Thane: A shocking incident of violent assault has come to light from Thane’s Naupada area, where a man was allegedly attacked with a chopper after refusing to pay ‘vargani’ (a form of voluntary donation), sparking concern among local residents.

The attack reportedly took place near St. Anthony’s School in Naupada. A CCTV video of the incident, which has surfaced on social media, shows the accused entering a clothes shop and launching a brutal assault on the victim using a chopper.

In the video shared by the Instagram handle, the attacker can be seen striking the man, leaving him seriously injured. The motive, as mentioned in the caption accompanying the video, suggests that the assault was triggered after the victim refused to pay vargani.

Following the incident, the injured man was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. His current condition has not been officially disclosed.

The Naupada Police have registered a case against the accused and are currently investigating the matter. Authorities have obtained the CCTV footage and are using it as key evidence to identify and track down the perpetrator. Police officials stated that further details will emerge as the investigation progresses.

The incident has triggered unease among residents in Thane, raising concerns over instances of alleged forced collections in the name of donations. Locals have expressed worry about safety, especially in commercial areas, and have called for stricter action against such acts of violence.

As investigations continue, authorities are expected to intensify efforts to ensure accountability and maintain public order in the area.

Incidents like this have raised growing concerns over the misuse of ‘vargani’ collections, which are often meant to be voluntary but are at times allegedly enforced through intimidation. Residents say such acts not only threaten public safety but also erode trust within communities, prompting calls for stricter monitoring and action against coercive practices.

New Delhi, March 25: For Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, countering the pro-Iran Shia mobilisation in the country is increasingly becoming a headache. For Pakistan, countering this mobilisation is important as it is threatening to become bigger. However, the dilemma the establishment faces is that it cannot use its official machinery to take on the mobilisation of the Shias.

Pakistan has chosen to mediate between Iran and the United States, and hence it needs to remain neutral. Any direct action against the Shia mobilisation would infuriate Iran, and this is something that Islamabad wants to avoid.

An official said that Pakistan has now brought back its proxies to take on this problem. The Pakistan Army chief has ordered hardline Sunni elements and leaders from the Sipah-e-Sabah (SeS) and Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) to take on the Shias who are mobilising in large numbers in support of Iran. These groups have, in the past, come to the rescue of the Pakistan establishment. When it comes to countering protesters who were seeking justice for jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, it was these elements who took to the streets.

The members of the SeS and JuD have the backing of the army and ISI and have been given a free hand to indulge in street violence against those who are questioning the establishment, an official said.

The SeS is a banned Sunni Deobandi Islamist organisation and a former political party that was founded in 1985. This outfit came into existence only to oppose Shia influence in Pakistan. The SeS has a history of being involved in sectarian conflicts, including violence with the Shia organisation, Shipah-e-Muhammad, Pakistan.

The JuD, on the other hand, is the charity wing of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. The JuD follows the Ahl-i Hadith interpretation of Islam, which is similar to Wahhabism and Salafism.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that by involving the SeS and JuD, the Pakistan army chief would look to put down the mobilisation of the Shia. Since these groups have no accountability, the violence would not be blamed on the state, but on two individual organisations. This helps in the deniability factor, when Pakistan speaks with Iran, the official added.

Such violence will no doubt be scrutinised internationally and by foreign Intelligence agencies. The establishment would, however, try to get away by putting the blame on the SeS and JuD, while stating that it has nothing to do with them.

Another official said that both groups have been given immunity by the establishment. This means that they can choose to act the way they please.

Another official said that with such a plan in place, one could anticipate street violence and bloody clashes with the Shias in Pakistan.

By trying to mediate between Iran and the US, Pakistan wants to place itself in a position of power. Pakistan also wants to claim geopolitical relevance by offering to mediate between the two warring nations.

Field Marshal Asim Munir has taken this task upon himself and has been engaging directly with Iranian President Masood Pezeshkian. He has also been leveraging his relations with some of the Gulf nations and the US.

With Pakistan wanting geopolitical relevance, it cannot afford to officially crush the mobilisation that is taking place in support of Iran. If Pakistan ends up angering Iran at this juncture, then Tehran may not come to the table. This would hurt Pakistan’s ambitions of playing mediator and reclaiming geopolitical importance, another official said.

The JuD and the SeS have readily accepted what the Pakistan army chief has said, as they have done in the past. Officials say that both these outfits have had an agenda against the Shias for a long time, and hence the offer made by Field Marshal Munir is more than welcome for them.

Mumbai: The special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act has refused to grant bail to 48-year-old businessman Amit Thepade, arrested last year for alleged money laundering to the tune of Rs 117 crore linked to a bank fraud. The court observed that Thepade is the kingpin of the fraud.

Thepade, director and promoter of Galaxy Construction and Contractors Pvt Ltd (GCCPL) and Mitsom Enterprises Pvt Ltd (MEPL), was arrested on August 24, 2025, from a city-based five-star hotel where he had been hiding for two months. A search of his room led to the seizure of gold bullions, ornaments, diamond jewellery and silver valued at Rs 2.33 crore, along with Rs 9.5 lakh in cash. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed that Thepade fraudulently availed enhanced credit facilities from Canara Bank, Pune, in 2011. These accounts were declared non-performing assets (NPA) in 2017, with an NPA value of ₹82.30 crore.

Defense lawyer Mithilesh Mishra argued the loans were secured by mortgaging properties and part of the amount was returned. However, ED prosecutor Arvind Aghav opposed the plea, revealing that Thepade had mortgaged properties already sold to third parties. In one instance, he allegedly demolished row houses mortgaged to the bank to develop and sell new flats.

The prosecution further argued that the suspect used 23 entities and 62 bank accounts in the names of his staff to inflate turnovers and siphon off loan proceeds. The court noted that while Thepade returned Rs 26 crore towards interest, this did not discharge him from criminal liability. Citing the lack of explanation regarding the double mortgaging and demolition of secured assets, the court rejected the bail plea.