Bhiwandi: In a significant breakthrough against the rising menace of vehicle theft, the Crime Branch Unit-II of Bhiwandi Police has busted an organized gang involved in stealing two-wheelers across the city and adjoining rural areas. Acting on a specific Tip-Off police arrested three habitual offenders and recovered as many as 58 stolen motorcycles collectively valued at ₹10.60 lakh leading to the detection of 41 theft cases.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Amarsingh Jadhav the operation was carried out following confidential information received by Police Havaldar Shabir Shaikh. Based on the intelligence input a targeted trap was laid leading to the arrest of the accused.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Ganesh alias Ganu Raju More (21) Sahebaali alias Chhotu Sultan Ali Shaikh (19) and Sunil alias Bala Shankar Rathod (20).

During interrogation it was revealed that Ganesh More a garage mechanic by profession, possessed the technical expertise to start motorcycles that lacked proper handle locks, making them easy targets.

The accused would specifically scout for two-wheelers parked without handle locks. After stealing them the vehicles were transported and sold in different districts across Maharashtra for quick financial gain DCP Amarsingh Jadhav stated.

Police officials further revealed that the gang had been active for several years and had confessed to multiple thefts during sustained interrogation. The recovery of 58 motorcycles marks one of the largest seizures in recent times in the region.

Authorities believe that more cases could be linked to this gang, and further investigation is underway to identify additional accomplices and recover more stolen property.

The crackdown has brought relief to residents who had been grappling with a spike in vehicle thefts, while police have reiterated their appeal to citizens to ensure proper locking mechanisms to prevent such crimes.

Navi Mumbai: In a major breakthrough, Kharghar Police have arrested a 24-year-old man accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a 13-year-old minor girl and impregnating her, after tracking him down near the India-Nepal border. The accused, identified as Vishal Babu alias Anwar Ali Imtiaz Ansari, had been on the run since the case was registered earlier this month. A court has remanded him to police custody till April 1.

According to police, the accused worked at ‘Jagdish Autoparts’ garage in Kharghar, where he allegedly lured the minor to the premises in October 2025 and raped her. He continued to sexually assault her multiple times, threatening to kill her if she disclosed the incidents. The crime came to light after the girl was found to be pregnant.

Following a complaint lodged by the victim’s parents on March 7 at Kharghar Police Station, a case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (2023), including Sections 65(1) and 351 (3), along with Sections 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 of the POCSO Act, 2012.

However, the accused fled Kharghar soon after sensing police action and escaped to his native place in Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh. Acting under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Joshi, a team led by Police Sub-Inspector Suraj Jadhav camped in Uttar Pradesh to trace him. The accused had switched off his mobile phone, creating hurdles in the technical investigation.

“We faced significant challenges due to the ongoing Ramzan period and lack of cooperation from the accused’s relatives. However, after taking them into confidence, the we carried out a continuous 13-day search operation across Kushinagar, Gorakhpur, and areas along the Nepal border,” a police officer said.

Finally, on March 25, the police apprehended Vishal Babu near the Nepal border. He was subsequently brought to Navi Mumbai on transit remand. The operation was carried out by PSI Suraj Jadhav, along with Police Naik Khedkar and Constable Kadam, under the supervision of Senior Inspector Sanjay Joshi.

Mumbai: A former Mumbai Under-19 cricketer, Balwant Singh Swaroop Singh Sodha, was arrested by the DB Marg police for his alleged involvement in black marketing tickets for the T20 World Cup semi-final match between India and England.

According to police officials, Sodha, 26, is the seventh accused in the case, which has exposed a wider racket involved in the illegal resale of match tickets at inflated prices. Authorities have seized his mobile phone and its data is currently being analysed to trace the source of the tickets and identify other individuals linked to the network.

Sodha allegedly sold two tickets priced at Rs 25,000 each. However, he has not yet disclosed how he procured them. “We are examining his call data records to trace further links in the racket,” a police officer said as quoted by media.

The incident came to light earlier this month after police received a tip-off about a man selling match tickets at exorbitant rates. Acting on the information, officers conducted a sting operation and posed as buyers. They apprehended Aditya Raorane at a coffee shop in Vile Parle when he agreed to sell two tickets at Rs 25,000 each.

During interrogation, Raorane told police that he had sourced the tickets from Siddharth Sabhapati. Following this lead, police asked Raorane to contact Sabhapati for additional tickets. Sabhapati allegedly sent two more tickets through another accomplice, Meghan Sandesh Pradhan, who was later arrested at the same location. A total of four tickets were seized during this operation.

Police said the accused were part of a conspiracy to resell complimentary and subsidised tickets issued by the Mumbai Cricket Association at much higher prices. So far, 24 tickets have been seized and officials have written to the association seeking details about their distribution.

A case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Police Act. Prior to Sodha’s arrest, six other accused, including Raorane and his associates, had already been taken into custody. Further investigation is underway to uncover the full extent of the racket and identify additional suspects involved.