Kolhapur: A disturbing case of alleged sexual exploitation and blackmail has come to light in the Pulachi Shiroli area of Hatkanangale tehsil in the Kolhapur District of Maharashtra, where a 22-year-old man has been arrested for targeting multiple young women.

The accused, Shahid Sameer Sanadi, was arrested after a 20-year-old woman filed a complaint at Rajarampuri Police Station (under the Kolhapur District Police Force) on Sunday night. He was later handed over to Hatkanangale police station and produced before a court, which remanded him to four days of police custody.

According to police, the accused befriended young women aged between 18 and 22 through social media. He allegedly lured them into relationships, assaulted them, and filmed obscene videos. These videos were then used to threaten and blackmail the victims.

Officials believe that more than 15 women may have been targeted in a similar manner. Victims are suspected to be from Shiroli, Hupari, Hatkanangale, and nearby villages.

Police said the accused would call the women to lodges in Shiroli and Kolhapur, where he allegedly committed the crimes and recorded the acts. Investigators also found that some of the videos were shared with others.

A friend of the accused, identified as Shahrukh Desai, is currently absconding. Police suspect he may also have access to videos of several victims. A search is underway to trace him.

The case initially appeared to be an isolated complaint. However, as the investigation progressed, officials uncovered a wider pattern. This has raised concerns that more people could be involved. Police are now probing the possibility of a larger network.

Senior officers are closely monitoring the case. Additional Superintendent of Police Annasaheb Jadhav visited the police station and reviewed the investigation. Authorities have appealed to other possible victims to come forward. They have assured that identities will be kept confidential.

The incident has triggered strong reactions in the area. In protest, local groups have called for a bandh in Shiroli. Several organisations have also demanded strict action and a thorough probe.

The case has drawn attention as similar incidents involving video blackmail have recently been reported in other parts of Maharashtra, including Amravati and Nashik. Police say they are taking the matter seriously and are working to identify all those involved.

Mumbai: Mayor Ritu Tawade, along with BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, staged a protest at Ghatkopar police station over an alleged sexual assault case involving two minor girls and the subsequent action taken by police on the victims’ families.

The case pertains to a violent confrontation that broke out in the Nityanand Nagar area of Ghatkopar West after an enraged mob attempted to lynch a 38-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting two minor girls. The incident escalated into an assault on law enforcement, resulting in serious injuries to a police constable and a Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) personnel.

Coming back to the protest held by the BJP leader, he told news agency media, “Firoz Iqbal attempted to molest four girls, two of whom were aged five and six years old.” The BJP leader alleged that despite a complaint filed by the victims’ families, the police ‘did not want to arrest Iqbal’, adding that the authorities only took action after the families insisted, but in a shocking turn of events, the police also arrested the families of the victims.

Somaiya further stated that “we will sit here until these families get justice and the police who helped Firoz should be suspended.”

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawade also backed the protest and challenged the police narrative that the families had attacked officers during the initial arrest of the suspect. Tawade claimed to have seen video evidence that contradicts the police’s version of events and said, “Whereas I had seen the video, no attack took place”.

She added that the police are saying that they were attacked, but when I saw the video, there was no attack on the police, the families were attacking the accused, claiming that “it’s natural that the family’s blood would boil over the heinous act he committed, so there will be a reaction to the action.”

Expressing shock, Tawde further added, “At a time when the family is going through this, instead of consoling them, the police are putting the family in jail… The family is still inside.”

According to the statement by the police, when a team from Ghatkopar police station went to arrest the accused, a crowd of around 40–50 people allegedly obstructed the officers and physically assaulted them in an attempt to reach Shaikh.

In the scuffle, a police constable was injured after being hit on the head, and another personnel suffered a fractured arm after being assaulted.

Following the incident, police registered two separate cases. The accused has been booked under the POCSO Act, while another case has been filed for the attack on the police. Five people have been arrested so far, and around 30–40 unidentified individuals are under investigation.

Mumbai: The Byculla police have registered a case of cheating against a Jalgaon-based trader, identified as Amol Bhaskar Mahajan, for allegedly defrauding a Mumbai import-export businessman of Rs1.30 crore under the pretext of supplying bananas for export to Iran.

According to the FIR, the complainant, Abbas Mohammad Ali Deghani, 38, runs an import-export business dealing in fruits with markets in Iran, Iraq, and Dubai. He exports commodities such as bananas and turmeric to Iran and, due to trade practices requiring barter transactions, imports dates, pistachios, apples, and kiwis in return.

The complaint states that Deghani came into contact with an Iran-based broker, Mojtaba Ashuri, who deals in banana trade. Ashuri allegedly introduced Deghani to Mahajan, claiming that he owned a company named Sanriya Agro Produce OPC Pvt. Ltd. and was a major banana trader based in Jalgaon. Ashuri also shared Mahajan’s bank account details at an Axis Bank branch in Jalgaon.

Between October 21, 2022, and January 21, 2023, Deghani transferred a total of Rs1.30 crore to the said account for the purchase of bananas. However, despite receiving the full payment, Mahajan neither supplied the consignment nor refunded the money.

When Deghani repeatedly attempted to contact Mahajan through calls and messages, he allegedly failed to respond. During this period, Mahajan is said to have sent four invoices via WhatsApp to Ashuri in the name of his company. These invoices bore a director’s stamp but lacked any signature, raising suspicion. Ashuri subsequently forwarded these invoices to Deghani.

The FIR further notes discrepancies in the invoices, including inconsistencies between amounts mentioned in US dollars and Indian rupees, indicating that the documents were fabricated and had no legal validity.

Upon realizing that he had been cheated, Deghani approached the Byculla police station and filed a complaint. Based on his statement, the police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and have initiated further investigation into the matter.