A case has been registered against a policeman and a senior prison officer for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe to stop harassment of a prisoner's family member in Navi Mumbai. Based on a complaint, the police have registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Nivrutti Maneji Kannewad, a senior officer of Taloja Jail, and constable Rahul Parmeshwar Garad, an officer said. The duo allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 from the complainant, whose brother is an inmate at Taloja Jail, he added. The complainant alleged that his brother had been harassed by the two accused in Taloja Jail. The harassment reportedly escalated when the inmate was brought to court for proceedings. During a meeting, the inmate informed his brother that the two officials had demanded Rs 10,000 to stop the harassment, the official said. The Anti-Corruption Bureau probed into the complaint and found that the duo had accepted the bribe amount on Saturday, he 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.
15 December,2024 03:53 PM IST | Thane | PTIMumbai Police on Saturday held 'Grievance Redressal Day' at city police station and addressed as many as 1,086 complaints in a single day, an official said. The officials said that Grievance Redressal Day was held across all police stations under the Mumbai Police Commissionerate, following directives from the Commissioner of Police Mumbai and the Special Commissioner of Police Mumbai, and with the supervision of the Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order). They said that the initiative, organised every Saturday, is aimed at addressing the concerns of citizens, especially women and senior citizens. During December 14 session, a total of 1,086 complainants were attended to across the city. In line with directives from the Mumbai Police Commissioner and Special Commissioner, and under the supervision of the Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order)Grievance Redressal Day is held every Saturday at all police stations under the Mumbai Police Commissionerate… pic.twitter.com/TX3RHuk4D6 — Mid Day (@mid_day) December 14, 2024 "The grievances addressed included both cognizable and non-cognizable complaints, along with written concerns from citizens. Of the total complainants, 474 were women and 134 were senior citizens," said an official. The police officials said that the senior officers from each police station personally interacted with the complainants, listening to their issues and working to resolve them. The focus of Saturday's grievance sessions was on issues specifically faced by women and senior citizens, the two groups are often vulnerable to various challenges and the police aims to curbs issues faced by them.
14 December,2024 10:30 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanMumbai Police has nabbed four suspects for allegedly being possession of ganja, an official said, adding that they were also involved in sale and supply of ganja in the city. The LT Marg police in Mumbai arrested the four suspects in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case for allegedly being in possession of ganja, also known as marijuan, an official said. According to the police, the arrested accused are identified as Danish Merchant alias Chikna Phantom (35), Kader Gulam Shaikh alias Kadir Fanta (34), Mohammad Ashiqur Rahman (31), and Rehaan Ansari (23), all residents of Nagpada and Dongri. Rahman was the first of the four to be arrested near Marine Line railway station, where he was found in possession of ganja, an official said. During his interrogation in police custody, Rahman, who already has multiple NDPS cases against him, disclosed how he acquired the narcotic substance from Ansari in the Dongri area. Following the information, the police began searching Ansari, who was later arrested in the same area with more ganja in his possession. Rahman and Ansari then revealed details about the other two accused, Phantom and Fanta, who sourced the drugs and sold them to their customers. After days of undercover investigation, a team from LT Marg police, with the assistance of Dongri police officials, set a trap at Tantanpura Street in Dongri to nab the suspects. On December 13, posing as customers, the police managed to apprehend Phantom and Fanta, who were subsequently arrested for the sale and supply of narcotic drugs under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The operation was led by LT Marg police’s ATC squad, with PSI Raghunath Gaikwad overseeing the team.
