Crime
Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act: SC notice on plea against HC order
The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a plea by Gujarat government, challenging the state high court’s order, staying the operation of certain sections of the Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021, including the provision terming interfaith marriages as means for forceful conversion.
A bench of Justices Abdul Nazeer and Krishna Murari, after hearing arguments from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state government, issued notice on the appeal by the state government. According to counsel involved in the matter, Mehta did not press for a stay on the order.
The Gujarat government contended that Section 5 of the Act, which was stayed, impacts cases where inter-religious marriages have been solemnised by a person without force, or fraudulent means.
It was argued that there is no fundamental right to convert a person to another religion and the provision requiring permission from the District Magistrate for converting a person’s religion, cannot be said to be affecting fundamental rights in any manner.
The two petitions – one filed by the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind and the other by Ahmedabad resident, Mujahid Nafees – in the high court challenged the amended Act claiming the law is manifestly arbitrary and violates the right to privacy.
The high court, in its order passed on 19 August last year, said: “We are therefore of the opinion that pending further hearing, the rigours of Sections 3, 4, 4A to 4C, 5, 6 and 6A, shall not operate merely because marriage is solemnised by person of one religion with another without force, or allurement or fraudulent means and such marriages cannot be termed as marriages for the purpose of unlawful conversion.”
The high court refused also refused to modify its earlier order, as state’s counsel argued that Section 5 of the Act was unrelated to marriage and only related to permission for conversion.
Crime
CBI arrests proclaimed offender in Bengal gold trader’s murder in 2007

New Delhi, July 14: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday arrested proclaimed offender Shibu Kumar Singh, one of the accused in the 2007 Sukanta Ghosh murder case, an official said.
He was arrested from his hideout at Raiganj Road in Gorakhpur’s South Gandhi Ashram, where he was living under the assumed name Akhilesh Kumar Shahi, the CBI official said in a statement.
The case was registered on the order of Calcutta High Court delivered on August 27, 2009.
After investigation, the CBI filed charge sheet and supplementary charge sheet on December 31, 2010, and November 14,2011, respectively, against Shibu Kumar Singh and three others, the statement said.
Absconding for several years, Shibu Kumar Singh was declared a proclaimed offender on September 15, 2016.
The accused was apprehended using human intelligence and technical inputs, the CBI said.
After obtaining a transit warrant, the accused will be taken to Kolkata for production before the competent court on Wednesday, the CBI added.
Barrackpore-based gold merchant Sukanta Ghosh was murdered on July 6, 2007.
The police found his body lying in a pool of blood with 18 stab wounds in Jawahar Kunja of Latbagan.
The police, after initial investigation, found that there was suspicion of the involvement of some goons allegedly working under the patronage of a Left legislator and his brothers.
The investigators found that the victim was murdered for refusing to pay protection or extortion money to the local mafia linked to the MLA.
During the investigation, the High Court had even directed the CBI to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the murder.
Justice Samapti Chatterjee had instructed the CBI to frame the SIT to reinvestigate the case that had initially been probed by the state police.
The High Court had directed that the SIT should be led by a CBI officer of the rank of Joint Director who would be responsible for providing updates to facilitate a court-monitored probe.
Crime
Delhi Cyber Police bust mule bank account racket, arrest four in courier scam case

