Mumbai, Sep 28: The Shiv Sena(UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut on Monday launched a scathing attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, retaliating sharply against his recent remark that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had “lost his brain” for alleging large-scale voter list manipulation and electoral fraud.

Raut questioned who had actually lost their mental balance, demanding to know why top BJP leaders were acting as “defence lawyers” for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar instead of addressing the core issues raised by the Opposition. Raut aggressively countered CM Fadnavis’s attempt to dismiss Rahul Gandhi’s accusations.

He questioned the BJP’s urge to shield the Chief Election Commissioner, alleging that the poll body has lost its constitutional independence and is operating under political influence. “Instead of debating who lost their mind, speak on the actual issue. Why is Devendra Fadnavis defending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar? Has the Election Commission hired him as its advocate?” he asked, alleging that the ruling party’s desperate defence points towards a systemic cover-up.

Pointing to investigative news reports detailing internal dissent within the Election Commission, Raut noted that Rahul Gandhi was not the sole voice raising concerns. He referred to the media reports regarding procedural irregularities and internal friction among Election Commissioners. “Does Fadnavis lack basic political history, or is he deliberately ignoring facts?” he asked.

Comparing the three-member Election Commission to the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, Raut alleged that the commissioners pose together for photographs like Fadnavis and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, despite severe internal division. “Do they even share a working relationship? No. Just like CM Fadnavis and Dy CM Eknath Shinde stage photo-ops, these three Election Commissioners pose together for optics while the institution crumbles inside,” Raut remarked.

Escalating his rhetoric, the MP accused the ruling dispensation of deploying state power and police forces to protect the poll panel chief from public protests. He alleged that the central leadership views the Chief Election Commissioner as a crucial tool for electoral manipulation, making his protection an absolute priority for the regime.

“Gyanesh Kumar has become a bone stuck in the government’s throat. Protecting him has become their political necessity because he serves as the weapon to win elections through manipulation,” Raut alleged. “They are using state machinery, police forces, and central security forces to suppress peaceful protests. But let me make one thing clear — Gyanesh Kumar will have to go.”

Extending his critique to state governance, Raut criticised CM Fadnavis over the government’s response to the drought situation in Maharashtra. He hit out at the advice, asking citizens to cut down on personal expenses during severe distress.

“Instead of asking common citizens to cut back on expenses during a severe drought, why didn’t Fadnavis direct his own political colleagues to stop their corruption?” he asked. “Had he shown the courage to rein in corruption within his administration, I would have conceded that he possesses a working mind.”

New Delhi, Sep 28: The Delhi Police Crime Branch has apprehended interstate criminal Harender Nagar alias KD, 33, in connection with an extortion conspiracy targeting a financier in Rohini, recovering two sophisticated illegal pistols and 14 live cartridges from his possession, officials said on Monday.

According to the Crime Branch, Nagar, son of Jaswant Singh and a resident of Bamba­wad village in Dadri tehsil of Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly demanded Rs 1 crore as protection money from a financier based in Rohini.

Police said that after the financier refused to pay the demanded amount, Nagar came to Delhi with the alleged intention of eliminating him, posing a serious threat to his life and security.

During the operation, police recovered two sophisticated illegal pistols and 14 live cartridges from Nagar’s possession.

The accused was also allegedly wanted in connection with a major gold robbery case registered at Baldev Nagar police station in Ambala, Haryana, in which approximately 1.5 kg of gold jewellery was allegedly looted from a van on August 18.

Police said Nagar disclosed his association with the Bhau Gang and named his associate Deepak as the alleged supplier of the recovered arms and ammunition. He was also found to have previously been involved in four criminal cases registered in Delhi and Haryana.

According to the Crime Branch, the arrest is part of its efforts to identify and apprehend criminals allegedly involved in interstate activities, including extortion, robbery and planned violence.

On September 9, SI Sumit and HC Rambir received specific information regarding the presence of Harender Nagar alias KD, who had allegedly made threatening and extortion calls to a financier, Ajay Yadav alias Boss, a resident of Sector 7, Rohini, and demanded Rs 1 crore as protection money.

