Mumbai: At Vivek Vidyalaya & Junior College in Goregaon West on Thursday, members of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and a few female students demonstrated against a purported hijab ban. The protest, which attracted much attention on social media after a video clip went viral, forced the college to come out with a clarification.

Following the protest, police had registered an FIR. A senior official said six female students, including three unidentified, were booked for unlawful assembly as they staged a hunger strike outside the college without prior permission and also argued with police personnel who tried to disperse the gathering.

However, the college administration moved quickly to address the controversy. According to the Times of India report, Principal Sheeja Menon stated in a statement that the college “has no reservation for Muslim girl students wearing hijab and, in fact, there is no ban on the practice.” It’s a “misrepresentation which has led to unnecessary issues which were totally avoidable” was the cause of the situation, she continued.

The protest’s leader, AIMIM Mumbai president Farooq Maqbool Shabdi, stated that the action was prompted by complaints from students who were allegedly requested to take off their hijabs before entering classrooms. “The college administration clarified that there is no ban on students wearing the hijab after we protested,” he stated.

This incident shows the continued tensions around dress codes at places of learning and the role of student activism in raising concerns about religious freedom. After discussions with the management of the college, the institution reportedly rolled back any instructions that could be interpreted as a ban on hijab, thereby bringing temporary closure to the controversy.

Mumbai: In a major crackdown on an international online fraud network, the Mumbai Crime Branch (Unit 9) has arrested eight individuals for allegedly running an illegal call centre that impersonated pharmaceutical companies and duped foreign nationals — particularly US citizens — by selling fake Viagra and other controlled medicines.

The Crime Branch Unit 9 has busted a fake call centre operating in the Amboli area, allegedly involved in illegally selling sex-enhancement drugs to US citizens. Eight accused have been arrested, while two more suspects are currently absconding.

Police received a tip-off that a call centre named “Team Grand 9 Security Services LLP” was being run from Kevnipada, S.V. Road, Amboli, Jogeshwari (West), where employees were posing as Americans and targeting foreign citizens through telemarketing.

Acting on the information, a raid was conducted around 2:00 am on 4 December 2025, during which police detained Maher Iqbal Patel (26) and Mohammad Amir Iqbal Shaikh (40), the alleged partners of the call centre.

According to police, callers used fake names such as Mike, Alex, James, Shawn and Steven while convincing US citizens to buy medicines such as Viagra, Cialis and Tramadol, and collected payments in US dollars.

Police seized multiple laptops, headsets, pen drives and hard drives during the raid. Two more suspects, including alleged partners Muzaffar Shaikh and Amir Shaikh, are currently on the run.

Police said the call centre had been operating for around six to seven months and used illegally obtained private data of American citizens. The seized digital equipment will be analysed to determine the extent of financial fraud and data theft.

The arrested accused have been identified as Mohammad Aamir Iqbal Shaikh (40), Mahir Iqbal Patel (26), Mohammad Shabib Mohammad Khalil Shaikh (26), Mohammad Ayaz Parvez Shaikh (26), Adam Ehsanullah Shaikh (32), Aryan Mushaffir Qureshi (19), Amaan Aziz Ahmed Shaikh (19) and Hashmat Jamil Jariwala (29), while the main accused Muzaffar Shaikh (43), along with Aamir Maniyar and others, are currently absconding.

Police said that the accused conspired together to falsely represent themselves as authorised sellers of Viagra and other regulated medicines without any licence or agreement from pharmaceutical companies; created a specialised computer system to reach foreign victims; used VOIP and other online calling platforms to contact citizens in the United States and other countries, offering controlled medicines for sale; collected payments from victims through illegal channels; and did not disclose the earnings nor pay the required taxes, thereby causing financial loss to the Government of India.

All eight arrested accused were produced before the Esplanade Court today. The court has sent the accused to police custody till December 10 for further investigation. Police said the search is ongoing to trace the absconding suspects and investigate the financial trail of the fraud.

Officials confirmed that further investigation is underway to trace the supply chain of the medicines and the international payments involved. The Crime Branch has also warned that more arrests are likely.

Palghar, Maharashtra: The Mira-Bhayandar–Vasai Virar Police rescued two young girls on Monday, December 1, from the custody of a Bangladeshi woman allegedly running a prostitution racket from her rented flat in Mira Road.

Acting on a tip-off, Senior Police Inspector Sheetal Mundhe of the Women Atrocities Prevention Cell & Special Juvenile Protection and Care Unit received information that 39-year-old Sultana Momotaj Saiyyad was operating a sex racket from her residence at Gaurav Woods Phase-1 in Hatkesh, Mira Road (East). According to officials, Sultana sent photographs of girls to prospective clients on WhatsApp and arranged sexual services in exchange for money.

After verifying the information and completing legal formalities, a decoy customer was sent to the location. Police conducted a raid in the presence of panch witnesses. Sultana was detained after she allegedly accepted ₹12,000 as payment for arranging two girls for sex work. Both victims were immediately rescued and placed under protective care at the Rescue Foundation in Kandivali (West), Mumbai.

A second accused, Bhagyashree Lohar, alias Guddi, a resident of Chembur, is currently absconding. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest her.

Based on a complaint filed by Police Constable Ghanshyam Khairnar, the Mira Road Police registered an FIR under Sections 143(3) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956.

The operation was carried out under the guidance of Commissioner of Police Niket Kaushik, DCP (Crime) Sandeep Doiphode, and ACP (Detection) Madan Ballal. The team included officers from the Women Atrocities Prevention Cell, Special Juvenile Protection Unit, and Cyber Cell.