The officials said that a GPS tracking chip attached to a bag of ornaments and CCTV footage have helped police arrest two persons in connection with an incident of firing and robbery near a hospital in south Mumbai, reported news agency PTI. The incident took place on Monday night when a man and his nephew carrying a bag containing gold ornaments of Rs 42.27 lakh were going on a two-wheeler, an official said on Tuesday. While they were on P D'Mello Road near St George Hospital, four unidentified persons stopped them and beaten them up, he said, reported PTI. One of the accused allegedly opened fire at the duo and fled with his associates after snatching the bag containing the gold ornaments, the official said. The man's nephew received serious bullet injuries on his leg, he said. After receiving information about the armed robbery, senior police officials visited the spot, and based on the man's complaint, a case was registered against the unidentified attackers and multiple teams were formed to nab them, the official said, reported PTI. A GPS chip attached to the bag of ornaments and analysis of the CCTV footage of the area led the police to apprehend one of the robbers near Lokmanya Tilak Marg in the early hours of Tuesday, he said without elaborating, reported PTI. Another person was nabbed from Dongri area in south Mumbai and police recovered the ornaments valued at Rs 16.50 lakh from the accused, the official said. Search was on for the two other culprits, the police added. Two held from UP for firing, robbery at jewellery shop in Thane district Two persons have been arrested from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly opening fire in a jewellery shop in Maharashtra's Thane district last month and killing a salesman, police said on Tuesday, reported PTI. The Uttar Pradesh police's special task force traced the accused to Koshimbi and apprehended them on Sunday, an official said. The accused, Sashank alias Sonu Balram Mishra (32) and Tousif Alam Kabiruddin Siddiqui (35), were allegedly involved in the shooting at a jewellery store in Shahapur on December 21, 2024, he said, reported PTI. District Superintendent of Police D S Swamy said two motorcycle-borne men entered the jewellery shop on December 21, around 9 pm, and opened fire in a bid to rob the place. They shot a salesman and decamped with a bag of valuables, he said. A case under sections 103(1) (murder), 109(1) (attempted murder), 312 (attempt to commit robbery or dacoity when armed with a deadly weapon) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita was registered against the duo, reported PTI. (With inputs from PTI)
08 January,2025 01:03 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPolice have arrested a 39-year-old man after seizing the banned MD drug powder valued at Rs 11.22 lakh from his possession in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI. The crime unit team apprehended the accused, Ahmad Shakil Ahmed Mallik alias Sonu, on Monday evening acting on a tip-off, the police said. The accused was arrested when he arrived near a lodge at Kanheri in Bhiwandi area, senior police inspector Salil Bhosle said. The police found 110 gm of MD powder during a search of his belongings. The official said the accused, during the interrogation, told the police that he had obtained the contraband from a Bhiwandi resident named Ravish. The Bhiwandi police registered a case against Mallik under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and a search was on for the person named by him, PTI stated. NCB seizes illicit pharma drugs and fake cigarettes at Mumbai airport The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has made a significant seizure at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, confiscating 74,000 capsules of illicitly diverted pharmaceutical drugs and 2.44 lakh counterfeit cigarettes. The haul was discovered at the air cargo terminal, following a tip-off regarding an international syndicate involved in illicit pharmaceutical drug trafficking from India to overseas destinations. According to an official statement from the NCB, the agency’s Mumbai zonal unit initiated the operation after receiving intelligence about a network operating to procure pharmaceutical drugs from India and divert them for sale to offshore buyers. Surveillance was conducted over a period of time, which eventually led investigators to two containers that belonged to logistics companies. The movement of these containers was stopped at the airport’s air cargo terminal for further inspection. The NCB team, which was involved in the operation on Friday and Saturday, managed to seize approximately 29.6 kilograms of diverted pharmaceutical drugs, as well as the counterfeit cigarettes. The pharmaceutical drugs, mostly in capsule form, are valued at around Rs 75 lakh. The illicit goods, which were concealed among food items, were reportedly destined for London. The NCB has identified two courier and logistics companies as part of the ongoing investigation, which aims to uncover more details regarding the syndicate behind the diversion of pharmaceutical products and the sale of counterfeit goods. (With inputs from PTI)
