Thane: A man was stabbed to death in Dombivali in Thane district during an altercation after he accidentally brushed against another person, a police official said on Monday.

The incident took place in a hotel in the early hours of Sunday in MIDC Phase 1 area, the Manpada police station official said.

“Akash Bhanu Singh (38) and his friends were having dinner at the hotel when he accidentally brushed against the accused, who picked up a fight. He along with some others stabbed Singh to death. Two of Singh’s friends, who tried to save him, also sustained injuries and have been hospitalised,” the official said.

Four persons were booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections for murder and other offences, though no arrest has been made, he said.

Mumbai: Railway Protection Force (RPF), Andheri successfully traced and returned a lost bag valued at Rs 2,94,700 to its rightful owner under Operation Amanat.

“During routine patrolling duty on November 9, 2025, Assistant Sub-Inspector Lalit Kumar Tripathi, Head Constable Vijay Kumar, and other MSF staff were patrolling the Andheri railway station area when passengers informed them about an unclaimed bag lying in a Churchgate-bound slow local on Platform No. 5. Despite inquiries, no passenger came forward to claim the bag,” said an official.

“The team brought the bag to the RPF post, where they later received a call on the mobile phone found inside the bag. The caller identified herself as Pooja Santosh Koli (32), a resident of Ganesh Nagar, Nalasopara (East). She explained that she had mistakenly left her bag behind while alighting at Jogeshwari station during her journey from Virar to Churchgate,” the official added.

Koli was asked to visit the Andheri RPF post, where officials verified her ownership of the recovered bag. According to the Western Railway RPF, upon inspection, the bag was found to contain a gold chain worth Rs 1,30,000, a gold ring valued at Rs 60,000, two wristwatches worth Rs 10,000, a child’s wristwatch priced at Rs 2,000, and cash amounting to Rs 40,000.

Additionally, the bag held a handbag worth Rs 1,000, a dupatta worth Rs 200, a pair of sunglasses valued at Rs 500, and a MI-brand mobile phone worth Rs 51,000. The total value of all the recovered items was estimated at Rs 2,94,700.

“After due verification, the RPF team safely handed over the bag and belongings to Pooja Koli, who expressed heartfelt gratitude to the RPF for their honesty and prompt assistance,” said an official.

According to WR, the operation stands as another successful example of Operation Amanat—an initiative by Indian Railways aimed at reuniting passengers with their lost belongings and reinforcing public trust in railway security services.

Mumbai: In a troubling incident on Sunday night in Kalyan East near Chakkinaaka and Santoshnagar, a vadapav vendor and two of his companions were brutally assaulted by four men. The attack occurred after the assailants asked the vendor, “Do you know how to speak Marathi?” and began the assault when he did not respond affirmatively.

The vendor, identified as Vishnu Thapa, and his co-workers told police at the Colsewadi station that they work at a small eatery named Riddhi Bhojanalay. Around 8 pm two unknown men arrived at the shop, ate food and left. They returned shortly after and confronted Thapa with the question “Marathi ye­t nahi ka?” (“Don’t you know Marathi?”). Without waiting for a response they started beating him. He suffered serious injury to his nose in the first attack.

After the two men left, Thapa and his colleagues resumed work. Minutes later the men returned, this time bringing two others. The group of four again raised the language question and launched a fresh attack. Co-worker Madan Thapa was hit with a stone slab. Another colleague, Ali Khan, had his mobile phone smashed to the floor amid the chaos. The assailants also vandalised the shop, throwing food, utensils and trays outside.

The three victims were taken to hospital for treatment. A First Information Report has been registered at the Colsewadi police station and investigations are underway, with Police Constable Jadhav assigned to the case. Locals say the area has long been troubled by harassment of street vendors and extortion attempts; some offenders had been removed by police about 18 months ago.

The incident has raised serious concerns among workers and local vendors who feel vulnerable in the wake of such attacks. For many migrants eating and operating in the city, language and region should not become triggers for violence. City police have been urged to increase patrols in the zone and ensure protection for small street-vendors, especially during late evening hours.