Crime
‘Last Chance’: SC seeks Vijay Mallya’s presence in contempt case hearing
The Supreme Court on Thursday gave a final opportunity to fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya to appear before it before it pronounces sentence in contempt case filed by banks, in which he was found guilty.
A bench of Justices U.U. Lalit and S. Ravindra Bhat said the court has found Mallya guilty of contempt and punishment has to be imposed. Going by normal logic, the contemnor has to be heard, but he has not appeared before the court so far, it said.
Senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, who is amicus curiae, submitted that the matter may be adjourned for short time with an expression that this could be the final opportunity.
Justice Bhat observed that Mallya has abstained from the hearing so far, and in the next hearing, the same thing will happen, and then the court would have to pronounce sentence in absentia.
Justice Lalit added that he was given multiple opportunities.
Justice Bhat said this cannot become a gateway for courts of first instance to adopt this method, and it has to be specifically mentioned that circumstances in the present case were extraordinary.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta clarified that it was not the Indian government stand that some confidential proceedings against him are pending in the UK, rather it was the stand of the UK government which was delaying his extradition. The bench agreed to take on record Mehta’s submissions.
The bench noted the amicus says that principles of natural justice were sufficiently complied with and adequate opportunity was given to the contemnor, the matter can be adjourned for a short time, and a final opportunity should be given.
After hearing arguments, the top court scheduled the matter for further hearing in the last week of February. It also clarified that if Mallya is not present in the hearing, then the matter will be taken to its logical conclusion.
According to a judgment delivered on July 14, 2017, Mallya was found guilty of contempt for not paying Rs 9,000 crore dues to the banks despite repeated directions. Additionally, he was also accused of not disclosing his assets and also secretly trying to dispose of the assets to defeat the purpose of recovery proceedings.
On October 6, 2020, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has told the Supreme Court that the UK Home Office has intimated that there is a further legal issue which needs to be resolved before Mallya’s extradition takes place and this issue is outside and apart from the extradition process having effect under the UK law.
The affidavit had said that Mallya’s surrender to India should, in principle, have been completed within 28 days after he lost the appeal against extradition. However, the UK Home Office then intimated India of the further legal issue.
On November 2 last year, the top court had asked the Centre to file a status report on extradition of the fugitive businessman within six weeks, and on November 30, it said it will begin hearing on sentencing of him in contempt of court, in which he was held guilty in July 2017.
Crime
Mumbai Cyber fraud in the name of online gaming, cricket betting and casino busted, five women also involved in interstate racket, transactions worth over Rs 25 crore

The Mumbai police have busted a gang involved in cyber crime cases, which was involved in fraud through multiple apps, including a gaming app.The Dongri police had registered a case under sections 319(4), 317, 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code, 2023 and sections 66(k), 66(d) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. The investigation, carried out under a plan based on reliable and confidential information received by the Dongri Police Station Cyber Team, has uncovered an organised network providing mule bank accounts for cyber fraud.
During the investigation, it was revealed that bank accounts were opened in the names of the victims of financial fraud by luring them with profit and the passbooks, debit cards, cheque books, SIM cards, etc. of these accounts were taken into their possession and used for financial transactions of cyber fraud. The scope of the investigation was also expanded to Govindi, Mankhurd, Dongri areas of Mumbai as well as Belapur, Panvel and Osmanabad in Navi Mumbai.
Based on confidential information, a total of 03 accused were arrested during the investigation, who were identified as Nikhil Kamal Kumar Jaswani, age 28, Papriya, Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh, Rahul Shyamalal Parwani, age 32, Madhya Pradesh, Jay Biharilal Tirthani, age 26, Katni, Madhya Pradesh. Apart from this, a total of 05 wanted accused have been found in the investigation so far and Their search is on. Among them, 03 women have been issued notices under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Naya Samhita.
Their names are Jyoti Patil Jaya Donge Nisha Donge, residents of Lallubhai Compound, Mankhurd. During the investigation, 42 bank passbooks, 70 debit cards, 36 SIM cards, 23 mobile phones, 03 laptops, 09 tabs, 12 bank kits, 01 motor car have been seized from the arrested accused so far. A total of approximately ₹40 lakh worth of property has been seized. Technical analysis of the information contained in the seized digital devices is being done, which is likely to reveal more individuals and transactions related to this network. 28 cyber crimes/complaints revealed from 17 bank accounts out of the total 990 bank accounts seized during the investigation. So far, information of 17 bank accounts out of the 990 bank accounts seized has been obtained from the respective banks.
After investigating the financial transactions in these accounts, available technical information and cyber crimes/complaints registered in various states, it was found that 28 cyber crime suspects registered in various states across the country are associated with these accounts. Investigation of the remaining accounts is likely to reveal more crimes, suspicious financial transactions and networks of related individuals.
The following cyber crimes are also registered against them in several states including
1) Maharashtra-02, including Nairopolis Police Station, Thane District-01, Khadeshwar Police Station, Thane, Navi Mumbai-09
2) Karnataka-09
3) Telangana-06
4) Delhi-02
5) Madhya Pradesh-02
6) Uttar Pradesh-05
7) Kerala-02
8) Tamil Nadu-02
9) Gujarat-02
10) Jammu and Kashmir-01
11) West Bengal-03 Due to this, the investigation of this crime registered in Dongri Police Station has not been limited to Mumbai only but has reached various states of the country.
Financial transactions worth Rs 254.9 crore
According to initial information, financial transactions worth about Rs 254.9 crore have taken place in the 17 bank accounts concerned in a period of one and a half to two months. An in-depth financial investigation is underway to ascertain the source of the money, direction of the transaction, beneficiary accounts, related persons and its link to cybercrimes. Effective action by Dongri Cyber Team against cyber criminals With an effective combination of intelligence gathering, technical investigation, tracing of bank transactions, analysis of digital evidence and direct action, Dongri Cyber Team has taken effective action against an international network misusing mobile bank accounts for cyber fraud. This action has helped significantly in tracing the chain of financial transactions in cyber fraud and exposing the interrelationship of related crimes in different parts of the country.
Important appeal to citizens; Citizens should not give their bank account, passbook, debit card, cheque book, SIM card, mobile phone, OTP, PIN or internet banking information to others for use by anyone. If you notice suspicious transactions in your bank account, immediately contact the concerned bank and inform the police. This information was given by Mumbai DCP Manish Kalwane at a press conference held in Dongri today. This operation was carried out by ACP Tanveer Sheikh and Dongri Senior Police Inspector under the guidance of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti.
Crime
Mumbai: Bank manager arrested for defrauding NRI elderly citizen by stealing gold from bank locker in Kandivali area