08 January,2025 12:48 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA 25-year-old labourer was killed after a road roller ran over him in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Wednesday, reported news agency PTI. The incident took place when the victim, Prakashkumar Laddu Mahanto, was sleeping after lunch at around 2 pm in front of the road roller parked near a construction site in Bhiwandi town on Tuesday, an official from Kongaon police station said. The police official stated that the road roller driver, without checking, started the vehicle which crushed the labourer to death. The body was later sent for postmortem to a government hospital in Bhiwandi. The official stated that the police registered a case against the road roller driver under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 281 (rash driving or riding on a public way) based on a complaint by a colleague of the victim. A probe is on into the incident and no arrest has been made so far, the police official said. Mumbai: One labourer killed, one injured in Kandivli crash One labourer was killed and one was seriously injured in a road accident after a Marathi film actress’s car hit them in Kandivli East on December 27, said the police. The actress also suffered minor injuries. The Samta Nagar police registered an FIR and arrested the actress’s driver Gajanan Pal, 58. The deceased has been identified as Samrat Das, 24, who was crushed under the car. His colleague Suman Bablu Das, 24, was seriously injured. Both victims are residents of Goregaon and were working at the construction site of underground pipe work off the Western Express Highway. The actress, too, suffered an injury on her chin. According to police officials, the incident occurred at 1 am on Saturday near Poisar Metro Station on the Western Express Highway. The car was being driven by Gajanan Pal, who was taking the actress from a shoot to her home, when the car lost control. Senior Inspector Anil Patil of Samta Nagar Police Station said, “We have registered the FIR against the car driver Gajanan Pal and arrested him. The owner of the car was seated in the backseat.” (With inputs from PTI)
08 January,2025 12:14 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentAn 80-year-old woman and her maid were taken hostage allegedly by two unidentified men and their hands, legs, and faces were bound with cello tape before they were robbed in Vile Parle area of Mumbai, police said on Saturday. The senior citizen was rescued after her son arrived at home, an official said. The Vile Parle police was later informed about the incident which registered an FIR and has initiated an investigation into the matter. The police formed four different teams and are using CCTV footage to track down the accused. The victim is Radhika Dhichvalkar (80) and her maid Sangita (40), reside in a society on Tejpal Scheme Road, located in Vile Parle East, the official said. According to the police, the incident occurred on Sunday afternoon between 12 pm and 2 pm, when Radhika Dhichvalkar was at home with her maid Sangita. The accused rang the doorbell, and when Radhika opened the door, both men forcibly entered the house and locked the door from the inside. A police officer said, "They first held the two women hostage and tied their hands, legs, and faces with cello tape. The accused also stole the jewelry the victim was wearing. Later, they opened the locker and stole 17 tolas of gold jewellery before escaping." At around 2 pm, Radhika’s son returned home and found the door open. Upon entering, he discovered his mother and the maid tied up with cello tape. He immediately rescued them and informed the police about the incident. A police officer stated, "We have registered an FIR against two unknown individuals who looted 17 tolas of gold jewelry from the Vile Parle residence. We are reviewing CCTV footage to identify the suspects and have formed four different teams to apprehend them. Both accused didn't even wear the mask."
08 January,2025 11:49 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaIn a shocking incident, a snatcher allegedly broke into a house in Malad East and stole a gold chain from a woman who was cooking in her kitchen. The accused fled the scene after assaulting the woman by kicking her. According to police sources, the incident occurred in the Santosh Nagar area on Monday evening. The 20-year-old victim was alone at home with the door left open while she was cooking. Taking advantage of the situation, the accused, who was passing by, noticed her alone, entered the house, snatched the gold chain from her neck, and kicked her before fleeing the scene. The gold chain weighed approximately 10 grams, with an estimated market value of around Rs 70,000. “The matter was reported to the Dindoshi police by the woman. Based on her complaint, we have registered a case against an unknown accused under various sections of BNS," an officer said. "We have launched an investigation, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the criminal. Police are reviewing CCTV footage from the area and questioning potential witnesses to gather leads," said the officer from the Dindoshi police station.
