The Maharashtra Cyber on Friday said that it has registered an FIR in a case involving a deepfake video falsely linked to YouTuber Payal Dhare who goes by the name Payal Gaming. Payal Dhare is a popular social media content creator. She is known for her engaging gameplay videos and live streams on YouTube and has 4.5 million subscribers on the platform. According to the officials, Dhare has filed a complaint after a video circulated online, falsely claimed to feature her, caused severe mental trauma, reputational damage, and emotional distress to her. Preliminary forensic analysis confirmed that the video was generated using AI and in a probe it was found as a deepfake video. A case has been registered under sections 3(5), 79, 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), section 67 of the Information Technology (IT) Act and sections 3 and 4 of the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, an official statement said. Maharashtra Cyber takes action To protect the victim's reputation, Maharashtra Cyber has issued a certificate confirming the deepfake nature of the video. The certificate helps prevent further misuse or circulation of the fabricated content, the statement said. A detailed investigation is underway to trace the origin of the video, identify those responsible, and track anyone who circulated it for financial gain, harassment, or reputational harm. The probe includes advanced cyber forensics, digital trail analysis, and coordination with social media platform, it said. Payal's appeal In a post on social media on Wednesday, she appealed to the public and media to refrain from sharing, reproducing, or speculating about the deepfake video in any form. She added, “Appropriate legal action is being taken to address the misuse of my name and likeness and to ensure accountability under the law.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Payal Dhare (@payalgamingg)
19 December,2025 09:32 PM IST | Mumbai | Anish PatilThe Bombay High Court on Friday granted bail to former Maharashtra Minister Manikrao Kokate in a cheating and forgery case, suspending his two-year jail term but refusing to stay his conviction, reported the PTI. Justice R N Laddha stated that the court cannot stay the conviction, citing prima facie evidence of Kokate’s involvement. The case relates to Kokate allegedly securing a flat under a government scheme for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) by submitting false affidavits. The court noted that since Kokate had been on bail throughout the trial and appeal hearings, and the sentence was only two years, it was inclined to grant bail. Kokate was ordered to deposit Rs 1 lakh as surety, according to the PTI. Justice Laddha emphasised that allowing a convicted individual to hold a cabinet position based solely on a suspended sentence would prejudice public service, erode public confidence, and demoralise law-abiding citizens. Revision petition admitted Kokate’s revision petition against the Nashik sessions court order upholding his conviction has been admitted for hearing. The court highlighted that as an MLA and former cabinet minister, Kokate occupies a constitutional office with a fiduciary responsibility, requiring ethical governance and adherence to the rule of law. Background of the case The case relates to a 1989-1992 housing scheme for the EWS category, with an annual income limit of Rs 30,000. According to the Nashik sessions court, Kokate and his brother dishonestly induced the state government to allot flats by submitting false income affidavits. Evidence, including bank loans for grapes and rabi crops and records from the Kopargaon Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana sugar factory, showed Kokate had significant income at the time and did not qualify for the scheme. Health and resignation Kokate was admitted to Lilavati Hospital, Bandra, for an angiography and was scheduled for an SOS angioplasty, as per the PTI. "He has four severe blockages and we have advised him bypass surgery (process to reroute blood flow around blocked arteries). He underwent coronary angiography (X ray test to view blockages or narrowing in the heart's arteries) today," Dr Jalil Parkar and Dr Suresh Vijan said. "If Kokate does not want to undergo bypass surgery, angioplasty (procedure to widen narrowed or blocked blood vessels) can be done and treatment will continue. Kokate had two stents placed 15 years ago and these are in good condition," they added, the news agency reported. On Thursday night, he resigned from the Maharashtra cabinet following public pressure and calls for his ouster. He had been divested of his portfolios on Wednesday night. Party stresses supremacy of law Ajit Pawar said the resignation followed the court verdict and underlined that the rule of law is above individuals. “Kokate tendered his resignation to me, which has been accepted in principle, in keeping with the party’s long-standing belief that laws and rules are paramount,” Pawar said, according to the PTI. He added that public life must be guided by constitutional morality, institutional integrity and respect for the judiciary. The NCP president said that the party has full faith in the legal process and remains committed to maintaining law and order, while protecting democratic values and public trust. (with PTI inputs)
19 December,2025 06:51 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA senior citizen from Marol in Mumbai was allegedly duped of Rs 4.98 lakh by cyber fraudsters who posed as officials of Mahanagar Gas. According to the complaint, the incident occurred on December 7–8, when the man, who lives with his 64-year-old wife, received a text message warning that his piped natural gas (PNG) connection would be disconnected due to non-payment of the previous month’s bill. The message, sent from an unknown number, asked him to contact a person claiming to be a “Mahanagar Gas officer” and included a link to download an APK file described as a gas bill update application. After contacting the number mentioned in the message, the caller instructed the complainant to download the app and later asked him to open his bank’s mobile application. When an attempted transaction from his account failed, the fraudster asked whether he held any other bank accounts. The complainant then mentioned his brother’s account. Mumbai Police register case against unknown fraudsters The fraudster subsequently obtained the brother’s debit card details, following which three transactions of Rs 1,45,998 each were debited, totalling Rs 4,37,994. The complainant later discovered that an additional Rs 60,131 had been transferred from his own bank account. Realising that fake links and applications had been used to gain unauthorised access to their bank accounts, the complainant approached the police and lodged a formal complaint. “We have registered a case against unknown persons under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, and initiated an investigation,” an officer from the Meghwadi Police Station said. Citizens have been advised not to click on suspicious links or download APK files, the officer added.
