The Khar police are searching for three men who posed as Crime Branch officers and robbed Rs 5 lakh belonging to a travel agency that was in the custody of a man who is an advocate. The Khar police registered the FIR against three unidentified men and have started an investigation into the matter. The incident happened on Sunday at about 7.30 am in the Khar West near 16th Road. The victim has been identified a 37-year-old resident of Bandra and an advocate. He was carrying Rs 5.70 lakh from his brother to deposit into a bank account using a cash deposit machine at an ATM. While depositing the money at the ATM, three men barged in and identified themselves as Crime Branch officers. They led him into a car under the pretext of taking him to a police station. However, while the victim believed he was on the way to the police station, they dumped him on the road and fled with the money. The victim registered the FIR at the police that his cousins Noor Hasan, 34 and Kadir Ahmed, 35, run a travel agency in Sakinaka, which deals with flight bookings, train tickets, and money exchange. They have to deposit money daily into their bank accounts. A police officer said, “On Saturday night, the victim collected Rs 5.70 lakh from his brother to deposit into the bank account. He had planned to deposit the money on Sunday morning and visited an ATM on 16th Road in Khar West. He deposited Rs 70,000 into one bank account and deposited the remaining amount into another account. While heading to the second bank, three men arrived, stopped him, and claimed to be from the Crime Branch.” “They told the victim they were taking him to the police station for a case and would record his video statement there. They pushed him into the car and checked the bag containing the cash. The impostors also questioned the victim about the source of the large sum, to which he explained it was his brother’s money from the travel business. On the way, they stopped the car, told him to walk to the Santacruz police station because they were in a hurry to round up two more suspects, and then drove off with the cash,” the police officer said. A police officer said, “The men drove off with the cash, and the victim reported the incident to the Khar police. We have registered an FIR against the three unidentified men who posed as crime branch officers and robbed him. We are using CCTV footage to identify and trace the suspects.” ThreeNo. of men who impersonated cops
10 September,2024 07:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaThe six accused arrested in the dating app scam were remanded in judicial custody by the Borivli metropolitan magistrate court on Monday. The four male accused and two women nabbed following a raid on a Goregaon hotel have been sent to Thane jail and Byculla prison respectively. According to Bangur Nagar police sources, in addition to the initial complainant who was allegedly duped by this gang, four more victims have come forward, and their statements have been recorded. According to the men, they had been deceived by the Godfather Club & Lounge in Andheri West. Others, who were allegedly targeted at both the Godfather and Red Room clubs, have been identified and contacted. However, many of them are away on business or office work. They have assured the police that they will provide their statements upon return. The accused outside the Borivli metropolitan magistrate court According to police sources, some individuals, particularly those who are married, are hesitating to give statements due to personal concerns. Nevertheless, they have committed to cooperating with the investigation and will provide information about the girls and clubs involved in the scam if necessary. “We have gathered evidence from the arrested accused and identified several victims. Those who were duped by the arrested men and women have been called in to record their statements. Four new victims have emerged. While the women are different, the gang leader and key members are the same as those linked to the arrested individuals. “Using information, photographs and mobile numbers provided by the victims, we have begun the search for these women amid the ongoing pursuit of other gang members and the mastermind,” said an officer of the Bangur Nagar police station.
