Mumbai, June 20: Launching a scathing attack on the prevailing political culture in Maharashtra, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday targeted the ruling dispensation and turncoat politicians, saying that “only living corpses remain once self-respect is compromised.”

Addressing a meeting of MNS office-bearers from Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nashik, Thackeray expressed deep concern over what he described as the moral decline in state politics and questioned the legacy being left behind for future generations.

His remarks came against the backdrop of “Operation Tiger”, the widely discussed political exercise led by Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde’s camp, which resulted in a split within the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) parliamentary ranks, with six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs joining the Shinde-led faction.

Expressing anger over the repeated splitting of political parties, Thackeray contrasted the hardships faced by ordinary citizens with the priorities of political leaders.

“A drought-like situation is looming large over Maharashtra and various parts of the country, and what are our leaders busy doing? They are poaching MPs, poaching MLAs, and poaching corporators! They are ready to pump in any amount of money just to secure and retain power. People are being bought and sold like commodities,” he remarked.

Directly addressing voters, Thackeray questioned how long citizens would tolerate elected representatives switching sides after securing mandates through multi-crore deals.

“Citizens stand in long queues for two, three, or even five hours in the scorching sun just to cast their votes. Yet, the person they elect sells out for Rs 50 to Rs 100 crore,” he said.

“Will you elect these people again? If these very turncoats stand for elections tomorrow, what will your response be? Today, the value of your vote has been reduced to absolute zero,” he asked.

Thackeray also criticised the ruling dispensation for focusing on political defections instead of addressing pressing social and economic issues. Referring to rising suicide rates across the country, particularly among farmers and students, he said the situation demanded urgent attention.

“Look at what is happening to our youth—the question papers for competitive exams like NEET are being leaked. We had opposed the central implementation of the NEET exam right from the very beginning,” Thackeray noted.

He further alleged that while politicians were being shifted to luxury resorts to prevent defections, the country was witnessing an alarming rise in human trafficking, with children and women being abducted and exploited.

“When these mammoth challenges are staring the country in the face, the priority remains pouring hundreds of crores of rupees into breaking opposition parties,” he alleged.

While praising MNS workers for their public outreach and agitations, Thackeray also offered a candid assessment of the party’s electoral shortcomings. He urged party functionaries to focus on booth-level organisation and detailed scrutiny of voter lists, stressing that political power could only be secured through strong grassroots preparation.

“Our workers hit the streets and led excellent protests. The agitation reaches people’s homes, but unfortunately, that anger does not translate into the ballot box,” Thackeray observed.

He noted that elections had become highly professionalised and pointed to political reversals in states such as Bihar and West Bengal as examples of the importance of effective electoral management.

Concluding his address, Thackeray warned that neglecting the mechanics of election management was costing the party valuable time and opportunities.

“Everyone wants to become an MLA, an MP, or a corporator, but our oversight on voter lists costs us five valuable years at a time. We dream of creating a Maharashtra that the world envies—but to make that a reality, we must first secure the mandate of political power,” he noted.

New Delhi, June 20: The Crack Team of Anand Vihar Police Station in Delhi’s Shahdara district has arrested two alleged snatchers and auto-lifters and recovered two stolen two-wheelers from their possession, police said on Saturday.

In view of the recent rise in incidents of snatching and motor vehicle theft in Shahdara district, the Crack Team of PS Anand Vihar was assigned the task of identifying and apprehending active offenders operating in the area.

A dedicated police team comprising Head Constables Lokesh, Sonu and Pradeep, along with Constable Gourav, was constituted under the close supervision of Inspector Manish Kumar, SHO of Anand Vihar Police Station, and ACP Vivek Vihar Mohinder Singh. The operation was carried out under the overall guidance of Shahdara District Police.

On June 18, while conducting routine patrol duty near Manglam Road in AGCR Enclave, the police team noticed two suspicious youths riding a CT-100 motorcycle without a registration number plate. The suspects were stopped and asked to produce ownership documents for the vehicle. However, they failed to provide any valid papers and appeared visibly nervous during questioning.