08 January,2025 10:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThe police have revealed that the suspects involved in the recent shooting of Rajaram Thoke, a garbage contractor, at Sanpada in Navi Mumbai zoomed past 100 to 150 CCTV cameras during their escape. However, due to poor maintenance of the devices, the authorities haven’t been able to obtain clear footage of the motorcycle or its riders, hampering the investigation. According to police sources, one of the two bike-borne assailants has been identified as Santosh Gawli. The police suspect that Santosh Gawli, 40, a resident of Kopri Village in Vashi, previously worked as an outsourced contractor handling garbage disposal and collection for the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC). A CCTV camera being blocked by a political poster. Representation Pic “A couple of years ago, when Gawli’s contract ended, he wanted to renew it with the APMC market. However, Thoke entered the competition,” explained a police officer involved in the investigation. He continued, “It turned out that the victim won the contract, which upset Gawli as it was his primary source of income. With no other work available, Gawli later started driving autorickshaws to make ends meet.” As per the police investigation, Gawli harboured a grudge against Thoke for taking over the contract that was once his primary source of income. Two months ago, Gawli began planning his revenge. “We suspect that over the past two months, Gawli, along with the unidentified shooter, tailed Thoke daily, keeping track of his routine. The shooter arranged for a bike and a pistol, and their plan was to corner Thoke and shoot him while he was alone,” said a police officer involved in the case. The investigation revealed that the duo followed Thoke daily for two months, tracking his commute from his residence in Ghatkopar to his work locations in Navi Mumbai. On the day of the firing, Gawli and the shooter tailed Thoke from Ghatkopar to Sanpada. When Thoke was alone in his car, the shooter fired five rounds, four of which struck him in the abdomen, legs and hands. Throughout the investigation, not one CCTV camera captured Gawli or the shooter’s face or the bike’s registration number or number plate. “Based on Gawli’s attire and informants, we figured out he was involved as no CCTV camera could capture any details that could have helped us identify them or even provide basic clues about them,” the police officer said. Police got their confirmation about Gawli being the suspect when they visited the latter’s house in Kopri Gaon and met his wife, mother and children. He had contacted the family once to inform them that he was safe and not to look for him or contact the police. After the firing at Sanpada, the two accused fled to Panvel, where Gawli’s digital trail ended, according to police records. The police have yet to recover the bike used in the crime and the weapon, identified as a locally made pistol. The search for Gawli is ongoing.
08 January,2025 09:05 AM IST | Mumbai | Aishwarya IyerThe Shivaji Park police have arrested three people—the director of a jewellery brand, an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) and a citizen of Uzbekistan—for allegedly duping investors of R13.48 crore through a Ponzi scheme. The accused lured victims with promises of high weekly returns, exclusive offers, and rewards for referrals via a flashy app. An look-out circular (LOC) has been issued against two absconding accused who are suspected to have fled the country. The arrested individuals include Sarvesh Surve, the company director, Valentina Kumari (an OCI national), and Tania Kasatova, an Uzbekistan citizen. Police suspect the fraud’s scale could exceed Rs 700 crore, with statements from victims still being recorded. Sarvesh Surve, the company director, arrested by the cops The scheme targeted investors through a jewellery brand named Torres, which operated six stores in Mumbai, including branches in Dadar, Girgaon, Sanpada, Mira Road, and Kandivli. Investors were lured via the company’s app, “Torres Club,” which displayed investment statuses and promised weekly returns. Investor accounts Janardhan Gawandi, an investor, said, “We trusted the scheme because we were receiving regular returns until December. The company even planned a one-year anniversary celebration and promised to gift flats to investors. But suddenly, they shut operations, and we are panicking.” Investors gathered outside the Torres Jewellery store in Dadar Pradeep Vaishya, a vegetable vendor and the complainant in the case explained how he was duped of R4.5 crore. “I initially invested R2 lakh after