10 September,2024 06:53 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanA special PMLA court in Mumbai on Monday denied bail to Shiv Sena (UBT) functionary Suraj Chavan in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the distribution of 'khichdi' to migrants in Mumbai during the Covid-19 pandemic, reported the PTI. According to the PTI, the Special judge A C Daga noted that there is sufficient material on record to show that Suraj Chavan was not only involved in generating proceeds of crime but in layering it as well. The judge, in his order, stated that the first information report (FIR) has specific recitals about the findings by the investigating officer, concluding that instead of 300 gm of khichdi, 100 gm was prepared and distributed through the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM). The court said at this juncture (bail hearings), there was prima facie material on record to show that the smaller quantity of the khichdi was packed in the packet. "For the sake of argument, if it is accepted that there is no evidence to show that less amount of khichdi was packed, still...the work order was obtained by cheating officials of the MCGM," it said, as per the PTI. The court mentioned as far as the conspiracy was concerned, Suraj Chavan "is involved since beginning till end and has taken active part", according to the PTI The defence had argued that there was a pick-and-choose policy, as many people were named accused in the case, but only Suraj Chavan had been arrested. The court said the names of eight suspects were shown in the ED case, and the investigation has not yet been fully completed. As such, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is carrying out further investigation, and as and when it arrives at a specific conclusion about the involvement of other suspects in the crime, the probe agency will decide whether to arrest them or not, the court said, the news agency reported on Monday. The court said the ED had arrested Chavan after arriving at a conclusion about his role in the crime, and it cannot be said that it is following a pick and choose policy as claimed by the accused. The ED arrested Suraj Chavan, a core committee member of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena (UBT), on January 17, and he is currently in judicial custody. The money laundering case stems from an FIR registered by the Mumbai police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW). As per the probe agency, the MCGM transferred Rs 8.64 crore into the bank account of Force One Multi Services to distribute 'khichdi' packets among migrants during the pandemic. As per the probe agency, Force One Multi Services generated proceeds of crime of Rs 3.64 crore, of which Rs 1.25 crore was diverted to Chavan's bank account and Rs 10 lakh to the bank account of his partnership firm Fire Fighters Enterprises. In this manner, Chavan wrongfully acquired proceeds of crime to the tune of Rs. 1.35 crore, which he used to buy property and invest in a dairy business, the ED has alleged. (with PTI inputs)
09 September,2024 09:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAn autorickshaw driver was arrested in Kalyan in Thane district for allegedly molesting a student on Monday, a police official said, reported the PTI. According to the police, the student, while returning home in the accused's vehicle, noticed him indulging in inappropriate behaviour and asked him to stop but the latter refused. "She then jumped out of the autorickshaw in fear. The accused who has been identified as Gopal Mudaliyar followed her and abused her," an official said. She later narrated the incident to her mother and on her mother's complaint, a case was registered, the Kolshewadi police station official said on Monday. Gopal Mudaliyar was arrested under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for molestation and other offences," he said, the news agency reported. Meanwhile, in an another incident, the Thane Police in Maharashtra arrested a man from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly molesting an eight-year-old girl at her residence in Thane district, an official had earlier said, reported the PTI. The incident occurred on August 19 in Nandivali village of Kalyan, and the 48-year-old accused was placed under arrest on Friday after the victim's parents traced and nabbed him, he said. "The accused, Ramesh Murlidhar Yadav, had come to stay at the house of the victim's family. When the girl tried to keep her toy in a cupboard, the accused touched her inappropriately. The girl later told her parents about it," the official of Kolsewadi police station said, according to the PTI. Based on the complaint lodged by them, the police registered a case under section 74 (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and also the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said. "There was a delay in lodging the complaint as the parents of the victim first traced and nabbed the accused on their own and brought him to the police station," he said, the news agency reported. (with PTI inputs)
