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Death toll rises to 920 after major quake hits Afghanistan

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The death toll from the earthquake that struck Afghanistan’s two eastern provinces early on Wednesday jumped to 920, Afghan state-run media reported.

Deputy State Minister for Natural Disaster Management in Taliban-led government, Mawlavi Sharfuddin, said in a press conference that 920 people were killed and 610 others injured in the quake, the state-run Bakhtar News Agency said in a tweet.

The casualties were reported from Barmal, Ziruk, Naka and Gayan districts of Paktika province. Helicopters and rescue teams have arrived in the affected areas from neighbouring provinces and Kabul.

The Gayan district was the worst-hit area in Paktika, the news agency reported, adding that the quake has destroyed and damaged scores of houses in the region and also caused land sliding in Paktika.

The number of casualties might rise as dozens were still trapped under the debris.

The quake jolted in mountainous areas and the authorities dispatched seven helicopters with life-saving equipment and medical personnel to the area, while medical and rescue teams were also on the way to the affected areas.

Hours after the quake, acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund chaired an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a tweet by Akhund’s office.

The acting Prime Minister has expressed sorrow over the loss of lives following the quake and expressed condolences to people who lost their relatives. “The meeting has ordered all concerned agencies to rush to the spot immediately. Use all available resources to save the lives of the affected people and provide all necessary assistance.”

The quake, with a magnitude of around 6, jolted 44 km southwest of Khost, according to the US Geological Survey.

Crime

Thane: 55-Year-Old Man Attempts Suicide After Mumbai Police Arrive To Arrest Him For Sexually Assaulting Minor Girl In Badlapur

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Thane: A 55-year-old man allegedly attempted suicide after a Mumbai Police team arrived at his residence in Badlapur, Thane, on Tuesday night to arrest him for the alleged sexual assault of a minor girl. The girl is the daughter of a bedridden man whom the accused had been hired to care for.

A police officer investigating the sexual assault case said on Thursday, “The man was immediately rushed to the nearby private hospital, where he lay unconscious for almost 36 hours, and currently his condition is stable.

According to the police complaint, the minor girl’s father suffered a paralytic attack last year. The accused was hired in May to care for him from 8 am to 8 pm. During this time, the man allegedly began sexually assaulting the minor and made obscene remarks after her mother left for work.

Despite being warned by the girl’s mother, the man continued to harass her. On July 28, he allegedly entered her bedroom and harassed her again, prompting the girl and her mother to approach the police.

On Tuesday, the police traced the accused’s location to Badlapur, prompting a team consisting of two assistant police inspectors and three to four constables to reach the spot. Around 10 PM, the man locked himself inside his house and began threatening to end his life. Despite the police’s efforts to calm him down, he allegedly attempted suicide. Officers then broke open the door and rushed him to the hospital, said an officer involved in the investigation.

The Police registered a case against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on July 29, following a complaint by the minor girl and her mother, who reported the harassment that occurred on July 28, as reported.

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Crime

Anti-Human Trafficking Unit Nabs 30-Year-Old For Trafficking Women In Navi Mumbai

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Navi Mumbai: The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) has arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly running a sex racket using mobile phones to share photographs of women with potential clients and arranging their services. Two women were rescued during the operation, which took place near a hotel in the APMC area of Navi Mumbai.

The arrested accused, identified as Rahul Lakhmeshwar Mahto, was caught red-handed on the night of August 4 after he arrived in a taxi near Hotel Fantasy Residency in Sector 19C, APMC, with two women. He had allegedly arranged a deal with a decoy customer and accepted Rs 4,000 in cash for sexual services. Once the transaction was completed, the decoy gave the pre-decided signal, following which the AHTC team conducted a raid and apprehended Mahto.

According to police officials, Mahto was part of an online prostitution racket operating across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The AHTC had earlier received intelligence about the gang’s activities and accordingly laid a trap under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Prithviraj Ghorpade. The team, including API Yogesh Deshmukh and Police Constable Anil Mandoḷe, posed as customers to initiate the bust.

Investigations revealed that the two rescued women had been sent for prostitution by two other agents, identified as Kamesh and Kurban Ansari, who are currently absconding.

“We have registered a case under relevant sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act at the APMC Police Station. We are continuing efforts to locate and apprehend the remaining members of the trafficking network,” a police officer from AHTU said.

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Crime

Drug Racket Used Shirt Photo As Code To Move ₹434 Crore Worth Of Mephedrone From Mysuru To Mumbai

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Mumbai: A startling detail has emerged in the investigation of the Rs434 crore drug lab busted in Mysuru, Karnataka—the accused allegedly used a coded method involving shirt photos to facilitate the transport of MD drugs to Mumbai. The Sakinaka police revealed that the operation was divided between two independent groups: one focused on manufacturing the drugs and the other handling distribution. In a calculated move to ensure anonymity and minimise risk, members of each group were kept unaware of their counterparts’ identities.

The contraband was distributed across various locations using a network of street-level dealers. The entire transportation route operated on the ground—no air or rail travel was involved. This ensured lower surveillance risks and easier movement across states.

A police officer stated, “When an individual went to collect the drugs, he did not share his contact number or name. A middleman sent the drug collector’s shirt photo to the manufacturer. The drug collector and manufacturer never exchanged names or contact details. The delivery was made solely based on the shirt photo.”

According to the police, once the MD (Mephedrone) drugs were produced at the Mysuru unit, a courier from there would travel by bus to Bengaluru. Simultaneously, a member of the Mumbai syndicate would also arrive in Bengaluru. To confirm identity, the Mumbai operative would send a photo of his shirt via WhatsApp. The courier, after matching the shirt pattern, would transfer the consignment. The Mumbai gang member would then return to the city with the narcotics—again by road.

The police suspect that this busted lab is part of a much broader international network, possibly linked to organised crime syndicates. As the investigation widens, authorities believe further arrests and connections may emerge in the coming days.

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