Mumbai: In a major anti-drug operation, the Mumbai Police arrested a 24-year-old man in the early hours of Wednesday and recovered a large quantity of narcotics valued at over Rs 3.46 crore. The accused, identified as Sahil Junaid Ansari, a resident of Bhiwandi in Thane district, was intercepted while driving through the Byculla area of South Mumbai.

Accused Found Driving Suspiciously In Byculla Area

The incident occurred around 4 am when a team of patrolling constables, Bhabad, Bhoye and Gangurde, spotted a Maruti Ertiga car moving suspiciously near Hume Church on B.A. Road. The team flagged down the vehicle and questioned the driver about his presence at that odd hour. Ansari, however, failed to give a satisfactory response, raising the officers’ suspicions.

Alerted by constable Bhabad, night duty in-charge Police Inspector Anup Dange immediately reached the location with PSI Kolekar, PSI Asade from the Anti-Terror Cell and other detection personnel.

Details On Drugs Found In Car

A detailed search of the vehicle was conducted, during which the police found 1,710 grams of Mephedrone, commonly known as MD, concealed inside. The street value of the seized MD is estimated at Rs 3.42 crore. Additionally, 17 grams of charas worth Rs 4.5 lakh were also recovered from the car.

Police officials confirmed that Ansari has been taken into custody and booked under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The contraband was seized and sent for forensic examination.

Bengaluru: A sweeper, turned outsourced office assistant at the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Corporation (KRIDL) in Koppal district has been the owner of properties worth over Rs 100 crore.

The shocking revelation came after the Karnataka Lokayukta raided the KRIDL office in Koppal, following a complaint against the Chief Executive Engineer Z M Chincholikar that there has been misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 72 crore in the works taken up between 2022 – 2024.

However, during the raid, the Lokayukta police grew suspicious over the office assistant Kalakappa Nidagundi of Bandi village in neighbouring Yalaburga taluk. Both Chincholikar and Nidagundi were immediately suspended and the search operations continued. However, Chincholikar managed to obtain a stay from the KAT and has been transferred to Davanagere.

During the search operations, the Lokayukta police stumbled on interesting facts about Kalakappa Nidagundi. He started his career as a sweeper in the KRIDL office, Koppal. Later in 2003, he was registered as an outsourced employee and made the office assistant. Since then, he has been the office assistant of the Koppal division.

While investigating the Rs 72 crore misappropriation in 108 works taken up by KRIDL  during 2022-2024, the Lokayukta police realised that Kalakappa Nidagundi was the mastermind of the scam. The Lokayukta police decided to go after the property he had amassed and were shocked to see that he was owning two luxurious cars, along with other properties, which is worth over Rs 100 crore.

According to Lokayukta police, Nidagundi has 24 houses in Koppal and Bhagya Nagar near Bagalakot. He has over 40 acres of farmland in the name of his wife, brother and brother-in-law. Besides, he owns over 50 housing plots in places like Bandi, Hitnal, Huligi and Yalaburga. The Lokayukta police have seized two cars, two bikes, 350 gms of gold and 1.5 kg silver from his house, which were unaccounted for.

Recently, there has been a rise in housebreaking cases in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, and Thane, which has resulted in a coordinated police initiative that led to the capture of the infamous Chaddi-Baniya gang. Significantly, law enforcement captured two siblings by employing an ingenious strategy that involved a water truck to ensnare them.

This group had created anxiety in the neighborhood, as their actions were frequently hard to track. Investigations showed that the gang leased a house and utilised a path through a different city during their heists, making detection more difficult.

A significant development occurred when authorities discovered that the gang leader’s brother was imprisoned at Yerwada jail, leading to additional investigations into the gang’s familial ties. This directed them to a chawl in Sabe village, where the gang was believed to live.

Law enforcement formulated a strategy to collect additional information by delivering water from a tanker, earning the confidence of the community. Ultimately, a group of 25-30 officers encircled the chawl and apprehended the suspects, recognized as Shahaji Pawar and Ankush Pawar, hailing from Kalamb in the Dharashiv district.

In the meantime, the Pimpri Chinchwad Police Crime Branch celebrated another major success by capturing members of a gang that had robbed an industrialist in the Nigdi Authority region, recovering valuables valued at Rs 6.15 lakh following a 11,200-kilometre pursuit in Rajasthan.

Similar Incident

A 37-year-old history-sheeter, Mohammad, was arrested for a shooting incident in Dharavi, Mumbai, where Sarvar Begum Shaikh, 32, was injured while shopping. The incident occurred on July 27 at 90 Feet Road. Sarvar was shot in the hand, and after surgery at Sion Hospital, her condition is stable.

Initially unaware of the injury, she realised something was wrong when blood started to flow. Police are investigating whether she was a random victim or caught in crossfire, reviewing CCTV footage, and examining Mohammad’s potential link to other crimes. A case was registered under relevant laws.