A threatening email was received on Thursday afternoon through the official website of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The email, written in Russian, contained a threat to blow up the RBI. The MRA Marg Police Station has registered a case against an unidentified individual in connection with the incident. Taking the matter seriously, the police have initiated an investigation.
13 December,2024 10:22 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanAn Economic Offences Wing (EOW) team investigating the Rs 200 crore fake arbitration case involving Denron Rea IT and Bliss Consultants—the trading company owned by finfluencer Ashesh Mehta and his wife Shivangi—has claimed that it has unearthed the mastermind behind the plot. The complex case came to light when the Madhya Pradesh police arrested a Mumbai man carrying drugs in 2023. His interrogation led them to the Goregaon couple, exposing questionable financial dealings, eventually resulting in the case landing with the EOW. Records of transactions that were termed fraudulent Ajay Harinath Singh, the chairman and managing director of Darwin Platform Group of Companies, then came forward to claim that he had paid R200 crore in cash to Bliss Consultants and submitted receipts to the Bombay High Court in a sealed envelope. As the investigation progressed, Singh applied for anticipatory bail in October. The bail hearing was set for Thursday but was adjourned till December 19. After Singh submitted the documents in court, Nikki Shaha, who holds the power of attorney for Ashesh, filed a complaint alleging that Denron Rea IT had submitted fraudulent documents in the Mehta couple’s name to secure an arbitration order worth R200 crore. Further, it was alleged that a certain Sabir Rafique Khan impersonated Mehta before the arbitrator. As a result, the FIR, initially registered at Andheri police station, was transferred to the EOW for further investigation. The FIR names Denron Rea IT, along with its directors Hariprasad Akalu Paswan, Rameshkumar Yadav, and Sabir Rafique Khan, as accused. Ajay Harinath Singh. File Pic During the investigation, Denron director Hariprasad Paswan denied involvement in the fraudulent R200 crore arbitration case against Bliss Consultants, claiming his signatures were forged, and alleging that the entire operation was orchestrated by Ajay Harinath Singh and his associate Ajay Kumar Pasi. Paswan said, “All fraudulent documents and proceedings against Bliss Consultants have been initiated, orchestrated, and perpetrated by Ajay Harinath Singh, aided by advocate Dharmendra V Patel and Ajay Kumar Pasi for reasons best known to them.” Fearing arrest, Singh had approached the Mumbai sessions court seeking anticipatory bail in October. The court has prohibited the agency from taking any action against Singh till the hearing of the anticipatory bail application and had ordered Singh to be present at the EOW’s office every other day until the next hearing and to cooperate with the investigation. According to EOW sources, the agency has informed the court that Singh is not cooperating with the investigation. His mobile phone is frequently switched off, and the address mentioned in his application, located in the Prabhadevi area, is a rented property where he does not reside, sources said. When Singh appeared before the agency for the first time, he claimed his residence was in Goregaon. However, he has refused to disclose his actual address and is allegedly concealing it from the authorities. An officer told mid-day that during the investigation, documents obtained from the bank and those related to Denron Rea IT Private Limited Company revealed that while the company’s official director is someone else, the control and signature rights are held only by Singh. Further, the arbitration order highlights that the signature rights for the account, where funds from the Bliss Consultants’ account were supposed to be transferred, is also under Singh’s control. This establishes that Singh is the primary mastermind behind the conspiracy, the sources said. In his bail application, Singh claimed to have invested R200 crore with Bliss Consultants and submitted a GST bill for this amount. He intended to demonstrate to the court that GST had also been paid on the invested amount. However, upon investigation by GST officials, it was revealed that the chalan was fake because the name of the company mentioned for the credit of the chalan was also fake. In the same case, the EOW had previously arrested advocate Amit Chaurasiya, an assistant of Singh’s lawyer Dharmendra Patel. Patel who was representing Denron, also filed an anticipatory bail plea, which the additional sessions court rejected. “However, he was initially granted five days of interim relief on the condition that he would appear before the EOW and cooperate with their investigation. Singh, too, approached the court seeking anticipatory bail after that,” the officer added. Speaking with mid-day, the Mehta couple’s lawyer said, “The intervening director has denied authorising the arbitration or the alleged agreements, further exposing the fabrication of documents.”