The information was immediately shared with senior officers, following which directions were issued to trace and apprehend the accused.

According to the information received by the police, Nagar had allegedly come to Delhi with the intention of eliminating the financier after he refused to pay the protection money that had been demanded.

Acting on the information and through technical surveillance, the dedicated team reached Sector 24, Rohini, near a drain, and took strategic positions.

At around 10:45 p.m., on a tip off by a secret informer, the team apprehended a man who was identified as Harender Nagar alias KD, 33, son of Jaswant Singh and a resident of Dadri tehsil in Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh.

During a search, police recovered a sophisticated pistol along with five live cartridges from the pocket of his jeans. Another illegal sophisticated pistol along with four live cartridges was recovered from his bag, while five additional live cartridges were also recovered from his possession.

The recovered arms and ammunition were seized through a seizure memo.

Subsequently, FIR No. 217/26 under Sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act was registered at the Crime Branch police station, and Nagar was arrested in the case.

During sustained interrogation, police said Nagar disclosed that he, along with his associate Deepak, had allegedly hatched a conspiracy to extort money from financier Ajay Yadav alias Boss.

During interrogation, Nagar also disclosed his involvement in a gold robbery conspiracy in Ambala, Haryana.

According to his alleged disclosure, he, along with his associates Deepak, Chhotu and others, had planned to rob gold jewellery while it was being transported in a van.

Police said that in pursuance of the alleged plan, Nagar and five associates robbed approximately 1.5 kg of gold jewellery from a van in Ambala on August 18, 2026.

The accused disclosed that the robbed gold jewellery was taken by his associate Deepak for disposal or sale. Police further said that three to four of his associates had already been arrested in Haryana.

Nagar also disclosed that Deepak was associated with the Bhau Gang and that he had joined him. He further disclosed that the illegal arms and ammunition recovered from his possession had allegedly been provided by Deepak, who is residing in Narela, Delhi.

Information regarding Nagar’s arrest was immediately shared with the concerned police station in Ambala, Haryana.

A team of the Crime Investigation Agency, Haryana, subsequently reached Delhi and interrogated the accused regarding the Ambala gold robbery case.

The Investigating Officer moved an application seeking transit remand of the accused before the court. However, the court directed that the application be moved before the court concerned . Accordingly, Nagar was sent to judicial custody for seven days.

Hyderabad, Sep 28: A cab driver allegedly attempted to sexually assault a woman near Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad and robbed her of Rs 60,000, officials said on Monday.

The incident occurred near the site of the 2019 Disha case on Friday (September 26) night but came to light on Monday. The 38-year-old woman lodged a complaint with Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) Police Station. Police later registered an FIR.

The complainant, a resident of Devarkonda in Nalgonda district, stated that she boarded a taxi at Jadcherla around 6 p.m. on September 26 to come to Hyderabad. She was carrying Rs 60,000 in cash.

On reaching Shamshabad, the driver asked her to pay an extra Rs 50 to go to Gachibowli, to which she agreed. The FIR states that after crossing the Tondupally toll gate, the driver stopped the car at a medical shop on the ORR service road to buy medicines.

Around 8:30 p.m., he again stopped the vehicle near a deserted place beside the Kothwalguda service road and allegedly tried to molest her. When she raised an alarm and got down from the vehicle, the driver snatched the bag containing the cash and sped away.

Based on the complaint received the same night, police registered a case under Sections 74, 318(4), 303(2) of BNS and took up the investigation. It was near Tondupally toll gate that a 27-year-old woman veterinarian was gang raped and murdered on the night of November 27, 2019.

The charred body of Disha (as the victim is referred to by the investigators) was found at Chatanpally near Shadnagar the next day. The horrific incident had triggered huge public outrage and grabbed the national headlines.

Four accused arrested in the case were gunned down by police in an alleged encounter on December 6, 2019. According to police, the accused tried to snatch weapons from police while they were taken to Chatanpally as part of the investigation. Police personnel escorting them opened fire, killing all the accused.

The Supreme Court later appointed an inquiry commission to probe the alleged encounter.