19 December,2025 05:13 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThe Cyber Cell of Mumbai's Oshiwara Police Station successfully recovered Rs 98,000 that was fraudulently siphoned off from film actor Gajendra Chauhan (69), best known for his portrayal of “Yudhishthira” in the iconic television serial Mahabharat. According to Oshiwara Police sources, Chauhan, who resides in Lokhandwala, Oshiwara, Andheri West, came across a Facebook advertisement on December 10, 2025, claiming to offer dry fruits at heavily discounted rates under the D-Mart brand. After clicking on the “order” option, he received an OTP on his mobile phone. Soon after entering the OTP, he received a bank alert stating that Rs 98,000 had been debited from his account. Realising that the D-Mart advertisement was fake and that he had been cheated, Chauhan immediately approached the Oshiwara Police Station and lodged a complaint. Under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Chavan and Police Inspector Anand Pagare, the Oshiwara Police cyber team—Police Sub-Inspector Sharad Devare, ASI Ashok Konde and Constable Vikram Sarnoba—acted promptly. Upon examining the bank statement, it was found that the defrauded amount had been routed through Razorpay and diverted to Croma. The cyber team swiftly coordinated with the bank’s nodal officer, as well as nodal officers and managers of Razorpay and Croma, through official communication and emails. “Acting within the crucial ‘Golden Hour’, the team succeeded in placing the amount on hold and ensuring a full refund of Rs 98,000 to the complainant,” police said.
19 December,2025 02:57 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA couple has been arrested from Madhya Pradesh for their alleged involvement in the murder of a real estate agent in Maharashtra's Palghar district 16 years ago, an official said on Friday, reported news agency PTI. The accused, Dharmendra Ramashankar Soni (54) and his wife Kiran Dharmendra Soni (50), were taken into custody from MP's Indore district, he said, reported PTI. According to the police, a property agent was killed in April 2009 in Nalasopara East, on the outskirts of Mumbai, after a dispute over brokerage money. Subsequently, a case was registered against four persons, including the Soni couple, reported PTI. While one of the accused was arrested, the other three remained at large. The Crime Branch Cell-3 of Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police recently reopened the case and tracked down the couple to Mhow village in MP's Indore district, said senior inspector Shahuraj Ranavre, reported PTI. The couple was brought to Nalasopara, and a local court remanded them in police custody till December 22, he said, adding that the fourth accused is still absconding. Woman ends life; kin with whom she had illicit relationship booked In another case, a 30-year-old man was booked after his female relative allegedly committed suicide inside their house, a Mumbai police official said on Thursday, reported PTI. The death of the 45-year-old woman was a fallout of their illicit relationship, he added. The incident took place in Pratiksha Nagar in central Mumbai and the accused has been identified as Saraswat Arvind Yadav, the official said, reported PTI. "The woman ended her life at their shared residence on Saturday evening. The incident came to light after her daughter came home from work. She is the complainant in the case. She alerted neighbours and also heard the voice of her kin inside, who told her the room could be opened only from outside," the official informed, reported PTI. "The woman was rushed to hospital where doctors declared her dead on arrival. Our probe has found the deceased and her kin had an illicit relationship and she wanted him to marry her. She and her family had been staying with this relative for the past 17 years. The complainant and her father used to go to work every morning and would return in the evening. The deceased was working as a freelance market research analyst," he said, reported PTI. Yadav was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder because he was inside the house but did not stop the woman from ending her life, nor did he rush her to hospital, the Wadala Tuck Terminal police station official said. (With inputs from PTI)
19 December,2025 11:31 AM IST | Palghar | mid-day online correspondentA 30-year-old man was booked after his female relative allegedly committed suicide inside their house, a Mumbai police official said on Thursday. The death of the 45-year-old woman was a fallout of their illicit relationship, he added. The incident took place in Pratiksha Nagar in central Mumbai and the accused has been identified as Saraswat Arvind Yadav, the official said. "The woman ended her life at their shared residence on Saturday evening. The incident came to light after her daughter came home from work. She is the complainant in the case. She alerted neighbours and also heard the voice of her kin inside, who told her the room could be opened only from outside," the official informed. "The woman was rushed to hospital where doctors declared her dead on arrival. Our probe has found the deceased and her kin had an illicit relationship and she wanted him to marry her. She and her family had been staying with this relative for the past 17 years. The complainant and her father used to go to work every morning and would return in the evening. The deceased was working as a freelance market research analyst," he said. Yadav was booked for culpable homicide not amounting to murder because he was inside the house but did not stop the woman from ending her life, nor did he rush her to hospital, the Wadala Tuck Terminal police station official 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.
