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Covid vax prevented over 42 lakh deaths in India: Lancet

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Vaccines developed to fight Covid-19 helped prevent more than 42 lakh potential deaths in India in 2021, according to a mathematical modelling study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal.

The estimates based on excess deaths from 185 countries and territories showed that globally 19.8 million out of a potential 31.4 million Covid-19 fatalities were prevented in the first year of the vaccination programme.

A further 599,300 lives could have been saved if the World Health Organization’s target of vaccinating 40 per cent of the population in each country with two or more doses by the end of 2021 had been met.

“Our findings show that millions of lives have likely been saved by making vaccines available to people everywhere, regardless of their wealth. However, more could have been done. If the targets set out by the WHO had been achieved, we estimate that roughly 1 in 5 of the estimated lives lost due to Covid-19 in low-income countries could have been prevented,” said lead author Dr Oliver Watson, from Imperial College London.

Since the first Covid-19 vaccine was administered outside of a clinical trial setting on December 8, 2020, almost two thirds of the world’s population has received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine (66 per cent).

Despite the incredible speed of the vaccine roll-out worldwide, more than 3.5 million Covid deaths have been reported.

However, the team found that, based on officially recorded Covid deaths, an estimated 18.1 million deaths would have occurred during the study period if vaccinations had not been implemented.

The Covid-19 Vaccine Access initiative (COVAX) has facilitated access to affordable vaccines for lower income countries to try to reduce inequalities, with an initial target of giving two vaccine doses to 20 per cent of the population in countries covered by the commitment by the end of 2021.

The WHO expanded this target by setting a global strategy to fully vaccinate 70 per cent of the world’s population by mid-2022, with an interim target of vaccinating 40 per cent of the population of all countries by the end of 2021.

“Ensuring fair access to vaccines is crucial, but requires more than just donating vaccines. Improvements in vaccine distribution and infrastructure, as well as coordinated efforts to combat vaccine misinformation and improve vaccine demand, are needed. Only then can we ensure that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from these life-saving technologies,” said Prof Azra Ghani, Chair in Infectious Disease Epidemiology at Imperial.

Crime

Navi Mumbai: Gas Agency Owner Booked For Cheating Fruit Trader Of ₹25 Lakh On False BPCL Partnership Promise In Nerul

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Navi Mumbai: A gas agency owner has been booked for allegedly cheating a fruit trader of Rs 25 lakh on the pretext of offering partnership and high returns on investment in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited-linked business in Nerul. The Nerul police have registered a case against the accused and initiated further investigation.

The accused has been identified as Sunil Rambhau Gunjal (62), a resident of Koparkhairane and owner of Vighnahar Gas Service, while the complainant, Bhalchandra Nalawade (67), is a fruit trader residing in Nerul. The two had known each other for several years through business dealings.

According to the police, in 2020, Gunjal lured Nalawade by claiming that his gas agency was associated with BPCL and offered him a partnership. He allegedly convinced Nalawade to invest a large sum by promising a monthly return of 5 per cent, both verbally and in writing.

Trusting the offer, Nalawade invested Rs 25 lakh. However, despite the passage of time, he neither received the promised returns nor any official documents confirming his partnership. When Nalawade demanded his money back, Gunjal allegedly avoided repayment on various pretexts.

Police said Gunjal later issued four cheques worth Rs 25 lakh to Nalawade, but all were dishonoured. Even after repeated follow-ups, he refused to return the money and allegedly threatened the complainant when pressed for repayment.

“Based on the complaint, a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust has been registered. We are verifying the financial transactions and further legal action will be taken accordingly,” a Nerul police officer said.

Following the complaint, Nerul police registered an FIR against Gunjal under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita including 318(4), 316(2), 352, and 351(2) for cheating, criminal breach of trust, and criminal intimidation. Further investigation is underway.

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Crime

Mumbai Police Detain 450 Bangladeshi Nationals In Crackdown Against Illegal Immigrants Since Jan 1; Over 200 Deported So Far

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Police have detained around 450 Bangladeshi nationals since January 1 as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration and related activities across the city. Of these, approximately 224 individuals have already been deported, while several others remain in custody or detention centres pending legal clearance.

