Maharashtra
Maha ATS lawyers to track Malegaon-2008 blast case hearing
Alarmed by witnesses turning hostile in the Malegaon-2008 blasts case, the Maharashtra government lawyers shall now remain in the Special NIA Court where the trial is being conducted on a daily basis, Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil said here on Saturday.
He told the media persons that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had taken over the case (from the state ATS), but the state government is perturbed at the manner in which several critical witnesses have become hostile in the Special Court.
The significant development came two days after the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Congress had raised the issue and drawn the attention of the Home Ministry and the ATS.
Congress state Working President M. Arif Naseem Khan had submitted a memorandum to the Additional Director-General of Police and ATS chief Vineet Agrawal urging necessary measures to monitor the case closely.
“We are thankful to Home Minister Walse-Patil for accepting our demand for a team to keep a track on the court proceedings. The presence of the ATS lawyers will help in a free and fair trial,” Khan said in a statement.
An ex-minister, Khan reiterated that the NIA is allegedly ‘weakening’ the Malegaon-2008 case and not pursuing it with ‘honesty and sincerity’.
In his memorandum to the ATS Chief Agrawal, Khan contended that the witnesses turning hostile are invoking the names of Bharatiya Janata Party-RSS leaders to “malign the Maharashtra government and ATS” for gaining political mileage in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh elections.
The September 29, 2008 (Malegaon 2008) bomb blast was allegedly engineered in this minority-dominated Nashik town by Hindu fundamentalists, killing 6 and injuring over 100 others, during the Ramadan month when Muslims were breaking their fast.
The Maharashtra Police and then the ATS probed the case till 2011 when it was taken over by the NIA, and the trial is going on daily before the Special NIA Court in Mumbai.
Of the 223 witnesses examined, 16 have turned hostile, claiming that the ATS tortured them to give evidence against the accused, said Khan, urging the need for the presence of the ATS in the court to protect the image of the Maharashtra government.
Among the accused in the sensational Malegaon 2008 case are BJP MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Swami Amritananda Dev Teerth, Dayanand Pandey, Lt. Col. Prasad S. Purohit, and others.
Khan said that the ATS was being sought to be tarnished as an ‘anti-Hindu’ agency with the witnesses, allegedly influenced by the accused, deliberately naming BJP-RSS people ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls for political gains.
“The NIA is not prosecuting all the accused with honesty and sincerity. Out of 223 witnesses who deposed so far, 16 important ones have turned hostile and over a 100 more are still left to be examined. These witnesses are crucial and need to be protected. The NIA has not challenged any orders passed in favour of the accused which shows their intentions clearly,” Khan said.
Some of the witnesses in Malegaon 2008 case even went beyond their recorded statement mentioning names like Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, but the NIA’s Special Public Prosecutor took no objection, and another witness claimed he was tortured and threatened by the ATS to take names of Yogi and 4 RSS leaders.
Crime
Mumbai Crime News: Father, Brother-in-Law Booked Under POCSO For Sexually Assaulting Minor Girl; One Arrested

The Sewree Police have registered a case against the victim’s father and brother-in-law under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and rape charges for sexually abusing a minor girl. While the police have arrested the brother-in-law, the father remains absconding after the case was filed. Authorities are conducting a search for the accused.
The victim, a 16-year-old girl, alleged in her complaint that in April 2024, her father covered her face with a cloth while she was sleeping at home and sexually assaulted her. He also threatened to kill her mother if she disclosed the incident, leaving the victim too terrified to speak out. Later, in March (year unclear—needs verification), when the girl was alone at home, the accused allegedly molested her again.
After the victim recently approached the police, a case was filed under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for rape and the POCSO Act. The brother-in-law has been arrested, while the father is still at large.
Maharashtra
Mumbai News: KEM Hospital Deploys Anti-Flooding Workers After Bombay HC Rap Over Waterlogging In Paediatric Ward

