Mumbai, Sep 5: A controversy has erupted in Mumbai Ghatkopar West over the construction of a Dahi Handi stage in the middle of a road, with the Ghatkopar Police urging the Municipal Corporation to take immediate action against the structure.

The Senior Police Inspector of Ghatkopar Police Station has written to the Assistant Commissioner of N-Ward, raising objections to the stage being constructed for a Dahi Handi festival organised by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

According to the letter dated September 3, MNS leader Ganesh Chukkal is scheduled to organise the Dahi Handi festival on Saturday at Amrit Nagar Circle in Ghatkopar West. The Municipal Corporation had reportedly been informed about the police’s no-objection to the programme on the condition that pedestrian and vehicular movement would not be obstructed.

However, during an inspection on September 3 at around 7 p.m., police officials observed that a stage was being constructed in the middle of the road in front of the Sagar Park building.

The police have raised concerns that once completed, the stage could completely block the proposed 90-foot road leading towards the Sagar Park building. According to the letter, such an obstruction could prevent emergency vehicles, including ambulances and fire engines, from reaching the area in case of an emergency.

The police further pointed out that necessary permissions had allegedly not been obtained from the ward officer and the fire department in Vikhroli before the construction of the stage. They also stated that it appeared that no site inspection had been conducted before the structure was erected.

The police cited a previous incident to underline the seriousness of the issue. On September 2, 2025, a fire broke out at a shop in Indira Nagar. At the time, emergency vehicles reportedly faced difficulties in reaching the location due to hawkers and unauthorised parking on the road in front of the Sagar Park building.

The issue of hawkers and unauthorised parking in the area was also raised during the hearing of PIL No. 324/2025 before the Bombay High Court on September 3, 2025.

The Ghatkopar Police have, therefore, sought appropriate action from the Municipal Corporation to ensure that the proposed festival arrangements do not obstruct traffic or compromise emergency access.

New Delhi, Sep 5: The Shahdara District Police on Saturday solved two motor vehicle theft cases with the arrest of two accused persons and the recovery of a stolen motorcycle.

According to the police, the Crack Team of Gandhi Nagar Police Station traced the two accused following sustained efforts to identify those involved in the theft and recovery of the stolen motorcycle.

The action followed the registration of an online complaint/e-FIR regarding the theft of a Bullet motorcycle. The case was registered vide e-FIR No. 017015/26 under Section 305(B) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Gandhi Nagar police station in Shahdara district.

Taking the matter seriously, the Crack Team was tasked with tracing the stolen motorcycle and identifying the persons involved in the crime.

The police team comprised Sub-Inspector Vikas Kumar, Head Constables Rahul Chaudhary and Aman Bansal. The team worked under the leadership of the Station House Officer (SHO) of Gandhi Nagar police station and the overall supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Shahdara district.

During the investigation, the team conducted an extensive analysis of CCTV footage from the area surrounding the place of occurrence and adjoining routes. The footage was examined in detail to establish the movement trail of the stolen motorcycle.

Alongside the CCTV analysis, the team carried out field verification and developed local Intelligence to identify the suspects. Through persistent efforts and continuous follow-up of various leads, the police managed to establish the movement of the stolen motorcycle and identify the accused.

The investigation revealed that accused Shahzad, a 25-year-old resident of New Seelampur, Delhi, allegedly stole the Bullet motorcycle and later sold it to Shanu alias Sahanwaj, who allegedly received the stolen property.

Police subsequently traced both accused persons and recovered the stolen motorcycle from their possession.

Shanu alias Sahanwaj, a resident of Gali No. 5, Azad Chowk, Sangam Vihar, Wazirabad, Delhi, was allegedly involved as the receiver of the stolen motorcycle after purchasing it from Shahzad.

The recovery included one stolen Bullet motorcycle linked to e-FIR No. 017015/26 under Section 305(B) of the BNS at Gandhi Nagar police station.

The investigation also led to the detection of another motor vehicle theft case registered as e-FIR No. 015987/26 under Section 305(2) of the BNS at Gandhi Nagar police station.

New Delhi, Sep 4: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has launched a nationwide crackdown on organised syndicates involved in digital arrest crimes, conducting coordinated searches at 89 locations across 20 states under Operation Chakra-VI, the national probe agency said on Friday.

During the operation, the CBI arrested three persons in Haryana and Kolkata for their alleged roles in receiving, layering and dispersing the fraud proceeds, it said.

The CBI has taken over several digital arrest-related cases registered in different states. In three such cases, investigators carried out extensive searches based on detailed financial and technical analysis.

The probe involved scrutiny of bank accounts, online account access data and other digital trails to identify the movement of fraud proceeds and trace the handlers and beneficiaries of the syndicates.

“One of the cases relates to BITS Pilani, where the victim was allegedly kept under digital arrest for three months and defrauded of Rs 7.67 crore by scammers posing as police officers. In another case in Gujarat, a victim was digitally detained for three months by individuals impersonating police officers and allegedly defrauded of Rs 19.24 crore. The third case, registered in Karnataka, involves a victim who was kept under digital arrest for a month and allegedly cheated of Rs 15.45 crore,” the CBI said.

The searches resulted in the seizure of banking documents, account-related records, digital devices and other material considered crucial to the investigation.

“The seized evidence is being subjected to forensic examination to establish the broader financial and technological infrastructure used by the syndicates to operate across state boundaries,” said the agency.

The CBI also arrested three accused during the operation. Their examination allegedly revealed their roles in receiving, layering and dispersing the proceeds of the fraud.

According to the agency, Akash, a resident of Haryana, received Rs 1.95 crore of the defrauded money in his bank account.

Investigators found that he had opened the account himself and transferred the funds to other accounts on the same day, indicating his alleged direct involvement in laundering the proceeds.

Raja Karmakar of Kolkata allegedly received Rs 1.5 crore of the fraud proceeds in his firm’s account. Jyoti Rani, whose account received part of the defrauded amount, allegedly withdrew some of the money in cash and transferred the remainder to other accounts to conceal its trail, the agency said.

The action comes amid growing concern over the spread of digital arrest fraud, in which cyber criminals impersonate police officers, government officials and other law-enforcement personnel to intimidate victims and force them into transferring large sums of money.

The Supreme Court has also directed the CBI to take concerted action against perpetrators and the wider networks facilitating such crimes.

The CBI said efforts are continuing to identify and apprehend other members of the wider network. Further investigation is underway, with the agency maintaining that it will pursue those involved in digital arrest crimes and organised cybercrime in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directions.