Mumbai: In a major drive to tighten control over firearms and ensure stricter regulation, the Mumbai police have revoked 524 gun licences and issued only 87 new ones over the past two-and-a-half years following a comprehensive review of existing permit holders.

According to the police data, the crackdown intensified in 2024 when 255 licences were cancelled followed by the revocation of 242 permits in 2025. This year, 27 licences have been scrapped till March 31. In contrast, the number of new licences granted has remained relatively low. Mumbai police issued 17 new gun licences in 2024, 66 in 2025 and four till March 31 this year.

The police received 122 applications for new permits in 2024; just 30 of them were approved. In 2025, seven out of 117 applications were passed. This year, up to March 31, the police received 44 applications; of which three have been approved.

Nearly 11,500 firearm licences have been issued in the past. However, a series of incidents prompted authorities to undertake a detailed review of firearm ownership. The move gained urgency following the murder of former corporator Abhishek Ghosalkar in February 2024. The accused, Mauris Noronha, had allegedly used a licensed pistol belonging to his security guard. Another high-profile case occurred in October 2024 when actor-politician Govinda sustained a serious leg injury after his licensed revolver “accidentally discharged”.

Police said licences were revoked for several reasons, including failure to provide adequate justification for possessing a firearm, nonrenewal of licences, criminal antecedents and instances of misuse. “The objective is to ensure that firearms remain only in the hands of individuals with legitimate security requirements,” a senior police officer said.

The officer added that while gun licences are primarily granted for personal protection, many applicants fail to meet the prescribed eligibility criteria. “We have observed a worrying trend of people applying for firearm licences without valid grounds. The scrutiny process has therefore been strengthened to prevent unnecessary proliferation of weapons,” the officer said.

Mumbai: A BEST bus allegedly went out of control and crashed into multiple vehicles near Dadar’s Plaza Cinema on Monday, leading to traffic congestion in the area. At least one person has been killed in the crash while three others have sustained serious injuries.

According to the information received, the bus allegedly went out of control near Plaza Cinema and collided with an Activa two-wheeler, 1 Electric bike, 1 Taxi, Baleno and & 1 Electric car before crashing. Visuals shared on social media showed a taxi overturned and a damaged motorcycle lying on the road, indicating the strong impact of the crash. The BEST bus reportedly hit barricades placed at a construction site along the roadside and crashed into an excavation truck, which passed through the front glass of the bus.

According to the information by Assistant Medical Officer (AMO) Dr Randhir from Sion Hospital, a total of four injured persons were brought to the hospital. An unidentified male, aged around 22 to 25 years, was declared brought dead. Another injured person, identified as Rishabh Gupta (approx. 25–30 years), sustained a head injury and is in critical condition. Satish Waghambare (48), a BEST inspector, suffered injuries to the chest and hip, while Mahesh Doiphode (50) sustained injuries in the left shoulder and blunt trauma.

The visuals also showed Mumbai Traffic Police and Police present at the site to manage the situation. The Mumbai Traffic Police also shared an update on social media and stated that the “traffic movement is currently slowed near Kotwal Garden.”

The bus driver has been taken into custody and an investigation into the crash is underway.

Meanwhile, in another recent Bus accident cases, a 50-year-old man died after a BEST bus allegedly rammed into his parked car at Pushpa Park on Mumbai’s Western Express Highway in Malad East. A major traffic disruption was reported after the crash during peak commuting hours.

Last week, a nine-year-old boy was killed in a road accident in Malad East after a BEST bus allegedly hit the bicycle he was riding on. The deceased, Rupesh Dhotre, was travelling as a pillion rider on a bicycle being ridden by his 14-year-old cousin.

Last month, a BEST bus conductor was killed in a chain collision involving four buses near Amboli Naka in Andheri West. The accident took place on SV Road, between Amboli Naka and the Rajkumar bus stop, after a fallen tree caused heavy traffic congestion in the area. During the impact, the conductor got trapped between two of the vehicles while walking behind the parked buses. He sustained severe injuries and was rushed to Cooper Hospital, however, doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Mumbai: After sending RTO e-challan, Mahanagar Gas Limited and banking apps related malicious APK files, the police have learnt that scammers are now sending APK file masked with the name and logo of IRCTC inducing unsuspecting victims to download the said app and using the same to access mobile phone of the victims and siphon money from their bank accounts. A 68-year-old Mira Road resident recently fell prey to this fraud.

According to the police, on May 03, the victim had tried booking an online railway ticket, but while the money got debited from his credit card, the ticket hadn’t got booked. The victim then surfed online and came across a fraudulent customer care number of IRCTC. The victim contacted the number and the person who answered the call posed as a customer care executive and pretended to help the victim in getting a refund of his debited money.

The scammer then sent an APK file masked with the name and logo of IRCTC to the victim and asked him to download and install the said app on his phone. Trusting the caller, the victim downloaded and installed the said APK file on his phone. The scammer then got access to the victim’s phone and once the scammer got credentials of the victim’s bank account details, he managed to make fraudulent transactions of Rs 6.07 lakh.

The victim then raised a complaint on the cyber-crime helpline and got an offence lodged in the matter. A case has been registered by the police under section 318 (cheating) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections 66C (identity theft), 66D (cheating by personation by using computer resource) of the Information Technology Act in the matter.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/

The IRCTC on its website has clearly stated that IRCTC does not share any unsolicited links, APKs, SMS or WhatsApp messages for installing the IRCTC Rail Connect Ticketing App and asked the citizens to download official app only from trusted platforms.