Mumbai: After Bombay High Court pulled up BMC-run KEM hospital in Parel for water logging in its pediatrics section, the hospital administration for the first time has deployed workers for anti-flooding measures.
Anti-Flooding Workers Deployed Since Mid-June
“The deployment of works started from mid-June. Per shift five workers are on anti-flooding duty. While storm water drains department has also two dewatering pumps. In total six pumps are installed,” an official from KEM hospital told the FPJ.
May 26 Rainfall Caused Paediatric Waiting Area Flooding
Due heavy downpour on May 26, the waiting area of the hospital’s paediatric department witnessed waterlogging, risking the patients treatment and their family members too who were seen waiting in the corridor with ankle-deep water.
However, the hospital administration claimed that it was ‘water accumulation’ and not water logging. Fortunately, the department’s services were not majorly affected.
Following this incident, the Bombay High Court expressed serious concern and directed the BMC to urgently inspect the hospital and suggest remedial measures. The court heard the matter following media reports highlighting patients sitting in ankle-deep water inside the hospital premises.
HC Expressed Serious Concern Over Hygiene
“This is a hospital. There has to be hygiene. Management cannot allow this to happen inside hospital premises. This cannot become a recurring situation. KEM was once among the top hospitals in India,” the court observed.
Labourers Hired for Daily Drain Cleaning
“There are rare incidents when water accumulate in the hospital premises. The city experience very heavy rainfall on May 26, quite early the usual arrival of monsoon. However, we have implemented anti-flooding measures to ensure such incidents is not repeated. The labourers are hired on monthly basis and deployed to clean drains everyday. The dewatering pumps are installed near by the pediatrics department specially.
Crime
Navi Mumbai Crime Branch Busts Auto-Rickshaw Theft Racket; 12 Stolen Vehicles Worth ₹24 Lakh Recovered

An intensive investigation involving scrutiny of over 60 CCTV cameras and technical surveillance led the Crime Detection Team of CBD Police Station to bust a widespread auto-rickshaw theft racket in Navi Mumbai. Two habitual offenders were arrested, and 12 stolen Bajaj auto-rickshaws valued at approximately Rs 24 lakh were recovered from various districts across Maharashtra.
The case began after a complaint was filed at CBD Police Station on May 28 regarding the theft of an auto-rickshaw bearing registration number MH-46-BD-9956 from Sector 11, CBD Belapur. Following the complaint, the police team launched an exhaustive technical investigation, combing through more than 60 CCTV camera footages and other forensic leads, which eventually pointed to two suspects.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Nazimoddin Azimoddin Qazi (43), a resident of Partur in Jalna, and Sakib Shamsu Shaikh (24), originally from Jalna but currently living in Taloja Phase-2, Panvel. Qazi was tracked to his hometown in Jalna and arrested on July 12.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to stealing 12 auto-rickshaws from various parts of Navi Mumbai, including CBD, Kharghar, Kalamboli, and Panvel. They revealed that the stolen vehicles were transported and concealed in locations such as Jalna, Hingoli, Parbhani, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar districts. In an attempt to evade identification, the accused had tampered with engine and chassis numbers, but police investigators were able to recover and identify all 12 vehicles using advanced forensic and technical methods.
The stolen vehicles, all Bajaj auto-rickshaws were seized from multiple locations. Each vehicle is estimated to be worth Rs 2 lakh, taking the total recovery to approximately Rs 24 lakh.
The thefts have been linked to multiple police stations across Navi Mumbai. “Three cases were registered at CBD Police Station, four at Kharghar Police Station, four at Kalamboli Police Station, and one at Panvel City Police Station. The accused had started stealing the vehicles around a year back. The first theft was reported in June last year. Before that they worked as drivers,” Assistant commissioner of police (Turbhe division) Mayur Bhujbal said.
This successful operation was carried out under the guidance of Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe, Joint Commissioner Sanjay Yenpure, DCP (Zone I) Pankaj Dahane, and ACP Mayur Bhujbal. The investigation was led by Senior PI Sandesh Revale and Crime PI Arun Pawar, with support from API Suresh Dambre, PSI Vishnu Wagh, and a committed team of police constables who played a key role in cracking the case.
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