Thane: Police have arrested a school bus driver here for allegedly threatening to kidnap a 15-year-old student, who used to travel in his vehicle, and demanding Rs 4 lakh from the boy’s parents, officials said on Monday.

The bus driver, who also operated a mobile phone and SIM card shop at Kashimira in Maharashtra’s Thane district, had planned the extortion in an attempt to make quick money, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone I, Rahul Chavan told reporters.

The boy’s mother, a resident of Kashimira, received a text message from an unknown mobile number on Saturday, threatening to kidnap the teenager if she failed to pay Rs 4 lakh. She immediately approached the local police.

The investigators traced the message to a number linked with a local mobile phone shop.

The school bus driver also owned a mobile and SIM card shop. He took the SIM card of one of his less-educated customers and replaced it with an inactive one, the official said.

The driver then used the active SIM card to send threats to the boy’s family via WhatsApp. He also used a photo of the boy in his possession to send ransom messages to his mother, the official said.

The police questioned the bus driver, Hariram Soma (37), who confessed to the crime, he said. The accused, also a resident of the Kashimira area, was arrested on Sunday, he added.

“Police ensured the child was not harmed. Within hours of receiving the complaint, our technical team traced the digital trail, identified the suspect and took him into custody,” Chavan said.

The accused has been booked on charges of criminal intimidation and extortion under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.

The police have information that the accused targeted four parents of the children whom he ferried to school in his bus, and are investigating it, the official said.

Imphal: The security Forces in Manipur on Sunday arrested six militants of different banned outfits including a woman cadre and recovered some arms and ammunition from different districts, officials said.

A police official said that the arrested militants belonging to different extremists group — Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) — were arrested from Kakching, Imphal West and Thoubal district.

He said that the hardcore militants were involved in various crimes, including intimidation, forcible collection of subscriptions from people, government employees, contractors and others.

Few Aadhaar cards, incriminating documents, a car and several mobile phones were recovered from the custody of the arrested guerrillas.

The Manipur police official said that the security forces continue to conduct search operations and area domination in the fringe, mixed-populated and vulnerable areas across districts.

According to the official, a total of 115 nakas/checkpoints were installed in different districts of Manipur, both in the hills and the valley region, to prevent untoward and illegal movements of inimical elements and suspected vehicles.

He said that the security forces have provided escorts to a large number of vehicles carrying essential items along Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37).

Strict security measures are taken up in all vulnerable locations, and a security convoy is provided in sensitive stretches in order to ensure free and safe movement of the vehicles.

Manipur Police urged the people not to believe in rumours and be vigilant of false videos. “The veracity of any circulation of unfounded videos, audio clips, etc, may be confirmed from the Central Control Room.

Moreover, there are possibilities of many fake posts being circulated on social media. It is hereby cautioned that uploading and circulation of such fake posts on social media will attract legal action with consequences,” a police statement said. The police authority also appealed to the concerned people to return the looted arms, ammunition and explosives to the police or the nearest security forces post immediately.

Mumbai: The Rafi Ahmed Kidwai (RAK) Marg police have successfully cracked a sensational jewelry theft case that took place at the Busa Industrial Estate, Sewri Naka, Mumbai, on the night of October 21. In a shocking twist, police have arrested the security guard of the jewelry manufacturing unit, along with three others, for orchestrating the crime.

According to the police, the accused have been identified as Rohitkumar Mohendrakumar Sharma, 20, the complainant and security guard at the factory, Manish Rathod, 24, Bhagwan Paraskar alias Mama, 60, and Mangal Kashyap, 20. The alleged mastermind, Irfan Shaikh, is currently absconding, and a manhunt has been launched to trace him.

As per the FIR, the complainant Rohitkumar Sharma, originally from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, was employed as a security guard at a jewelry workshop owned by gold trader Pradeep Dinesh Sharma at Busa Industrial Estate. On the evening of October 21, after a Diwali Laxmi Puja at the unit, the owner and his friends left around 8:30 p.m. Sharma’s two fellow workers went downstairs for dinner, leaving him alone on duty.

At around 10:15 p.m., three unidentified men allegedly entered the premises under the pretext of delivering a parcel. They reportedly threatened Sharma, assaulted him with a knife, and forced their way into the office. From a drawer containing the puja items, they stole 400 grams of gold jewelry worth Rs48 lakh before fleeing the scene.

Sharma, who sustained injuries on his leg, claimed he raised an alarm after the assailants fled. Nearby workers rushed him to KEM Hospital for treatment. Based on his statement, police initially registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Arms Act.

However, as the investigation progressed, police found inconsistencies in Sharma’s statement and suspected foul play. Detailed questioning, along with technical and other evidence, revealed that the security guard himself had conspired with others to stage the robbery.

Police subsequently arrested the four accused and recovered crucial evidence linking them to the crime. Efforts are underway to locate the absconding mastermind, Irfan Shaikh. Further investigation is in progress, officials confirmed.