Mumbai: Three traders from Zaveri Bazaar are alleged to have defrauded many individuals by guaranteeing substantial returns on their investments in the gold industry. They reportedly put in around Rs 44 crore into Dabba Trading, which included 36 kg of gold and nearly Rs 10 crore in cash.

When encountering losses, the traders stated that the business was struggling. A report was lodged at Lokmanya Tilak Marg police station regarding these traders. A trader located in the western suburbs with a shop in Zaveri Bazaar knew Ladulal, Pallav, and Shubham, who were recognized in the neighborhood for their business activities.

They persuaded the trader to invest, guaranteeing profitable returns via various business strategies, initially drawing in approximately Rs 2 crore in capital. A profitable return enhanced the trader’s confidence, prompting further investments of 36 kg of gold and Rs 10 crore.

When returns stopped, the trader looked for reasons, and although he received cheques from multiple accounts, none were dishonoured. Following the inquiry, it became evident that the three individuals had incurred losses of Rs 44 crore in dabba trading, leading the trader to complain.

Dabba trading is an unlawful activity conducted outside the stock exchange, without proper registration and regulation, resulting in significant losses for investors and tax evasion for the government, while misleadingly asserting greater returns than legitimate stock market investments.

Maharashtra Congress workers staged a protest in Mumbai against the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday, echoing Rahul Gandhi’s fresh allegations of large-scale electoral fraud.

Yesterday, the former Congress president claimed that democracy in India was under threat and called for judicial intervention. He alleged that between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra, over one crore new voters were added to the rolls in just five months, a spike larger than the addition made in five years.

CCTV Footage Destruction Raises Eyebrows

Gandhi also accused the ECI of destroying CCTV footage from polling booths, despite questions over a suspicious surge in voting after 5.30 PM in certain areas. He alleged this was part of a cover-up, as Congress workers stationed at booths reported no such spike in voter turnout.

According to Gandhi, the Election Commission has refused to provide the voter list in an accessible format, instead handing over stacks of printed paper — deliberately formatted to block Optical Character Recognition (OCR) scanning.

“This is why we are being given data like this — so it is not analysed,” he said, adding that his team spent six months manually checking records for just one constituency.

Karnataka Example: “Vote Chori” in Mahadevapura

To highlight his claims, Gandhi cited findings from the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency in Karnataka. He alleged over one lakh fraudulent votes were cast in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls there, including:

11,965 duplicate voters

40,009 fake/invalid addresses

10,452 bulk voters (same address)

4,132 invalid photos

33,692 misuse of Form 6

In Bangalore Central Lok Sabha seat, Congress won six out of seven segments but lost Mahadevapura by over 1,14,000 votes — a margin Gandhi says was inflated by “vote chori.”

Mumbai: A tragic road accident in Bhayandar, a few kilometres away from Mumbai, on Thursday claimed the lives of a couple after their two-wheeler skidded and they fell in front of a dumper while overtaking it. The husband died instantly, while his wife succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital. A CCTV footage of the deadly crash has surfaced on the internet.

The deceased were identified as Nilesh Mali, 54, and his wife Manju, 50, residents of Uttan. According to police, the couple was travelling to Mira Road when the incident occurred on the Bhayandar West stretch towards Mira Road, near the Radhaswamy Satsang area. Nilesh attempted to overtake the dumper from the left side when he lost control, causing the two-wheeler to skid. Both fell onto the road directly in front of the heavy vehicle, which ran over them.

CCTV Captures Exact Moments Of Deadly Accident

Disturbing CCTV footage of the accident has surfaced online, showing the two-wheeler edging ahead of the dumper before losing balance. Within seconds, the couple was crushed under the vehicle’s wheels. In the video, onlookers can be seen rushing to help, with some urging the driver to reverse in a desperate attempt to free the victims. Manju was seen writhing in pain before she lost consciousness.

Passersby immediately alerted the police, who arrived at the spot shortly after. Locals detained the dumper driver and handed him over to the authorities. Nilesh sustained fatal head injuries and was declared dead at the scene. Manju, despite being rushed to a nearby hospital, could not survive the severe trauma.

Overtaking Led To Fatal Accident, Say Cops

A police officer stated that poor balance during the overtaking manoeuvre was the primary cause of the incident. “The two-wheeler skidded when Nilesh tried to overtake from the left. Both fell in front of the dumper, leading to the fatal runover,” the officer said, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

The police have booked the dumper driver under Section 106(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (culpable homicide not amounting to murder). The driver’s statement is being recorded and his vehicle has been seized for inspection.