Mumbai, Nov 13: The Mumbai Railway Police on Thursday took suo motu cognisance of an ‘illegal’ protest staged at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) by members of the Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh (CRMS). A case has been registered at the CSMT Railway Police Station against two railway employees, identified as S.K. Dubey and Vivek Sisodia.

According to a statement released by the Mumbai Railway Police, the protest was held on November 6, demanding the withdrawal of an FIR registered against two engineers in connection with the Mumbra station incident, which claimed the lives of five people. Without obtaining prior permission, CRMS members organised the agitation at CSMT, leading to charges of unlawful assembly and violation of public order and traffic regulations.

On the day of the incident, members of CRMS held a sit-in protest outside the motorman’s lobby and the Station Manager’s office, disrupting railway operations and halting local train services for nearly an hour.

Around 4 p.m., nearly 100 to 200 railway employees gathered at Milan Hall under the leadership of CRMS president Praveen Vajpayee and later marched peacefully towards the Divisional Railway Manager’s (DRM) office. However, after the official protest concluded around 5.30 p.m., about 30 to 40 employees, led by Dubey and Sisodia, allegedly entered the motorman’s lobby at CSMT and began an unapproved sit-in protest.

The protesters reportedly blocked entry to the motormen, guards, and the Station Manager’s office using iron benches, resulting in staff being trapped inside and complete disruption of local train services from 5.41 p.m. The stoppage led to crowding and confusion among passengers on the platforms.

The agitation ended at 6.38 p.m. after assurances were given by the DRM, following which train services gradually resumed.

A senior officer stated that the CRMS protest violated existing prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which bans gatherings of five or more persons within the jurisdiction of the Railway Police Commissionerate without prior permission.

A case has been registered under Sections 189(2), 190, 127(2), 221, and 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 37(1) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act.

Police officials said the accused will soon be summoned for questioning. Investigators are also probing who instigated and supported the CRMS members to stage the protest within the station premises without prior approval. The investigation is currently underway.

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against former Lodha Developers Ltd director Rajendra Lodha and several others in connection with an alleged Rs 85 crore corporate fraud under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Officials said the agency carried out searches on Wednesday at 14 locations across Mumbai and Thane, including Worli, Ghatkopar, Borivali, Thane, and Dombivli, as part of its probe into alleged money laundering, unauthorised property sales, and financial irregularities. The searches covered premises linked to Lodha Developers Ltd, as well as residential and commercial properties of several associates and firms allegedly involved in facilitating fraudulent land and property transactions. Among the locations searched was the Dombivali residence and office of Vinod Patil, the brother of MNS leader and former MLA Raju Patil, who is also an accused in the case.

According to ED sources, the searches were aimed at tracing the alleged proceeds of crime and identifying entities linked to the suspicious transactions. During the operation, the ED seized several incriminating documents, financial records, and digital evidence, which are now being analysed to track the flow of funds and determine the ultimate beneficiaries.

The ED action reportedly stems from an FIR filed by Lodha Developers (now Macrotech Developers Ltd) in September, which alleged that Rajendra Lodha misused his position between 2013 and 2025 to defraud the company of around Rs 85 crore through unauthorised property sales, undervalued land deals, and illegal Transferable Development Rights (TDR) transactions, causing significant losses. Lodha was earlier arrested by the Mumbai Police Crime Branch in connection with the case.

Investigators said the New Cuffe Parade project in Wadala has emerged as a key link in the alleged fraud. According to the FIR, Flat A/3603 in Tower 11, booked by Nilesh Chandrabhan Agarwal for around Rs 3.10 crore, was used in a forged agreement. Lodha and his son Sahil Lodha allegedly claimed that the company needed to pay Rs 3.03 crore to Agarwal to vacate land in Nitals village in Panvel, which he did not legally own. The amount was reportedly diverted in cash by the Lodhas, causing a direct loss of Rs 3.03 crore to the company.

The ED case also details multiple financial irregularities. In the TDR scam, 34 transactions totalling 7.15 lakh sq.ft. granted by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation were executed in cash at Rs 685 per sq.ft., significantly below market value, resulting in an estimated loss of around Rs 20 crore. Vinod Patil was one of the key conspirators in this case along with Lodha and his son. A 1.46-acre plot in Ambarnath’s Naharen village, was sold by Lodha for Rs 88 lakh without proper authority. The land, located on the proposed Virar–Alibaug multimodal corridor, was expected to earn compensation of about Rs 10 crore from the government. Ten months later, the buyer received Rs 10.88 crore, causing a loss of roughly Rs 10 crore to the company.

In another instance, a 4,150 sq.m. plot in Panvel’s Shirdon village, was allegedly sold by Rajendra and Sahil Lodha to their benami company, Usha Properties, for only Rs 48 lakh, resulting in a loss of around Rs 10 crore. Similarly, a 3,630 sq.m. plot in Panvel’s Bhopar village, was sold to a benami company, N.B.P. Agrotech Infratech LLP, at a price Rs 6.25 crore below market value.

In addition, a land repurchase scam involved company land registered in the name of a deceased employee’s wife, purchased through an associate for Rs 5 lakh and later sold back to Lodha Developers Ltd for Rs 2.65 crore, causing a further loss.

The search was underway till the time this report was published.

Jaipur, Nov 12: Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Kumar Sharma said on Wednesday that interstate borders will be strictly monitored to fight the drug cartels who are hell-bend on destroying the youth of the country.

The Rajasthan Police has also taken a significant stride toward its vision of a drug-free society, with the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) in Jaipur.

Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Kumar Sharma inaugurated the state-of-the-art facility at Jagatpura on Wednesday. The new office is expected to provide fresh impetus to the state’s intensified campaign against drug trafficking and substance abuse.

Addressing the media, DGP Rajiv Sharma highlighted the ANTF’s strengthened strategy to counter drug trafficking across the state.

He informed that 18 ANTF checkpoints are being established, out of which 10 are already functional. The task force, he said, will be equipped with advanced resources and technology to ensure a strong crackdown on the illegal drug trade.

He added that a coordinated approach has been launched involving central and state enforcement agencies to ensure a comprehensive fight against narcotics.

“Anti-drone systems have been deployed along interstate borders to curb drug smuggling, while the BSF and Rajasthan Police are jointly working to tighten border surveillance,” he said.

Sharma emphasised that while local police units will also participate in anti-drug operations, the ANTF will function as a dedicated and specialised force, devoting its full capacity to the mission.

He further warned that strict action will be taken against criminals who exploit minors for drug trafficking under the new legal provisions.

The inauguration began with a puja ceremony, followed by DGP Rajiv Sharma formally cutting the ribbon to open the ANTF headquarters.

Inspector General (IG) ANTF Vikas Kumar welcomed the DGP and gave him a detailed tour of various branches of the unit. He also presented an overview of the ANTF’s major operations and achievements to date.

In-charges of 10 operational ANTF checkpoints, including those in Sriganganagar, Jodhpur, Barmer, and Jalore, joined the event virtually and introduced themselves to the DGP.

The ceremony was attended by several senior officers, including DG Traffic Anil Paliwal and ADGs Dinesh MN, Hawa Singh Ghumaria, Bhupendra Sahu, VK Singh, Vishal Bansal, Bipin Pandey, Prashakha Mathur, and Lata Manoj Kumar, along with other senior police officials.