The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Mumbai has launched a search operation at 12 locations linked to Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) Commissioner Anil Pawar, his associates, family members and benamidars. This action is being taken in a case of illegal construction, in which residential and commercial buildings were illegally constructed on government and private land.

What is the whole matter?

According to the authorized development plan of the city, a total of 41 illegal buildings were constructed on the lands that were reserved for sewage treatment plants and dumping grounds and on private lands.

These buildings were constructed without any valid approval, and then sold to the general public by creating fake approval documents. The accused builders and developers already knew that these buildings were illegal and would be demolished one day, despite this, they sold rooms in them by misleading the people.

Builders accused of fraud
The developers collected crores of rupees from the public and settled them in illegal buildings and in a way cheated them. Builders, developers and possibly some municipal officials have also been found involved in this scam.

Demolition on the orders of the High Court

All these 41 illegal buildings were demolished on the orders of the Bombay High Court, leaving about 2,500 families homeless.

Focus of ED investigation

The main focus of the ED investigation is to know how such a large number of illegal buildings came up, which officials were involved in this and how the money related to this illegal construction was misappropriated. Along with the investigation of the properties of Anil Pawar and his close associates, the link of money laundering is also being investigated.

Vasai (Maharashtra): In a chilling case from Vasai, which is 25 kilometres away from Mumbai, the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police arrested a 32-year-old man for allegedly murdering his 61-year-old stepmother after she refused to give him money to continue playing an online game. The accused’s father has also been arrested for his role in helping cover up the crime.

Family Claimed Elderly Woman Died Due To Fall, Last Rites Conducted

The victim, Arshia Khusru, was a resident of Periyar Apartment in Vasai West. She died on July 26 and her family claimed she had suffered a fatal fall. Based on that account, her last rites were conducted without a postmortem. However, discrepancies in the circumstances surrounding her death led the police to launch an investigation.

During the probe, officers arrested Imran Khusru, Arshia’s stepson, who later confessed to the murder. Imran was deeply addicted to an online game and desperately needed Rs 1.8 lakh to fund his gaming.

When Arshia refused to give him the money, an enraged Imran allegedly slammed her head against a wall corner and kicked her in the face, leading to fatal injuries. After committing the crime, he is said to have stolen her gold jewellery.

Accused’s Father Helped In Covering Crime

The case took a darker turn when police discovered the involvement of Imran’s father, Amir Ismail Khusru (65), in attempting to destroy evidence and mislead authorities. Amir allegedly used his personal connections to procure a fake death certificate stating that Arshia had died from a fall. He then persuaded the family to proceed with her funeral based on the false cause of death, avoiding an autopsy.

Cops say the father-son duo went to great lengths to cover up the murder. It was only through persistent efforts by the police that the truth came to light. The stolen jewellery and other key evidence have reportedly been recovered. Both accused are currently in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.

Mumbai: The Sakinaka police, in a joint operation with the Mysuru police, have dismantled an interstate drug racket and disbanded a factory in Mysore, Karnataka. Mephedrone (MD, a psychotropic substance) worth Rs 390 crore has been seized by a joint team, and eight persons arrested from Mumbai, Gujarat, and Mysuru.

Deputy Commissioner Of Police (Zone 10) Datta Nalawade’s Statement

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 10) Datta Nalawade said the gang was active in Mumbai and its outskirts. Out of the eight accused, three were involved in similar cases for several years. Sixteen cases related to the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act and physical assault were registered against one of the accused.

The police did not reveal the identities of all the accused, as the investigation is in its preliminary stage. They suspect that more people may be involved in the racket. The case was first registered by the Sakinaka police on April 24 and one Sadiq Shaikh, 27, a resident of Bandra West, was arrested in Sakinaka for possessing drugs intended for sale.

At the time, police seized 52gm of MD from him. During interrogation, the involvement of three more accused came to light. Initially, four were arrested from Mumbai, Gujarat, and Mysuru. Later, another four were arrested from the raided factory site in Mysuru. After the first arrest, the police seized an additional 4.53kg of MD worth Rs 8 crore from Kaman village in Vasai from two accused. One of them, Siraj Panjwani, 28, resides in Mira Road. On July 25, another arrest was made; that of Salim Shaikh alias Slim Langda, 45, a resident of Bandra Reclamation, who revealed the factory’s location.

On July 26, a Sakinaka police team led by investigating officer Dayanand Walave conducted a raid at the factory near Belavatha, in the Ring Road area of Mysuru, operating out of a blue cement shed. DCP Nalawade added, “There was a garage and a stall set up in front of the factory, with the actual drug production taking place behind it in an isolated space. We seized various chemicals, ovens, heaters, and other equipment. The contraband weighed 192.53kg, worth Rs 390 crore in the international market.”

He added that the police are probing whether this gang has any links to other drug manufacturing units dismantled in western Maharashtra and Nashik in the past many months. The court has sent four of the accused to judicial custody, while the other four, who were arrested on July 27, have been remanded to police custody for two days. Meanwhile, the Mysuru Commissioner of Police Seema Latkar has suspended the Narasimharaja police station inspector, Lakshmikanth Talawar, for dereliction of duty, under whose jurisdiction the factory is located.

Karnataka home minister Dr G. Parameshwar called it a “disturbing development”, as Mysuru is said to be a quiet place bereft of such activities. He added, “With the factory being unearthed, we are taking strict action against such activities. Even our police are investigating various angles of the incident.”