visiting their Dadar store opening in February last year. They promised 6 per cent returns, which increased to 10 per cent later. As Torres expanded, opening five more branches, trust grew. But in December, an employee informed us the company was shutting down, and the CEO assured salaries would be paid. By January 6, the store was shuttered, and we approached the police.” Vaishya added that he had taken loans to invest further in the scheme, which promised lucrative returns for buying moissanite stones. Gawandi elaborated on the app’s functioning: “The Torres Club app displayed our investments and weekly returns. It also rewarded us with R6,000 for bringing in new investors. I convinced many people to join and was earning Rs 25,000 monthly. Now the company is gone, and we’re left in despair.” Investors outside Shivaji Park police station. Pics/Ashish Raje Faizan Khan, another victim, shared, “Each moissanite stone had a return rate. When targets were met, we received coupons. They called us their brand ambassadors during their seminars offline and on YouTube, but now they’ve absconded, and their shops are shut.” “We are residents of Mankhurd, and our family invested R10–15 lakh in the scheme. Initially, we received returns as promised. The company claimed we would get returns for up to 52 weeks, but now everything is very uncertain,” said Nilima Sandeep Kadam, another investor. “Our family invested R3 lakh after seeing other family members receive returns. Tempted by the promise of huge profits, I decided to invest. But on January 6, the shop was shut, and now we are panicking,” said Abdul Shaikh, a makeup artist. Torres app now displays a notice claiming its employees looted their shops Police investigation The Shivaji Park police revealed that Sarvesh Surve’s identification documents were used to make him the company director and beneficiary. The other two arrested women were employees. An LOC has been issued against two absconding accused. A police official stated, “We suspect the scam to be worth R700 crore, and the amount may increase as more victims come forward to register complaints. Torres stores in Dadar, Girgaon, Sanpada, Mira Road, and Kandivli were operational until recently.” Torres’s claims Interestingly, the Torres app now displays a notice claiming its employees looted their shops. The notice urges investors to register complaints against an individual named Abhishek, allegedly involved in a robbery at one of their branches. Torres has promised to return the investors’ money, but the claims remain unverified. Five individuals have been booked under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act, 1999.
08 January,2025 07:03 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheThe Bangur Nagar Police in north Mumbai's Goregaon have arrested a delivery executive working for an e-commerce website for allegedly removing a mobile phone from a parcel, replacing it with a diary, and delivering it to the customer, the police said on Tuesday. The suspect was identified as Nikhil Sonar,19, said an official. According to the police sources the complainant, a 33-year-old artist residing in the Malad area, had ordered an expensive mobile phone from an e-commerce website on December 27, 2024. He had made a payment of Rs 81,649 using his credit card. Two days later, the delivery executive arrived at his house with a parcel and upon checking the parcel, he found a diary and a sticker instead of the phone he had ordered. "He immediately informed the e-commerce website about the matter, but they claimed that the parcel had been delivered properly," an official said. The complainant then contacted the delivery executive who had come to deliver the phone but denied responsibility, stating that the parcel was meant for someone else. Meanwhile, an another delivery executive arrived later but refused to take the parcel back. He contacted customer service, and they confirmed that his parcel was marked as received and refused to issue a refund or replacement, the police said. The complainant later reached out to the Bangur Nagar Police Station and filed a complaint in the matter last week. “A team led by Senior Inspector Anil Thackeray, including Assistant Police Inspector Vivek Tambe, Sub-Inspector Rohan Patil, Tawde, Gowalkar, and others, began the investigation. Using technical information, the police detained Sonar. After thorough questioning, he admitted to replacing the mobile phone with a diary. They have recovered the mobile phone from his custody. Sonar was arrested and produced in court, where he was remanded in police custody,” said an officer from Bangur Nagar police station.
