Mumbai: A 40-year-old man was brutally beaten to death in Mumbai’s Dadar area late Sunday night, allegedly over a long-standing personal rivalry. The incident, which took place around 9:30 pm, unfolded in front of the victim’s wife, intensifying the shock and outrage surrounding the case.

The deceased has been identified as Ankush Amborkar, a resident of the city. he had gone to meet a friend in Dadar when he was intercepted by his rival, Gaurav Sanas. What began as a verbal altercation quickly escalated into a violent assault, with Sanas and his associates allegedly attacking Amborkar with extreme brutality.

The accused, along with his group, repeatedly assaulted Amborkar on the road, leaving him critically injured. At the time of the attack, Amborkar’s wife, who works as a security guard near Siddhivinayak Temple in Prabhadevi, was informed about the incident and rushed to the spot with her colleagues.

She managed to pull her husband away from the attackers, but by then, he had sustained severe injuries. A crowd had gathered at the scene, following which the accused fled. Police teams reached the location shortly after being alerted and shifted Amborkar to KEM Hospital. However, doctors declared him dead before admission.

Based on the wife’s complaint, Dadar Police registered a case against Gaurav Sanas and his accomplices. So far, six accused have been arrested in connection with the murder and further investigation is underway.

Preliminary inquiries suggest that the attack occurred from a prolonged personal dispute between Amborkar and Sanas. The two were previously associated in a banjo business in Dadar but parted ways in 2017 after differences emerged. Since then, tensions between the two had reportedly escalated.

According to the victim’s wife, Sanas had been holding a grudge against Amborkar for years, often threatening and taunting him. She also informed police that there had been prior instances of assault, for which complaints had been filed earlier at the Dadar police station.

Authorities are now probing the sequence of events and the role of each accused in the murder, while also examining whether previous complaints were adequately addressed. Police officials stated that strict action will be taken against all those involved as the investigation progresses.

Mumbai: The Crime Branch arrested an individual in Malad East for allegedly adulterating milk. The accused allegedly removed Amul and Gokul milk from original packets and repackaged it into counterfeit bags labelled ‘Amul Taaza,’ ‘Amul Gold,’ and ‘Amul Buffalo’ after adulteration. The accused has been identified as Saidul Chaugoni, 40, a milk seller residing in Malad East.

According to the police, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) filed a complaint. The FDA received information last week from Crime Branch Unit 12 regarding ongoing milk adulteration in Malad East. On April 10, at around 5:55 am, an FDA team and the police jointly conducted the operation.

Both teams raided Room No. 5, Rajesh Popal Chawl, Jai Bhawani Road, near Royal Complex, Kasam Baug, Malad East, where they found Chaugoni, who stated that he was engaged in the milk-selling business. Initially, he refused to allow inspection; however, he later agreed to cooperate with the FDA and police team.

During the inspection, the team discovered thousands of tampered milk packets and a large number of empty Amul and Gokul bags. Additionally, they found empty counterfeit bags labelled “Amul Taaza,” “Amul Gold,” and “Amul Buffalo,” along with candles, tongs, a lighter, scissors, a funnel, a strainer, and other equipment used for milk adulteration.

The accused allegedly removed original Amul and Gokul milk, adulterated it with dirty water, and repackaged it into counterfeit bags labelled “Amul Taaza,” “Amul Gold,” and “Amul Buffalo.” The bags were not properly sealed. The accused later admitted to the crime. The police seized all the equipment and milk packets.

The police registered a case under Section 274 (adulteration of food or drink intended for sale), along with relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Food Safety and Standards Act, on April 10, and subsequently arrested him.

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted searches at multiple locations in connection with the Ashok Kharat case.

Searches were carried out at five places in Nashik, three in Shirdi, and three in Pune. The searches are ongoing.

Meanwhile, a widening probe into the self-styled godman recently uncovered a massive alleged financial network involving more than 130 bank accounts and transactions exceeding RS 63 crore, with fresh findings pointing towards possible administrative complicity.

The probe gathered pace earlier this month after a Mumbai-based hotelier was alerted by Ahilyanagar Police that over Rs 2.43 crore had been routed through four bank accounts opened in his and his wife’s names, accounts he claims he never authorised. The hotelier suspects that documents submitted to Kharat for a ‘darshan booking’ were misused to open these accounts without his knowledge.

“We approached him believing he was a spiritual healer,” the hotelier said, according to an Indian Express report, adding that neither he nor his family had any connection with the credit society where the accounts were created.

Investigators believe the case is part of a larger, organised operation. According to complaints and bank records examined during the probe, personal documents collected from followers, visitors, and even alleged victims were systematically used to open multiple bank accounts. These accounts were then allegedly used to route and circulate funds between 2021 and 2024.

Authorities have identified a consistent pattern in the modus operandi. Individuals visiting Kharat for spiritual consultations or predictions were asked to submit Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, and photographs. These documents were then allegedly used to open bank accounts without consent, enabling large-scale financial transactions.

A large number of these accounts were reportedly opened under two cooperative credit societies, Jagdamba Cooperative Credit Society and Samata Nagari Sahakari Pat Sanstha, both linked to Kharat and his associates. Records show that Kharat served as chairman of the Jagdamba society until 2024, while the Samata society is associated with his co-accused Arvind Pandurang Bawke.

Investigators have traced over 100 suspect accounts to the Samata society and around 32 to Jagdamba. Further, Kharat has been listed as a nominee in at least 100 accounts, with his mobile number appearing across several of them, raising serious red flags.

The case, which initially began with allegations of sexual assault, cheating, extortion, and violations under anti-superstition laws, has now evolved into a major financial investigation. The Enforcement Directorate has also registered a money laundering case against Kharat.