Navi Mumbai: The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) has arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly running a sex racket using mobile phones to share photographs of women with potential clients and arranging their services. Two women were rescued during the operation, which took place near a hotel in the APMC area of Navi Mumbai.

The arrested accused, identified as Rahul Lakhmeshwar Mahto, was caught red-handed on the night of August 4 after he arrived in a taxi near Hotel Fantasy Residency in Sector 19C, APMC, with two women. He had allegedly arranged a deal with a decoy customer and accepted Rs 4,000 in cash for sexual services. Once the transaction was completed, the decoy gave the pre-decided signal, following which the AHTC team conducted a raid and apprehended Mahto.

According to police officials, Mahto was part of an online prostitution racket operating across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The AHTC had earlier received intelligence about the gang’s activities and accordingly laid a trap under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Prithviraj Ghorpade. The team, including API Yogesh Deshmukh and Police Constable Anil Mandoḷe, posed as customers to initiate the bust.

Investigations revealed that the two rescued women had been sent for prostitution by two other agents, identified as Kamesh and Kurban Ansari, who are currently absconding.

“We have registered a case under relevant sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act at the APMC Police Station. We are continuing efforts to locate and apprehend the remaining members of the trafficking network,” a police officer from AHTU said.

Mumbai: Police have busted a child trafficking racket after rescuing a six-day-old boy in Mumbai and arrested four persons, including his parents, an official said on Thursday.

Based on credible information about child trafficking, social activist Dr Binu Varghese alerted the police.

About The Case

Acting on the inputs, the police caught two women red-handed while accepting Rs 4.5 lakh for child trafficking and rescued the newborn on Wednesday night, the official from Shivaji Nagar police station said.

It also came to light that Rs 1 lakh had already been paid as advance to the child’s parents, the police said.

The Shivaji Nagar police arrested four persons — Nazima Sheikh alias Nasreen, Fatima Mehmoobali and the child’s parents Irfan Khan and Sumaiya Khan.

A case was registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, including 143(3) (trafficking), against these four persons and an alleged mastermind of the racket, who is a relative of a local history-sheeter, the official said.

All the accused are residents of Shivaji Nagar, the police added.

Mumbai: (Kamar Ansari) The internal rift within the Maharashtra unit of the Samajwadi Party has now come out in the open. For the past several days, senior party leader Abu Asim Azmi had been reportedly upset with his own party MLA, Rais Shaikh. Though he had hinted at his displeasure in earlier statements, the matter has now escalated publicly. Azmi has chosen former Congress leader Yusuf Abrahani to replace Rais Shaikh, making it evident that Shaikh is being shown the door from the party.

On the ground, one key reason behind this development appears to be Rais Shaikh’s growing popularity. In both Mumbai and Bhiwandi, he has gained considerable public support due to his relentless efforts and grassroots connect. Rais Shaikh has been elected twice from the Bhiwandi Assembly constituency on a Samajwadi Party ticket. Local residents believe he was re-elected solely because of the development work he has undertaken — particularly in education, roads, and water supply.

His strong connection with the people has further elevated his stature. Even in South Mumbai, where he once served as a municipal corporator, the public still appreciates his work. Due to this, voters are also showing interest in candidates backed by Rais Shaikh in the upcoming municipal elections.

According to sources, Abu Asim Azmi began to feel threatened by Shaikh’s rising prominence. This tension was reportedly worsened by the Samajwadi Party high command, including Akhilesh Yadav, who is believed to be unhappy with Azmi. Insiders suggest that Shaikh is being removed by azmi to prevent him from becoming a dominant force within the party.

Interestingly, Yusuf Abrahani — who left Congress recently and joined the Samajwadi Party — is the same person who, about two decades ago, had walked away from the Samajwadi Party, taking several corporators with him and severely weakening the party’s Mumbai unit. The Congress later rewarded him with a ticket from Mankhurd, from where he served one term as an MLA. However, he failed to retain his seat in the next election.

Abu Asim Azmi later contested and won from the same Mankhurd seat, defeating Yusuf Abrahani. Notably, Rais Shaikh played a crucial role in ensuring Azmi’s victory from Mankhurd. Now, ironically, in order to sideline Shaikh, Azmi has brought Abrahani back into the fold — hoping he can once again mobilize several corporators in favor of the party.

The office from where Rais Shaikh used to operate has also reportedly been handed over to Yusuf Abrahani — a clear message that Shaikh no longer has a place in the party.

According to close associates of Akhilesh Yadav and party insiders, the Samajwadi Party is now looking for a strong alternative to Azmi in Maharashtra. To prevent further damage, the central leadership is said to be increasingly ignoring Azmi’s decisions and moving in a different direction.