Maharashtra
Congress to begin probe into MLAs’ cross-voting in Maharashtra MLC polls
Senior Congress leader Mohan Prakash will reach Mumbai on Saturday for a two-day probe into the alleged cross-voting by party legislators during the Maharashtra Legislative Council biennial elections held on June 20, officials said here on Friday.
He will also examine the chain of events concerning the vote of confidence by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in which 11 Congress MLAs were absent in the special cession of the Maharashtra Legislature held on July 3-4.
A former AICC General Secretary In-Charge of Maharashtra, Prakash is well-versed with the state Congress’s faction-ridden politics and is expected to submit his report to the party high command for necessary action and remedial measures next week.
For the 10 MLC seats, the Congress had fielded two candidates – Chandrakant Handore and Bhai Jagtap – with calculations in their favour given the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi strength then.
In the hotly-contested polls, the first candidate Handore was trounced while Jagtap emerged the surprise winner, proving to be a huge loss of face for the party.
A prominent Dalit leader and ex-minister, Handore is the Working President of state Congress, while Jagtap is the Mumbai Congress President.
The party has taken the embarrassing debacle of its first-choice candidate (Handore) – who secured less than the allotted votes – very seriously in the MLC polls, said party officials.
Prakash is slated to meet top leaders including state Congress President Nana Patole, Handore and Jagtap, other senior leaders and legislators, jointly or individually to get to the bottom of the cross-voting mystery.
An office-bearer said the party will find out who was responsible for Handore’s defeat considering the MVA’s numerical strength which could have ensured victory for both Handore and Jagtap easily.
Soon after the elections, ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan and ex-Minister Naseem Khan besides Handore had demanded a probe into the cross-voting fracas, while Patole met Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal in Delhi.
Prakash will also discuss the chain of events leading to the collapse of the MVA, the “absenteeism” of the 11 Congress MLAs during CM Shinde’s vote of confidence on July 4, and whether they comprised the 7 suspected of cross-voting in the MLC polls.
The absentees included MLAs Jitesh Antapurkar who was busy with his (own) wedding and Praniti Sushilkumar Shinde was abroad, besides Ashok Chavan, Vijay Wadettiwar, Dheeraj Vilasrao Deshmukh, Zeeshan Siddiqui, Shirish Chaudhary, Madhavrao Javalgaonkar, Kunal Patil, Raju Awale, and Mohan Hambarde.
Maharashtra
Drug dealer arrested in Mumbai with 1.5 kg of charas (cannabis resin)

On October 24, Crime Branch Unit 9 (Bandra West, Mumbai) intensified its crackdown on drug peddlers, resulting in the arrest of an individual involved in the sale of narcotics. The police had received information that the accused was selling charas (cannabis resin) and other intoxicating substances from his residence. Acting on this intelligence and following the guidance of senior officers, a team from Crime Branch Unit 9—accompanied by independent witnesses (panches)—raided the premises on October 24. During the operation, 1.505 kilograms of charas were seized in accordance with legal procedures; the estimated value of the contraband is 15 million rupees (1.5 crore INR) based on international market rates.
A case has been registered in connection with this incident under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act. One individual, aged 40, has been arrested. Additionally, another person has been identified as a wanted suspect, and a search is currently underway to locate him.
This notable operation was carried out under the supervision of Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner of Police Krishnakant Upadhyay, and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nonath Dhole.
Maharashtra
Lawrence Bishnoi gang shooters had practised shooting in the Aarey Colony forest before opening fire at Tiger Shroff’s residence.

Following the firing incident involving Tiger Shroff, an investigation has revealed that a businessman in Pune and a film star in Mumbai were on Lawrence Bishnoi’s target list. The gang’s objective is to instill fear among the film industry and the business community in order to extort money—specifically, to collect protection money or ransoms. The primary goal of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is not necessarily murder, but rather the creation of terror and fear within the film industry and among business circles.
Currently, 56 operatives of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang are incarcerated in various Mumbai jails; they have been linked to over 10 criminal incidents in Mumbai and Pune over the past 2–3 years. Targeting Bollywood is a key objective for the Lawrence gang, and they have been involved in conspiracies to target film actors specifically to spread fear and terror throughout the business community.
In the Tiger Shroff case, it has emerged that the shooters underwent firearms training in the Aarey Colony forest. A shepherd witnessed the shooters practicing and serves as an eyewitness; according to him, three to four individuals trained there, and he saw them firing weapons. New revelations continue to surface in the case involving Tiger Shroff, with the Crime Branch making significant progress in its investigation.
Weapons have also been recovered in connection with the matter. Furthermore, the interrogation of the shooters arrested by the police has led to the discovery of a link to Anil Pandit—a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang—with whom the shooters were in contact.
Maharashtra
Major action by Mumbai ANC: Drug peddlers arrested.

On October 25, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai claimed to have arrested individuals—who were also wanted in a murder case—while they were in possession of narcotics. During a patrol near the main gate of Shri Krishna Complex, opposite the National Park in Borivali West, Mumbai, the Ghatkopar unit of the ANC apprehended three individuals who were allegedly selling ‘MD’ (Mephedrone). Upon searching them, 1.028 kilograms of Mephedrone was recovered. The police registered a case (Kasturba Marg Police Station, Case No. 728/2026) under Sections 8(c) read with 22(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985. During the subsequent interrogation, it was revealed that the arrested individuals were also involved in a murder case. They had brought the narcotics from Nalasopara with the intent of selling them at this location.
The arrested individuals include a 28-year-old man, another 28-year-old man, and a 39-year-old man. A total of 1.028 kilograms of Mephedrone was seized from the three suspects.
This successful operation was carried out under the guidance of Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner Kant Upadhyay, and DCP Purnima Chougule-Shringi.
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