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.

Bhayandar: Following the long-awaited confirmation of the alliance between the Thackeray brothers, which had the entire state of Maharashtra watching, an atmosphere of intense enthusiasm was seen among Shiv Sena and MNS workers in the Mira-Bhayandar area. The reunion of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray after nearly two decades has triggered a wave of joy among party activists.

Against the backdrop of this historic development, Shiv Sena and MNS workers celebrated at the Golden Nest Circle in Bhayandar by distributing sweets, bursting firecrackers, and cheering in jubilation. The area resonated with slogans of “Thackeray Brothers Together.” Workers were seen dancing to the traditional beats of Dhol-Tasha.

Speaking on the occasion, activists stated that the alliance of the Thackeray brothers is a victory for Marathi pride (Asmita) and will have a significant impact on upcoming elections. They expressed confidence that the coming together of both parties would increase organizational strength and help address local issues more effectively.

Meanwhile, the political ripples of this alliance are being felt across Maharashtra, including Mira-Bhayandar. This partnership is being viewed as a crucial turning point for the upcoming Municipal Corporation and other elections. The reunion of the Thackeray brothers clearly signals the emergence of new equations in state politics.

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.