14 December,2024 07:52 PM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentFour cases of fatal road accidents were settled with a cumulative payout of Rs 4.84 crore in a Lok Adalat held in Maharashtra's Thane on Saturday, said officials, reported the PTI. The cases involved individuals from various professional backgrounds. The Lok Adalat settled one claim concerning a bank manager, who died in a collision between a two-wheeler and a school bus in Thane last year, for Rs 1.12 crore. The 52-year-old victim had an annual salary of Rs 13.21 lakh, the official said. A claim involving another banker was settled with a compensation of Rs 1.2 crore. The 39-year-old victim used to earn Rs 10.42 lakh a year. Lok Adalat is one of the alternative dispute redressal mechanisms. It is a forum where disputes or cases pending in courts or at the pre-litigation stage are settled or compromised amicably. Lok Adalats have been given statutory status under the Legal Services Authorities Act. According to the PTI, in the third case, the family of a 37-year-old school teacher, who was killed in a bus-truck collision in April 2023, would receive a payout of Rs 92 lakh, he said. The victim had an annual salary of about Rs 8.4 lakh. The claim arising out of the death of a 57-year-old police sub-inspector in 2020 was settled for Rs 80 lakh, the official said. He used to earn Rs 11.76 lakh a year. In the fifth case, the Lok Adalat settled the claim by the family of a 44-year-old man, who earned Rs 4.39 lakh a year, for Rs 80 lakh, the official added. Meanwhile, in an another case, last week, a Thane Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT) in Maharashtra has awarded Rs 6.35 lakh compensation to a girl, who suffered grievous injuries in a road accident in 2017, reported the PTI. The child was five years old in 2017 when the accident had took place. Tribunal's member S N Shah passed the order on December 3. Appearing for the petitioner, advocate S M Pawar said the victim, Shweta Anilkumar Nishad, was crossing the road with her mother on May 15, 2017 night on Mira Road when a jeep rammed into her. She sustained grievous injuries and was initially taken to a hospital in Mira Road, from where she was shifted to Mumbai, as per the PTI. She is still undergoing treatment, he said. The tribunal said that due to the accident, the victim suffered permanent partial disability. The court took into account both medical and non-medical costs, mental suffering, and other factors while awarding the compensation of Rs 6,35,000, according to the PTI. (with PTI inputs)
14 December,2024 05:31 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA leader of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) from Nanded district in Maharashtra was allegedly kidnapped by eight to nine persons and then released some time later, prompting police to register an FIR and begin probe, an official said on Saturday, reported the PTI. Nanded Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Gaurav Kotgire was abducted from Bafna area, some 670 kilometres from Mumbai, on Friday night, the official said. "He was bundled into an SUV when he was working in his garage and taken to an unidentified location. He was released a few hours later, after which he approached police. He has claimed the accused had covered their faces and threatened him with a weapon. The accused allegedly told him to not indulge much in politics and property deals as well as talk ill of other leaders," the official informed, according to the PTI. A case of kidnapping and other offences has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against unidentified persons and efforts are on to trace and nab the accused, the Itvara police station official added, the news agency reported on Saturday. EOW must probe BMC road contracts under Shinde govt: Aaditya Thackeray Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday demanded an enquiry by Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing into alleged irregularities in the contracts awarded by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for construction of roads during the previous Eknath Shinde government. Addressing a news conference, Thackeray demanded that Shinde as well as Deepak Kesarkar and Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who were the guardian ministers of Mumbai city and Mumbai suburbs, respectively, be kept out of the new government as the road contracts were awarded during their tenure as ministers. Shinde is currently deputy chief minister in the Devendra Fadnavis government that was sworn in on December 5 following the Mahayuti's landslide victory in the November 20 assembly polls. Thackeray alleged there was cartelisation of contracts when Shinde was CM and handled the Urban Development portfolio. "The BJP has now demanded a SIT probe into the contracts awarded for construction of roads. We demand an EOW probe into this," Thackeray said, as per the PTI. The BMC was controlled by the undivided Shiv Sena from 1997 to 2022. However, civic polls are due since early 2022 and the BMC is presently under a state-government appointed administrator. Referring to a news report, Thackeray claimed the BMC plans to levy user fee per flat for waste collection, which he asserted was an attempt to "loot Mumbai". "This service (of picking up garbage) was free when we were in power (in the BMC). The civic body has an obligation to provide this as a free service. This is an attempt to loot Mumbai through a user fee," Thackeray claimed, as per the PTI. (with PTI inputs)
14 December,2024 05:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIn a combating operation, the crime branch of Navi Mumbai Police has arrested 16 African nationals for their involvement in the drug business, police said, adding that three of them have been arrested for using a fake passport or staying without a visa, reported news agency ANI. According to the press release issued by Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate, the combating operation was undertaken jointly by the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) and Economic Offenses Branch (EOB) of the Navi Mumbai Crime Branch on Thursday night. