Mumbai: The CBI has identified two more persons allegedly involved in the case where agency officials arrested Nitesh Rai, branch manager of a private bank in Mumbai, last month for facilitating the opening of mule accounts. Investigation has revealed that the arrested official, in collusion with cybercriminals, accepted illegal gratification and, by abusing his official position, processed account opening forms, thereby creating channels for the movement and layering of cybercrime proceeds.

“During the investigation of the said case, from April 30, 2025 to May 4, 2025, it has been revealed that accused Nitesh Rai, while functioning as Branch Manager, Bandra Reclamation Branch, Mumbai, facilitated the opening of mule accounts and obtained illegal gratification from A.N. Pathan and P.B. Sahni for the improper performance of his official duties,” said a CBI official.

“Investigation has further revealed that on one occasion, a sum of Rs 10,000 was transferred into the Axis Bank account of Nitesh Rai on January 2, 2025, as illegal gratification in lieu of processing Account Opening Forms. The demand for illegal gratification and the work to be carried out thereafter were discussed by Nitesh Rai over WhatsApp chat with Sahni.”

“Pursuant to the demand, Sahni, through Pathan, arranged for the transfer of Rs 10,000 into the account of Nitesh Rai. The payment was facilitated through money exchange by Pathan. Upon receipt of the said illegal gratification, Nitesh Rai processed the Account Opening Forms.” “Pathan and Sahni thereby induced a public servant for improper performance of his official duties,” the official added.

New Delhi, Dec 20: A SpiceJet passenger has accused an Air India Express pilot of assaulting him following a dispute over allegedly cutting the boarding queue at Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal 1 in an incident that has triggered widespread attention on social media.

The passenger, Ankit Dewan, took to X, sharing a photograph showing blood on his face.

He claimed that the incident unfolded in front of his seven-year-old daughter, who, he said, has been deeply traumatised after witnessing the attack.

Tagging the Delhi Police on social media, Dewan questioned why he could not register a complaint after returning from his trip.

“Why can’t I file a complaint after coming back? Must I sacrifice my money too, to seek justice? Will the CCTV footage disappear in the next two days till I make it back to Delhi?” he asked.

The Delhi Police, however, claimed that no formal complaint had been received in connection with the incident.

“The matter has come to the knowledge of the police through a social media post. Whenever a written complaint is received by the victim in this regard, appropriate legal action will be taken,” the police said.

Dewan also alleged that he was forced to write a letter stating that he would not pursue the matter further.

“… It was either write that letter, or miss my flight and throw the Rs 1.2 lakh holiday bookings down the drain,” he said.

Dewan stated that the incident occurred while he was travelling with his family.

According to Dewan, airport staff directed him, his wife, and their children, including a four-month-old infant in a stroller, to use a security check-in lane typically meant for staff members to ease their movement through the terminal.

However, he alleged that while they were in the queue, some staff members began moving ahead of him.

“The staff was cutting the queue ahead of me. On calling them out, Capt. Virender, who himself was doing the same thing, asked me if I was anpadh (uneducated), and couldn’t read the signs that said this entry was for staff,” he said, adding that the exchange soon turned into a heated verbal argument.

“Not able to exercise restraint, the AIX (Air India Express) pilot proceeded to physically assault me, leaving me bloody. The blood in the photograph on his shirt is also mine,” Dewan said in another post on X, where he identified the pilot involved.

Air India Express issued a statement condemning the incident and said it does not tolerate such conduct.

“The employee concerned has been removed from official duties with immediate effect, pending investigation. Appropriate disciplinary action will be initiated based on the findings of the inquiry,” the airline said.

The airline clarified that the individual was travelling as a passenger on another airline at the time of the incident and was not on official duty.

“Air India Express upholds the highest standards of conduct and professionalism, and remains committed to ensuring that its employees act responsibly at all times,” it added in the statement.

New Delhi, Dec 20: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two more absconding accused in connection with the abduction and brutal murder of Dinesh Pusu Gawade in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district.

The wanted accused, both members of the banned CPI (Maoist) terrorist organisation, have been identified as Raghu alias Pratap alias Irpa alias Muddella alias Sailu, a resident of Nizamabad district in Telangana, and Shankar Mahaka, a native of Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra, respectively.

Gawade, a resident of Laheri village in Bhamragarh taluka of Gadchiroli, was abducted and murdered in November 2023 by CPI (Maoist) cadres on suspicion of being a police informer and having links with the RSS. He had gone to Pengunda village to participate in a sports competition, where he was kidnapped and murdered by the ultras.

According to the investigation, Gawade was killed with a sharp weapon. A note was left at the crime scene by the assailants, accusing the victim of being a police informer. The assailants’ motive behind the killing was spreading terror among local villagers and intimidating them against sharing any information about Maoist activities and movements with security forces.

The NIA had taken over the probe from the Gadchiroli Police in October 2024.

Earlier, the agency had chargesheeted four accused — Doba Wadde, Ravi Pallo, Sattu Mahaka, and Komati Mahaka — over their involvement in the ghastly crime. The charge sheet was filed in January this year – against four CPI (Maoist) members of the CPI (Maoist) for the abduction and murder of Gawade under various provisions of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Investigation is currently underway and the probe agency has stepped up efforts to unearth the entire conspiracy behind the gruesome murder of Dinesh Pusu Gawade.