Among the recent cases, the Versova Police detained 23 individuals allegedly involved in begging at traffic signals and religious sites. Police sources said these individuals were residing in rented accommodations in Malwani, Malad.

The action began on February 5, when an Anti-Trafficking Cell (ATC) team led by Senior Inspector Deepshikha Ware and PSI Sachin Ugle conducted a crackdown near Versova Dargah, detaining 18 individuals. Based on further interrogation, five more were picked up on February 18. In total, Versova police have detained 27 Bangladeshi nationals this year, of whom 26 have been deported.

The drive follows similar action last year, when 1,061 Bangladeshi nationals were detained for residing illegally in Mumbai.

Police station-wise data till March 27 shows that detainees awaiting deportation are spread across multiple jurisdictions. The highest numbers were reported in Kurla (11), Bandra (10), Deonar (7), and Powai (6). Several other police stations, including Amboli, Nagpada, Oshiwara, and Park Site, reported five detainees each, while areas such as Santacruz, Byculla, Trombay and Shivaji Park recorded four each.

Additional cases were reported across localities including Dadar, Wadala, Sakinaka, Colaba, Chembur, Ghatkopar, Govandi, Malwani and Malabar Hill, among others, indicating the widespread nature of the crackdown.

The deportation process has been carried out in phases. On March 27, a total of 51 individuals were deported, including 20 from Mumbai. On March 29, 44 deportations from Mumbai were scheduled, but six were stayed by the Bombay High Court. On April 5, another batch of 50 individuals from Mumbai and five from Navi Mumbai were deported.

However, several deportations have been delayed due to judicial intervention. In one case registered at Amboli police station, three detainees filed a writ petition, leading the High Court to stay their deportation until further hearings. Similarly, the deportation of a woman in the Antop Hill case has been deferred for a month.

In another instance linked to Chunabhatti, deportation has been stayed until the next hearing date. In the Versova case, a sessions court has stayed the sentence, with the next hearing scheduled for May 21, 2026.

Authorities said the drive will continue, with a focus on identifying illegal residents and ensuring due legal process in each case.

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Crime

Mumbai Police Book Jogeshwari Constable Accused Of Using Fake Medical Documents For 49-Day Leave

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Mumbai: The Jogeshwari police have booked a constable for allegedly submitting forged medical documents with fake signatures to obtain leave. The police investigated the matter up to Nashik before registering a case. This is likely one of the first cases against police personnel in Mumbai for allegedly remaining absent from duty using fake medical documents. The police have also booked an unidentified individual in connection with the case. The accused has been identified as Gajendra Rajput.


A police officer of Jogeshwari police station said, “The accused constable was earlier arrested by the Juhu police in an extortion case. We took his custody through the court in connection with the fake medical documents case, arrested him, and produced him before the court. The court granted him bail, and he has since been released.”

According to the FIR, the accused is Gajendra Rajput, who is attached to the Jogeshwari police station. In November and December last year, he informed his seniors that he was suffering from haemorrhoids and sought medical leave. He submitted prescriptions and treatment papers allegedly issued by Tulasi Hospital, a private hospital in Nashik, and availed 49 days of medical leave.

His seniors grew suspicious and initiated an inquiry. The police approached the hospital in Nashik and sought Rajput’s medical records. As there are two hospitals with the name Tulasi Hospital in Nashik, the police verified details with the second hospital. A police personnel from Jogeshwari police station visited the hospital, where it was revealed that Rajput had not undergone any such treatment. Although his name appeared in the hospital records as a patient, he had not received treatment for the claimed period.

Further investigation revealed that Rajput had allegedly created four forged documents. One was a medical certificate dated November 2025 stating that he required 15 days’ rest due to prolapsed haemorrhoids. The second, dated December 2025, recommended bed rest and follow-up treatment. A third document claimed that he was fit to resume duty, while a fourth was a fake discharge card. 
Based on these documents, Rajput allegedly availed 49 days of leave in two phases.

Dr Yogesh Shinde informed the police that he had not signed any of these documents and that his signature had been forged.

Following this, Sandesh Pawar, 29, Marketing Director of Tulasi Hospital, lodged a complaint on behalf of the hospital against Rajput and an unidentified individual.

The police have registered an FIR under Sections 336(3) and 336(4) (forgery), 340 (using forged documents as genuine), and 3(5) (general explanation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on April 3.

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