A three-year-old girl with burns was found dead near a dump yard behind Ulhasnagar’s Hill Line police station on Thursday. Ulhasnagar police said that they have registered a case in this regard and are looking for the person responsible behind the heinous crime. According to the police, the child, a resident of Prem Nagar area of Ulhasnagar, had gone missing on November 18 evening, following which her parents approached the Hill station police. According to the parents, their daughter had gone out to play in the nearby area at around 5.30 pm but did not return until night. “We have been looking for our daughter, and the police today [Thursday] told us that they found a dead body. We refuse to accept that the dead body that is found is that of our daughter. We just want our daughter back,” said the victim’s mother. “According to the victim’s parents, the girl, before she went missing, was wearing a red dress and red bangles, and also a pendant,” said a police officer. “On the afternoon of November 21, we got information that a girl’s body had been found just behind the police station. We suspect that the body is of the missing girl, as a pendant was found on her body,” said the officer. Speaking to mid-day, Ulhasnagar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sachin Gore said that it would be premature to tell the cause of the death and the motive behind the crime. “We have sent the body for post-mortem to determine the cause of death. We are still searching for the motive behind the alleged crime. An investigation into the matter has been launched.” The DCP said that they have made several teams to apprehend the accused. He said that the police are scrutinising the CCTV footage and are making enquiries with the locals to find a headway in the case. Meanwhile, the incident has created an uproar among the locals, who have demanded quick action from the police.
22 November,2024 07:39 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheWhile seeking the transit custody of Raipur-based advocate Faizan Khan, who allegedly made a threat against Shah Rukh Khan earlier this month, the Bandra police informed a court in Chhattisgarh’s capital that a thorough investigation was required as the actor was close friends with slain NCP leader Baba Siddique. In their application submitted before a local court in Raipur on November 12, the police raised concerns about the motive behind Faizan Khan issuing the threat to Shah Rukh Khan and then filing a missing complaint for his own phone, which was allegedly used to make the threat. After the threat against Shah Rukh Khan, the police expressed concerns about who else the accused may have targeted. Pic/Satej Shinde The police stated that a thorough investigation was necessary, given that the actor is a highly respected individual and the accused has gained a significant amount of attention following the threat call. The police also expressed concerns about who else might be targeted by the accused. The police further emphasised that Shah Rukh Khan was an important figure in India, and for the sake of his security, the accused should be arrested and a proper investigation conducted against him. Faizan Khan was later remanded in transit custody and he is currently being investigated by the Bandra police. According to the cops, the accused initially misled investigators by claiming his phone had been stolen and filing a complaint. However, the police’s investigation revealed that he had purchased a basic phone to issue the threat to the actor, and then filed a false online complaint in an attempt to mislead the authorities and cover his tracks. According to Bandra police, the threat call was made to their station’s landline on November 5. The caller allegedly said, “Shah Rukh Khan, the one at Mannat, Bandstand… if he doesn’t give me R50 lakh, I will kill him.” When officers questioned the caller’s identity, he responded, “That doesn’t matter… if you need a name, write it as Hindustani.”
22 November,2024 06:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanA 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 06:38 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA woman allegedly committed suicide in Mumbra area of Thane district in Maharashtra after she was scolded by her mother for taking her gold ring with the mother's permission, a police official said on Thursday, reported the PTI. The 20-year-old woman alleged consumed a pesticide to end her life, the police said. She consumed phenyl in her house in Shibli Nagar on Wednesday and was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital, the Shil Daighar police station official said. "As per kin, she was upset at being reprimanded and slapped for taking her mother's gold ring without asking the latter. A case has been registered and further probe is underway," he added, according to the PTI. School student dies by suicide in MP's Khandwa district: Police Meanwhile, in an another incident, an 18-year-old female student of a school in Madhya Pradesh's Khandwa district allegedly hanged herself in a bathroom of the residential facility on Thursday, a police official said, as per the PTI. The teenager went for a bath around 7 am in her hostel on the school premises in Pandhana town. When she did not come out for a long time, her friends knocked on the door but there was no response, the official said, the PTI reported. Her hostel mates then checked through the ventilator and found her hanging with a piece of cloth, he said. Teachers and students brought the teenager down and rushed her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead after examination, Pandhana police station in-charge Dileep Dev said. The official said it was immediately not clear why the Std XII student took the extreme step. No suicide note was found at the spot, he said, as per the PTI. The girl, who was in the Arts stream, belonged to Lakhanpur village. After being alerted about her death, her family members reached Pandhana, the official said. Police have registered a case and a probe is underway, he added. The National Policy on Education of 1986 envisaged the setting up of Jawahar Vidyalayas aimed at bringing out the best of rural talent. These CBSE-affiliated schools provide free residential quality education to bright children from Class VI to XII. (with PTI inputs)