07 January,2025 09:52 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA snatcher allegedly forced his way into a house in Malad East of north Mumbai and snatched a gold chain from a woman who was cooking in her kitchen, the police said on Tuesday. The accused escaped from the spot after assaulting the woman by kicking her, said an official. According to the police sources, the incident occurred in the Santosh Nagar area on Monday evening. The 20-year-old victim was alone in her house, with the door left open, while she was busy cooking. Taking advantage of the situation, the accused, who was passing by, noticed her alone, entered the house, snatched the gold chain from her neck, and kicked her badly before fleeing the scene. The gold chain weighed approximately 10 grams, with a current market value of around Rs 70,000. “The matter was reported to the Dindoshi police by the complaint woman based on her complaint we have registered a case against an unknown accused under various sections of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). The police have launched an investigation and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the suspect, said an official. The police are reviewing CCTV footage from the area and questioning potential witnesses to gather leads,” the officer from Dindoshi police station said.
07 January,2025 08:45 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA police constable from Navi Mumbai has been booked for allegedly subjecting his wife to physical and mental cruelty, as reported by the authorities on Tuesday. The case was filed following a complaint by the 32-year-old woman, who claimed to have been enduring harassment at the hands of her husband since 2013. According to the police, the complaint led to the registration of a case on Sunday under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 85 (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and Section 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace), along with other relevant provisions under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (Indian Penal Code). The woman accused her husband, who is a constable with the Navi Mumbai police, of physically and mentally torturing her for years. The case is currently under investigation, and no arrest has been made so far. Police constable and family members booked for harassing wife in Thane Based on a complaint by the housewife Manisa Vikas Mali (30) of Ulhasnagar, police sub-inspector N D Otari of Ulhasnagar police station said that since her marriage in 2010, her husband and in-laws had been constantly harassing her under some pretext or the other. They also allegedly took away Rs 90,000 from her. The police officer investigating the case said that nobody has been arrested in connection with the offence. The names of the accused are Vikas Mali, Usha Uttam Mali, Uttam Mali, Dighambar Mali and Mithun Mali from Satara. The other family members lived in the police colony in Mumbai the complaint stated, and added that the victim lived in Ulhasnagar. The police has booked the five under Sections 498(a), 406, 504, 506, read with Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code, the police added.
07 January,2025 04:04 PM IST | MumbaiA case has been registered against 10 women for allegedly assaulting a man and his family members in a fit of rage over his pet dog barking in their locality in Maharashtra's Thane district, according to police. The incident occurred on Sunday evening in Ambivili, located in the Kalyan area of Thane, as per an official from the Khadakpada police station. The victim, a vegetable vendor, and the accused women are neighbours who have reportedly had previous disputes over various issues. According to the victim's complaint, tensions escalated when the vendor's pet dog began barking in the locality on Sunday. The accused, enraged by the barking, reportedly stormed into the vendor’s house and attacked him, along with his wife and daughter, PTI reports. The situation quickly turned violent as the women allegedly thrashed the family members, leaving them injured. Furthermore, the accused reportedly resorted to pelting stones at the vendor's house and ransacking it, causing damage to the property, the official stated. The injured family members received medical attention following the incident. The police have since taken the vendor’s complaint into account and registered a First Information Report (FIR) on Monday against the 10 women under several charges. Thane: Cops register FIR against man for threatening Deputy CM Eknath Shinde Police have registered an FIR against a 26-year-old in Thane for reportedly threatening to harm Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, an official said on Monday, PTI reported. The search was on for the accused, Hitesh Dhende, a resident of Thane city's Varli Pada, said Sri Nagar police station's senior inspector Gulzarilal Fadtare to PTI. As per the police, in a social media post, the accused used derogatory words against Shinde and further threatened to kill him. Based on the complaint by an activist of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the police registered the case against the man on Sunday under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 133 (assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person, otherwise than on grave provocation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 351(1) (criminal intimidation) and 356 (2) (defamation), the official said, PTI reported. (With inputs from PTI)
07 January,2025 03:30 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