19 December,2025 11:11 AM IST | Mumbai | PTIThe Malad police have arrested four people, including a woman, for allegedly blackmailing a 37-year-old choreographer using an obscene video secretly recorded by one of his own students. The accused allegedly demanded Rs 9 lakh, threatening to make the clip viral. According to police, the choreographer, who lives in Malad, received a WhatsApp call on December 15 from an unknown number. The caller claimed to possess his nude video and threatened to circulate it unless the money was paid. The clip was sent to him and later shared again from another number on Instagram. To intensify the threat, the video was also forwarded to his nephew and an employee.The accused were aware that the complainant lived with his elder brother and feared him. They threatened to send the video to him and other relatives if the demand was not met. Out of fear, the complainant initially agreed to pay and negotiated the amount down to R6 lakh. However, he later approached Malad police, following which a first information report (FIR) was registered in the early hours of December 16 under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police laid a trap and arrested Anmol Raj Arora, 21; Lucky Santosh Verma, 20; Himanshu Yogesh Kumar, 23; and Dipali Vinod Singh, 30, all aspiring actors. Police said that Arora and Verma were the primary accused. An officer said the accused and the complainant knew each other well. Arora, who had been learning dance from the complainant for nearly two years, recorded the video at the choreographer’s house. Verma, Kumar, and Singh were later roped into the extortion plan. As part of the trap, the complainant was asked to meet the accused near Vivek College in Goregaon. Dipali approached the complainant to collect the cash, but he insisted on receiving the mobile phone on which the video was recorded. Singh then contacted the other accused and asked them to bring the phone to the spot. When Verma and Kumar arrived with the phone containing the video, the police apprehended them. During interrogation, it was revealed that Arora had recorded the video. He was arrested later. Senior Inspector Dushyant Chauhan confirmed the arrests and said further investigation is underway. Rs 9LAmount demanded by the accused
19 December,2025 10:16 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanTwo teenagers lost their lives in a road accident in Evershine Nagar, Malad West area in Mumbai, late Wednesday night after their scooter crashed into a trailer truck allegedly parked dangerously on the roadside. According to police, the accident occurred around 10.09 pm near Ryan International School on Dhiraj Kirti Road. The victims, identified as Ridge Irwin D’Souza, 18, and Kellyan Alicia Fernandes, 17, were travelling on a TVS Jupiter scooter when they collided with the rear of the trailer. When police reached the spot, they found the scooter lodged under the rear right wheel of the truck, with both riders lying unconscious and bleeding. Locals helped rush them to Evershine Nursing Home, where doctors found no pulse and advised shifting them to a BMC hospital. They were later taken by private ambulance to Trauma Care Hospital, Jogeshwari East, where doctors declared both dead on arrival around 11.50 pm. Police said the trailer was parked in a manner that obstructed traffic and endangered lives. “A case has been registered against the trailer driver,” said senior inspector Ravindra Avhad of Bangur Nagar police station. The girl was a resident of Link Road, Mithchowki, Malad West, while the boy lived at Sundar Lane in Orlem, Malad. They were both travelling towards Dhiraj Kirti at the time of the accident. Police are investigating the matter. A week of mishaps - On Sunday, in the wee hours, two friends, residents of Mira Road, identified as Zahir Amlani, 28, and Irshad Hussain, were killed in a hit-and-run incident near Dahisar Metro Station on the Western Express Highway - Similarly, on Monday, two college students identified as Jenil Thumar, 19, and Mehak Nirman, 19, met with an accident on the Sudhir Phadke Bridge. The duo was returning to their homes in Mira Road from college.