Upon verification, the motorcycle was found to be a stolen vehicle linked to E-FIR No. 013864/26, dated June 16, registered under Section 305(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Farsh Bazar Police Station. Both individuals were immediately taken into custody.

During sustained interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to stealing the recovered CT-100 motorcycle from the Farsh Bazar area on June 16. They further disclosed that they had stolen a Honda Activa scooter from the same area on June 13. Acting on their disclosure, police recovered the scooter from near CBD Ground in Shahdara. The scooter was found to be linked to E-FIR No. 013519/26, dated June 13, 2026, registered under Section 305(b) BNS at Farsh Bazar Police Station.

Police said the accused admitted that the stolen two-wheelers were being used to commit snatching incidents across different parts of Shahdara district. They also confessed to their involvement in FIR No. 208/26, registered under Sections 304(2) and 3(5) of the BNS at Anand Vihar Police Station in connection with a snatching case.

The accused have been identified as Ritik, 21, and Atul, 18, both residents of Vishwas Nagar in Shahdara, Delhi. During questioning, they reportedly told investigators that they committed the offences for financial gain and to meet their personal needs.

The police recovered one stolen CT-100 motorcycle bearing registration number DL7SCD-99XX and one stolen Honda Activa scooter bearing registration number DL5SBA-6XX8.

According to police, the arrests have helped solve multiple motor vehicle theft cases registered at Anand Vihar and Farsh Bazar police stations, in addition to a snatching case registered at Anand Vihar Police Station.

New Delhi, June 20: In a major breakthrough, Delhi Police has arrested a habitual impersonator who allegedly posed as an Additional District Magistrate (ADM) and cheated multiple individuals to the tune of Rs 60 lakh on the pretext of securing government jobs and arranging land allotments.

According to an official press release issued by the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central District), the accused identified as Pawan Kumar Pandey @ Varun Kumar Pandey, a resident of Gandhi Vihar, Delhi, aged 43 years, was apprehended by a dedicated team from PP Sidhipura, PS DBG Road.

The police stated that the accused “posed as an Additional District Magistrate and preyed on trust,” deceiving victims by projecting himself as a senior government officer with close links to top officials.

The case originated from a complaint received on 23.03.2026 at PP Sidhipura, wherein the accused allegedly introduced himself as “Varun Kumar Pandey, ADM, Uttar Pradesh.” He is accused of falsely assuring victims of government jobs and allotment of plots in Noida under official schemes.

The press note stated that “cheating of approximately ₹60 lakh on the pretext of government jobs and land allotment was exposed.” Based on the complaint, FIR No. 206/2026 was registered under relevant Sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 318(4), 316(2), 319(2), 204 and 61(2).

Police said multiple forged identity cards, visiting cards and documents were recovered during the investigation. The accused had also created a strong digital footprint using WhatsApp chats, audio recordings, screenshots and e-Sakshya video evidence.

Officials added that a “financial trail was established through bank accounts and UPI transactions,” confirming receipt of large sums of money from victims through intermediaries. Investigators also identified assets purchased from proceeds of crime, including a Swift car and a scooty.

During verification, police found that the accused had been using the identity of a real PCS officer. A senior officer noted that verification with Varun Kumar Pandey, PCS (2015 batch), former ADM Jhansi, confirmed misuse of his identity and designation.

The accused allegedly used publicly available information and photographs to convincingly project himself as an ADM posted at different locations, including Lodhi Road, and to support earlier claims of having served in Uttar Pradesh.

During interrogation, the accused admitted to impersonating an ADM for several years and using forged documents to gain trust and cheat victims. He allegedly projected “close links with senior government officers” and used intermediaries to collect money.

The accused is also linked to a previous FIR registered in 2019 at PS Sahibabad under multiple IPC Sections.

The press release stated that “role of other associates and additional victims is under investigation.” Authorities are also examining additional financial transactions and possible wider networks involved in the fraud.

The operation was conducted under the supervision of senior police officials of Central District, with sustained technical surveillance and coordinated digital analysis leading to the arrest.

Further investigation is underway to trace more victims and uncover the full extent of the fraud.