Mumbai: In a dramatic turn of events, a robbery attempt at a jewellery store in Ghatkopar led to the arrest of two college students, while their third accomplice remains absconding. The trio, all close friends, had carefully planned the heist, but left behind a bag that ultimately helped the police crack the case.

The Ghatkopar police have arrested Tanish Sushil Bhaisade,20, a resident of Kurla, and Suraj Jagdish Yadav,20, from Kopri in Thane. Both are B.Com students at a local college in Ghatkopar. Their third accomplice, Chandrakiran Yadav,20, who resides in Bhatwadi, Ghatkopar, is currently on the run.

According to police, the three friends decided to rob a jewellery store to get rich quickly. Inspired by movies, they drew up a plan and conducted a recce in the Amrutnagar area two days before the incident. Though they initially targeted a large jewellery store, they changed plans at the last moment and decided to rob “Darshan Jewellers” instead.

On the morning of the robbery, finding only one staff member in the store, the trio stormed in. They threatened the shop owner, Darshan Mitkari, with a knife and a firearm. However, Mitkari bravely resisted and was injured in the process. Amid the chaos, the accused fled with only 3 tolas of gold and accidentally left behind a bag they had brought to carry the loot.

The bag proved to be a breakthrough for the police it contained Chandrakiran’s Aadhaar card and a luggage receipt. CCTV footage also helped identify the suspects. While fleeing, Tanish and Suraj escaped on a two-wheeler, while Chandrakiran ran away on foot with the stolen gold. As locals chased him, he fired a shot into the air from his weapon to escape.

A case was registered against the unidentified assailants, and the Ghatkopar police formed 14 teams to investigate the crime. The police tracked Tanish and Suraj using technical evidence and arrested them from Marol within hours. They had travelled through Thane, Sion, Dadar, Kurla, and even visited Kopri before returning to Marol, where they were eventually caught.

Chandrakiran, who is a Class 12 dropout, had become friends with Tanish and Suraj while visiting his girlfriend, who studies in the same college as the other two accused.

According to police records, Tanish has a past case involving kidnapping, while the other two have no prior criminal record. The search for Chandrakiran Yadav is ongoing.

Bengaluru, Oct 17: The Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, has written a letter to the National Commission for Women (NCW) on Friday, citing the rising number of sexual assaults on girls in the state, and demanding urgent intervention.

He also urged the NCW to send a fact-finding committee urgently to the state.

Ashoka stated, “The law and order in Karnataka has collapsed. In just 4 months, 979 incidents of sexual assaults on girls were reported. In Bengaluru alone, more than 114 cases have come to light. Our women and children are living in fear due to the Congress-led government’s criminal inaction.”

“From the brutal rape and murder of a tribal girl in Mysuru to the tragic suicide of a librarian in Kalaburagi due to harassment – this is a moral and administrative failure. I have written an urgent letter to the National Commission for Women, demanding immediate intervention. We need a fact-finding team in Karnataka now,” Ashoka stated.

Ashoka stated, “BJP will not stay silent while our sisters and daughters are unsafe. The government must answer for this breakdown and act swiftly to ensure a guarantee of safety and security to our women and children.”

The letter states, “I write to you in the gravest of terms as the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, deeply anguished and alarmed by the surge in heinous crimes against women and minors across the state. The recent spate of incidents reflects a collapse of law and order and an alarming erosion of the safety of women, children and marginalised communities.”

According to official data and media reports, 979 cases of sexual assaults and atrocities against minors have been reported in just the last four months across Karnataka. Bengaluru alone accounts for over 114 such cases, indicating that the crisis has reached alarming proportions and that deterrence has failed completely, Ashoka underlined.

“Among the many tragic incidents that have shaken public conscience are: the brutal rape and murder of a juvenile girl in Mysuru, belonging to the Hakki Pikki nomadic tribal community, who had migrated from Kalaburagi to sell balloons during the Dusshera festivities. This horrifying act expresses the vulnerability of migrant and tribal families and the complete absence of preventive policing even in high-security areas. The tragic suicide of a woman librarian in Kalaburagi, reportedly, following sustained workplace harassment and humiliation. This heartbreaking episode underlines the growing crisis of women’s safety and dignity even within educational and institutional spaces,” Ashoka noted.