13 December,2024 07:49 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanAn unidentified man, believed to be in his early 30s, has been stalking women living in upscale South Mumbai (SoBo) buildings. He allegedly trespasses into these buildings, masturbates, and locks the victims’ doors from the outside before leaving the area, only to target another woman during afternoon hours. Local residents fear that this “sex pest” could also target international tourists frequenting the areas near the Gateway of India and Colaba Causeway. Over the past 15 days, at least three to four women have reportedly been stalked by this individual, according to residents. He appears to target women who are alone in the Colaba Causeway and nearby areas, particularly in the post-lunch hours. “We learned that one of the victims had called the Mumbai police when this creep stalked her. Although two constables arrived at her doorstep, no action was taken. If the police had arrested him that day, he wouldn’t have been able to harass other women in Colaba,” said Parvez Cooper, a local social activist, speaking to mid-day. CCTV grab of the unidentified man who allegedly stalks women The most recent incident occurred on December 11 at 3.48 pm. The man reportedly followed a woman into her building, climbed the staircase behind her, and paused while she unlocked her door. As she hurriedly shut the door behind her, he looked directly at the CCTV camera, unzipped his pants, and began masturbating. Before leaving, he locked the latch of her door from the outside. “This is truly shocking—it happened in a plush residential building in Colaba. The man has no fear of the law and has been targeting women in this area,” said Subhash Motwani, a local resident. Although the Colaba police have been informed about the incident, an FIR had not been registered at the time of going to press. However, Zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Dr Pravin Mundhe confirmed that three teams have been formed to trace the stalker. Women in the Colaba area now live in constant fear of being stalked or flashed by this man. “This man stalks women, flashes in front of them, and even tries to enter their homes. He locks the gates from the outside before fleeing the premises,” said a source from Colaba. The matter came to light after an elderly woman was stalked on December 11. CCTV footage of the incident was shared among local residents, prompting several women to come forward with similar accounts of harassment over the past few days. Most residential buildings in Colaba are old heritage structures without private security guards, making them easy targets for trespassers. “The lack of security allows anyone to enter these buildings. This stalker has been targeting women in Colaba for the past two weeks,” said Cooper. Subhash Motwani added, “Hundreds of elderly women live alone in Colaba. This man is a serious threat to society, and the police must arrest him immediately.” The residents have also expressed concerns about the growing number of hawkers in South Mumbai, noting that the streets were only cleared for the recent oath-taking ceremony of the Maharashtra government. “If the complainant is unwilling to file an FIR, the police should act suo motu to arrest the accused. Unfortunately, no action has been taken,” said a resident. Speculating on the stalker’s identity, another resident added, “Considering his pattern, this sex pest is likely one of the hawkers who illegally occupy the footpaths near the semi-commercial hub in SoBo.” A local source lamented, “The governance in Colaba is worse than in rural areas. We had to involve local politicians to pressure the police into taking action. Even then, no FIR has been registered. How will the police catch the accused?” On Thursday, a group of citizens met local politicians and visited the Colaba police station and the DCP’s office to demand action. “The DCP has assured us of all possible help,” said a source. “Today there is no senior inspector in Colaba police station. God forbid, if a serious issue arises, how police will handle the situation? It is a total mess!” he added. DCP Dr Mundhe said, “We have formed three teams to trace the accused. An FIR has not been registered because none of the women are willing to record their statements. However, we will take suo motu action and register the case.” When asked why the stalker was not apprehended earlier when a woman had called the police, Mundhe responded, “Apparently, the accused fled before our team arrived. However, we will arrest him soon. We have a zero-tolerance policy for crimes against women.”
13 December,2024 06:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar SharmaThe MRA Marg Police apprehended a 20-year-old man on Thursday, a day after his motorcycle hit a pedestrian, resulting in the latter falling down and being run over by a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking bus in Mumbai. The accident occurred around 4.30 pm on Wednesday near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in South Mumbai. “The bus on route number A-26 was moving to Electric House around 3.25 pm. When the bus was passing CSMT at 4.25 pm, it ran over a pedestrian. The bus was driven by a BEST undertaking bus driver,” a spokesperson of the civic transport body said. The 60-year-old victim, Hasenar Anduhi, hailed from Kasaragod district in Kerala, PTI reported. "We have arrested Mohammad Sahil Siddhique. He is resident of Dongri. We are investigating the matter further," Deputy Commissioner of Zone 1, Dr Pravin Munde, said. Anduhi was walking near Bhatia Baug Junction when he was hit by Siddique's motorcycle, which ultimately resulted in his death under a rear wheel of the BEST bus. After the incident, Mumbai Police registered a case and launched a search for the motorcyclist. The BEST bus driver, Dnyandev Namdeo Jagdale, was questioned by MRA Marg Police earlier. This was the third such incident involving a BEST bus. In another incident, a bike was hit by a BEST bus at Goregaon. A bus on route no 447, was going towards Goregaon at 5.30 pm on Wednesday. There was an unattended bike parked near Gai Vasru Chowk, which the larger vehicle hit. The bike rider later reported the incident. No injuries were reported. On Monday night, an out of control electric BEST bus fatally knocked down seven persons and injured 42 others. The police investigation into the horrific Kurla bus accident has revealed that the bus driver, 54-year-old Sanjay More, began operating the electric BEST bus just days before the crash took place. Following the incident, More was initially detained by the Kurla Police and was later placed under arrest. He has been booked under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. (With PTI inputs)
12 December,2024 06:26 PM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva AgashePolice have registered a case against a woman sarpanch on Thursday for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs 10,000 from a house owner in Maharashtra's Thane district, reported news agency PTI. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) stated that the person had bought a house and in order to levy the property tax, wanted the house to be registered with the Vangni gram panchayat. The sarpanch initially demanded Rs 20,000 for the same, but later reduced the amount to Rs 10,000, stated PTI. The house owner then approached the ACB, which filed a complaint with police. The ACB stated that the Kulgaon police on Wednesday registered an FIR against the sarpanch under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, based on the complaint. Two forest officials held for accepting bribe in Palghar district In a similar case of bribery, recently two forest officials from Maharashtra's Palghar district were arrested for allegedly demanding and accepting bribe from a complainant after threatening to take action against him, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said on Friday, reported the PTI. According to the PTI, one of the suspect who was identified as Pannalal Dinkar Beldar (35), is a forest guard and the second official, identified as Pankaj Shantaram Saner (45), is a ranger, said Harshal Chavan, deputy superintendent of police of ACB in Palghar district. The ACB official said the complainant, who owns a chawl along the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, was changing the entrance to his property in the opposite direction for easy access, but the two officials accused him of encroaching upon forest land, the news agency reported. Saner on September 16 demanded Rs 2,40,000 from the complainant to not act against him. He paid Rs 90,000 to the accused duo the same day, said the official. The complainant then approached the ACB, which laid a trap and nabbed the two on Thursday after Beldar allegedly accepted Rs 40,000 as part of the bribe, he said, the PTI reported. The Valiv police have booked the two under the Prevention of Corruption Act, he added, as per the PTI. (With inputs from PTI)
12 December,2024 01:04 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA tragic incident occurred in Kasane village near Vasind in Thane district, where a woman is accused of killing her one-year-old son following a heated argument with her mother-in-law. The child was allegedly thrown into a water tank by his mother, resulting in his death. The police have arrested the woman in connection with the incident. According to the police, the incident unfolded on Wednesday when the woman’s son, born in 2022, was suffering from a congenital illness and had been receiving ongoing treatment at Wadia Hospital in Mumbai. The baby’s health issues had caused tension between the mother and the grandmother, who often disagreed over his care. On Tuesday, the boy’s grandmother, concerned about his condition, took him on a trip to Titwala, where his health worsened, and he developed a fever. She returned him to Kasane village late that night. This prompted a fierce argument between the mother and grandmother over the child's health. The father, a security guard at a nearby godown, left for his night shift after attempting to calm the situation. Upon returning home the next morning, the father briefly played with his son before falling asleep. During this time, the woman allegedly took the infant and drowned him in a water tank located on the first floor of their home. When the father noticed his son was missing, he began searching the house with family and friends. Meanwhile, the mother approached the police with a report stating that her son had disappeared. Suspicious, the father confronted his wife, and she eventually admitted to the crime. She confessed that she had killed their child by drowning him in the tank. The man immediately contacted the Padgha police, who launched an investigation. The child’s body was recovered from the water tank and sent for a post-mortem at a government hospital. The mother was arrested and charged with murder, while further legal proceedings are underway. (With inputs from ANI)
12 December,2024 11:17 AM IST | MumbaiA 34-year-old regional transport officer (RTO) officer from the Kurla division was allegedly assaulted by an unknown individual on Wednesday. The accused also snatched the officer's mobile phone before fleeing the scene. According to police sources, assistant inspector Amol Sapkal was patrolling in Kurla along with senior RTO officials to take action against motorists violating the law. Around 1 pm, he intercepted a tempo on LBS Road near Hari Masjid. The vehicle was found to be overloaded beyond its permitted capacity. Before initiating any action, he took the license of the driver, identified as Dev Raju Kunchikorve. Sapkal decided to verify the weight and instructed the driver to take the vehicle to a weighing machine (weight kata). However, the accused allegedly refused to comply and made a call to an anonymous person to complaint about the officer's actions. In response to the driver’s call, an individual promptly arrived on a bike and began arguing with the RTO officer. When the officer attempted to take a photo of the vehicle on his mobile phone, the accused snatched the device from his hand and smashed it to the ground. The officer then tried to use a challan machine to take a photo, but the accused attempted to snatch it as well. Sapkal, however, managed to hand the challan machine to his associate. The situation escalated further as the accused allegedly assaulted the officer and fled the scene, taking Sapkal's broken mobile phone with him. The officer later approached Kurla Police and filed a complaint. Based on his report, the police have registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and are actively searching for the accused, an officer from Kurla Police Station said.
11 December,2024 10:00 PM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah KhanThe Manikpur Police in Palghar district of Maharashtra busted a notorious interstate gang involved in assaulting citizens under the pretext of asking for directions, snatching gold ornaments, and fleeing on motorcycles. Two gang members have been arrested, and during police interrogation, they confessed to committing three crimes. The police have seized stolen items worth Rs 1,09,280 from cases registered at Valiv and Manikpur police stations in Vasai. According to Deputy Commissioner of Police Pournima Chougule-Shringi of Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar Police Commissionerate Zone 2, the arrested suspects have more than eight criminal cases registered against them in various police stations across Gujarat and Mumbai. Both the accused have been identified as Kanubhai alias Kanhaiya Ramabhai Solanki (45), a resident of Himmatnagar in Sabarkantha district, Gujarat, and Mohammad Sharif Farid Khan (55), a resident of Poman Sastikar Pada in Vasai. Solanki has serious criminal cases registered against him at Khadia, Paldi, Ghatlodia in Ahmedabad, Umra in Surat, and Himmatnagar City and Bayad in Sabarkantha. Khan also has criminal cases registered at Bandra in Mumbai and Umra in Surat. Both the accused have confessed to crimes registered at Valiv, Manikpur, and Mahatma Phule Chowk police stations in Kalyan.
11 December,2024 07:43 PM IST | Palghar | Diwakar SharmaDays after horrific Kurla BEST bus crash that killed seven people and injured 42, a pedestrian was fatally struck by a Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply And Transport (BEST) bus in south Mumbai, the police said on Wednesday. According to the police, the incident took place at the Bhatia Baug Junction near hotel Shivala in CST area at around 4.30 pm. The victim, a man, aged around 60-year-old was hit by a biker due to which the victim fell and came under back wheel of a BEST bus. An official said, a pedestrian was killed after a BEST bus moving on the Walchand Hirachand Marg in the CST area of south Mumbai ran over him. He said that the bus, operating on route A-26, with the registration number MH 03 EC 0174, was proceeding from Anushakti Nagar towards Electric House at approximately 3:25 pm, about an hour later at around 4:30 pm, the pedestrian came under the vehicle and was run over, resulting in an immediate fatality at the spot where the accident took place. The bus driver was identified as Dnyandev Namdeo Jagdale was detained by the MRA Marg police for further investigations. The deceased is yet to be identified, sources said. FIR was being is registered in MRA Marg police station and further investigation is being done to find the biker involved in the incident, an official said, adding that the deceased is yet to be identified, the police said. Further details will be updated.
