Mumbai: Bangur Nagar Police have arrested two men from Mumbai’s Goregaon West for stealing a mobile phone that an autorickshaw driver had strapped to his steering wheel for navigation. The accused, Sohail Khan (26) and Sandeep Mohite (36), both residents of the Bhagat Singh Nagar slum, were taken into custody after the midnight theft on November 11. Police said both men are currently unemployed.

The incident occurred around 12.30 am on Link Road near the slum colony. the complainant, 44-year-old rickshaw driver Manoj Sav, was seated in his vehicle waiting for passengers when the duo swiftly snatched his phone, worth Rs 6,000. The device had been secured to the steering using a rubber band. Sav realised the theft only later and later lodged a complaint at Bangur Nagar Police Station.

During the investigation, police first traced and arrested Sohail Khan. His interrogation led officers to the second accused, Mohite. Based on their statements, police recovered two stolen mobile phones worth Rs 11,000, indicating that the men had likely committed multiple thefts in the area.

Further checks revealed an extensive criminal history for Mohite. Police records showed he has 22 previous cases registered across Bangur Nagar, Goregaon and Kasturba Marg police stations. Due to his repeated involvement in theft and related offences, Mohite had previously been externed from city limits by DCP Sandeep Jadhav. Khan, too, has two prior cases registered against him at Goregaon and Bangur Nagar.

Police officials said the arrests have helped crack multiple theft incidents reported recently and added that further investigation is underway to determine whether the duo were involved in additional crimes.

Mumbai, November 14: A 19-year-old BCom student from Malad has accused a local transgender gang of forcing him into gender reassignment surgery, blackmailing him and subjecting him to physical and mental abuse over several months. The teen, a resident of Appapada in Kurar village, told police he became friends with Kaveri, also known as Kartik Vedamani Nikam, around a year and a half ago. Through this acquaintance, he met Neha Khan, also known as Neha Ipte, who allegedly headed a transgender group in Malwani.

According to the complaint, the student was called to Neha’s home on August 5, where Neha, Kaveri, Bhaskar Shetty and Mahi allegedly tried to convince him to undergo gender transition. When he refused, they reportedly locked him in a room, assaulted him and forced him to perform obscene acts which were filmed. The video was then allegedly used to demand money. His mother transferred ten thousand rupees out of fear.

Over the next two months, the gang allegedly demanded more money and publicly humiliated him. He says he was beaten, made to wear a saree and forced to beg.

The complaint states that on October 28, Neha, her husband Sohail Khan, their adopted son Bhaskar and others took him to a hospital near Ripple Mall in Surat. There, he was allegedly compelled to sign papers and was subjected to gender reassignment surgery. After returning to Mumbai, he claims Neha poured hot water on his operated area and forced him to do chores. She allegedly demanded four and a half lakh rupees to release him.

The teen escaped on November 4 but was allegedly abducted again hours later. A local resident intervened and he was freed. A zero FIR was filed at Kurar police station before the case was transferred to Malwani police.

“Based on the victim’s statement, we have booked the accused under sections related to conspiracy, kidnapping, sexual assault, extortion and forced medical mutilation,” an officer said. Police have arrested four people and the probe is ongoing.

Dombivli: In a shocking incident, a 38-year-old man was brutally murdered following a minor altercation outside a bar in Dombivli MIDC area. The Manpada Police cracked the case within 24 hours and arrested six accused from Nashik after a dramatic, film-style chase through narrow lanes.

The arrested accused have been identified as Amar Rajesh Mahajan (36), Akshay Kumar Shankar Waghle (26), Atul Balu Kamble (24), Nilesh Madhukar Thosar (42), Prateek Singh Prem Singh Chauhan (26), and Lokesh Nitin Chaudhary (24).

The incident took place around 12:15 a.m. on Sunday, November 9, near the entrance of Malvan Kinara Bar and Restaurant in the MIDC Phase 2 area. The victim, Akash Bhanu Singh (38), was stabbed to death following a dispute over an accidental push.

According to the complaint filed by Akash’s younger brother, Badal Singh, who works at a call center in Navi Mumbai, Akash had gone to the bar with his friends for dinner. As they entered, Akshay Waghle accidentally brushed against him. Although Akash apologized and explained it was unintentional, Waghle became aggressive, assaulted him, and threatened to kill him.

Soon after, Waghle called his associates to the spot. The six accused dragged Akash out of the bar, brutally assaulted him on the road, and stabbed him multiple times, killing him on the spot. When Sunil Kagale, a bystander, tried to intervene, the gang attacked him with knives as well leaving him injured.

The case posed a major challenge for police, as there were no immediate clues or CCTV evidence from the crime scene. However, under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police Atul Jende, Assistant Commissioner of Police Suhas Hemade, and Senior Police Inspector Sandipan Shinde, the Manpada police team launched an intensive investigation.

A team led by Assistant Police Inspectors Sampat Phadol, Mahesh Rale-bhat, and Sagar Chavan used technical surveillance and local informants to trace the accused to Nashik. Acting on a tip-off, police teams coordinated with Nashik City Police and raided multiple locations. On seeing the police, the accused tried to flee, but officers chased them down in a cinematic-style pursuit through the streets and successfully arrested all six.

Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre commended the Manpada Police team for their swift action and exemplary investigation that led to solving the murder case within 24 hours.