodies of 13-year-olds Gulab Ansari and Sahil Sheikh, reported PTI. A search is underway to trace the third teen, said an official from the Bhiwandi Town police station. (With inputs from PTI)
22 November,2024 02:35 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA quarrel over a seat on a local train led to a 16-year-old Titwala resident fatally stabbing a 35-year-old man with a knife at Ghatkopar station on November 15. The deceased, Ankush Bhalerao, and his companions had gotten into a heated argument with the teenager during a train journey a day prior to the murder. Armed with a knife, the teenager lay in wait at the station before allegedly attacking Bhalerao, who was on his way to work. However, a photo clicked by the deceased during the scuffle helped the police nab the accused. The Special Task Force (STF) of the Government Railway Police (GRP) eventually traced the accused with the help of footage from a CCTV at the station, nabbing him from Titwala two days after the murder. Later, the police arrested of Mohammed Sanaullah Baitha, 25, the accused’s elder brother—who allegedly helped his sibling hide the knife and evade capture—from Govandi. Ankush Bhalerao, who was fatally stabbed at Ghatkopar station on November 15. Pic/Facebook According to sources, both the accused and the deceased were from Titwala. The conflict began on November 14 over a train seat. Bhalerao, a resident of Benli village, and two of his friends allegedly assaulted the minor during the quarrel. Following this, the boy reportedly threatened to kill Bhalerao. The following day, the accused boarded a train from Titwala and alighted at Ghatkopar station, where he waited for Bhalerao to arrive. Around 10 am, Bhalerao alighted and began to make his way to the wine shop where he used to work. The accused followed stealthily, stabbed him from behind and fled. How deceased helped cops Bhalerao was rushed to Rajawadi Hospital, where it was discovered that his liver had been damaged and he died during treatment. However, before this, the police took down his statement in which he told the cops about the fight and threats made by the accused. “Bhalerao had managed to take a photo of the accused when the scuffle occurred,” said an officer from the STF. “The accused was wearing a hoodie due to which it was quite difficult to identify his face but the photo helped us recognise him,” the officer added. During the interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime. “He revealed that the knife used in the crime was hidden by his brother in the latter’s workshop,” said an officer. The case was cracked by a team comprising PSI Rohit Sawant, API Abhijit Tailor, PSI Sahebrao Kalapad and others under the guidance and supervision of senior GRP officials, said Senior Inspector Vijay Khedkar of the GRP. “The minor has been sent to the correction centre while his brother has been arrested under various charges of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including murder,” he added. Police Inspector Prashant Sawant of the Kurla GRP is investigating the matter.
22 November,2024 01:42 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanADVERTISEMENT
