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Mumbai Crime: 3 Employees Booked For Cheating Devotees In Vrindavan Ashram Fraud Case

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Mumbai: Three employees of ISKCON New Vrindavan East Trust (Madhuban Ashram) have been booked for allegedly embezzling the trust’s donation funds. The Khar police have registered a cheating case based on a complaint filed by the trust. The accused have been identified as Prem Prakash Rana, Harsh Kumar Kaushal, and an unidentified individual.

According to the FIR, the trust’s head office is located in Khar West. The trust manages temples and ashrams in Gurgaon (Haryana), Kurukshetra (Haryana), and Rishikesh (Dehradun), along with Madhuban Ashram. At these premises, the trust provides accommodation and meals to devotees at affordable prices. The administration of Madhuban Ashram is operated from the trust’s Khar office. The ashram has a 25-room guest house for devotees.

On January 12, a devotee, Satyavrat Gaud, approached the trust’s Khar office and filed a complaint. He stated that when he visited Madhuban Ashram in December 2025, he had a meal at the ashram’s restaurant. Initially, the cashier asked for cash, which he refused, and then he paid the bill online. Although he received a receipt, it carried the GST number 05ABRPA4645H1ZP, which does not belong to the trust and is not authorised for its use.

In another incident, a devotee, Shreya Torane, visited Madhuban Ashram in January 2026. She was also asked to pay in cash while booking a room. When she refused, the cashier provided a staff member’s mobile number for payment via Google Pay, which she used.

Further, on January 20, another devotee, Rahul Patil, filed a complaint via email stating that the ashram did not accept online donations and insisted on cash payments. After he donated ₹5,000, the staff issued him two receipts of ₹2,000 each and one receipt of ₹1,000.

Following these complaints, the trust initiated an internal inquiry. It revealed that Prem Prakash Rana alias Paramanand Das (50), who worked as a cashier at the Madhuban Ashram guest house, along with another employee, Harsh Kaushal, and their associates, had created a separate entity with a similar name, “Nav Madhuban Ashram Trust”. The accused allegedly used this entity to cheat devotees by issuing fake receipts. Devotees believed they were dealing with the original trust.

The accused allegedly collected donation money in a personal account opened in the name of “Nav Madhuban Ashram Trust”. They also distributed pamphlets during Krishna Janmashtami (August 2025), printing their own UPI IDs to collect donations. The inquiry further revealed that the accused had been defrauding devotees from 2022 to 2026.

Hirishkesh Mafatlal, 71, founder trustee, subsequently filed a formal complaint. Based on this, the police registered a case on March 29 under Section 318(4) (cheating) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Meanwhile, a similar case had been registered against the accused in Uttarakhand in 2019. However, in 2025, a district court in Tehri Garhwal acquitted them due to a lack of evidence.

Crime

Kanpur man’s death: Family alleges murder, blocks highway with body

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The death of 37-year-old Biru Singh Bhadauria in the Hanumant Vihar police station area of Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur has triggered a major controversy, as his family rejected the police account that he died in a road accident and alleged instead that he was murdered.

On Thursday, the family staged a protest by placing his body on the highway leading towards Hamirpur, demanding the immediate arrest of those allegedly responsible for his death.

The case has taken a fresh turn after an eyewitness, identified as Rahul, questioned the police version of events and claimed that Biru’s death was not accidental but the result of a deliberate act.

According to the victim’s family, Biru Singh Bhadauria worked as a salesman for a food products company. They alleged that he had a dispute a few days earlier with Rajveer and Mewalal, both residents of Khadepur Nai Basti, following which tensions had reportedly continued between the two sides.

The family claimed that on Tuesday night, Biru was returning home after visiting a Dussehra fair when Mewalal arrived at the spot in a car.

According to their account, three other men, including Rajveer, were also travelling in the vehicle. The group allegedly stopped Biru and assaulted him. When he attempted to escape, they hit him with the car. The family further alleged that the men then placed him on the roof of the vehicle and drove away.

Speaking to Media, the victim’s wife rejected the suggestion that her husband had died in an accident, and said, “I am saying that it was not an accident. It was murder, committed by five people. They are saying it was an accident, but it was not an accident; it was murder committed by five people.”

Eyewitness Rahul has also challenged the police’s account, alleging that the circumstances surrounding the incident point towards a deliberate act rather than a routine road accident. He claimed to have personally seen the men place Biru on the roof of the car before driving away.

“The police are misrepresenting the sequence of events. This was not a routine road accident, but a case of murder. I have personally witnessed individuals placing the man on the roof of the car and driving away,” Rahul said.

He further alleged that Biru’s hands had become trapped in the openings of the car’s front windows as the vehicle moved forward.

“Both of the man’s hands were trapped inside the car’s front window openings. The vehicle was driven forward, and the man was subsequently thrown off before the accused fled the scene,” Rahul added.

However, the allegations made by the family and the eyewitness remain to be established, and their veracity can only be determined through a thorough investigation by the police.

Meanwhile, a video circulating on social media purportedly shows a car travelling at high speed. It is alleged that Rahul was pursuing the vehicle on a motorcycle at the time of the incident.

CCTV footage related to the case has also emerged, with the family claiming that the entire sequence of events was captured by more than 12 surveillance cameras installed in the area.

The family has alleged that despite the availability of potential evidence, the police initially registered the case as a death caused by an “unknown vehicle”, treating it as a hit-and-run incident.

They have expressed dissatisfaction with the initial handling of the matter and are demanding that the case be investigated from the perspective of murder, with strict legal action taken against all those found responsible.

Following the incident, Biru was taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead at around 3 p.m. on Wednesday. His death subsequently led to demands from the family for a thorough investigation and action against the people they accuse of being involved.

The family alleged that the police were not taking effective action, prompting them to block the highway with Biru’s body in protest. During the demonstration, they remained firm on their demand for the immediate arrest of the accused and strict action, refusing to withdraw until their concerns were addressed.

The highway blockade was eventually lifted after police personnel intervened and assured the family that appropriate action would be taken. Following the assurance, the family removed the body from the road, allowing traffic movement to resume.

At present, both the victim’s family and eyewitness Rahul maintain that Biru’s death was the result of murder rather than a road accident.

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Crime

BJP worker brutally attacked, shot dead in Bengal’s Malda; police detain one

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Police said on Thursday that a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker was first brutally hacked and then shot dead by a group of miscreants in a minority-dominated Malda district in West Bengal.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night. The deceased has been identified as Samir Ghosh.

“As per information available so far, a group of assassins first hacked Ghosh brutally. Thereafter, to ensure his death, he was shot from close range, which led to his death on the spot,” said a state police officer.

After receiving news of the incident, high-ranking police officials from the district reached the spot on Wednesday night.

The reason for this murder and those involved in the brutal killing were being investigated.

The police have detained one person who was being questioned.

Gosh’s family members have accused local miscreants associated with Trinamool Congress of being responsible for the brutal murder because he was associated with the BJP.

However, the local Trinamool Congress leadership has denied the allegations. Acute tension prevailed in the area.

It is learnt that the incident took place on Wednesday night in the Ramkeli area of ​​​​English Bazar police station in Malda district. Allegedly, while the people were busy with idol immersion, some people entered Gosh’s house.

It is alleged that before anyone realised anything, he was attacked with sharp weapons. After that, he was also shot at from a close range to ensure his death, his family members alleged.

The brother of the deceased BJP worker said that his brother had been receiving threats in various ways for a long time for his association with the BJP, and he was even asked to leave the locality.

However, he did not leave the house out of fear. The incident took place on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami.

The brother of the deceased person also alleged that Gosh was alone at home at the time of the incident. The miscreants took advantage of that opportunity and entered the house and committed the brutal act.

The brother also claimed that all the accused persons have links with the Trinamool Congress. He also claimed that this murder had been planned for a long time.

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Crime

Delhi Police busts interstate heroin network, arrests seven; drugs worth Rs 60 Cr seized

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Delhi Police busted an interstate heroin supply and manufacturing network extending from Delhi and Haryana to Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, arresting seven accused and recovering 8.128 kg of heroin worth approximately Rs 60 crore in the international market.

The operation, conducted by the Special Staff of Rohini district under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, also led to the seizure of 3.291 kg of chemicals and raw materials used in heroin manufacturing, Rs 12.81 lakh in cash, three SUVs, a motorcycle and equipment used in the illegal drug production process.

According to the police, the operation was carried out by a team led by Inspector Sandeep Godara under the supervision of ACP (Operations) Ajmer Singh. The investigation uncovered links between suppliers, a heroin manufacturing unit and a person involved in illegal opium poppy cultivation.

The operation began on September 16, when police received information about narcotics movement in the Begumpur police station area. Acting on the tip-off, a team laid a trap in Sector 32, Begumpur, and intercepted a car. The police arrested Laxman Hooda, 58, a resident of Rohtak, Haryana, and recovered 300 grams of heroin and Rs 3 lakh in cash from the vehicle.

On September 17, the police arrested another accused, Anil alias Bhola, 51, from Sonipat, Haryana, and recovered 501 grams of heroin from his car. Anil has been involved in 12 criminal cases. He had previously been arrested in an NDPS case registered at Bhalswa Dairy police station in 2025.

After being granted interim bail, he failed to surrender and was subsequently declared a proclaimed offender by a court.

Further investigation and technical surveillance led the police to a heroin manufacturing facility in Sita Colony, Jankipuram, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on October 4.

The police arrested Bablu, 35, and recovered 6.275 kg of freshly manufactured heroin. They also seized 2.504 kg of sodium, 787 grams of acetic anhydride, a gas cylinder, a mixer-grinder, utensils, a tub, an electronic weighing machine, polythene and other manufacturing equipment.

Following Bablu’s interrogation, the police traced and arrested Ruksar Ali alias Raju, the alleged owner and main source supplier of the manufacturing facility, from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, after an extensive search. Ruksar has previously been involved in three NDPS cases, according to the police.

On October 6, Ajaj Ahmed, 38, was arrested in Bareilly for supplying crude opium to Ruksar. The police recovered 501 grams of heroin and a motorcycle from him.

The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of Mohammad Azhar, 20, from Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, on October 16. He allegedly supplied heroin and crude opium to Ajaj. The police recovered 551 grams of heroin, Rs 9,81,700 in cash and a car from his possession.

On October 18, the team reached Jharkhand’s Chatra district, a Naxalite-affected area, and arrested Prakash Kumar, 31. He supplied raw opium to the other accused and was involved in illegal opium poppy cultivation on his agricultural land.

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