21 November,2024 10:26 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA Three-year-old girl who went missing on November 18 was found dead in Ulhasnagar area of Thane district in Maharashtra on Thursday, a police official said, reported the PTI. She had gone missing from near her house in Prem Nagar locality of Ulhasnagar, he added. "After she went missing, a kidnapping case was registered on the complaint of her mother. The child's body was found today some distance away from Hill Line police station. After receiving the post mortem report, further action will take place," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone IV) Sachin Gore, according to the PTI. Newborn girl's body found in duct of Ambernath high-rise, woman detained In an another incident, the Ambernath Police in Thane district of Maharashtra have detained a woman in connection with the death of a newborn girl, whose body was found in a high-rise building's duct, the police said on Thursday. The shocking discovery came to light after a local politician informed the police about the incident, an official said. According to the police, the newborn's lifeless body was discovered at the Shankar Heights building. The baby was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival, an official said. Following the incident, the police registered an FIR and sent the body for postmortem. In the course of their investigation, the have detained one woman suspect and are continuing to probe the case, said a police official. 11-year-old killed by mother, stepfather in Meerut; both held Meanwhile, the mother and stepfather of an 11-year-old boy were arrested for allegedly killing him in Sardhana, police said on Thursday, as per the PTI. The accused, Nasreen (32) and Sameer (26), were sent to jail after police found their involvement in the murder following an interrogation on Wednesday, they added. The body of Nasreen's son Sahil was found hanging from the ceiling fan in a store room of their house in the Garhi Khatikan locality Monday late night, said SHO Pratap Singh of Sardhana area. The parents were taken into custody after Sahil's grandfather, Hanif, lodged an FIR in the matter. He alleged that they had strangled the boy, the SHO said.Hanif further alleged that Sameer had harboured a grudge against Sahil ever since his marriage to Nasreen. During interrogation, Nasreen told the police that she had Sahil and a daughter from her first marriage to Anees, who died three years ago. She remarried six months after his death, the official said, the news agency reported. (with PTI inputs)
21 November,2024 10:05 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentThe Mumbai Police have arrested a man for allegedly committing a fraud through one of the 35 accounts he opened in a single branch of a bank in Mumbai, officials said on Thursday, reported the PTI. The crime came to light at the Kurla branch of the bank, a police official said, adding that the accused, identified as Amir Feroz Maniyar, is a resident of Karjat in Raigad district in Maharashtra. "Maniyar used to frequently visit the bank with different people and sit there idly. Once, the bank manager asked him why he always comes there with different people. He said he helps others to open bank accounts. He also said that he runs an import-export business and has helped 10 of his relatives to open accounts in the bank," he said, according to the PTI. The manager then asked him to provide the details of such accounts in writing, which he did. On Tuesday, the bank received an email stating that five of its accounts were found involved in cyber frauds and one of them was opened by Maniyar, he said. "The bank authorities then asked Maniyar to visit the branch. When he came there the next day, he was confronted over the cyber fraud being done from the account, he failed to give a satisfactory answer. After that, the bank manager informed the police and Maniyar was arrested," he said. During the probe, the police found that Maniyar had opened as many as 35 accounts at the bank. They suspect it to be a big racket, the official said, adding that further investigation is underway. Investment firm owner booked for cheating 2 persons of Rs 1.39 crore Police have registered a case against an investment firm owner in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly cheating two persons of Rs 1.39 crore by luring them to invest money in share market for better returns, an official said on Monday, reported the PTI. The victims invested Rs 1.64 crore through his company in two years till June 2024, hoping to get good returns, the official from Mumbra police station said. However, the accused did not invest the money in the share market and instead misappropriated it. He later refunded only Rs 24.9 lakh to the victims, who subsequently filed a police complaint, the official said. The police on Sunday registered an FIR against the investment firm owner under sections 420 (cheating), 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by businessman) of the Indian Penal Code, he added, the news agency reported. (with PTI inputs)
21 November,2024 09:00 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe Ambernath Police in Thane district of Maharashtra have detained a woman in connection with the death of a newborn girl, whose body was found in a high-rise building's duct, the police said on Thursday. The shocking discovery came to light after a local politician informed the police about the incident. According to the police, the newborn's lifeless body was discovered at the Shankar Heights building. The baby was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival, an official said. Following the incident, the police registered an FIR and sent the body for postmortem. In the course of their investigation, the have detained one woman suspect and are continuing to probe the case, said a police official.