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bhausaheb Dhole said that the police have seized drugs worth approximately Rs 12 crore from the arrested African nationals. The raids were conducted in 25 places under the Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate, reported ANI. "A total of 150 police officers and enforcers of Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate participated in the combating operation. They raided a total of 25 places within the Commissionerate limits and seized 2 kg 45 grams of cocaine (worth approximately Rs 10.22 crore), 663 grams of MD Powder (worth approximately Rs 1.48 crore), 58 grams of methylene (worth approximately Rs. 11.60 lakh), 23 grams of charas (worth approximately Rs. 3.45 lakh), 31 grams of ganja (worth approximately Rs 6 thousand) have been seized," the press release read, reported ANI. Moreover, notices to leave the country have been issued to 73 African citizens whose passports and visas have expired. Man held in Mumbai's Powai area with charas worth Rs 3.30 cr, firearm A man was arrested allegedly with more than 13 kilograms of charas worth Rs 3.30 crore and a country-made firearm in Powai area in Mumbai, a police official said on Thursday, reported PTI. Mohhamad Sadique Hanif Sayyad (46) was held after a car was intercepted near Vihar Sarovar by a patrolling team, the Powai police station official said, reported PTI. "We found 6 kilograms of charas and a country-made gun in his possession. His questioning led to recovery of 7.185 kilograms of charas from Chandshahvalli dargah compound. We have seized 13.217 kilograms of charas worth Rs 3.30 crore in all. The vehicle has also been impounded," the official said, reported PTI. "He was charged under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Arms Act. Sayyad has two previous drug supply cases and one drug consumption case against his name. A probe is underway into the source of the charas and his peddling network," the official added. (With inputs from ANI and PTI)
14 December,2024 02:15 PM IST | Navi Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe police on Saturday said that two persons have been arrested in connection with the theft of gold biscuits worth Rs 25 lakh in Maharashtra's Thane district, reported news agency PTI. The police on Thursday arrested the accused, Sunil Ninwa Patil (56) from Bhadgaon, Jalgaon district and his accomplice Ramanand Chhotelal Yadav (46) from Thane for the theft that occurred last month, an official said while sharing an update on the Thane crime, reported PTI. On November 26, the duo allegedly targeted the victim, a resident of Nalasopara (east), who was carrying 375.18 gm of gold biscuits in his bag. While sharing an update on the Thane crime, the official said the victim was proceeding towards Bhayandar railway station when the accused snatched his bag and fled in an autorickshaw, reported PTI. The police team examined the CCTV footage from the area and tracked the suspects through mobile data analysis, he said, adding that gold biscuits worth Rs 20.1 lakh were recovered from the duo. Woman kills 1-year-old son after quarrel with mother-in-law in Thane A woman allegedly killed her one-year-old son by throwing him in a water tank following a dispute with her mother-in-law over the infant's health issues in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Thursday, reported PTI. The incident took place at Kasane village near Vasind in Shahapur taluka on Wednesday and the Padgha police later arrested the woman, they said, reported PTI. The child's father, who worked as a security guard at a nearby godown, married the woman in 2022. Last year, the couple's son was born with a congenital illness and had been receiving treatment at the Wadia Hospital in Mumbai, an official from Padgha police station said, reported PTI. The woman and her mother-in-law were frequently at odds over the child's care and well-being. On Tuesday, the child's grandmother, concerned about his health, decided to take him to Titwala during a visit to her daughter. However, the child developed a fever there and his grandmother brought him back to Kasane late Tuesday night, the official said, reported PTI. Later, a heated argument took place between the child's mother and grandmother over his health condition, he said. The child's father left for his night shift work after attempting to calm the situation. When he returned on Wednesday morning, he briefly played with his son before falling asleep, reported PTI. During this time, the child's mother allegedly drowned him in a water tank located on the first floor of the house, the official said. Later, when the man was unable to find his son, he began a search for him along with family members and friends, reported PTI. In the meantime, the child's mother approached police with a complaint, claiming her son had gone missing, the official said, reported PTI. Her husband grew suspicious and confronted her. The woman then confessed to him that she had killed their child, he said. The man subsequently contacted the Padgha police and filed a complaint, reported PTI. The body was recovered and sent to a government hospital for post-mortem, police inspector Bala Kumbhar said. The woman was taken into custody and booked for murder and other charges, he added. (With inputs from PTI)
14 December,2024 12:18 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentThe North Regional Cyber Police have arrested three individuals for defrauding an elderly woman of Rs 2.85 crore under the guise of share trading. The police also seized six mobile phones from the suspects. The arrested accused were identified as Sheshnath alias Ganesh Pandey, Satish Punamiya, and Ramkumar. According to the sources the victim, a senior citizen, was added to a WhatsApp group in February, where members claimed to have made significant profits through a share trading company. Observing the discussions, she contacted the group admin, who promised substantial returns on investments. Trusting the claims, she invested Rs 2.85 crore and initially saw promising returns. However, when she attempted to withdraw her money, no funds were transferred to her account. Realising she had been duped, she informed her daughter, and the duo then approached the North Regional Cyber Police Station and filed a complaint. The police launched an investigation and traced the fraudulent bank account to which the victim's amount was transferred. With the help of KYC documents, the police reached Pandey and caught him. During the interrogation the name of the other two accused Punamiya, and Ramkumar appeared and it was also discovered that they had opened multiple bank accounts to aid fraudsters. The investigation revealed that Pandey's bank account had been used to deposit the fraudulent amount. At the same time, the trio actively assisted the main perpetrators by opening multiple bank accounts for the scam. The accused were presented before the court, and further investigations are underway to identify other individuals involved in the scheme.
