Crime
‘Already undergone almost 4 years’, Supreme Court issues notice to CBI on Christian Michel’s bail plea

The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought response from the CBI and ED on a bail plea filed by Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam.
A bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud noted that Michel has already undergone close to four years in prison. “We will have to look (at Michel’s bail plea) from that perspective as well”, said the bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and P.S. Narasimha.
The top court issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED), and scheduled the matter for further hearing in the second week of July.
Michel’s counsel contended that their client’s case is covered under Section 436A of the CrPC (maximum period for which an under-trial prisoner can be detained).
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the ED, submitted that Michel has not been exonerated anywhere, and Section 436A is not applicable to offences, which are under investigation by the ED. The Delhi High Court had earlier dismissed Michel’s bail plea, after the court deemed him to be a flight-risk.
Michel’s counsel contended that the investigation has not been completed so far and pointed out that his client was also in custody in Dubai. “I have undergone the maximum sentence as per the provisions…I have undergone 3 years and 6 months as of now and before extradition,” said the counsel, adding that his client has never absconded.
It was submitted before the top court that Michel’s presence was required in Italy since charges have been framed against him there. Raju replied that he is not even a party.
Michel, a British citizen, was extradited to India on December 5, 2018 from the UAE. On his arrival in India, he was arrested by the CBI and days later, arrested by the financial probe agency, the ED. Since then, he has been lodged in judicial custody at Tihar Jail. Various courts have rejected the bail petition of Michel on a number of occasions.
On January 1, 2014, India cancelled the contract with Finmeccanica’s British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and on charges of paying kickbacks amounting to Rs 423 crore.
Crime
Palghar News: Young Man Assaulted With Axe In Broad Daylight, Mob Tie Up Attacker Before Police Arrest

Palghar, Maharashtra: A broad daylight attack in a busy Palghar neighbourhood shocked residents on Wednesday after a young man allegedly assaulted a 35-year-old with an axe, leaving him seriously injured.
The incident occurred around 4 p.m. at the main square in the Kamala Park housing colony on Mahi Road. According to police sources, the accused, believed to be around 27 years old, struck Baboolal Fulchand Yadav in the face with an axe, causing severe injuries. Yadav was immediately rushed to a hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.
Eyewitnesses said the attacker attempted to flee, but local residents intervened, catching him and tying him to a tree with ropes before thrashing him. Police arrived shortly afterward, to control the mob and take the accused into custody
The motive behind the attack is still under investigation, and the process of registering a formal case in ongoing. The suspect’s identity had not been officially confirmed at the time of reporting.
Crime
Police Arrest 4 Men From Gujarat For Stealing ₹11.25 Lakh From Palghar’s Dandekar College Treasury

Palghar: Police have arrested four men, including two auto-rickshaw drivers, from Gujarat for allegedly stealing Rs 11.25 lakh cash collected as student fees from the treasury of a college in Maharashtra’s Palghar city, officials said on Wednesday.
About The Theft
The theft took place between 5.30 pm on July 23 and 7.45 am on July 24 at the Dandekar College located on Boisar Road here, a police release said.
An official from the college later reported that Rs 11.25 lakh kept in the college’s accounts department treasury had been stolen by unidentified persons.
Based on technical analysis and intelligence inputs, the police here identified the four accused and arrested them from Umbargaon in neighbouring Valsad district of Gujarat on Monday with the help of local police, the release said.
“During interrogation, they confessed to committing the theft. Out of the stolen cash, Rs 4.05 lakh has been recovered,” it said.
The accused have been identified as Shubham Virendra Singh (21), Murali Manohar Pawar (23), both auto-rickshaw drivers, Arun Lakhan Chavan (19), a mason, and Farooq Firoz Khan, all hailing from Valsad, the release said.
They have been booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 305(A) (theft in a dwelling house) and 331(3)(4) (house trespass or house break), the police added.
Crime
Thane Crime Branch Seizes 15.9 Kg MD Worth ₹31.84 Crore, Arrests Two with Multiple Past Offences

Thane: The Thane Crime Branch has arrested two persons for allegedly possessing 15.9kg MD (mephedrone), a psychotropic substance, with the intent to sell it in the city. The accused – Tanvir Ahmad Ansari, 23, and Mahesh Desai, 35, residents of Mumbra and Ulhasnagar – were intercepted after a nakabandi on August 9 at Ranjnoli Naka on the Bhiwandi-Kalyan bypass road.
Cops Seize ₹31 Crore MD in Back-to-Back Car Interceptions
The police first stopped a car driven by Tanvir and, upon inspection, recovered 11.763kg MD. Soon after, another car driven by Mahesh was intercepted, and officials recovered 4.161kg MD powder from him; the total value of the contraband is Rs31.84 crore. Their cars and phones were seized by the police.
Preliminary interrogation revealed Tanvir is already named in three FIRs, including drug-related charges, at Mumbra, Daighar, and Byculla police stations. Mahesh, confessed to four prior offences, including cases under the NDPS Act and MCOCA at Ajara Police station in Kolhapur.
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