09 September,2024 07:16 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentTwo men were killed and two others were injured after their speeding motorcycle crashed into a road divider in Maharashtra's Thane district, the police said on Monday, reported the PTI. The accident occurred on the Mumbra-Panvel Road when the victims were heading towards Kalyan Phata on Saturday night, an official said. The two-wheeler was speeding when it crashed into a road divider, killing two riders on the spot, he said, as per the PTI. Two others riding pillion sustained minor injuries, the official said. A case has been registered under section 106(2) (causing death by rash and negligent driving) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and a probe is underway, the police official said. Meanwhile, in an another incident, a man was killed and two others were injured after a speeding car crashed into their bike in Lower Parel area of Mumbai, the police said on Sunday. According to the police, the accident took place at around 2 pm, at the new Lower Parel Bridge near Currey Road in Cental Mumbai when an electric car, traveling towards Senapati Bapat Road collided with a bike. "The bike which was making a right turn at the Matulya Naka signal junction was hit by the vehicle leading to a fatal accident on Sunday," an official said. The collision resulted in severe injuries to three individuals on the scooter who were later identified as Ayush Kailash Singh, 20, Shivam Kamlesh Singh, 22 and Vishal Prembahadur Singh, 21, an official said. The victims were travelling on a scooter when a car dashed the vehicle. Passersby and police rushed the trio to a hospital, where one of them was declared dead, he said. All three injured in the accident are residents of Worli area in Mumbai. "They were immediately rushed to Nair Hospital with the help of police vehicles and an ambulance. Ayush Singh was declared dead on arrival by doctors, while the other two are receiving treatment at the hospital," the official said. The police said that the driver of the car who has been identified as Manish Chandrabhanu Singh, 25, a resident of Kurla has been detained by the police. A case was registered against him at the N.M. Joshi Marg Police Station, and further investigation into the incident is ongoing, the police said. (with PTI inputs)
09 September,2024 05:50 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentTwo people were held in the Mumbra area of Thane city in Maharashtra on Monday with 476 grams of mephedrone worth Rs 95.2 lakh, a police officer said. They were apprehended on Sunday night near Y Junction bridge by a team of the Thane Anti-Narcotics Cell, following a tip off, he added. "We found 476 grams of mephedrone worth Rs 95.2 lakh from Tabrez Bakshi, a resident of Virar, and Ejaj Sher Khan who hails from Rajasthan. They have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Further probe into the peddling network is underway," he added. In a similar case, the police had seized 50 grams of mephedrone from a car in Bhiwandi city of Maharashtra's Thane district. Two people were arrested in connection with the case. The accused duo, Muzaffar Sheikh and Sameer Rokadia, both residents of Nashik, were nabbed on a tip-off about some suspects coming to Bhiwandi to deliver drugs on the August 24 night, the official said while sharing an update on the Thane crime, reported PTI. Police seized the car valued at Rs 15 lakh and two high-end mobile phones from the accused duo, the official said while sharing an update on the Thane crime, reported PTI. In another case, The Anti-Narcotics Cell of Navi Mumbai Police arrested three persons, including a woman, involved in drug trafficking and seized 100 grams of heroin valued at Rs 20 lakh, an official said on August 26, reported PTI. Acting on a tip-off, the ANC officials raided a flat in a residential locality at Turbhe, where they arrested two brothers, Iktharul Irshad Sheikh (25) and Sattarul Irshad Sheikh (22). During interrogation, the accused disclosed that they had procured the drugs from Firozabi Hasim Shaikh (38), who was later traced and arrested by the police, reported PTI. 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.
09 September,2024 03:11 PM IST | Thane | AgenciesThe police on Monday said that two persons have been arrested for alleged possession of LSD and cannabis worth Rs 13.43 lakh in Maharashtra's Thane city, reported news agency PTI. A team from the Vartak Nagar police station apprehended the accused, Swaroop Jitendra Sawant (23) and Sanket Sandeep Lad (26), near a mall on Saturday, an official said while sharing an update on the Thane crime, reported PTI. The duo were allegedly found in possession of 58 LSD dots and 9.551 gm of cannabis, worth Rs 13.43 lakh, the official said while sharing an update on the Thane crime, reported PTI. According to the police, the accused procured the drugs from one Sahil Augustine of Thane and Devesh Trivedi, a resident of Navi Mumbai, and were planning to sell the substances, reported PTI. The accused were booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and efforts are underway to track down Augustine and Trivedi, the official said. Four drug peddlers apprehended by Mumbai Police