Mumbai : A case of alleged religious conversion on the pretext of marriage has come to light in Mumbai, where a 22-year-old woman was allegedly persuaded to convert from Hinduism to Islam after being promised marriage and financial assistance, officials said on Tuesday. The Meghwadi Police have registered an FIR against the accused, identified as Faiz Akbar Khan, under the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026. The incident occurred in the Amina Nagar area of Mumbai’s Jogeshwari East. According to the police, the complaint was filed by the mother of the woman. In her complaint, she alleged that Faiz Akbar Khan befriended her daughter and convinced her to change her religion by assuring her that he would marry her and provide financial support.

The complainant further alleged that the accused had told her daughter, “If you change your religion, I will marry you.” On October 18, the 22-year-old reportedly went missing from her residence, following which a kidnapping complaint was lodged at the Virar Police Station.Two days later, on October 20, the woman allegedly sent her mother a certificate of a court marriage solemnised at the Bandra Court, adding another development to the case. The matter took a further turn on October 24, when the accused allegedly sent a wedding invitation card to the WhatsApp number of the woman’s brother.

The invitation carried the names “Mohammad Faiz weds Shravani (Ayesha)” and mentioned November 6, 2026, as the scheduled date of the wedding. Citing the wedding invitation as evidence, the woman’s mother alleged that her daughter had been subjected to religious conversion under the pretext of marriage. She approached the police with her complaint, following which the Meghwadi Police registered a case against the accused under Section 9(1) of the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026. The police have initiated an investigation to examine the allegations and establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged conversion and marriage. The case has been registered as FIR No. 0587/2026 at the Meghwadi Police Station. Sub-Inspector Indrajit Nemane has been assigned to the investigation and is currently probing the matter.

Further details are awaited.

Mumbai : A 16-year-old boy died after a fire broke out at a firecracker shop in Mumbai’s Malvani area late Monday night, triggering an explosion that led to the collapse of the shop’s slab, officials said.

The incident took place at around 9.56 p.m. on November 9 at a ground-floor shop near Gate No. 8 on Abdul Hamid Marg in Malad West. Six fire brigade vehicles were rushed to the spot after information about the blaze was received, and firefighting operations were launched.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), the fire was confined to firecrackers, electrical wiring and electrical installations inside the shop, which measured approximately 20 feet by 30 feet.

The situation worsened following an explosion of firecrackers, which caused the slab of the shop to collapse.

During the incident, a 16-year-old boy, who had initially been reported missing, was subsequently found dead inside the shop. His body was severely charred due to the fire.

The deceased was identified as Shanwaz Niyaz Khan, aged 16. He was taken to BMC’s Shatabdi Hospital in an ambulance. According to information received from the concerned Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of BDBA Hospital, Kandivali, he had suffered 100 per cent burns and was declared brought dead.

The fire was successfully extinguished at 10.36 p.m. on November 9, according to the fire brigade’s incident update issued at 1.22 a.m. on Tuesday.

Teams from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, police, the concerned electricity distribution company, 108 ambulance services and BMC ward staff were mobilised to manage the situation and carry out the necessary operations.

The incident comes amid heightened concerns over fire safety during the festive season, particularly in areas where firecrackers are stored and sold.

Earlier, fire services in Pune and Mumbai were stretched during Diwali celebrations, with both cities reporting a large number of fire incidents.

Pune recorded 94 fire incidents during Laxmipujan, while Mumbai reported 142 blazes during Diwali, of which 137 were attributed to firecrackers, according to figures released by the respective fire departments.

In Pune, fires were reported from several locations, including Satara Road, Mangalwar Peth and Range Hills. A major fire broke out at a printing shop on Satara Road, while a godown caught fire in Mangalwar Peth. Another fire was reported in a residential flat in Range Hills, prompting a response from fire brigade teams and police personnel.

Meanwhile, Mumbai’s 142 fire incidents were reported from different parts of the city during Diwali. Despite the large number of fire-related emergency calls, no injuries were reported in those incidents, according to the Mumbai Fire Brigade.

New Town : Reacting to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a debate, West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday said the Congress leader makes such statements to remain relevant in the political discourse. This comes a day after Gandhi launched a fresh attack on Prime Minister Modi, renewing his challenge to debate him on who was an anti-national and who was controlled by foreign forces, saying the debate could take place “any time, any place”. Gandhi’s remarks came a day after PM Modi, during his visit to Chhattisgarh’s Bastar on Sunday, alleged that ideological supporters of the Naxal movement, whom he described as “dimagi Naxals”, had infiltrated political parties and various organisations to instigate people against the Constitution and democracy.

Speaking to reporters, Ghosh said, “Rahul Gandhi makes such statements to stay relevant. He disappears for two to four months and then suddenly returns with statements to get media attention. These statements have no impact on the public. Such remarks are meaningless.” Reacting to the arrest of Trinamool Congress MLA Paresh Ram Das, the minister said that several elected representatives, including MLAs, MPs and even ministers, had been arrested in the past.

“Several MLAs, MPs and even ministers have been arrested in the past. Many leaders are also in jail, and they are all criminals. Numerous complaints have been filed against them. Since they were in power, no action was taken. In cases involving such serious crimes, there should be an investigation, and appropriate action should also be taken,” he said. Ghosh also reacted to the Delhi Police visit to the residence of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying that allegations against anyone should be investigated irrespective of their position.

“Regardless of who is involved, any allegations against them must be investigated by the government and the police,” he said. Delhi Police on Monday visited Mamata Banerjee’s Kolkata residence and served her a notice under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in connection with a 2013 case registered at Delhi’s Parliament Street Police Station. A police personnel from the Parliament Street Police Station reached Mamata Banerjee’s residence at 30B, Harish Chatterjee Street, in Kalighat, and served the notice. Importantly, Banerjee has not been summoned as an accused in the case. She has been called as a witness or a person having knowledge of the incident, with the police seeking her statement to take the 13-year-old case forward.