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Maharashtra: Suspecting them to be kidnappers, Sangli mob beats up 4 Sadhus

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In a shocker, a group of at least four Sadhus was thrashed by a mob on suspicion that they could be child-lifters, officials said, even as police got into action and detained six persons.

The incident occurred on Tuesday in Lavanga village in the Jat tehsil of the district in western Maharashtra and revived memories of the lynching of three Sadhus in Palghar district.

Though no formal police complaint has been filed yet, the incident sparked a fresh political row between the government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

According to locals, the four Sadhus, hailing from Uttar Pradesh, had entered Maharashtra by a car from Karnataka’s Bijapur and were proceeding to the pilgrimage centre of Pandharpur.

On Tuesday, they were reportedly asking a boy for directions when some locals intervened, and suspecting them to be kidnappers, hammered them.

Videos of the incident — showing some persons assaulting them with blows, sticks and belts — went viral on social media platforms triggering protests and allegations between the ruling and opposition combines.

Slamming the Shinde-Fadnavis government, state Congress President Nana Patole said this is part of the BJP’s “dirty politics” that Hindu Sadhus are being thrashed in such a manner.

“The BJP is virtually ruling the state, the Deputy CM and Home Minister (Fadnavis) are from the BJP… Now what face they have left to show,” said Patole.

Congress General Secretary Sachin Sawant said that a similar incident had occurred in Palghar in April 2020 in the Palghar village ruled by the BJP and several local BJP office-bearers were also involved.

“The BJP used that incident to label the MVA government as ‘anti-Hindu’… A similar situation has arisen in Sangli now. Whose government is in power? Will they hand over the probe to the CBI?” Sawant demanded.

Ruling BJP Spokesperson Ram Kadam termed the incident as “appalling and barbaric” and would not be tolerated in the state, while assuring a full probe into the matter.

Sangli Police Superintendent Dixit Gedam told the mediapersons that the police have launched suo moto investigations and detained at least six persons, and appealed to the people not to fall prey to such rumours.

Crime

Navi Mumbai: Gas Agency Owner Booked For Cheating Fruit Trader Of ₹25 Lakh On False BPCL Partnership Promise In Nerul

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Navi Mumbai: A gas agency owner has been booked for allegedly cheating a fruit trader of Rs 25 lakh on the pretext of offering partnership and high returns on investment in Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited-linked business in Nerul. The Nerul police have registered a case against the accused and initiated further investigation.

The accused has been identified as Sunil Rambhau Gunjal (62), a resident of Koparkhairane and owner of Vighnahar Gas Service, while the complainant, Bhalchandra Nalawade (67), is a fruit trader residing in Nerul. The two had known each other for several years through business dealings.

According to the police, in 2020, Gunjal lured Nalawade by claiming that his gas agency was associated with BPCL and offered him a partnership. He allegedly convinced Nalawade to invest a large sum by promising a monthly return of 5 per cent, both verbally and in writing.

Trusting the offer, Nalawade invested Rs 25 lakh. However, despite the passage of time, he neither received the promised returns nor any official documents confirming his partnership. When Nalawade demanded his money back, Gunjal allegedly avoided repayment on various pretexts.

Police said Gunjal later issued four cheques worth Rs 25 lakh to Nalawade, but all were dishonoured. Even after repeated follow-ups, he refused to return the money and allegedly threatened the complainant when pressed for repayment.

“Based on the complaint, a case of cheating and criminal breach of trust has been registered. We are verifying the financial transactions and further legal action will be taken accordingly,” a Nerul police officer said.

Following the complaint, Nerul police registered an FIR against Gunjal under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita including 318(4), 316(2), 352, and 351(2) for cheating, criminal breach of trust, and criminal intimidation. Further investigation is underway.

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Crime

Mumbai Police Detain 450 Bangladeshi Nationals In Crackdown Against Illegal Immigrants Since Jan 1; Over 200 Deported So Far

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Police have detained around 450 Bangladeshi nationals since January 1 as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration and related activities across the city. Of these, approximately 224 individuals have already been deported, while several others remain in custody or detention centres pending legal clearance.

Among the recent cases, the Versova Police detained 23 individuals allegedly involved in begging at traffic signals and religious sites. Police sources said these individuals were residing in rented accommodations in Malwani, Malad.