21 November,2024 04:43 PM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheThe Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday arrested a man in connection with the Maharashtra cash-for-votes case-linked money laundering investigation after he was intercepted at the Ahmedabad international airport, official sources said, reported the PTI. According to the news agency, Nagani Akram Mohammad Shafi was first detained by immigration authorities at the airport in neighbouring Gujarat on the basis of a lookout circular (LOC) issued by the ED. He was "trying to flee" to Dubai, they said. The man has been arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the sources said. ED conducted searches in poll-bound Maharashtra and Gujarat last week in the 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 voters in exchange for their votes in the assembly polls. Polling for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly was held on Wednesday, as per the PTI. The money laundering case stems from a November 7 Malegaon Police FIR filed 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. Shafi, according to the sources, was among those persons on whose instructions Meman opened over a dozen bank accounts in the Nashik Merchant Cooperative Bank and also allegedly transferred funds worth Rs 14 crore through hawala. Follow Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024 LIVE Updates here It is alleged that Meman took KYC details (PAN, Aadhaar etc.) of about a dozen people to open bank accounts and told them that he wanted to start a corn business and hence needed to take money from farmers. The accused allegedly opened two more accounts taking KYC documents from his friends. These 14 accounts were opened between September and October this year, according to the sources. The ED has found debit and credit entries worth more than Rs 100 crore in each of these accounts and more than 2,500 transactions and around 170 bank branches spread across states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha and West Bengal are under the scanner of the ED as funds have either been deposited or withdrawn from these accounts, according to the sources, the news agency reported on Wednesday. The agency suspects that the accused may have been using these 'mule' accounts to divert and route funds for some people and companies for money laundering and hawala trade by misusing the banking credentials of common people. The angle of misuse of accounts for electoral malpractice is also being looked into by the ED, the sources said. However, no such inputs have been gathered so far, they said. (with PTI inputs)
20 November,2024 07:08 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentOne of the most sophisticated burglars, known for targeting the residences of the rich and influential, has been arrested along with his accomplices by the Borivli police. Fifty-three-year-old Mohammed Salim Mohammed Habib Qureshi, alias Munna Qureshi, has a long history of high-profile thefts, including stealing over Rs 1 crore from underworld don Chhota Rajan’s residence and Rs 7 crore from an MLA’s house in Rajasthan. In his latest heist, Qureshi targeted a businessman’s residence in Borivli West, stealing gold ornaments and valuables worth Rs 29 lakh from a flat in the Silvergold building, located behind Zariwala Laboratory. The homeowner, who was abroad with his family, was alerted about the burglary after being informed that his house door was open, and the lock was broken. A relative confirmed the incident and reported it to the Borivli police, who registered a case. The investigation, led by PSI Rajesh Kadam and Indrajeet Patil under the supervision of Senior Inspector Maloji Shinde and Inspector Pradeep Kale, revealed CCTV footage of Qureshi entering the building premises in a Honda Civic car with an accomplice. When the car’s registered owner in Hyderabad was contacted, it emerged that the car had been resold, prompting the police to suspect the burglar hailed from another state. Qureshi’s image was circulated across police stations, leading to his identification by Powai police based on a previous arrest in a burglary case. (From left) Mohammed Salim Mohammed Habib Qureshi aka Munna; his associates Akbar Ali Shaikh and Israr Ahmad Abdul Salam Qureshi Using call records and surveillance tools, the Borivli police tracked Qureshi’s movements. On Sunday, his location was traced to Atal Setu Marg en route to Hyderabad. Alerting toll plazas along the route, the police, with local support, intercepted and arrested him at the Khalapur toll plaza. According to the police, Qureshi targeted only affluent households, carefully selecting upscale residential societies. His modus operandi involved entering buildings in a car, scouting floors to evaluate the financial status of residents based on their doors, and breaking into homes once a target was identified. During interrogation, Qureshi admitted to the Borivli burglary and disclosed the involvement of his associates, Israr Ahmad Abdul Salam Qureshi, 48, from Ghaziabad and Akbar Ali Shaikh alias Baba, 40, from Wadala. After the thefts, Qureshi handed the stolen valuables to Israr, who, with Akbar’s help, sold them to jewellers. Police are now working to recover the stolen items and identify the jewellers involved. Qureshi is a habitual offender with over 200 cases registered against him in Pune, Telangana, Rajasthan, Hyderabad, and Mumbai. Notably, he burgled Chhota Rajan’s Chembur residence in 2001 but fled Mumbai after his accomplice Santosh was killed by Rajan’s gang. He later settled in Hyderabad, continuing his criminal activities. He also confessed to stealing Rs 7 crore in a burglary at an MLA’s house in Rajasthan. “I can’t stop stealing. I never harass poor people; I only steal from millionaires and the rich,” Qureshi reportedly said during interrogation. The accused, who has three wives and children living in Telangana, often involved his family in his crimes. His brother-in-law is also suspected of participating in several burglaries. Qureshi and his associates have been remanded to judicial custody. Police are continuing their investigation to recover stolen valuables and identify jewellers who purchased the stolen goods, an officer said.
