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Badlapur Sexual Assault Case: Maharashtra Govt Challenges Sessions Court Judge’s Order, Unclear On Filing FIR Against Policemen

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Mumbai: The state government has challenged before the Bombay High Court the order of the Thane sessions judge by which it kept “in abeyance” the findings of magistrate inquiry report implicating policemen in the death of accsued in the Badlapur sexual assault case. The State, however, remained non-committal on whether it would register an FIR against the policemen concerned based on the report.

Public Prosecutor Hiteen Venegaonkar informed a bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Neela Gokhale that they have filed an application before the HC challenging the February 21 order of the Thane sessions court keeping in abeyance the magistrate’s report questioning the legitimacy of the alleged encounter.

On a specific question by the bench on whether an FIR would be lodged against the five policemen based on the findings of the magistrate report, the State maintained that the observations in the magistraterial report cannot be a basis for an FIR.

Senior counsel Amit Desai, appearing for the government, said the an independent investigation is being conducted by the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in addition to a probe by an inquiry committee headed by retired judge of Allahabad HC, DB Bhosale. Hence, said that the State will wait for the conclusion of the CID probe before taking any decision.

“State believes that the investigation is ongoing and based upon it’s outcome, it will decide whether FIR is needed to be filed; or no cognisable offence is made and a closure report has to be filed,” Desai underlined.

Desai submitted that it can’t be said that the magistrate’s report “constitutes as evidence to lodge an FIR”. “We are doing our bit and there is nothing to suggest that the investigating officers (of CID) are acting in a mala fide manner for the court to intervene,” he added.

The bench again pointedly asked whether the State proposes to lodge an FIR. “Once that the report has come, our question is whether it is incumbent on the state to register an FIR or not. Today, the question is whether the state proposes to lodge an FIR or not? Say yes or no,” the court asked.

Desai emphasised that the independent probe was on and at this stage it is not permissible for the court to order registering of an FIR based on the magistrate’s inquiry report. The court will continue hearing the matter on March 10.

Last week, the HC had appointed senior advocate Manjula Rao as amicus curiae (friend of the court) to assist with the plea after Shinde’s parents expressed that they did not wish to pursue the case. Rao has been asked to assist the court on several issues, including whether an FIR ought to be registered by the State based on the magistrate’s report. The issue arose after the State argued that the magistrate’s report was only recommendatory.

The father had initially filed a petition claiming that his son was killed in a fake encounter.

Meanwhile, the State’s application against Thane sessions court order would be taken up for hearing after two weeks by Justice RN Laddha. The government has contended that the sessions judge order was “wrong, illegal and against the facts and circumstances of the case”. It contended that the sessions court had failed to consider the fact that the HC was seized of the matter related to the alleged encounter of the accused.

The HC had last week censured the sessions judge for the order.

Shinde had been arrested by the Badlapur police for allegedly sexually assaulting minor girls at a local school. While in judicial custody at Taloja Prison, he was taken into police custody on September 23 via a transfer warrant in connection with a second FIR lodged by his wife. However, during transit, he sustained firearm injuries and later succumbed.

The magistrate’s report, prepared on January 17, raised suspicion on the claims made by the five cops that they had to shoot at the accused in self-defence after he allegedly snatched a gun from them while being escorted. The magistrate noted the policemen, including two inspector-level officers, were in a position to control the situation and the use of force by them was not justified.

Crime

Woman drug supplier arrested in Delhi’s Mangolpuri; ganja seized

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New Delhi, May 31: A woman drug supplier was arrested from Delhi’s Mangolpuri area and 427 grams of ganja was recovered from her possession, police said on Saturday.

The accused was identified as ‘M’. The arrest comes amid the Delhi Police’s ongoing crackdown on narcotics under its ‘Zero Tolerance’ policy and the broader objectives of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA).

Acting on a tip-off received by Constable Bajrang of Police Station Mangolpuri that a female was allegedly in possession of ganja, a raid was conducted at the specified location.

Constable Bajrang and a female staff member observed a suspicious female carrying a white polythene bag.

“On noticing the presence of police personnel, the suspect attempted to hide. However, the alert police team, with the assistance of a female staff namely W/HC Pooja, swiftly apprehended her,” said Sachin Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Outer District, New Delhi.

A polythene bag containing 427 grams of ‘ganja’ and Rs 1,470 in cash was recovered from the possession of the accused.

The accused was booked under Section 20(A) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 at Police Station Mangolpuri.

Further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend other associates involved in the illegal drug trade, the police said.

In another case on May 29, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested Jameel Ahmad, the alleged mastermind of a major drug trafficking syndicate. Ahmed has been absconding for six years.

The case dates back to June 2019, when the then Narcotics Cell (now ANTF) of the Crime Branch seized 500 kg of ganja from a truck at Metcalfe Bus Stand, Kashmere Gate.

Three persons — Aslam Khan and Mausam Khan, both from Nuh district in Haryana, and Jakam Khan from Alwar, Rajasthan — were arrested in connection with the consignment, who revealed that they had committed the crime at the behest of Ahmed.

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Crime

Delhi Police bust interstate auto theft syndicate, recover eight high end cars

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New Delhi, May 30: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted an interstate syndicate involved in the theft and resale of high-end vehicles, a statement said on Friday.

The gang used a sophisticated modus operandi to sell stolen cars through online platforms by forging documents, opening bank accounts with fake identities, and tampering with engine and chassis numbers.

In a series of coordinated operations, the police arrested a key member of the gang and recovered eight luxury vehicles.

According to Delhi Police, the breakthrough came with the arrest of Rakesh Patel alias Pappu (38), a core operative of the syndicate, near Sahibabad Railway Station in Ghaziabad on April 21, 2025.

Acting on a tip-off, police apprehended him while he was attempting to sell a stolen Maruti Wagon-R via an online platform.

Patel, a resident of Sahibabad, Ghaziabad (UP), and originally from Mohiuddin Nagar, Samastipur (Bihar), played a central role in managing theft operations and delivering stolen vehicles across states.

His associates arranged vehicles, counterfeit documents, and fake number plates.

The gang’s method was notably elaborate. After stealing a car, they searched online car-selling portals for vehicles of the same make, model, and colour.

Using open-source information, they identified details of genuine owners and forged documents in the owner’s name — featuring the photograph of one of the accused. They also opened bank accounts using these fake identities.

To avoid detection, the syndicate would tamper with the stolen car’s engine and chassis numbers to match those of the legitimate vehicle. Fake Registration Certificates (RCs) were then prepared, making the stolen car appear genuine. Once the vehicle was thus ‘cloned,’ it was listed for sale on online platforms.

The syndicate targeted high-demand vehicles, often choosing cars parked in low-surveillance or roadside areas. The police noted the gang’s use of advanced technological tools to support their operations.

A team led by Inspector Arun Sindhu of the Crime Branch spearheaded the investigation, which led to the arrest and recovery of the stolen vehicles.

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Crime

Five killed in blast at illegal firecracker factory in Punjab’s Muktsar

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Chandigarh, May 30: At least five people were killed and 34 injured on Friday in a blast at a double-storey illegal firecracker factory located on the outskirts of a village in Punjab’s Muktsar district, police said.

Most of the victims were migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The factory, owned by Tarsem Singh, who is associated with the state-ruled AAP, in Singhwala village, was reduced to rubble owing to the intensity of the blast, trapping many under debris.

According to the police, the blast occurred at midnight. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals, including All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda, and most of them were stated to be out of danger.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Muktsar Sahib, Akhil Chaudhary, said the blast occurred in one of the rooms in the manufacturing setup of the unit, which led to the collapse of the roof.

Many people got trapped under the debris, and rescue operations were launched immediately after the police received information about the incident.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Jaspal Singh said five bodies had been recovered from the debris, and 29 injured individuals were rushed to AIIMS Bathinda and hospitals in Muktsar.

Rescue teams were still on the scene, working to clear the rubble and search for survivors, if any.

The exact cause of the blast is being worked out, but initial investigation suggests that the blast occurred from potash used in manufacturing crackers.

Muktsar Deputy Commissioner Abhijit Kaplish told the media that no permission was granted to the manufacturing unit under the Explosives Rules of 2008.

“An application was made by the owners, but reports from different departments were pending, so no permission was granted,” he clarified.

Scattered shoes, broken glass panes and vehicles were seen all over the accident spot, as rescuers were sifting through the rubble in search of survivors.

Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Badal has demanded a probe into the incident and urged the government to promptly release adequate compensation to the victims’ families.

Describing the incident as unfortunate, Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Khudian said the factory owner is a supporter of the AAP, but that does not permit anyone to engage in illegal activity.

“The law will take its own course,” he added.

In 2020, a total of 23 people were killed and 27 were injured in the explosion in an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit in Punjab’s Batala town. It was manufacturing and storing crackers for a ‘nagar kirtan’ — a religious procession relating to the birth anniversary celebrations of Sikhism’s founder, Guru Nanak Dev.

A similar blast occurred in Batala in January 2017, leaving one person dead and three injured.

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