The Mumbai Police Crime Branch apprehended four members of the gang involved in drug peddling at Juhu Gulli in western suburbs, officials said on September 4, reported PTI. The accused, who were taken to the police station, were seen chanting the reason for the action against them. They said that they used to sell drugs to the youth and now onwards they will not sale drugs ever, reported PTI. The video of their parade in police security and their chants went viral on social media platforms. A large number of locals gathered during the parade of the accused and asked why the four persons were taken into custody. The police officials told them to ask this to the accused persons, for which they replied that they were selling the drugs to the youth. The police then asked them to repeat it and they started chanting that they will not sell the drugs again. Based on specific information, the Crime Branch Bandra unit conducted a raid at Dogar area in Juhu Gulli on Tuesday evening, an official said, reported PTI. The crime branch team, led by Senior PI Daya Nayak, seized 80 grams of Mephedrone from the accused persons in the raid, he said, reported PTI. The accused persons has been handed over to D N Nager Police Station and a case under the NDPS Act has been registered against them, the official said. (With inputs from PTI)
09 September,2024 02:12 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentThe Mumbai police have suspended Assistant Police Inspector (API) Digambar Pagar, attached to the Matunga police station, for allegedly demanding Rs 10 lakh to not arrest a cyber crime suspect from Rajkot, Gujarat. The ACB of the Rajkot division laid a trap, capturing evidence of the bribery through call recordings. An FIR was registered against Pagar and the alleged middleman. The Gujarat police informed the Mumbai police about the FIR, leading to Pagar's suspension. The Rajkot ACB also arrested middle man Jaymin Sawaliya from Rajkot. According to Gujarat ACB officials, the Matunga police had arrested a suspect from Rajkot in a cyber fraud case in March. In May, API Pagar received information about another suspect in the case. The Matunga police issued a summons to the suspect in Rajkot to appear for investigation and provide a statement. During this period, Sawaliya approached the person under investigation, claiming he had connections within the Mumbai police and a good rapport with Pagar at Matunga police station. A Rajkot ACB officer said, “The informant, who is a suspect in the cyber fraud case, approached the ACB Rajkot division. A team led by police inspector R N Virani, under the supervision of K H Gohil, was formed and a trap was laid.” The informant met Sawaliya at the T-Post tea shop at Racecourse in Rajkot, where Sawaliya accepted R10 lakh in bribe money from him. The officer said, “Sawaliya acted on behalf of Pagar, demanding Rs 10 lakh as a bribe to avoid arrest.” Senior PI Rajendra Pawar of Matunga police station said, “The Rajkot ACB has registered an FIR against Pagar. He was in Mumbai during the incident. Mumbai police have suspended him, and the case is being investigated by the Gujarat police.”
09 September,2024 07:05 AM IST | Mumbai | Shirish VaktaniaThe Navghar police have arrested the driver of a BMW car involved in a hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of one person and serious injury to another as they made preparations for Ganesh Chaturdashi. The accident occurred in the early hours of September 7, near Akruti Tower in Mulund’s Gavanpada area. The accused, Shakti Alag, allegedly fled the scene after his speeding BMW struck two Ganpati mandal volunteers—Pratim Thorat and Prasad Patil—who were placing banners at the time. Thorat, a driver and resident of Gavanpada, was declared dead at the hospital, while Patil sustained grievous injuries and is currently receiving treatment. The car seized by the police. Pics/Rajesh Gupta “The driver was merciless and just fled the scene. We took them to the hospital and doctors declared Thorat dead. Patil is receiving his treatment and is currently on ventilator support. He is the sole breadwinner of his family and we are currently looking for financial assistance for his medical treatment,” said Vilas Haravankar, a friend of the duo. According to Haravankar, Thorat was also the sole earning member of his family and is survived by his mother. Patil has a son and his family is not a state to talk. Senior Police Inspector Madan Patil of Navghar police station said, “The driver fled the scene, but we were able to trace him through CCTV footage. He used a motorcycle to escape from Mulund to Navi Mumbai, where he was eventually arrested in Kharghar within 10 hours of the FIR being registered.” The police seized the vehicle which belonged to Alag. Authorities are also investigating whether Alag was intoxicated at the time of the crash, with his blood samples taken for analysis. Alag has been booked under multiple sections, including Section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and Section 125 (acts endangering life or personal safety of others) of BNS, along with relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act.