18 December,2025 11:00 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanDays after a video of Lamborghini Urus speeding at 252 km/h on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link went viral, Mumbai Police have began action against the car's driver. An official said that an FIR was registered at the Worli Police Station in central Mumbai against the driver of the vehicle after a complaint was received on X. The police on Wednesday reportedly seized the vehicle as part of its ongoing investigation into the matter. According to the FIR registered by the police, on December 12, 2025, it was reported to the police that regarding a social media post on X. The post showed a Lamborghini 2021 model (HR 70 F 1945), allegedly driven by car dealer Faiz Adenwala at an extremely high speed of 252 km/h on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The police said that the video, posted on the X account showed the vehicle overtaking other cars at very high speed. A yellow Lamborghini was allegedly driven at 251 kmph on Mumbai’s Bandra-Worli Sea Link, with the incident captured on video and widely shared across social media platforms.Following the viral clip, Worli Police seized the luxury car and registered a case of dangerous driving… pic.twitter.com/Ht1HeU4YvP — Mid Day (@mid_day) December 17, 2025 Two previous e-challans issued "Investigating the car registration, it was found that the same vehicle had already received two e-challans from the Mumbai Traffic Police for over-speeding on August 16 2025 (123 km/h) and August 17, 2025 (127 km/h), exceeding the speed limit of 80 km/h on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. The police stated that the vehicle had been repeatedly driven at dangerous speeds, putting both the driver and other road users at risk. "The police have retrieved previous e-challans against the vehicle as evidence," said an official. Action against vehicle Meanwhile, according to the reports, Mumbai Police have seized a multi-crore yellow Lamborghini Urus on Wednesday after registering a case against its driver for allegedly driving at a very high speed. The driver has been identified as Faiz Adanwala, a resident of Khar in Mumbai. A case has been registered at Worli Police Station against Adanwala under relevant provisions for negligent and dangerous driving. Further investigation into the matter is currently underway. Video goes viral The Lamborghini was allegedly driven at 251 kmph, with the incident captured on video. The video went viral after it was shared on multiple social media platforms. The video later caught the eye of some netizens who complained to the Mumbai Police demanding action against the car driver for speed-limit violations and endangering the lives of himself and other motorists.
18 December,2025 03:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Mumbai police probing the seizure of mephedrone worth Rs 115 crore in Maharashtra's Satara, on Wednesday said that they have so far not found any connection of the sarpanch of Dare village in the case, reported news agency PTI. The crime branch is probing the seizure of the contraband and arrested three persons in Satara. The trio was identified as Kayam Nizar Saddam (29), Razikul Rahman (30) and Habizul Islam (25), reported PTI. One of the arrested accused is from Palghar, whereas two are from Assam, he said. The mephedrone manufacturing unit was found operating from a cowshed in Savari village in Javali taluka of Satara, reported PTI. As per the investigation so far in the case, police did not find any connection with Dare's village head Ranjeet with the case, the official said, adding that misinformation was being spread on various social media platforms related to the raid. While investigating the case, the name of one Onkar Tukaram Dighe (30) had come to surface, but after his questioning police did not find his role and he was allowed to go, he said, reported PTI. Mephedrone manufacturing unit operating in cowshed busted in Satara district Mumbai police has unearthed a mephedrone (MD) manufacturing unit in Maharashtra's Satara district and seized Rs 115-crore worth contraband by arresting three persons, officials said on Saturday, reported PTI. A team of Ghatkopar Unit of the Crime Branch, along with local police, found that the drug was being manufactured in a cowshed in Savari village in Jawali taluka on Friday, an official said. Three workers from West Bengal were arrested on the spot, he said. Earlier on October 9, the Crime Branch had seized 136 grams of mephedrone and arrested two drug peddlers. It led to the arrest of two suppliers from Thane and Pune, reported PTI. The Pune resident told police that the drug was being manufactured in a cowshed at Savari village. During Friday's raid, police seized 7.5 kg of mephedrone and 38 kg of liquid mephedrone, chemicals as well as raw material, valued at a total of Rs 115 crore, said the official. (With inputs from PTI)
18 December,2025 08:15 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA 75-year-old Byculla resident was allegedly cheated of Rs 2.23 lakh between December 4 and December 9 by cyber fraudsters posing as police officials and a fake YouTuber. The senior citizen first received a WhatsApp video call from an unknown woman. He was later contacted by callers claiming to be police officials, who alleged that an obscene video involving him had surfaced online and threatened him with arrest. The accused then gave him the contact number of a man posing as a YouTuber, who claimed the video had been uploaded on social media and could be removed only after payment. Fearing legal action and public embarrassment, the victim transferred Rs 2.23 lakh in multiple instalments to different bank accounts and UPI IDs. When the demands continued, he realised he had been cheated and approached the police. A case has been registered under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Byculla police said efforts are on to trace the accused and the money trail. Where to report? >> Dial 1930 — National Cyber Crime Helpline>> Log a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in>> Visit police station>> Report fraud immediately>> Preserve evidence such as call numbers, screenshots, transaction IDs and chat logs Police say >> Police do not threaten arrest over phone or video calls>> Arrests cannot be made without warrants>> No warrant is served via WhatsApp or on phone>> No money is ever demanded to stop legal action
18 December,2025 08:07 AM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya IyerADVERTISEMENT