The action began on February 5, when an Anti-Trafficking Cell (ATC) team led by Senior Inspector Deepshikha Ware and PSI Sachin Ugle conducted a crackdown near Versova Dargah, detaining 18 individuals. Based on further interrogation, five more were picked up on February 18. In total, Versova police have detained 27 Bangladeshi nationals this year, of whom 26 have been deported.

The drive follows similar action last year, when 1,061 Bangladeshi nationals were detained for residing illegally in Mumbai.

Police station-wise data till March 27 shows that detainees awaiting deportation are spread across multiple jurisdictions. The highest numbers were reported in Kurla (11), Bandra (10), Deonar (7), and Powai (6). Several other police stations, including Amboli, Nagpada, Oshiwara, and Park Site, reported five detainees each, while areas such as Santacruz, Byculla, Trombay and Shivaji Park recorded four each.

Additional cases were reported across localities including Dadar, Wadala, Sakinaka, Colaba, Chembur, Ghatkopar, Govandi, Malwani and Malabar Hill, among others, indicating the widespread nature of the crackdown.

The deportation process has been carried out in phases. On March 27, a total of 51 individuals were deported, including 20 from Mumbai. On March 29, 44 deportations from Mumbai were scheduled, but six were stayed by the Bombay High Court. On April 5, another batch of 50 individuals from Mumbai and five from Navi Mumbai were deported.

However, several deportations have been delayed due to judicial intervention. In one case registered at Amboli police station, three detainees filed a writ petition, leading the High Court to stay their deportation until further hearings. Similarly, the deportation of a woman in the Antop Hill case has been deferred for a month.

In another instance linked to Chunabhatti, deportation has been stayed until the next hearing date. In the Versova case, a sessions court has stayed the sentence, with the next hearing scheduled for May 21, 2026.

Authorities said the drive will continue, with a focus on identifying illegal residents and ensuring due legal process in each case.

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Crime

Mumbai Police Book Jogeshwari Constable Accused Of Using Fake Medical Documents For 49-Day Leave

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Mumbai: The Jogeshwari police have booked a constable for allegedly submitting forged medical documents with fake signatures to obtain leave. The police investigated the matter up to Nashik before registering a case. This is likely one of the first cases against police personnel in Mumbai for allegedly remaining absent from duty using fake medical documents. The police have also booked an unidentified individual in connection with the case. The accused has been identified as Gajendra Rajput.


A police officer of Jogeshwari police station said, “The accused constable was earlier arrested by the Juhu police in an extortion case. We took his custody through the court in connection with the fake medical documents case, arrested him, and produced him before the court. The court granted him bail, and he has since been released.”

According to the FIR, the accused is Gajendra Rajput, who is attached to the Jogeshwari police station. In November and December last year, he informed his seniors that he was suffering from haemorrhoids and sought medical leave. He submitted prescriptions and treatment papers allegedly issued by Tulasi Hospital, a private hospital in Nashik, and availed 49 days of medical leave.

His seniors grew suspicious and initiated an inquiry. The police approached the hospital in Nashik and sought Rajput’s medical records. As there are two hospitals with the name Tulasi Hospital in Nashik, the police verified details with the second hospital. A police personnel from Jogeshwari police station visited the hospital, where it was revealed that Rajput had not undergone any such treatment. Although his name appeared in the hospital records as a patient, he had not received treatment for the claimed period.

Further investigation revealed that Rajput had allegedly created four forged documents. One was a medical certificate dated November 2025 stating that he required 15 days’ rest due to prolapsed haemorrhoids. The second, dated December 2025, recommended bed rest and follow-up treatment. A third document claimed that he was fit to resume duty, while a fourth was a fake discharge card. 
Based on these documents, Rajput allegedly availed 49 days of leave in two phases.

Dr Yogesh Shinde informed the police that he had not signed any of these documents and that his signature had been forged.

Following this, Sandesh Pawar, 29, Marketing Director of Tulasi Hospital, lodged a complaint on behalf of the hospital against Rajput and an unidentified individual.

The police have registered an FIR under Sections 336(3) and 336(4) (forgery), 340 (using forged documents as genuine), and 3(5) (general explanation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita on April 3.

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