14 December,2024 09:07 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThe pervert, who had been terrorising women in Colaba for nearly two weeks, was finally identified and arrested on Friday. The CCTV grabs published in mid-day helped the hawkers union in SoBo to identify the sex pest, who they chased for over half a kilometre and brought to the police, who then made the arrest. According to the police, the man, nearly in his 30s, would start following women from Colaba Causeway to enter their unguarded buildings in South Mumbai. The pervert then would masturbate at their doorsteps and latch the door from outside. The accused has been identified as Nooren Mohammad Khalid, 22, and he is a resident of Govandi, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan Chaudhary told mid-day. “He is a tailor by profession, and he is a native of the Basti in UP,” said the Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Pravin Mundhe. How arrest was made Local sources told mid-day that the accused was eyeing some other women to follow. “He was standing near a premium coffee outlet behind the Taj Hotel. We had seen his photographs in mid-day and WhatsApp groups. We matched the photo and identified him,” Ismail Shaikh, president of the Colaba Causeway Tourism Hawkers Stall Union, told mid-day. “After confirming that he is the same person, our hawkers inched closer to him to nab him, but he ran. We chased him and finally nabbed him after nearly 500 metres,” he added. Hawkers then dragged the man to Colaba police station, where he was arrested. Pervez Cooper, a local resident and social worker, thanked mid-day for highlighting the issue that led to the registration of an FIR and his arrest.“Thanks to mid-day and the crime reporting team for featuring the escalation of crime and their follow-up that the pervert was nabbed in less than a day. Also kudos to Mumbai police, especially DCP Pravin Munde,” said Subhash Motwani, another resident. “We need responsible reporting and efficient officers like DCP Munde to make Colaba and Mumbai safe again. We got to know that the nabbed pervert is one of the illegal hawkers, and such riffraff elements are not only a menace to society by encroaching on footpaths and roads under the eyes of the police station but are now dangerous to society, especially women,” Motwani added.
14 December,2024 08:14 AM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar SharmaYou will find me in the jungle and mountains,” Shubham Lonkar, the key conspirator in the Baba Siddique murder case, used to tell the shooters while discussing the execution of the plan. This revelation by the shooters to the crime branch has strengthened their belief that Lonkar might be hiding in Jharkhand with Maoists. The suspicion raises concerns within the crime branch and intelligence agencies about whether the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has joined forces with the Maoists. Earlier, evidence had surfaced of Lonkar visiting Jharkhand with arrested accused Gaurav Apune for weapons training. It was revealed that the duo had received AK-47 training in a Maoist-affected area of Jharkhand, which is also known for illegal mining activities. According to sources, the crime branch is taking the help of the local police in Jharkhand to explore this angle to trace Lonkar. The crime branch has so far examined all the possible routes which Lonkar may have used to escape out of India as he has visited Nepal on multiple occasions as well as Azerbaijan. “We have no direct evidence as of now to ascertain or confirm that he has escaped because he has multiple identities. We are exploring all the possible routes or the places where he might be taking shelter. Jharkhand is one of them,” a crime branch official said. Sources claimed that Lonkar, along with Rupesh Mohol and Gaurav Apune, travelled from Pune to Hatia station in Ranchi on July 28. Both Apune and Mohol have claimed that they received training there. The shooters further revealed that after the shootout, the plan was to regroup in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, from where they were supposed to be taken to safe locations. However, the plan failed as two shooters were arrested on the spot. The crime branch, so far, has arrested 26 accused in the case, including the three shooters and others who are part of the conspiracy and provided financial aid for murdering Siddique. The crime branch is likely to file a charge sheet in the case by the end of this month.
