Mumbai: The Malwani police have arrested a 44-year-old doctor following allegations of sexual abuse and molestation involving a 12-and-a-half-year-old girl. The incident reportedly took place within the confines of his clinic during a medical examination, sparking concerns over patient safety and the legitimacy of the practitioner’s medical credentials.

The victim, a resident of the local area, had visited the clinic alone to seek treatment for a lip fracture. , the doctor, a resident of Kandivali who has operated the Malwani-based clinic for several years, allegedly exploited the situation.

The minor alleged that during the procedure, the doctor instructed her to lie down and proceeded to touch her inappropriately. The victim reported experiencing severe mental distress and embarrassment following the encounter, which led to the formal complaint.

Upon receiving the complaint, Police Sub-Inspector Shivaji Mohite registered the initial First Information Report. The case was later handed over to Assistant Police Inspector Prashant Mundhe, who led the investigation and moved to take the accused into custody. According to the report, the 44-year-old has been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 10 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Beyond the criminal charges of assault, the investigation has expanded into the doctor’s professional background. Initial inquiries revealed that while the accused holds a degree in acupuncture, he was allegedly performing a wide range of medical treatments for which he may not have been authorized. Police officials stated that they are currently in the process of verifying all degrees and certificates displayed at the clinic to determine if the accused was practicing medicine beyond his legal scope. The accused was produced before the sessions court on December 24.

Palghar, Maharashtra, Dec 25: Pelhar Police have arrested one accused involved in an ATM card swapping fraud and recovered cash and a vehicle used in the crime, successfully cracking the case within 24 hours of its registration.

The incident occurred on December 21, 2025, around 5:00 pm, when the complainant, Ramashankar Devkinandan Tiwari (53), a resident of Nalasopara East, visited an Axis Bank ATM at Vasai Phata to withdraw cash.

According to police, three unidentified men entered the ATM booth and engaged the complainant in conversation, claiming that their transaction had failed. Taking advantage of the distraction, the accused allegedly swapped the complainant’s ATM card through sleight of hand and handed him a different Canara Bank ATM card before leaving the spot.

The accused later used the complainant’s ATM card at another location to withdraw ₹50,000 from his bank account, thereby committing financial fraud.

Following a complaint lodged by the victim, Pelhar Police registered a case on December 22, 2025, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

During the investigation, the Crime Detection Unit examined CCTV footage from the ATM and nearby areas, which revealed that the accused used a Maruti Suzuki WagonR car.

Tracing the vehicle’s ownership and conducting technical analysis led the police to apprehend the accused, identified as Mohammad Afzal Mohammad Aslam (25), a resident of Ulwe, Navi Mumbai.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to committing the offence along with two accomplices. Police recovered ₹40,000 in cash from the accused, part of the defrauded amount, and seized the car used in the crime. The case was solved within 24 hours of registration.

The search for the remaining two absconding accused is ongoing. The arrested accused has been remanded to police custody until December 27, 2025.

Indore/Mumbai, Dec 25: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Indore Zonal Office, has conducted extensive search operations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, at multiple locations in Indore and Mumbai, the investigation agency said on Thursday.

The raids on December 23 targeted premises linked to the Ruchi Group in connection with ongoing investigations into alleged bank fraud cases.

The probe stems from multiple FIRs registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Bhopal, against several Ruchi Group entities. These include M/s Ruchi Global Ltd. (now renamed M/s Agrotrade Enterprises Ltd.), M/s Ruchi Acroni Industries Ltd. (now M/s Steeltech Resources Ltd.), and M/s RSAL Steel Pvt. Ltd. (now M/s LGB Steel Pvt. Ltd.), it said.

The companies, promoted by the late Kailash Chandra Shahra and Umesh Shahra, are accused of orchestrating large-scale bank frauds through fund diversion, siphoning, and accounting manipulations, resulting in substantial wrongful losses to public sector banks.

The ED officials revealed that the investigation uncovered a sophisticated conspiracy involving the creation of numerous shell entities, the agency said.

These were used for round-tripping transactions, where spurious Letters of Credit and Cash Credit facilities were manipulated to divert funds for private gain.

Bogus sales and purchases were recorded, and deliberate losses inflicted to siphon off loan amounts obtained ostensibly for legitimate business purposes, it said.

Proceeds of crime generated from these frauds were allegedly concealed and layered to disguise their illicit origins.

During the searches, authorities froze bank balances exceeding Rs 20 lakh belonging to the accused persons and their family members. Additionally, cash amounting to over Rs 23 lakh was seized, along with significant incriminating documents and digital devices that establish the roles of the accused in the fraud, said the agency.

This action revives scrutiny on the Ruchi Group, which has faced prior allegations of financial irregularities.

Earlier CBI probes, dating back to 2021, had flagged similar issues in group companies, including a Rs 188 crore fraud case involving a bank consortium.

The current ED operation signals intensified efforts to trace and recover laundered assets, it said.

Further investigation is progressing, with sources indicating potential attachments of properties and deeper probes into the beneficiaries of the diverted funds.