Nalasopara: In a gruesome incident that has sent shockwaves through the region, a 40-year-old mentally ill man allegedly hacked his younger sister to death and seriously injured his mother following a minor dispute.

The incident occurred early Tuesday morning at the Sarvodaya Vasahat in the Taki Road area of Nalasopara (East).

This marks the fourth murder reported in the Vasai-Virar city limits within a single week, raising serious concerns regarding local safety and crime rates.

The deceased has been identified as Supriya Kanade (35), who resided in the Saidham Welfare Chawl. Her mother and brother, Ajit Malushte (40), lived in the adjacent house. According to reports, Supriya’s husband was away in their native village at the time of the attack.

Around 5:30 AM on Tuesday, a trivial argument broke out between Supriya and Ajit. In a fit of rage, Ajit attacked his sister with a machete (koyta), inflicting deep wounds on her neck and chest. When their mother rushed to intervene and save her daughter, Ajit turned the weapon on her as well, leaving her critically injured.

Supriya Kanade died on the spot due to the severity of her injuries. The mother was rushed to a municipal hospital, where she is currently undergoing treatment for serious wounds.

The Tulinj Police arrived at the scene shortly after the incident and have taken the accused, Ajit Malushte, into custody.

Mahendra Kadam, a local resident who reached the spot shortly after the screaming began, shared the harrowing details

“I received information about the incident around 5:30 AM. When I arrived, Supriya was lying in a pool of blood. Her brother, who is mentally ill and undergoing treatment, attacked her with a machete. It is a tragic situation for the entire neighborhood.”

The Tulinj Police are currently investigating the matter to determine the exact trigger for the dispute. The repeated instances of violence in the Vasai-Virar area over the past seven days have left residents in a state of fear.

Mumbai: The special court on Monday granted bail to senior police inspector Sanjeev Baliram Tawde and police sub-inspector Dyaneshwar Govindrao June posted at the Kurar police station for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs1 lakh from a Malad resident to settle two complaints.

On February 19, the ACB team caught Junne redhanded while allegedly accepting the remaining bribe amount of Rs1 lakh from the complainant. Later, Tawde too was arrested by the ACB. They were remanded to ACB custody till Monday. When produced before the special court, the two were remanded to judicial custody.

Subsequently, their lawyers Vaibhav Baghade and Vijay Desai, appearing for Tawde and Junne respectively, moved bail pleas contending that the pre-trap, post-trap and house search were completed and the sample voice was already recorded, therefore there was no need to keep them further in custody.

The pleas were objected to by public prosecutor Jyoti Sawant. The court, however, granted them bail considering that the investigation so far is completed. The accused officers had allegedly demanded Rs3 lakh to not take action.

Mumbai: A 38-year-old habitual housebreaker from Virar, notorious for evading CCTV cameras and using a handsaw to silently cut through metal window grills, has been arrested by the Kanjurmarg Police in connection with a burglary at a senior citizen’s residence in Bhandup East earlier this month.

The accused, identified as Atish Sakharkar (38), has a criminal history of over 20 house-breaking cases registered against him, police said. He was apprehended following a focussed investigation that linked the crime pattern to his known modus operandi.

The burglary took place on the night of February 8, while the FIR was lodged the following morning, February 9. The accused allegedly broke into the house by cutting and bending the window grill without making noise, a method he is known to employ to avoid attracting attention.

Gold jewellery worth over ₹3.7 lakh was reported stolen in the incident. The items listed in the FIR include two gold bangles, a mangalsutra with a diamond pendant, four rings, chains, earrings, and a diamond earring set. During the course of the investigation, police recovered jewellery worth approximately ₹2.7 lakh from the accused.

Police said the case was cracked after investigators noticed that the crime bore striking similarities to previous break-ins attributed to Sakharkar. Surveillance on habitual offenders was intensified, and a confidential informant provided crucial input regarding his whereabouts. Acting on the tip-off, the police traced him to the Mira-Bhayandar area and took him into custody.

Officials added that Sakharkar is known avoiding CCTV, and carrying tools such as a handsaw to cut through metal grills swiftly and quietly. His ability to operate without triggering suspicion had helped him evade arrest in the past.