Mumbai: Azad Maidan Police have arrested a 39-year-old accused within 24 hours for allegedly robbing an Uber driver at knifepoint in broad daylight near Crawford Market in South Mumbai.

The accused has been identified as Sahil Asgar Patel (39), a clothes hawker residing at Tripti Apartment, Room No. 01, Ansari Chowk, Kalyan (West), Thane. He reportedly sells garments outside Kalyan railway station.

According to police, on April 16 at around 3:45 pm, Patel had come to purchase clothes at Crawford Market. He booked an Uber cab from outside CSMT railway station and reached the market.

After asking the driver to wait for about 15 minutes, he returned to the vehicle and allegedly threatened the driver, Ankit Fofalia (33), with a knife placed on his neck.

Under threat, the accused forced the driver to hand over Rs 18,000 in cash, a gold ring weighing around 5 grams, and also coerced him into transferring Rs 4,000 online via PhonePe.

The accused then fled the spot. A frightened driver later approached Azad Maidan Police Station and lodged a complaint, following which a case was registered under Section 309(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Police have recovered property, including Rs 2,400 cash, one used Redmi mobile phone worth approximately Rs 15,000, one used goggle worth Rs 100, and clothes worn during the crime (shirt and jeans).

Acting swiftly, under the guidance of senior officers including DCP Zone 1 Dr Pravin Mundhe, ACP Tanveer Sheikh, Senior PI Shrikant Adate, and PI Crime Amrit Pawar, a detection team led by API Liladhar Patil and API Rohit Kalubarme examined CCTV footage from the area.

The footage helped identify the suspect, who was later traced to Kalyan. A police team rushed to Ansari Chowk, Kalyan (West), and apprehended him. During a search conducted in the presence of panch witnesses, police recovered part of the stolen cash and other incriminating material. The knife used in the crime was also seized.

The accused has multiple prior cases registered against him, including cheating, theft, assault, and other offences across police stations in Karad, Palghar, and Kalyan. Further probe is underway to recover the remaining stolen property and ascertain if the accused is involved in similar offences.

Navi Mumbai: A 21-year-old woman was found murdered inside a lodge in Lonere village of Mangaon taluka in Raigad district, triggering widespread outrage and protests, with local groups demanding police to arrest the accused within 24 hours or face intensified agitation.

The deceased has been identified as Pallavi More (21), who worked as an accountant at a builder’s office and was reportedly in a relationship with the alleged accused. According to police, the crime occurred between 11:15 pm on April 19 and the early hours of April 20. Preliminary investigation indicates that the accused, who was a frequent visitor of the lodge, first checked into the lodge following which the victim arrived later.

Police said the accused allegedly established physical relations with the victim, tied her hands with a rope, and attacked her with a sickle, inflicting fatal injuries to her head and wrists. Her mobile phone is currently missing, adding another, said police.

“The accused has been identified and is not a local resident. Multiple teams have been formed to nab him,” Mahad DySP Shankar Kale said, adding, “The accused has been identified and teams have been deployed to trace and arrest him at the earliest. The investigation is progressing on priority.”

Following the incident, anger has escalated sharply across Raigad district, particularly in Lonere and Goregaon, where people from all communities have come together to strongly condemn the crime and demand immediate arrest of the accused.

A massive ‘Aakrosh Morcha’ has been announced for April 25, with demonstrators planning to march to the police station if action is not taken within the stipulated time.

The case has been registered at Goregaon Police Station under relevant sections of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, along with Sections 3(2) and 3, and Sections 103(1) (murder) and 64 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

New Delhi, April 23: In a major breakthrough, the AGS/Crime Branch of Delhi Police, acting on specific and credible intelligence, carried out coordinated raids at multiple locations in the Palam and Dwarka areas, uncovering a large-scale illegal operation involving the unauthorised storage and refilling of LPG cylinders, officials said on Thursday.

The crackdown resulted in the recovery of 137 LPG cylinders along with refilling equipment, exposing serious violations of safety norms and regulatory guidelines. Officials said the operation points to a deliberate misuse of the LPG distribution system.

Keeping in view the prevailing circumstances, and as a preventive step against hoarding and black marketing of LPG cylinders, a dedicated team was constituted to identify and apprehend those involved in such activities.

The team comprised Inspector Krishan Kumar, along with Sub-Inspectors Narender Kumar and Agam Prasad; Assistant Sub-Inspectors Surender, Mintu, and Deepak; Head Constable Shyam Sunder; and Constable Dheeraj. The operation was carried out under the close supervision of ACP Bhagwati Prasad, ACP/AGS, and overall supervision of IPS officer Harsh Indora, DCP/Crime Branch.

Following sustained groundwork, specific and credible secret information was received regarding hoarding and illegal refilling of LPG cylinders in the Dwarka and Palam areas of Delhi.

Acting on the input, a raiding team was formed, and a search operation was conducted at JJ Colony, Sector-7, Dwarka. During the raid, 77 LPG cylinders were found stored at the premises. Some cylinders were also discovered loaded in vehicles present at the spot.

The following persons, all residents of Delhi, were found present along with their vehicles — Arjun (45), a resident of Bagdola; Surajpal Pandey (42), resident of Raj Nagar-II, Palam Colony; Amarjeet Kumar (28), resident of Raj Nagar-II, Palam Colony; Prempal Singh (52), resident of Raj Nagar-II, Palam Colony; Sukh Ram (48), resident of Goyla Dairy, Kutub Vihar Phase-1; and Vikram (42), resident of Dada Dev Road, Dev Kunj, Palam.

When questioned about the possession of such a large number of LPG cylinders, they failed to produce any valid documents or a satisfactory explanation. Subsequent interrogation led to further raids at two additional locations.

In a second recovery, 25 LPG cylinders were seized from a tempo parked near the premises. The owner of the vehicle, Malkhan (59), a resident of Sector-7, Dwarka, was found present at the spot.

A third recovery led to the seizure of 35 LPG cylinders from premises in Gali No. 6, near Bachpan Play School, Dev Kunj, Raj Nagar-II, Palam Colony, where the cylinders were stocked in an open area adjoining a house.

At this location, the following persons were found present: Raju Rai, a resident of Manglapuri Phase-II; Chander Pal, a resident of Palam Dada Dev Road; Bablu, a resident of Goyla Dairy; and Sujeet Kumar, a resident of Shyam Vihar Phase-1.

Considering the scale of the recovery, the Food and Supply Officer (FSO), Palam-Dwarka, was informed and called to the spot. The official stated that such accumulation of LPG cylinders is not authorised without proper permission. In his presence, all the recovered cylinders were seized.

The FSO subsequently informed the Senior Manager (LPGS), New Delhi and South-West District, and the case property was handed over to Shivam Jain, Senior Manager (LPGS).

All the accused persons have been apprehended. Investigations revealed that they were illegally storing domestic LPG cylinders for black market purposes and were involved in unauthorised refilling and tampering of cylinders, officials said.

A case has been registered at the Crime Branch police station under Sections 125/3(5) of the BNS and Section 3/7 of the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

During interrogation, it emerged that the accused had procured LPG cylinders from a gas agency, but instead of delivering them as per the assigned targets, they diverted and stored them illegally at the identified premises.

They maintained an unauthorised stock and used illegal equipment to transfer gas from filled cylinders into empty ones, which were then sold in the open market for unlawful gains.

Further investigation into the matter is currently underway.