Thane, July 16: In a major crime-solving breakthrough, the Thane Crime Branch on Thursday unravelled a brutal murder case in which two brothers allegedly killed their close friend, dismembered the body, and dumped the remains at different deserted locations.

The case came to light after Senior Police Inspector Rajesh Gajjal of the Ulhasnagar Unit-4 Crime Branch received a confidential tip-off that auto-rickshaw driver brothers Faiz Malim (24) and Alban Malim (23) had murdered their friend Aman Shaikh (23), a resident of Mumbra. The information further revealed that the accused had allegedly slit the victim’s throat, severed the body into parts, and disposed of the remains separately in an attempt to destroy evidence.

Acting swiftly on the intelligence input and under the directions of Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre, a special Crime Branch team was formed under the leadership of Additional Commissioner of Police Punjabrao Ugle, Deputy Commissioner of Police Amar Singh Jadhav, and Assistant Commissioner of Police Shekhar Bagde. The team included Senior PI Rajesh Gajjal, API Shrirang Gosavi, and Head Constable Ganesh Gawde.

Police traced and arrested both accused brothers and subjected them to intensive interrogation. During questioning, the brothers allegedly confessed that on the night of July 13, 2026, they murdered Aman Shaikh by slitting his throat. They then dismembered the body, separating the head, hands, and legs, and dumped the remains at isolated locations in Kharadi village to conceal the crime.

Investigators are now working to establish the motive behind the murder, recover all remaining evidence, and reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the killing. Police officials said further investigation is underway.

Pune, July 16: In mounting trouble for the family of Siya Goyal, who is accused of allegedly murdering her fiancée Ketan Agarwal, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sealed a Pune shop owned by her father Praveen Goyal, following an inspection.

The family-owned business deals in spices and dry fruits.

Speaking to reporters, Praveen Goyal said, “On Tuesday, July 14, at around 11:30 a.m., officials from the Food and Drug Administration visited my shop. They collected four samples — two samples of ‘haldi’ (turmeric) powder, one of soya chunks, and one of a product called ‘Gavran Til’ (sesame). These are all products that are widely sold in the market, and I have complete purchase bills for them.”

“They have taken the samples and will carry out whatever action is required. The only issue they pointed out was that…I had previously operated from a rented shop, and we have a valid licence for the period 2025 to 2030. However, about six to seven months ago, when I shifted to my own shop, the shop number (Gala No. 348) was inadvertently not updated in the licence,” he mentioned.

Praveen Goyal added: “We have already applied for the correction, and it should be completed within the next 8–10 days. Until then, they have asked me to keep the shop closed, and I am complying with those instructions. Apart from this, there is no other issue.”

Ketan Agarwal was allegedly murdered by his fiancée Siya Goyal and her purported lover Chetan Chaudhary at Lohagad fort near Pune last month.

On Monday, Ketan’s mother Rakhi Agarwal wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking speedy justice for her son.

In an email sent to the Prime Minister, Rakhi Agarwal expressed the immense grief her family has endured since Ketan’s murder and underlined that she is not asking for any special favour.

“With folded hands, I humbly request you to kindly ensure that my son’s case receives the attention it deserves and that justice is delivered without unnecessary delay. Please do not let Ketan become just another case file. He was someone’s son, someone’s grandson, someone’s brother, but to me, he was my entire world,” she appealed.

Earlier, the victim’s father, Vishal Agarwal, had written to President Droupadi Murmu seeking a fast-tracked investigation.

Mumbai, July 16: The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the ruling BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra, claiming that the very first spell of monsoon showers has completely exposed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) developmental tallies and structural failures.

In a sharply worded editorial published in the party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the Thackeray camp targeted the civic administration for its absolute lack of accountability, accusing it of staging a political drama over a recent tragedy in Chembur.

On June 30, an 11-year-old child, Vihaan Srivastav, lost his life, and several other children were injured when a massive roadside tree crashed onto their school bus near Diamond Garden in Chembur. Following public outrage, the BMC appointed an internal inquiry committee to investigate the collapse. However, the recently submitted report has drawn heavy criticism from the opposition. The inquiry committee completely exonerated the BMC’s relevant internal departments — specifically the Gardens and Roads departments. Instead of fixing direct administrative accountability, the panel merely recommended a combined fine of Rs 7 lakh, split between the contractor and the supervising project consultant.

The editorial labelled this probe a “predetermined, favourable script”. It revealed that the official directly responsible for the city’s concreting works was himself appointed to the probe committee, making any expectations of an impartial report “pure fantasy”.

“The committee appeared to have been engineered to deliver a predetermined, favourable script. By declaring the Gardens and Roads departments entirely innocent and settling for a minor fine on the contractor, the administration has given its own officials a free pass,” it remarked.

The Thackeray camp highlighted a glaring split in messaging within the civic leadership. While experts and local residents point out that excessive and faulty concreting around roots is a primary driver behind Mumbai’s rising tree-collapse incidents, the authorities remain in active denial.

“The Municipal Commissioner has flatly denied that unscientific road concretisation plays a role in weakening tree roots. The Mumbai Mayor and other ruling politicians have actively blamed the concreting works in an apparent bid to deflect public anger. With the release of the controversial report, Mayor publicly rejected its findings, demanding a criminal case against the contractor instead of a mere penalty,” said the Thackeray camp. It dismissed these moves as hollow dramatics designed to mislead citizens.

The Thackeray camp questioned why the leadership has resorted to rhetoric instead of enforcing direct, punitive action. “The Commissioner was appointed by you. The ruling power in the Municipal Corporation belongs to you. The committee to investigate the Chembur tragedy was formed by you,” the editorial pointed out. “Yet, when the committee’s findings spark outrage, you are the ones performing high drama.”

The editorial concluded by linking the civic failures in Mumbai to broader state and national leadership patterns. It argued that when leaders at the Centre merely express “regret” over massive financial scams like the Ram Mandir donation box scandal, and a Chief Minister at the state level openly threatens opposition members who raise voices against corruption, one can hardly expect better from their Mayor in the BMC.

“From the Centre down to the civic bodies, Mumbai is unfortunately being ruled by an administration of absolute deceit, leaving ordinary citizens and children to pay the price,” the editorial said.