14 December,2024 08:08 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanParents of students from a school at Malwani in Malad have raised concerns after receiving fraudulent calls from unknown individuals. The callers, posing as crime branch officers or kidnappers, falsely claimed that their children had been arrested or kidnapped and demanded ransom. According to sources, four students from Mother Teressa High School and Junior College in Malwani reported that their parents received calls from cyber fraudsters in the past couple of weeks. The callers alleged that the children had been involved in crimes, including rape, and had been arrested or kidnapped. The calls left many parents shocked, with some so frightened that they disconnected immediately and rushed to the school to check on their children. In one instance, the fraudsters allowed a parent to speak with someone impersonating their child. The parent, emotionally distressed, was convinced to transfer money to the caller. Unable to arrange the required amount immediately, the parent borrowed funds from a friend and sent the money via Google Pay. Principal showing awareness message sent to parents School’s response After the incidents were reported, the school promptly sent a message to all students and their families, warning them about the fraudulent calls. The message urged parents not to entertain such calls and to report them to the police immediately. Victim accounts First Victim: On December 5, Shafique Ansari, a 52-year-old auto driver, received a WhatsApp call while he was dropping a passenger. The caller, posing as a crime branch officer, informed him that his youngest son, Zaid, a Class 9 student at Mother Teressa High School, had been arrested in a rape case. Ansari shared, “The caller confirmed my son’s name and school before claiming he had been arrested. He then made me talk to someone pretending to be my son. The voice said, ‘Abbu, mujhe bacha lo, ye log mujhe bohot maar rahe hain’ (Father, save me, they are assaulting me badly).” The caller demanded R20,000 for Zaid’s release. Despite a passenger advising him not to send money, Ansari, panicked, borrowed the amount from a friend and transferred it via Google Pay. He later called his wife, who went to the school and discovered that Zaid was safe. The school children playing in Mother Teressa High School and Junior College Second Victim: On the same day, December 5, Kamrunnisa, the mother of Ayesha Shaikh, a Class 12 student at Mother Teressa Junior College, received a call claiming her daughter had been kidnapped. “I was terrified,” she said. “The caller’s voice wasn’t clear, so I disconnected and rushed to the school, where I found my daughter safe in class. I turned off my phone to avoid further distress.” Third Victim: On December 3, the mother of Arsalan Siddiqui, another Class 12 student, received a call from a fraudster claiming to be a crime branch officer. The caller alleged that Arsalan and four friends had been arrested on rape charges but said the case had not been officially registered. The caller demanded R50,000 via Google Pay for Arsalan's release. The fraudster had detailed knowledge of Arsalan, his school, and his friends, making the call seem genuine. However, Arsalan’s mother confirmed her son’s safety after reaching the school. Fourth Victim: The family of Misbah, another Class 12 student, received a similar call. The fraudster claimed Misbah and other girls had been arrested in a kidnapping case. Misbah’s father offered to pay in person at the Malwani police station but decided to check the school first. He found his daughter safe and reported the incident to the police. Misbah’s father suggested that the school provide a dedicated emergency contact number for parents. The school has since implemented this measure to prevent further panic. School’s statement Dr Riyaz A Khan, chairman and principal of Mother Teressa High School and Junior College, said, “We have circulated an awareness message to all parents, informing them about fraudulent calls claiming their child has been arrested. These are cybercrime scams designed to extort money. Scammers may even use recordings of children’s voices to make their claims appear legitimate.” He urged parents to remain vigilant and to contact the school or police if they receive such calls. Rs 20,000Amount one parent lost to the fraud FourNo. of victims so far
14 December,2024 07:21 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanADVERTISEMENT
