A Nigerian national was arrested allegedly with mephedrone worth Rs 66.18 lakh in Maharashtra's Thane district, a police official said on Thursday, reported the PTI. John James Francis alias Onah Chiedozie Ethelber alias John Ezugwa Francis (45), a resident of Masjid Bunder in south Mumbai, was held by the Thane Crime Branch's Anti Narcotics Cell on a tip off from Desai Naka on January 12, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Amarsingh Jadhav told newsmen. "We seized 661.80 grams of mephedrone worth Rs 66.18 lakh. He has been charged under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act as well as Foreign Nationals Act and Passport Act. The Shil Daighar police is probing further," Jadhav said, according to the PTI. A probe has found that he had served six years in jail in an NDPS case registered by Mumbai police and once again took to drug peddling after being released on November 13, 2024, the official informed. Apart from the drug peddling angle, the police is also investigating who helped him get Indian ID cards using forged documents, the official added. Two Nigerians among 4 held in Maharashtra's Thane and Palghar for drug possession; cocaine, MD seized Meanwhile, in an another incident, four individuals, including two Nigerian nationals, were arrested in separate cases of drug possession in Thane and Palghar districts of Maharashtra, the police said on Tuesday, reported the PTI. Banned narcotics, including cocaine and MD (mephedrone), valued at more than Rs 12.80 lakh, were seized from their possession during the operations carried out last week, they said. In the first operation, Crime Unit V acted on a tip-off and set a trap at Wagle Estate in Thane city. The operation resulted in the arrest of three suspects - Nigerian national Onyedikachi Precious Ikechukwu, 24, and two others, Alam Abid Shaikh, 27, and Usman alias Sonu Abdul Kadir Sheikh, 37, said the police, according to the PTI. Cocaine weighing 101.16 grams and valued at Rs 10,12,000 was recovered from them, said the police, adding an FIR was registered against the trio under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. In the second operation, the Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police, acting on a tip-off, laid a trap at Nalasopara in Palghar city and apprehended a Nigerian national, identified as Anthony Chijiko Nyafore, 46, said the police. His search led to the recovery of 22.02 grams of MD, a synthetic stimulant drug, valued at Rs 2,69,340, they said. An FIR under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered in the case. (with PTI inputs)
16 January,2025 07:37 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA man was arrested for allegedly raping his sister's 8-year-old tuition student in Maharashtra's Dombivali area of Thane district, a police official said on Thursday, the PTI reported. The accused allegedly raped the minor girl who took tuitions from the accused's sister, the official said. The 8-year-old girl was raped on January 15 at the Dombivali home of the 19-year-old accused, when she had gone for tuitions, the Manpada police station official said. "No one except for the suspect was at home when the victim arrived. He took her to the bedroom and sexually assaulted her. After she narrated her ordeal to her mother, a case was filed and the accused was held under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act," he said, according to the PTI. Further probe is underway, the official added. Man held for assaulting minor girl, snatching her gold chain Meanwhile, in an another incident, a 20-year-old man was arrested by the Mumbai Police for allegedly attacking a minor girl and snatching her gold chain in Dahisar area of the city, the police said, reported the PTI. The man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting the girl and snatching her gold chain, a police official said on Wednesday, as per the PTI. According to the police official, the incident occurred on Monday night near Kandarpada Metro Station in Dahisar area of north Mumbai when the 17-year-old victim was returning home from private coaching classes. The minor girl, a resident of Dahisar (West), was walking alone on the New Link Road when the accused who was later identified as Aman Umesh Gupta, attacked her. "He pulled her hair, allegedly assaulted her and snatched her gold chain," said the official, as per the PTI. The girl then raised an alarm and some passers-by rushed to help her. They caught the accused and handed him over to the police, he said. The police took him to the police station and placed Aman Umesh Gupta under arrest. A case against him has been registered for robbery, the official said. (with PTI inputs)
16 January,2025 07:17 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentTwenty-four persons, including 19 women staffers, were booked after a bar was raided in Bhiwandi in Thane district, a police official said on Thursday, reported news agency PTI. The Kongaon police station official added that the raid took place place on Tuesday. "The accused were indulging in obscene acts. They have been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for obscenity and other offences. No one has been arrested in the case. Further probe is underway," he added. Thane police seize ganja valued at Rs 14.35 lakh; four held An official said that the Thane police have seized ganja valued at 14.35 lakh and arrested four persons, reported news agency PTI. A team of cops from the Chitalsar police station seized 42.5 kg of ganja from a car in the Subhash Nagar area of the city in the early hours of January 11, said Deputy Commissioner of Police Zone V (Wagle Estate) Prashant Kadam, reported PTI. While two persons escaped from the spot, Thane police arrested one man and confiscated the vehicle and the drug, valued at Rs 14.35 lakh, he said. Subsequently, three more persons, two from Junnar in Pune district and one from Kalyan in Thane district, were arrested. The four have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, he added. 2 Nigerians among 4 held in Thane and Palghar for drug possession; cocaine, MD seized Four individuals, including two Nigerian nationals, were arrested in separate cases of drug possession in Thane and Palghar districts of Maharashtra, police said on Tuesday. Banned narcotics, including cocaine and MD (mephedrone), valued at more than Rs 12.80 lakh, were seized from their possession during the operations carried out last week, they said. In the first operation, Crime Unit V acted on a tip-off and set a trap at Wagle Estate in Thane city. The operation resulted in the arrest of three suspects - Nigerian national Onyedikachi Precious Ikechukwu, 24, and two others, Alam Abid Shaikh, 27, and Usman alias Sonu Abdul Kadir Sheikh, 37, said the police, reported PTI. Cocaine weighing 101.16 grams and valued at Rs 10,12,000 was recovered from them, said the police, adding an FIR was registered against the trio under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. (With inputs from PTI)
16 January,2025 06:50 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe suspect in Saif Ali Khan attack case had demanded Rs 1 crore from him, the actor's maid has told the cops, sources said on Thursday. Saif Ali Khan's maid is the complainant in the matter and the Bandra Police in western suburbs has registered an FIR after recording her statement following the actor on the actor inside his home, sources added. "The accused who attacked Saif Ali Khan demanded Rs 1 crore after breaking into the house, Khan’s maid has told the police in her statement," said an official. Meanwhile, hours after the attack on the actor, mid-day accessed the first image of the suspect. The suspect can be seen in a CCTV footage using staircase to reach the actor's house. The footage was recovered by the police, sources said. The 54-year-old Bollywood actor sustained multiple injuries during the alleged burglary attempt and was rushed to Lilavati Hospital at around 3:30 am. The police has formed multiple teams to trace and nab the accused in Saif Ali Khan attack case, police said. Earlier, the police had said that the suspect who attacked Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra residence has been identified and multiple police teams are in the process to track and nab the culprit, the police said on Thursday. A case under multiple sections of the BNS has been registered at the Bandra Police Station following the knife attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, the police said. A senior police official said, "The FIR was registered under Section 311 (robbery or dacoity with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), Section 312 (robbery or dacoity with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), and Sections 331(4)(6)(7) (punishment for house-trespass or housebreaking) of the BNS." According to Mumbai Police, one accused has been identified, and 10 teams have been formed to apprehend him. Saif Ali Khan sustained six stab injuries due to the attack with a sharp knife-like object, two of the stab wounds were deep, including one near his spine. His condition is now said to be stable.
16 January,2025 06:30 PM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanA court in Palghar's Vasai on Thursday sentenced four individuals to life imprisonment for kidnapping and murdering a woman and burning her body inorder to destroy evidence, PTI reported. As per PTI, District and Additional Sessions Judge SV Khongal convicted Mohitkumar Bhishandas Bhagat (33), Ramavtar Chitelal Sharma (34), Shiva Ramkumar Sharma (33) and Unita Sharvanan (43) under Indian Penal Code provisions for murder and other offences. The judge fined Bhagat and both Sharmas Rs 18,000 each, while Sharvanan was fined Rs 7,000. On May 15, 2016, the four accused had called victim Kavita Badala (27) to a flat in Vasai over a monetary dispute and picked up a fight with her, said additional public prosecutor Jaiprakash Patil. The victim and the accused worked in a network marketing firm. The four strangled Badala and packed her body in a bag, took it to Sakhre on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, and then burnt it to destroy the evidence, PTI reported. Following this, the four called up the victim's father, who is a jeweller, and sought three kilograms of gold as well as 30 lakh, APP Patil told court. About 53 witnesses were examined during the trial, PTI reported. Thane: Man acquitted in attempt to murder case after six years A Thane court has acquitted a 48-year-old film art director in a 2018 case of attempted murder, citing discrepancies in the evidence presented by the prosecution, reported news agency PTI. Sessions judge Amit M Shete passed the ruling on January 9, acquitting Sushant Niranjan Panda. Panda was accused of attacking Arvind Ramratan Singh, the complainant, with a steel cutter on July 1, 2018, causing him injuries in the neck which required hospitalisation, reported PTI. As per the First Information Report registered by Mira Road Police in the district, Singh and Panda had a late-night altercation over the strained relationship between Panda and Singh's daughter, reported PTI. The complainant's daughter had been in a live-in relationship with the accused, the FIR said. During the trial, the Thane court noted contradictions in witness testimonies, particularly that of the complainant's daughter whose account suggested that the altercation took place in the residential society's common area and not inside Singh's flat, reported PTI. The Thane court also criticized the prosecution for not examining crucial witnesses such as the society's watchman and the complainant's brother. The prosecution failed to establish the accused's guilt beyond reasonable doubt, the court held. (With inputs from PTI)
16 January,2025 06:22 PM IST | Palghar | mid-day online correspondentThe first image of the suspect who allegedly attacked Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan in his house in Bandra was accessed by mid-day hours after the incident took place in the wee hours of Thursday. The police has formed multiple teams to trace and nab the accused in Saif Ali Khan attack case, police said. The suspect can be seen in a CCTV footage using staircase to reach the actor's house. The footage was recovered by the police, sources said. Earlier, the police had said that the suspect who attacked Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra residence has been identified and multiple police teams are in the process to track and nab the culprit, the police said on Thursday. A case under multiple sections of the BNS has been registered at the Bandra Police Station following the knife attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, the police said. According to Mumbai Police, one accused has been identified, and 10 teams have been formed to apprehend him. The suspect who allegedly attacked Saif Ali Khan captured in a CCTV footage CCTV footage of the suspect who allegedly attacked Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan. Via: @journofaizan #SaifAliKhan #CCTV https://t.co/vZ9ensLu69 pic.twitter.com/3WIDGon63v — Mid Day (@mid_day) January 16, 2025 A senior police official said, "The FIR was registered under Section 311 (robbery or dacoity with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), Section 312 (robbery or dacoity with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), and Sections 331(4)(6)(7) (punishment for house-trespass or housebreaking) of the BNS." The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday at Saif Ali Khan’s residence on the 12th floor of the Sadguru Sharan building in Bandra west. Preliminary investigations suggest the intruder used the stairs to gain entry into the house with the intent of committing a robbery. The 54-year-old actor sustained multiple injuries during the alleged burglary attempt and was rushed to Lilavati Hospital at around 3:30 am. Dr Niraj Uttamani, COO of Lilavati Hospital, confirmed that Khan underwent surgery and is now in recovery. “Saif sustained six stab injuries, two of which were deep, including one near the spine. A team of neurosurgeon Dr Nitin Dange, cosmetic surgeon Dr Leena Jain, and anaesthesiologist Dr Nisha Gandhi performed the surgery,” Dr Uttamani said.
16 January,2025 05:52 PM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanThe primary police investigations in Saif Ali Khan attack case has revealed that the suspect used the fire escape duct to reach the Bollywood actor's home in Bandra west, sources said on Thursday. Sources further said that according to initial investigations, the suspect jumped from the compound of an adjacent property which has small boundary wall into the building where Saif Ali Khan lives on the 12th floor. He then used the staircase to reach the actor's home evading the security in the building, they said, adding that it is being investigated how did the suspect who is a middle-aged man managed to get inside the actor's home and later attacked him with a sharp knife-like object, sources said. A CCTV footage has also captured the man using the fire escape staircase in the building and in one of the fottages he can be seen stairing at the CCTV camera while on the stairs. The man is seen having a back-pack on his shoulder, sources said. While he was inside the actor's residence, the actor confronted him resulting in Saif Ali Khan being severaly injured in the incident. The actor reportedly suffered six stab injuries, one of them near his spine, and has been operated upon at Lilavati Hospital. He is reportedly out of danger now, the doctors said on Thursday. "The police has formed more than 10 different teams to trace and nab the suspect," an official said. The 54-year-old actor sustained multiple injuries during the alleged burglary attempt and was rushed to Lilavati Hospital at around 3:30 am. Dr Niraj Uttamani, COO of Lilavati Hospital, confirmed that Khan underwent surgery and is now in recovery. “Saif sustained six stab injuries, two of which were deep, including one near the spine. A team of neurosurgeon Dr Nitin Dange, cosmetic surgeon Dr Leena Jain, and anaesthesiologist Dr Nisha Gandhi performed the surgery,” Dr Uttamani said in a statement. A senior police official said, "At around 3 am, the police got information regarding an attack on Saif Ali Khan at his house in Bandra, following the information, a team of police rushed to the spot. Saif Ali Khan was later shifted to the Lilavati Hospital following the attack and he is said to be out of danger. Multiple police teams and senior officials are working on the case. An FIR has been registered in the matter and probe is underway."
16 January,2025 05:49 PM IST | Mumbai | Asif RizviThe suspect who attacked Saif Ali Khan at his Bandra residence has been identified and multiple police teams are in the process to track and nab the culprit, the police said on Thursday. A case under multiple sections of the BNS has been registered at the Bandra Police Station following the knife attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, the police said. According to Mumbai Police, one accused has been identified, and 10 teams have been formed to apprehend him. DCP Zone 9, Dixit Gedam said, "The FIR was registered under Section 311 (robbery or dacoity with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), Section 312 (robbery or dacoity with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), and Sections 331(4)(6)(7) (punishment for house-trespass or housebreaking) of the BNS." The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday at Khan’s residence on the 12th floor of the Sadguru Sharan building in Bandra. Preliminary investigations suggest the intruder used the stairs to gain entry into the house with the intent of committing a robbery. Dixit Geadam, DCP Zone 09, stated, “Further details will be disclosed once the accused is taken into custody. The investigation is underway.” The 54-year-old actor sustained multiple injuries during the alleged burglary attempt and was rushed to Lilavati Hospital at around 3:30 am. Dr Niraj Uttamani, COO of Lilavati Hospital, confirmed that Khan underwent surgery and is now in recovery. “Saif sustained six stab injuries, two of which were deep, including one near the spine. A team of neurosurgeon Dr Nitin Dange, cosmetic surgeon Dr Leena Jain, and anaesthesiologist Dr Nisha Gandhi performed the surgery,” Dr Uttamani said. At the time of the attack, four to five people were present in the apartment. The intruder first confronted the actor's maid, leading to an argument. When Khan attempted to intervene, the intruder attacked him with a sharp object. The assailant fled the scene immediately after the attack. The Mumbai Police have intensified their efforts to apprehend the suspect. Gedam further stated, "We have identified the accused, and dedicated teams are actively working on locating and apprehending him." Authorities have assured that they are leaving no stone unturned in resolving the case. While the police have yet to disclose further details, Khan’s representatives described the incident as an attempted burglary. They thanked fans for their prayers and confirmed that the actor is out of danger.
16 January,2025 05:07 PM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanAn additional executive engineer of state-run Maharashtra Electricity Distribution Company Limited from Jalna district was arrested for reportedly accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000, an official said on Thursday, PTI reported. The accused, Prakash Taur had demanded Rs 50,000 to clear off the bills of a contractor who had installed a transformer in the Ambad area. After negotiation, he reduced the amount to Rs 40, 000, said the official from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). Following the complaint from the contractor, the ACB laid a trap and caught hold of Taur red-handed when he accepted the bribe amount on Wednesday evening, the official said, PTI reported. Taur was booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act, following the operation led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Balu Jadhavara, he added. Earlier, a village circle officer was taken into custody for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a person for updating his property records in Maharashtra's Raigad district, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) said, PTI reported. The person had approached the accused in relation to land at Dahigaon in Raigad’s Karjat area. The 40-year-old circle officer of Kadav village in Karjat taluka reportedly asked for Rs 1 lakh from him for carrying out the change in his land records, the ACB said in a release, PTI cited. The person filed a complaint with the Raigad ACB unit which laid a trap in the village on Wednesday and caught the accused while accepting the bribe amount, it said. The police later arrested the accused and registered a case against him under relevant legal provisions, the ACB said, PTI reported. In another incident, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered a case against two police officers in Maharashtra's Thane district, including an inspector and a constable, accused of demanding a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from a man to influence a complaint involving his relative. According to officials, the incident occurred when a woman filed a complaint against the nephew of the man, which led to the involvement of the police. The inspector, stationed at the Murbad police station in Thane, allegedly instructed the constable to extort Rs 2 lakh from the complainant. The payment was demanded in exchange for providing a favourable outcome for the man's nephew in the matter at hand. The man, after realising he was being extorted, reported the matter to the ACB. Following a verification of the claim, the Anti-Corruption Bureau registered a case against both police officers under the Prevention of Corruption Act on Tuesday. The investigation is ongoing, with the authorities probing the matter further. (With agency inputs)
16 January,2025 04:00 PM IST | Jalna | mid-day online correspondentA Thane court has acquitted a 48-year-old film art director in a 2018 case of attempted murder, citing discrepancies in the evidence presented by the prosecution, reported news agency PTI. Sessions judge Amit M Shete passed the ruling on January 9, acquitting Sushant Niranjan Panda. Panda was accused of attacking Arvind Ramratan Singh, the complainant, with a steel cutter on July 1, 2018, causing him injuries in the neck which required hospitalisation, reported PTI. As per the First Information Report registered by Mira Road Police in the district, Singh and Panda had a late-night altercation over the strained relationship between Panda and Singh's daughter, reported PTI. The complainant's daughter had been in a live-in relationship with the accused, the FIR said. During the trial, the Thane court noted contradictions in witness testimonies, particularly that of the complainant's daughter whose account suggested that the altercation took place in the residential society's common area and not inside Singh's flat, reported PTI. The Thane court also criticized the prosecution for not examining crucial witnesses such as the society's watchman and the complainant's brother. The prosecution failed to establish the accused's guilt beyond reasonable doubt, the court held. Thane court acquits six men booked under MCOCA for extortion, assault A Thane court acquitted six persons, including a former corporator, who were booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for allegedly extorting and assaulting a mobile shop owner, citing "lack of evidence" and "procedural lapses" by the prosecution, news agency PTI reported. The special court hearing MCOCA cases in Thane district delivered the judgment on Wednesday, giving the accused a "benefit of doubt" for the above reasons as well as for "unreliable testimonies" of witnesses, reported PTI. In 2022, a first information report (FIR) was registered at the Mahatma Phule Chowk Police Station in Kalyan. The accused were booked for extortion, attempted murder and involvement in an organised crime syndicate. The accused have been identified as Satej alias Bala Suresh Pokal, 30; former Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation corporator and construction contractor Sachin Samsan Khema, 44; Nitin Samsan Khema, 41; agriculturist Prem Haribhau Chaudhari, 33; Tohit alias Bablu Majid Shaikh, 24, and construction supervisor Ganesh Vilas Rokade, 29, PTI reported. (With inputs from PTI)
16 January,2025 02:39 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentAn official said that the police on Wednesday arrested a 49-year-old man from Maharashtra's Palghar district for allegedly murdering his driver, reported news agency PTI. The body of the 42-year-old victim, Prabhukumar Lotan Jha, was found in the Tungareshwar area limits on Tuesday, reported PTI. Acting on inputs, police took into custody Jha's employer, S V Singh. Police said Singh and Jha frequently argued as Jha would often report to work drunk. During one such argument, Singh smashed Jha's head with an iron rod, killing him, the official added. Unidentified man's body found in Mahim creek, murder suspected A case of murder has been registered after the decomposed body of an unidentified man was found in Mahim Creek in Mumbai on Tuesday night, police said, reported PTI. The unidentified male, aged between 35 to 50, had "Prakash" tattooed on his right hand, a police official said, reported PTI. There were also injury marks on the body, suggesting that he had been attacked, the official added. Mahim Police are now combing through all recent missing person complaints registered in the city, he said. Thane man held for killing acquaintance for harassing his wife Police have arrested a 30-year-old man in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly killing an acquaintance who used to harass his wife, officials said on Tuesday, reported PTI. On January 11, Sukant Shatrugana Parida (29) died in the house of the accused, Naresh Shambu Bhagat (30), who himself informed police about the man's death at his residence in Badlapur area, they said, reported PTI. The police sent the body to a government hospital for post-mortem and initially registered a case of accidental death. During the probe into the case, the police worked on several leads and detained Bhagat based on suspicion, a police release said. After extensive interrogation, Bhagat told the police that the deceased used to come to his house frequently and harass his wife which would lead to quarrels between the two men as well as the couple, it said, reported PTI. Fed up with Parida's behaviour, the accused hatched a plan to eliminate him. On January 10 night, the accused called him to his house, served him liquor and then allegedly hit on his head with a hammer and an iron rod following which the man died, the police said. The accused has been arrested and booked under section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), they said. (With inputs from PTI)
16 January,2025 02:03 PM IST | Palghar | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