09 September,2024 06:58 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgasheThe police have zeroed in on two nightclubs in Andheri and one in Charkop, Kandivli West, where unsuspecting men were allegedly lured by women whom they met on dating apps. The Amboli and Bangur Nagar police issued summons to the owners of the Andheri establishments and were in the process of sending a notice to the other one on Sunday. The authorities have begun recording the statements of victims, but many are refusing to testify. Summons have been issued to the owners of the clubs, Godfather and Red Room. Once we interrogate them with all the evidence available, the next course of action will be decided,” an officer who is part of the investigations revealed. While the Amboli police are yet to make any headway in the case, in simultaneous investigations, the Bangur Nagar police picked up six suspects during a raid on a Goregaon hotel on September 4. The accused, Swapan Saini, 21; Shahbaz Khan, 20; Ayush Chaudhry, 20; Saral Kumar Singh, 18; and two women, are currently in police custody. The investigation The police have seized six mobile phones from the accused. While examining these, they discovered a WhatsApp group used by gang members called ‘Team’. The police retrieved the chat history and identified the mastermind and other key associates. Dating apps such as Bumble, Happn, Tinder, 3F, TanTan, Badoo and Boo were also found on their phones. The Godfather Club & Lounge in Andheri West, which is on the police’s radar. File Pic/Satej Shinde Two fake profiles had been created for one of the arrested women, aged 23, with the names “Divya” and “Soniya” on different dating apps 3F and TanTan. The woman, 18, had fake profiles on Bumble, Tinder and Boo. Chats with two victims who had allegedly been duped in collaboration with club management were found. Aided by information from the seized phones, the police also uncovered records of her commission. An officer from Bangur Nagar police station stated that the phones of the arrested men also contained several dating apps. Ayush’s role was to create fake profiles on dating apps, chat with potential victims, and introduce the women to the targets. The victims were then taken to clubs operated by the gang, where they were allegedly exploited. The accused According to the police, Saral and Swapan were close friends of Ayush. The former was in love with the 23-year-old woman who had been thrown out of her home by her family. Saral and Swapan had told Ayush about her plight and he then contacted the gang leader. The leader offered them jobs in clubs and arranged for their flights to Mumbai. Since July, Ayush had been staying with the other accused at the Royal Inn Hotel in Goregaon and working at the Godfather Club. All the accused come from poor backgrounds and had to take on household responsibilities from a young age, the police said. Ayush previously worked as a painter, while Shahbaz earned just Rs 200 per day at a cardboard box factory in Delhi. Some of their friends had already become involved with dating apps, and after seeing a rapid improvement in their financial situations, Ayush and Shabaz were lured into the same activities. When they were offered the chance to travel to Mumbai by plane, they couldn’t resist and were drawn in by the gang. The accused revealed that the gang leader enticed them with promises of higher earnings and sent them plane tickets. Once in Mumbai, many of them stayed in hotels, paying rent from their daily wages. Initially, they earned Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 per day, but the gang leader took a significant cut from their earnings, leaving them just enough to cover hotel expenses. During periods without work, it became difficult to pay the rent, leading many men to abandon their hotel rooms without settling dues, leaving their belongings behind. Awaiting payment The arrested men and women had also accrued outstanding hotel rent, repeatedly asking the mastermind for money to return home. They were waiting for payment at the time of the police raid. The men informed the police that the mastermind lured them with false promises, used them as long as they were useful, and discarded them once their work was done. “More victims are coming forward and their statements are being recorded. Others, who are married are hesitant to do so as they are afraid of soiling their image. We request everyone to approach us,” said another officer. Cop Speak Anil Thakare, senior inspector, Bangur Nagar police station, said, “Under the guidance of DCP Zone XI, Anand Bhote, our police officers, particularly Bhaskar Kadam and API Vivek Tambe, are conducting a thorough investigation. We have recorded the statements of several victims. While some people are hesitant to come forward, I urge them to do so without fear so that the culprits can be brought to justice and given the harshest punishment.”
09 September,2024 06:45 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanADVERTISEMENT
