Navi Mumbai: Four persons, including a six-year-old girl, died and around 10 others were injured after a major fire broke out in the early hours of Tuesday at Raheja Residency, Plot Nos. 48/24, 25, 26, Sector 14, Vashi. The blaze, which started around 12.40 a.m. on the 10th floor, quickly spread to the 11th and 12th floors before being brought under control by fire officials.

According to the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) Fire Department, several fire engines from Vashi, Nerul, Airoli, and Koparkhairane stations were rushed to the spot. Firefighters laid hose lines and began dousing the flames immediately.

“Four persons were found dead during the rescue operation, while around 10 to 15 others were safely evacuated,” said Purushottam Jadhav, Chief Fire Officer, NMMC. “The fire originated from a flat on the 10th floor, though the exact cause is not known,” he added.

The deceased were identified as Vedika Sundar Balakrishnan (6), Kamla Hiralal Jain (84), Sundar Balakrishnan (44), and Pooja Rajan (39) — all residents of Raheja Residency.

Among the injured are members of the Ghosh, Jain, and Agrawal families, who have been admitted to Fortis Hiranandani and MGM Hospitals. They include Manabendra (69), Malika (58), and Ritika Ghosh (39) from Room 1106; Bhavna (49), Mahavir (51), and Krish Jain (21) from Room 1005; Nirmal (53) and Mehul Jain (32) from Govind Complex; and Damayanti Agrawal (80) and Sumanti John Topno (18) from Room 1105.

The fire brigade official said the situation was brought under control after several hours of firefighting, followed by extensive cooling operations. “Our teams ensured that no one was trapped inside, and all hotspots were completely doused,” Jadhav said.

Officials from the Vashi Fire Station and NMMC are conducting a detailed investigation into the incident.

The Yellow Gate Police have registered a case against six unidentified fishing boat operators for illegally entering the restricted security zone surrounding Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) offshore platforms in the Arabian Sea between September 11 and October 11.

According to the complaint filed by Mubeen Aziz Ahmed (49), Chief Manager (Security) at ONGC, Maker Tower, Colaba, the accused repeatedly violated security regulations by entering the 500-metre prohibited area near several ONGC offshore installations without authorization.

Ahmed, who has been serving with ONGC since 2009, also coordinates with the Indian Navy’s Offshore Defence Advisory Group (ODAG) for marine security. In his statement, he noted that only naval, coast guard, and marine police vessels are permitted within the restricted radius — a rule mandated under a Ministry of External Affairs notification dated June 12, 2025.

Despite prior written warnings issued to the fisheries department on August 22, 2025, asking them to alert fishermen about the restricted zones, several boats were reportedly caught fishing near ONGC installations.

The Indian Navy’s ODAG informed ONGC via email that during routine patrols, they found the following vessels operating illegally inside the restricted zones: Ganga Maiya 5, Kalavati Shakti, Devyani, MFB Shree Mathu Mariamma, Shri Brahmhanmurti Chhaya, and Mahalaxmi Mauli.

These boats were reportedly sighted near ONGC’s offshore platforms, including MHN, B-193-A, Heera, and Bassein, operating dangerously close or even tying up to the structures.

Based on these repeated violations, the Yellow Gate Police registered an FIR under Section 223(b) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 120 of the Maharashtra Police Act, against six unidentified persons.

The complaint emphasized that unauthorized entry into ONGC’s restricted offshore zones poses a serious threat to national security and the safety of vital energy infrastructure.

Police have begun further investigations to identify the fishermen and their boats involved in the violations.

In a coordinated operation, the Sion and Kalachowki Police have arrested a gang that posed as employees of a packers and movers company and duped residents by stealing gold ornaments under the pretext of helping them shift household goods. Police successfully recovered 100% of the stolen property from the accused.

According to police reports, the first theft occurred on October 15, between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., at Dosti Light, Sion, while the second incident took place the same evening, between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., at Manik Kunj, Meghwadi, Lalbaug, under Kalachowki Police limits.

In both cases, the accused arrived pretending to be from a packers and movers firm and escaped with valuables while loading household items.

At Sion, the gang made away with gold ornaments worth ₹8.8 lakh, while in Kalachowki, they stole 42 grams of gold ornaments and 250 grams of silver coins valued at ₹3.4 lakh.

Separate FIRs were registered — one at Sion Police Station under Sections 305 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and another at Kalachowki Police Station under Section 305(A) of the BNS.

Special tracking and technical teams from both stations were formed to identify and locate the culprits. Based on technical intelligence and tip-offs from informants, the Sion Police arrested the main accused, Sandeep Dinesh Vishwakarma (27), and recovered gold ornaments worth ₹8 lakh from him.

Meanwhile, the Kalachowki Police arrested four other gang members from Kandivali, identified as Pravin Phulchand Pandey (26), Durgesh Diwakant Mishra (26), Rakesh Baliram Yadav (20), and Pintu Baban Singh (28). Police confirmed that 100% of the stolen property in the Kalachowki case has been recovered.

The investigation team included Senior PI Vijaykumar Shinde (Kalachowki Police), Senior PI Anant Salunkhe (Sion Police), PSI Amit Bhosale, and several dedicated officers and constables. Their swift action and coordinated efforts led to the timely arrest of all culprits and full recovery of stolen valuables, earning praise from senior officials.