Thane: A 26-year-old engineer from Mumbra was allegedly beaten to death by his married lover, her husband and two accomplices before his body was stuffed inside a drum and dumped in a secluded drain in Vasai, police said on Friday.

The Mumbra Police Station arrested the 25-year-old woman and her brother in connection with the murder, while her husband and another accused remain absconding. The deceased was identified as Arbaz Maqsood Ali Khan, a resident of Mumbra who worked as an engineer with a real estate developer in Dombivli.

According to police, Khan had been in a relationship since 2021 with Mehajabeen Khatun Ekran Sheikh, a resident of Vasai. Investigators said the two frequently communicated and exchanged romantic messages, but over time Mehajabeen allegedly began demanding money from Khan, who regularly transferred funds to her account.

Police said the relationship deteriorated after Khan allegedly stopped sending her monthly payments, following which Mehajabeen allegedly conspired with her husband Hasan Sheikh, her brother Tariq Sheikh and Tariq’s friend Mojjam Pathan to murder him.

Cops stated Khan had gone to Dadar on April 3 to collect cash related to his company’s work but never returned home. After his father filed a missing complaint, police analysed his call detail records and mobile location data, which allegedly matched Mehajabeen’s location in Vasai on the day he disappeared.

Police also found that Khan had transferred Rs 50,000 to Mehajabeen a day before he went missing. During interrogation, Mehajabeen initially denied involvement but later allegedly confessed to the crime, police said. Cops claimed she had called Khan to her residence in the Bhoidapada area of Vasai, where an argument allegedly broke out over money.

According to police, the accused found no valuables on Khan and later tied his hands and legs before assaulting him with a plastic pipe, causing fatal head injuries. The accused allegedly stuffed Khan’s body into a drum and dumped it in a drain in an isolated area falling under the jurisdiction of Valiv Police Station.

Police arrested Mehajabeen and Tariq on May 7, while efforts are underway to trace Hasan and Pathan. A case has been registered under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including murder, kidnapping, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence.

Mira-Bhayandar: Taking serious note of the alarming rise in drug trafficking and consumption across the twin cities of Mira-Bhayandar and Vasai-Virar, the local police launched a major crackdown.

Under the leadership of Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik, a special campaign was conducted from April 20 to May 12 with the primary goal of breaking the spine of the drug mafia and saving the younger generation from addiction.

All three sub-divisional offices, two Anti-Narcotics Cells (ANC), and three units of the Crime Branch operating under the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police Commissionerate joined forces for this extensive operation.Arrests and Massive Seizures.

According to official police data: 40 traffickers were arrested during the campaign, which includes 6 foreign nationals.Contraband with an estimated international market value of ₹1.90 crore was seized.The confiscated illicit substances include ganja (marijuana), gard (heroin), brown sugar, cocaine, charas, MDMA pills, hydroponic weed, mephedrone, and drug-laced cough syrups.

The police initiated strict preventive actions against 232 habitual narcotics offenders. Additionally, 422 individuals were detained for consuming ganja.

More than 500 cases have been registered under the relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The police reiterated that the production, consumption, and trafficking of drugs under the NDPS Act are severe, punishable offenses.

Local citizens have expressed hope that this administrative action will not remain a temporary campaign but will continue consistently to completely eradicate the drug menace from the roots.

Vasai, May 15: In a shocking incident on Wednesday evening, a 21-year-old woman was the victim of a life-threatening knife attack near the Vasai Fort area. The attack, reportedly fuelled by a dispute over a friendship, has left the young woman seriously injured and undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The Vasai police have registered a case of attempted murder against the accused.

The victim has been identified as Answita Donald Patil (21). The incident took place around 5.15 p.m. on Wednesday near the Datta Mandir Road area, adjacent to the historic Vasai Fort.

According to police reports, the accused, Sanchit Dominic Bala (23), allegedly harboured deep resentment regarding Answita’s friendship with another youth, Rohit Kapi.

Sanchit intercepted Answita while she was in the fort vicinity. Following a heated confrontation, the accused allegedly threatened her before slashing her neck with a knife in a fit of rage. The victim sustained severe injuries and was rushed to hospital by locals.

The brutal nature of the attack in a popular public spot has sent shockwaves throughout the locality. Following the assault, the accused fled the scene.

Upon receiving information, the Vasai police immediately formed investigation teams to track him down.

“We have registered a case under the relevant sections for attempted murder. Our teams were dispatched immediately to apprehend the suspect,” stated a police official involved in the case.

The police are currently recording statements from witnesses and checking CCTV footage from the surrounding area to strengthen the case. Answita remains under medical supervision, and her condition is being closely monitored.