11 December,2024 07:22 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentShocking visuals of minutes before the horrific Kurla BEST bus crash took place on Monday night has been accessed by mid-day. The CCTV footage from the BEST bus in the Kurla crash reveals terrifying moments inside the vehicle. In the CCTV footage of inside the BEST bus and the spot where the accident took place shows panicking commuters inside the bus figuring out why the bus was on a rampage. Moreover, the conductor of the bus who can bee seen busy issuing the tickets to the passengers shocked to see the driver rashly driving and crashing into whatever was on the way of the BEST bus. Moments later, panicked passengers, some of them elderly are seen attempting to save their lives as they witnessed the uncontrollable speeding bus going on dashing people and vehicles coming its way. Exclusive: CCTV footage from the BEST bus in the Kurla crash reveals terrifying moments inside the vehicle and on the street during the incident.By: @ShirishVaktania#KurlaBusAccident #Kurla #kurlaaccident #Kurla #Mumbai #BusAccident #MumbaiPolice https://t.co/W958N7KJMl pic.twitter.com/ickDtFbyXT — Mid Day (@mid_day) December 11, 2024 Minutes later, as the bus halted, the passengers present in the BEST bus can be seen rushing outside the bus and trying to understand what happened. The police investigations into the horrific Kurla bus accident has revealed that the bus driver identified as Sanjay More, 54, began operating the electric BEST bus just days before the crash took place. More's alleged negligence has left caused has killed 7, injured 42, police sources said on Tuesday. Following the incident, More was initially detained by the Kurla police and was later placed under arrest. He has been booked under sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. More was produced before a Mumbai court on Tuesday that remanded him in police custody till December 21. The police, while seeking More's police custody on Tuesday, told the court that the he drove the bus in a 'negligent manner'. The police investigations revealed that More had previously operated BEST mini-buses and other regular buses. However, he did not have much experience operating electric buses. He started driving an electric BEST bus on December 1 and had only been running the electric buses on the Kurla-Andheri route for nine days. The bus he was allegedly driving hit several vehicles and pedestrians around 9.30 pm in the crowded Kurla (West) locality. In one of the CCTV footage, people lying on the road while vehicles being damaged can bee seen as the BEST bus continues to move at speed. The police has recovered several CCTV footage of the incident and are further probing the matter, sources said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by mid-day (@middayindia)
11 December,2024 05:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Mumbai on Wednesday sentenced three Bangladeshi nationals to five years in prison for illegally entering India and possessing counterfeit documents, reported news agency PTI. The convicted individuals, Mohammed Habibur Rehman Habib alias Raj Jesub Mandal, Hannan Anwar Hussain Khan alias Hannan Baburali Gazi and Mohd Azarali Subhanallah alias Raja Jesub Mandal, were each fined Rs 2,000 by the NIA special court in Mumbai, as per an official statement from the agency. The case dates back to March 2018, when the Pune Police registered a first information report (FIR) following intelligence reports regarding several Bangladeshi nationals residing in Pune without valid documentation, PTI stated. The investigation revealed that the accused were reportedly involved in assisting members of the Ansar Bangla Team (ABT), a front organisation linked to the designated terrorist group Al Qaida. According to PTI, following thorough investigations, the NIA filed a charge sheet against the three accused on September 7, 2018. They faced multiple charges under various laws, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Foreigners Act. The three were sentenced under section 14 of the Foreigners Act (for overstaying in India without valid documentation), section 471 of IPC (for using forged documents as genuine), and section 120-B of IPC (for conspiracy related to document forgery), stated PTI. Mumbai: Two Bangladeshi nationals held in Kandivali The Samta Nagar Police on December 7 arrested two Bangladeshi nationals who had allegedly illegally crossed the border and were residing in the Kandivali area of Mumbai, an officer said. According to the police, the accused entered India by evading border security and had been living in Kandivali, sustaining themselves through daily wage work. Acting on a tip-off, the Samta Nagar police detained the duo near Sandeep Hotel on Akurli Road, in Kandivali (East). The accused were identified as Robiyul Mohammed Moazzam Husain Alam, 24, and Mohammed Ridoy Hussain Miyan, 25. During the search, mobile phones with active SIM cards were recovered from their possession. Upon investigation, the police identified the accused as residents of Bildora in Mymensingh District of Bangladesh. The two have been charged under various sections of the Foreigners Act and the police are conducting further inquiries. (With inputs from PTI)
11 December,2024 04:14 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