New Delhi, July 14: The Cyber Police Station of North-East District, Delhi, has busted a mule bank account racket and arrested four persons in connection with a fraud case involving cheating of Rs 2.47 lakh on the pretext of a courier delivery company.
The arrested accused have been identified as Md. Arbaz Daniyal alias Labbu (20), Jimmy Bathla (41), Abdul Wadood (27), and Aniket Verma (25). Police said the accused were allegedly involved in operating and supplying mule bank accounts used to receive and transfer money obtained through cyber fraud.
According to the police, a case vide e-FIR No. 00194/2026 dated 16.06.2026 under Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at Cyber Police Station, North-East District, on the complaint of Satender, a resident of Babarpur, North-East Delhi, who works as Deputy General Manager (DGM) at Delhi Transco Limited (DTL).
Police said the complainant received a call from a fraudster impersonating a courier executive regarding the delivery of a parcel. The caller allegedly convinced him to dial a number and activate call and message forwarding on his mobile phone. As a result, incoming calls and SMSs, including banking OTPs, were diverted to numbers controlled by the fraudsters, allowing them to fraudulently withdraw Rs 2.47 lakh from his bank account.
During the investigation, police analysed financial transactions, technical evidence and field intelligence to trace the money trail. Investigators found that Rs 80,000 of the cheated amount had been transferred to a Nainital Bank account belonging to the accused Md. Arbaz Daniyal alias Labbu.
Police said further investigation revealed that the account was allegedly opened and operated as a mule account for receiving proceeds of cyber fraud. A dedicated team conducted raids in Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand and Lucknow, Mirzapur and Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh, leading to the arrest of all four accused.
“Investigation has exposed a well-organised network engaged in procuring and supplying mule bank accounts to cyber fraudsters for laundering cheated money,” Delhi Police said.
During interrogation, police said Md. Arbaz disclosed that he had opened the bank account on the instructions of Jimmy Bathla in exchange for Rs 50,000. Jimmy allegedly handed over the account to Abdul Wadood for Rs 1 lakh.
Police further said Abdul Wadood allegedly supplied the Nainital Bank account details to Aniket Verma, who then provided the account information to cyber fraudsters operating through Telegram for use in online financial frauds.
Four mobile phones, one from each accused, have been recovered during the investigation. Police said analysis of the seized devices revealed transaction details linked to the alleged cyber fraud network.
The arrests have provided important leads about the larger interstate cyber fraud syndicate, and efforts are underway to identify other members, trace additional fraudulent transactions and recover the remaining proceeds of crime.
Crime
Pune Police arrest six interstate gang members accused in 20 criminal cases

Pune, July 14: Six members of an interstate criminal gang who were preparing to commit a dacoity were arrested in an operation by a joint team of the Pune Rural Police’s Local Crime Branch and the Otur Police Station, officials said on Tuesday.
During the operation, police seized weapons, ammunition, a stolen vehicle and other items collectively valued at Rs 14.87 lakh.
Officials said interrogation of the accused led to the detection of 20 serious criminal cases across Maharashtra and Telangana, while the six accused are collectively linked to more than 50 criminal cases registered in different states.
According to the police, a jeep, which had been stolen from the Loni Pravara area of Ahilyanagar district, was spotted in Kolwadi village of Junnar taluka on the morning of July 12.
During the search for the stolen vehicle, Vignesh Subhash Gholap, a relative of the owner, confronted a group of suspicious individuals.
Police said an argument broke out between Gholap and the suspects. When he raised an alarm by shouting “Thief! Thief!”, local villagers rushed to the spot and confronted the accused. With the help of the villagers, two of the accused were caught at the scene, while the remaining four managed to flee.
After receiving information about the incident, teams from the Local Crime Branch and Otur Police Station immediately reached the area. With assistance from local residents and Police Patils of Aalme, Ballalwadi, Kolwadi and Dingore villages, an extensive search operation was launched across the surrounding hills and valleys.
Officials said the search operation continued for nearly six hours, after which the remaining four absconding accused were also traced and arrested, completing the operation successfully.
The accused have been identified as Sonusingh Kapursingh Tak (30), Jilusingh Shersingh Dudhani (40), Karansingh Gagansingh Tak (27), Pankajsingh Kalusingh Shikalgar alias Dudhani (40), Papisingh alias Krishnasingh Sahebsingh Tak (18), and Mangalsingh Mayasingh Dudhani (58).
During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to their involvement in 20 criminal cases registered in Maharashtra and Telangana.
According to police, these include two cases of dacoity, one case of attempted dacoity, two robbery cases, 13 housebreaking cases and two vehicle theft cases.
As part of the operation, police recovered property and equipment worth Rs 14,87,820.
The seizure included a country-made pistol, live cartridges, other sharp-edged weapons, the stolen jeep and several other articles believed to have been used in criminal activities.
According to the Pune Rural Police, the six accused already have more than 50 serious criminal cases registered against them in Maharashtra, Telangana and other states.
Officials said all the accused will be produced before the court, where police custody will be sought to facilitate further investigation into the gang’s activities and possible involvement in other crimes.
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