The police have claimed to have arrested a bank manager who stole gold from a NRI bank in Mumbai’s Kandivali area. According to details, on August 12, 2026, Pradeep Motiram Bhatia, age 74 years, profession retired, address: Flat No. 512, Oha Metha Road, Dubai. 602 Jyoti Park, Ambawadi, Kandivali (West), Mumbai in India filed a complaint at Kandivali Police Station. The details of the complaint are that the complainant has been residing in Dubai with his family for the last 52 years.
On 22nd March 2024 at 3:00 PM, the complainant had deposited various gold ornaments weighing 610 grams and worth ₹81,80,000/- in a locker at IndusInd Bank, MG Road, Kandivali (West), Mumbai, for safekeeping and returned to Dubai. After about 2 years, Bhatia came to the bank to collect his ornaments. At that time, he found that all the ornaments had been removed from his locker. In this regard, a case was registered at Kandivali Police Station under Section 316(5) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) No. 1095/2026.
Since the offence had been committed for about 2 years, there were difficulties in obtaining CCTV footage and other technical investigation. Information was taken about the bank staff at that time and the procedure for allotment of lockers. The bank account details of the then Assistant Branch Manager of IndusInd Bank, Kuldeep Ramchand Sahani, aged 35, Room No. 1389, Santosh Nagar, Shri Krishna Nagar, Goregaon East, near Gurukul School, Mumbai, were obtained. In this, financial transactions worth Rs. 9 crore were found in his bank account in about 2 years. These included large-scale transactions with gold-broking companies.
After checking all his transactions, he obtained photographs of the gold ornaments mortgaged from the mortgage companies and got the complainant to confirm. When it was proved that these ornaments belonged to him, the accused was immediately arrested and the fraud committed against the complainant was exposed by confiscating 610 grams of gold weighing 610 grams and worth ₹81,80,000/- from the complainant’s belongings within 4 days. This was informed by DCP Sandeep Goge in a press conference today.
Crime
Kolkata building fire: Leaseholder of one of nine hotels arrested, two detained

Kolkata: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Kolkata Police probing the fire incident at a multi-storey building on Mirza Ghalib Street in Central Kolkata, which claimed nine lives, has arrested one person, said officials on Thursday.
Each floor of the said building had separate hotels or guesthouses, and the source of the fire was one such hotel, “Shikha Inn”. The person arrested by the city police this morning has been identified as Abu Zafar, who had taken the hotel on lease from the original owner, Bireshwar Mitra.
Zafar was arrested from his residence in Jorasanko, North Kolkata. He will be presented at a city court later in the day, and the public prosecutor will seek his police custody.
Mitra, the original owner of the hotel, is still absconding. Besides arresting Zafra, the members of the SIT have detained two other persons, reportedly staff of the hotel, for questioning. However, the city police are yet to disclose their identities.
The State Fire Services Department has issued show-cause notices to nine other hotels and four restaurants on Mirza Ghalib Street for non-compliance with safety regulations. They have been asked to respond within the next 24 hours.
The five-storey building on Mirza Ghalib Street housed multiple hotels and guesthouses, with each having shacks. Hotel ‘Shikha Inn’ was on the third floor of the same building, covering an area of 1,100 square feet.
There had been numerous allegations of irregularities at this hotel. The hotel caught fire late Tuesday night. Nine people lost their lives in the fire.
The West Bengal government has announced a detailed special audit of all hotels, lodges and guesthouses in the Mirza Ghalib Street area following the incident.
The New Market Police Station, under whose jurisdiction the building falls, has registered a suo motu case. The State Fire Services Department has also lodged a separate complaint.
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