20 November,2024 10:54 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanTwo people were detained in the Dhobi Talao area of south Mumbai for allegedly distributing slips featuring the name, photo, and booth details of BJP candidate Rahul Narvekar ahead of the polling day for Maharashtra Assembly election 2024, Mumbai Police said on Tuesday. The distribution of these slips, which include polling center information and the candidate's image, has raised concerns about a possible violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the ongoing election period. According to Mumbai Police sources, the duo were found distributing the pamphlets in a public area following which the Azad Maidan Police Station rushed to the spot. The police confirmed that no money or financial inducements were found in the possession of the detained suspects. The incident comes hours after the authorities in Palghar district of Maharashtra on Tuesday said that a police team comprising senior officials recovered around Rs 9.93 lakh and some incriminating documents from the hotel where some BJP activists were allegedly distributing money. The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) chief Hitendra Thakur alleged cash-for-votes allegations against the BJP. Thakur alleged that BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde was distributing money to voters in Palghar on the eve of the Maharashtra polls, however the BJP has denied the allegations. Hitendra Thakur had claimed Vinod Tawde had come to Virar to disburse Rs 5 crore to influence voters, and he was at a hotel, as per the PTI. A video on social media showed BVA workers confronting Vinod Tawde outside the hotel. District collector and election officer Govind Bodke said the election department received complaints from BVA activists that some BJP workers were distributing cash at a hotel in Virar. Following this, the returning officer of Nalasopara and a police team, along with the joint police commissioner and two deputy police commissioners, searched the hotel and recovered Rs 9.93 lakh cash and some incriminating documents, the official said. The collector, in a recorded message, confirmed that cases were registered for offences, including possession of cash, violation of the model code of conduct, and holding illegal press conferences, according to the PTI. (with PTI inputs)
19 November,2024 10:21 PM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanA Mumbai court on Tuesday extended till November 23 the police custody of Shivkumar Gautam, the alleged main shooter arrested in Baba Siddique murder case, reported the PTI. The police sought further remand of Gautam, saying he was allegedly not cooperating with the probe, and the weapon used in the shooting has not been recovered as yet. The Mumbai crime branch, in a joint operation with Uttar Pradesh's special task force (STF), apprehended the 20-year-old shooter and four others from Uttar Pradesh on November 10. According to the PTI, the four others---Anurag Kashyap, Gyan Prakash Tripathi, Akash Srivastava and Akhilendra Pratap Singh, were arrested for allegedly sheltering Gautam and helping him flee to Nepal. All the accused were produced before additional chief judicial magistrate Vinod Patil at the end of their previous remand on Tuesday. The court extended Gautam's police custody till November 23, while the other accused were sent to 14-day judicial custody. Meanwhile, the brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol has been detained in California, US. The Mumbai Crime Branch had earlier this month filed an application before the special MCOCA court seeking his extradition in connection with the firing incident outside Salman Khan’s residence, for which Anmol and his brother are named as key conspirators. Earlier, official channels had confirmed his location in the US, and agencies have now been informed of his detention in California. While the Mumbai Crime Branch now awaits confirmation from sister agencies about his detention, intelligence sources have verified that Anmol has been held. Anmol, a key member of the Bishnoi gang, has been operating from abroad. A Red Corner Notice was issued against him, and earlier this month, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) added his name to its most-wanted list, announcing a Rs 10 lakh reward for any information leading to his arrest. He is also wanted in the murder case of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, for allegedly supplying weapons used in the killing. Former Maharashtra minister and Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Baba Siddique (66) was shot dead by three assailants outside his son MLA Zeeshan Siddique's office building in Bandra East on October 12. He sustained two bullet injuries on his chest and was rushed to Lilavati Hospital, where he passed away. (with PTI inputs)
19 November,2024 06:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