These incidents, combined with the shocking statewide statistics, represent a deep moral and administrative failure. Women in Karnataka today are forced to live in fear – not of the law, but of its absence. The government’s silence and inaction in the face of such atrocities are unacceptable, Ashoka slammed.

“In this context, I urge the NCW to take immediate suo motu cognisance and initiate the action. Constitute a high-level fact-finding delegation to visit Karnataka — particularly Mysuru, Kalaburagi and Bengaluru — to assess the situation on the ground, interact with victims’ families, and evaluate institutional lapses,” he demanded. He has also asked NCW to seek a comprehensive report from the Government of Karnataka.

Mumbai: Following a violent altercation during a scheduled monthly review meeting of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) Co-operative Bank at Mumbai Central, the Nagpada police have officially registered an FIR against several individuals, including directors of the bank.

According to the police, the incident, which occurred on October 15 inside the MSRTC auditorium, saw chaos erupt as a group of non-board members allegedly stormed the meeting room, hurled abuses, and physically assaulted nine serving directors present at the venue. The clash has been described as a result of deepening tensions and ongoing allegations of corruption and mismanagement within the bank’s administration.

As per the FIR, the complaint, lodged by Dhiraj Suresh Tiwari, 40, a bus depot mechanic from the Amravati bus depot and one of the complainant directors, the meeting was scheduled to be held on October 15 at 11:00 AM, following instructions circulated via a WhatsApp group by the bank’s board of directors. However, the complainants allege that no formal agenda or meeting minutes were provided in advance, which is a violation of the bank’s governance norms.

The directors claim that, following protocol, they reached out to the bank’s administrative president and vice-president, who advised them to attend the meeting and either endorse or oppose any decisions officially, recording their presence accordingly.

Accordingly, all nine directors arrived at the bank’s conference hall on time. However, by 11:30 AM, the authorized board members who were supposed to conduct the meeting were still absent. During this time, the complainants observed individuals not affiliated with the board loitering outside the hall, prompting them to alert ST Corporation’s security officials about potential security threats.

The meeting eventually began at 11:45 AM, allegedly under the unauthorized supervision of acting director Anil Bhosale, who announced that the bank’s president and vice-president would not be attending. Sanjay Ghadge was then proposed as the acting chairperson by Manoj Mudliyar and seconded by Surendra Uke.

Suddenly, the meeting descended into chaos. A group of individuals — reportedly four women and five men — forcefully entered the hall shouting slogans like “Mara Mara” (meaning “Hit them!”), and allegedly began assaulting the directors.

According to the complaint, amokng the intruders were Sangita Kalambe, Aba Nalkar, Muir Jagtap, Amol Ladi, and others. The attackers reportedly abused and physically assaulted several directors, including punching and kicking them. One of the accused, Sanjay Ghadge — who was already seated inside as a director — allegedly threw a glass paperweight at Dhiraj Tiwari, causing injuries to his shoulder.

In the midst of the commotion, Sangita Kalambe is accused of snatching and throwing the phone of another director, Manoj Dhakate, who was recording the incident. Tiwari also reported that a gold chain weighing two tolas (approximately 20 grams) that he was wearing went missing during the scuffle.

The violence allegedly continued even after the directors managed to escape the hall. In full view of security personnel, Amol Ladi, reportedly under the influence of alcohol, and Sangita Kalambe allegedly assaulted another director, Anil Bankar.

The complainants have alleged that the assault was premeditated and orchestrated as an act of vengeance by those involved in mismanagement and corruption within the bank, following repeated complaints made by them to higher authorities.

The Nagpada police have registered an FIR against the accused — Sangita Kalambe, Aba Nalkar, Muir Jagtap, Amol Ladi, Manoj Mudliyar, Sanjay Ghadge, Sandhya Dahiphale, Shrihari Kale, Surendra Uke, and Atul Sitaprao — under various sections of the Bharatiy Nyay Sanhita (BNS) Act.

Further investigation is underway.