A 53-year-old habitual offender was arrested by the MHB Police and identified as Bapi Ratan Bhattacharya. He was accused of stealing women’s purses and valuables from busy supermarkets repeatedly. Bhattacharya, dubbed a ‘serial snatcher’ by the police, was apprehended in Mira Road on Saturday after weeks of investigation.

In a statement given by the cops to Media, Bhattacharya would exploit the chaos of crowded shopping areas, especially popular D Mart outlets, to discreetly lift purses and bags placed in shopping trolleys. Most of his victims were women distracted while shopping. Investigators revealed that Bhattacharya had been involved in more than 10 similar thefts across various supermarket branches in Mumbai and nearby areas.

His latest crime came to light after a Dahisar West resident filed a complaint stating her purse had been stolen while she was shopping with her two-year-old son at D Mart, Kandarpada. The stolen bag contained cash, ATM cards, and important documents. Within minutes, ₹20,000 was withdrawn from her husband’s account using one of the stolen cards.

Following the complaint, police teams led by DCP Sandeep Jadhav (Zone XI), Senior Inspector Harish Gavli, and PSI Nilesh Patil analysed CCTV footage and used technical surveillance to trace Bhattacharya’s movements. The accused was later arrested from Mira Road. During interrogation, he confessed to multiple thefts carried out in a similar fashion across several D Mart branches.

An officer said, “More than ten cases have been registered against Bhattacharya across Mumbai and nearby police stations. Whenever a theft is reported at a supermarket, his name is the first to come up. We have already solved two pending cases after his arrest.”

The accused has been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Information Technology Act, police said, adding that further investigations are underway to identify his other offences and potential accomplices.

Mumbai: Anti-Narcotics Cell ANC Ghatkopar has claimed to have arrested drug dealer Mohammad Shafi Sheikh alias Akbar Khao on charges of drug trafficking. MCOCA was applied to him in the police station for drug trafficking and he was released on bail. Despite this, he used to supply drugs. ANC had arrested an accused in a drug case. During his investigation, it was revealed that Akbar Khao was a fugitive in this case. His details were known and clues were found. He is hiding in Odisha, after which the police arrested him from Raj Gangapur Sundergarh. A total of 15 cases have been registered against Akbar Khao, including NDPS Act and various crimes. Two NDPS Act cases are registered in VB Nagar. ANC has 2 NDPS drug trafficking cases, a total of 18 cases have been registered. The ANC has arrested two accused in this case and also seized drugs worth Rs 12 crore. This operation was carried out by ANC DCP Nunath Dhole on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti.

In the Zilla Parishad and Gram Panchayat elections in Mumbai state, Mahayuti will contest the election as a united front and even where there is no electoral consensus in Mahayuti, there will be a friendly contest and it is hoped that the people of the state will trust Mahayuti in these elections. This claim has been made by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. No formula for the distribution of seats in Mahayuti has been decided so far for the local body elections. However, where the alliance party and the BJP are strong, a formula for a solo contest has been decided, just like the talk of Eknath Shinde in Thana and BJP’s solo contest in Pune is common.

Fadnavis criticized Uddhav Thackeray and said that it is his job to insult him. If he is visiting the state, it is a good thing, but the people know everything and they will restore faith in Mahayuti in the elections. He said that the Election Commission has announced the elections. Uddhav Thackeray and the opposition want to postpone the elections, so they are alleging irregularities and rigging in the voting list. However, the Supreme Court has issued instructions to hold the elections soon, so it is not possible to postpone or delay the elections. Fadnavis expressed confidence that he has faith in the people. This time too, the people will agree with Mahayuti. Therefore, the opposition wants to postpone and postpone the elections, while Mahayuti is ready for the elections.