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Bill to allow Sikhs to ride without bike helmets in California

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 Senators in California voted in favour of a bill that exempts Sikhs from wearing a safety helmet when riding a motorcycle.

The Senate Bill 847, authored by Senator Brian Dahle cleared the state senate this week with a 21-8 vote margin, and will now move to the Assembly.

“Freedom of religion is a core foundation of this country. We, as Americans, have the right to freely express our religion and I believe that right should equally extend to everyone. Any law that limits the ability to express one’s religion, goes against what this country is all about,” Dahle said in a statement after presenting the bill on the senate floor.

“Exempting those who wear turbans or patkas from wearing helmets is a simple way to ensure that everyone’s religious freedoms are protected,” he added.

According to 2021 American Community Survey estimates, 211,000 Sikhs live in California, which is nearly half of all Sikhs living in the US.

The State Senate was told that as of now, no helmet exists in the market that will accommodate a turban or a patka, but according to members of the Sikh community, a turban is a good enough protection.

Currently, 18 states and Washington D.C. have a universal helmet law for all riders. 29 states require helmets for specified riders, generally riders under a certain age (usually 18 or 21).

Only Illinois, Iowa, and New Hampshire have no motorcycle helmet laws.

“Although other countries and our own military make accommodations for Sikhs’ deep beliefs, out of the US states that require helmets, none has exemptions for Sikhs or any other group based on religious practice,” a statement from Dahle’s office read.

This question of helmets for Sikhs has also been debated and considered in other countries, like Canada and the UK.

In Canada, Sikhs are exempt from motorcycle helmet laws in several provinces including Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario.

Among the supporters of the bill were the Legendary Sikh Riders, the Sikh Legends of America and the Sikh Saints Motorcycle Club.

According to the Center for Disease Control, more than 5,500 motorcyclists died in 2020, and more than 180,000 were treated in emergency departments for crash injuries.

Maharashtra

Woman arrested for extorting ₹4 crore by blackmailing victims with obscene videos

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Mumbai: A woman has been arrested by a team from Crime Branch Unit 7 in connection with an extortion case. The accused allegedly extorted approximately 40 million rupees (4 crore rupees) from a resident of Ghatkopar by threatening to defame her using an obscene video and threatening her with death. She was also demanding further payments.
The complainant works as a manager at a jewelry store. Between December 2024 and January 2025, an acquaintance—a woman—engaged the complainant in an obscene video chat via WhatsApp. The accused then threatened to circulate this footage to the police, the courts, and the CBI, claiming that the complainant would be summoned for investigation. Fearing public disgrace, the complainant paid a total of 40 million rupees to the accused. The woman continued to demand more money and threatened that if further payments were not made, she would break the complainant’s limbs and kill her. Taking into account the gravity of the matter, Crime Branch Unit 7 (Ghatkopar, Mumbai) laid a trap for the woman who had been demanding extortion money. On October 19, she was caught red-handed at RK Restaurant, LBS Road, Ghatkopar West, Mumbai, while accepting a sum of 5 lakh rupees from the complainant. Following the complainant’s report, a case was registered at the Ghatkopar Police Station under Sections 308(2) and 308(7) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Crime Branch has taken over the investigation, and the woman has been arrested; further inquiries are being conducted by Unit 7, Ghatkopar.
This operation was carried out by a team comprising Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner Krishnakant Upadhyay, and DCP Nanath, along with the personnel of Unit 7.

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Maharashtra

Major crackdown by Mumbai Crime Branch, 2 kg heroin worth ₹10 crore seized, three accused arrested.

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The Mumbai Crime Branch has intensified its operations against drug peddlers, and in the process, the police have reported the arrest of a drug smuggler.

A case has been registered at the Borivali Police Station under Sections 8(c), 21(c), and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985.

On October 14, the Crime Branch conducted a raid in Borivali West. So far, three suspects have been arrested in connection with this case. The seized items include: 1) 2,032 grams of heroin, valued at 10,16,00,000 rupees; and 2) three mobile phones, valued at 30,000 rupees. Acting on the directives of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, the Mumbai Crime Branch has launched a special campaign to identify and take strict action against individuals involved in the smuggling, purchase, and sale of narcotics across Mumbai. During the aforementioned operation, acting on secret information, a police team conducted a swift and effective raid in Kandivali (West), Mumbai, on October 14. They seized 758 grams of heroin—estimated to be worth 37,900,000 rupees—from the possession of two individuals.

Subsequently, on October 17, based on information obtained during the interrogation of the arrested suspects, the police carried out another prompt and effective operation, seizing 1,274 grams of heroin—valued at approximately 63,700,000 rupees—from a third suspect. In total, 2,032 grams of heroin, with an estimated value of 101,600,000 rupees, have been seized from the three suspects.

A case has been registered under Sections 8(c) and 21(c) of the NDPS Act, 1985 (at the Borivali Police Station), as the suspects were found to be in possession of and smuggling heroin. The suspects are believed to be part of an inter-state drug trafficking syndicate. Further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend those responsible for supplying, buying, and selling the narcotics.

This successful operation was carried out by the Kandivali unit under the supervision of Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner Krishnakant Upadhyay, and DCP Nanath Dhole.

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Maharashtra

Bollywood in the Crosshairs After Firing at Tiger Shroff; Legal Action Initiated Against Bishnoi Gang, Three Shooters Arrested

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Mumbai: The Crime Branch has claimed to have solved the case involving a shooting incident targeting Tiger Shroff in the Juhu area of ​​Mumbai. Addressing a press conference, Mumbai Crime Branch DCP Raj Tilak Roshan stated that two unidentified individuals on a motorcycle carried out the shooting. The Crime Branch received information that, following the incident, the shooters abandoned their Pulsar motorcycle at Andheri station and traveled by train toward Kota. The Crime Branch alerted the Kota police, who subsequently arrested three suspects. The police have now taken all three individuals into custody. Additionally, Anil Pandit had circulated a post online referencing the ‘Bishnoi gang,’ a matter that is currently under police investigation. Regarding the targeting of Bollywood figures by the Bishnoi gang, DCP Raj Tilak Roshan noted that action has been taken against the group—including in the earlier case involving the shooting incident at Salman Khan’s residence. In the current case, the Crime Branch has registered a case under charges of attempted murder and the Arms Act. Legal proceedings are also underway concerning the Lawrence and Anmol Bishnoi gang, with efforts being made to secure the custody of Lawrence Bishnoi. The DCP explained that comprehensive information was provided to the Kota police, as Crime Branch teams had been actively pursuing the shooters. To date, no weapons have been recovered from the suspects. Authorities are currently verifying a post circulating on social media to determine whether it originated from the Bishnoi gang, and action is being taken against those involved. The suspects spent 10 to 15 minutes surveying the scene before carrying out the shooting. One of the suspects, 22-year-old Ritik (alias Roshan), has completed his education up to the 12th grade. None of the three suspects are minors; therefore, they will all be held in custody for further interrogation. Five rounds were fired. Prior to this incident, no complaints regarding threats against Tiger Shroff had been received; the police are investigating every aspect of the case and have already begun questioning the three suspects while they remain in custody. The three individuals—Ritik (alias Roshan), Rehan Rashiduddin, and Paul Singh—have been arrested. Rehan, who previously worked as a ‘Rapido’ (ride-hailing) driver in Mumbai, eventually became a shooter. The suspects were apprehended from the general compartment of a train; they were attempting to flee toward Delhi and Nepal. DCP Raj Tilak Roshan stated that, in light of their involvement in past shooting incidents and their ties to the Bishnoi gang, the MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act) has been invoked against these shooters.

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