Thane: Three people, including a US national, were arrested in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Saturday for allegedly attempting to convert villagers to Christianity. The incident occurred in Chimbipada, a locality in Bhiwandi and came to light after a video showing the police confronting the accused went viral on social media.

In the video, the foreign national can be seen speaking to a group of locals gathered inside a house. Police officials, upon reaching the spot, questioned him and his companions but reportedly received vague and unsatisfactory responses. As a result, all three individuals were taken into custody for further investigation.

According to the police, the arrests followed a complaint filed by a local resident who alleged that a religious gathering had been organised on Friday afternoon outside one of the houses in the village. During the meeting, the accused allegedly distributed books on Christianity to men, women and children, while also leading them in prayers. The complaint further stated that the accused told villagers that embracing Christianity would help cure their ailments and bring them peace, reported PTI.

The arrested individuals have been identified as James Watson (58), a US citizen, Sainath Ganpati Sarpe (42), a resident of Vasai and Manoj Kolha (35), outside whose house the gathering reportedly took place.

Following an inquiry, the police booked the trio under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly promoting religious enmity and attempting to hurt the sentiments of a community. They have also been charged under the Foreigners Act for violations related to visa and travel restrictions, as well as under the Maharashtra Prevention and Eradication of Human Sacrifice and Other Inhuman, Evil and Aghori Practices and Black Magic Act, 2013.

Officials confirmed that Watson, the American national, is being questioned regarding his purpose of visit and whether he possessed the necessary permissions to engage in such gatherings. The other two accused are also under interrogation to determine their roles in organising and facilitating the event. All three accused remain in police custody as the Thane rural police continue their probe into the alleged conversion attempt.

Kolkata, Oct 4: The parents of the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, on Saturday, have refuted the latest report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) published, where Kolkata has been termed as the safest city across the country.

As per the NCRB report, Kolkata for 2023 (latest available) has recorded the lowest cognisable offences per lakh people, which is the fourth time in a row.

On Saturday, while speaking to the media persons, the parents of the R.G. Kar victim rubbished this part of the NCRB report, and claimed that these findings were not based on proper field research and probably the report was prepared to please anyone.

“Was my daughter secured, and that too at her workplace? Was the senior citizen at Kultali in South 24 Parganas district, who became a victim of gang-rape this week, safe? No one is secure here. I do not know who prepared the report. It seems that the report was prepared while sitting in the comfort of the office and without any proper field-based research,” the victim’s mother said.

The victim’s father expressed doubts over the credibility of those in the NCRB who have prepared the report.

“I do not know who in NCRB is responsible for preparing such reports. Even if I believe that the report of Kolkata being the safest city in the country, does that not mean the safety aspect in other Indian cities is unimaginable? I doubt that the NCRB had been misled, and hence the outcome was such a report,” the victim’s father said.

According to him, the only possibility is that the police personnel in Kolkata do not register most of the complaints filed by common people, and hence the crime figures in the city are projected as low.

“We can realise what the reality is since our daughter left. Probably, the experiences are the same,” he added.

As per the latest report of NCRB, Kolkata recorded 83.9 cognisable offences per lakh people in 2023, the lowest among the 19 cities.

Palghar, Maharashtra: In a significant breakthrough, the Naigaon Police have arrested a murder accused who had been absconding for nearly a month. The accused, Sunil Kharpat Prajapati (35), was traced and detained from a ship docked at Okha-Dwarka port in Gujarat after a meticulous manhunt.

The case dates back to September 7, 2025, when a dispute broke out between two workers of Synergy Hygiel Company at Kaman, Vasai (East). The deceased, Dilip Saroj, and the accused, Prajapati, had been given money by their employer, Prakash Ghunkar Chamaria, to share expenses for meals. However, Prajapati allegedly withheld the amount from Saroj, sparking a heated quarrel.

According to police, during the altercation, Prajapati assaulted Saroj with a blunt object, inflicting severe injuries on his head, eyes, and right arm. Saroj succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment, leading police to upgrade the charges to murder under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Given the gravity of the crime, senior officers formed two dedicated teams from the Crime Detection Branch to trace the fugitive. Acting on credible intelligence, investigators learned that the accused had taken shelter aboard a vessel at Okha port in Gujarat. Over 200 ships in the vicinity were thoroughly searched before police located Prajapati hiding on one of them.

He was taken into custody and later confessed to his role in the crime during questioning, officials said. The accused is now in police custody, and further investigation is underway.