Crime
Mumbai Crime: Ex-Trustees, Secretary Booked For ₹75.5 Lakh CBSE Affiliation Fraud At Saraswati Mandir Education Trust In Mahim
Mumbai: The Mahim police have registered an FIR against former and current office-bearers of the Saraswati Mandir Education Trust, Senapati Bapat Road, Mahim (West), along with the proprietor of two private consultancy firms, for allegedly collecting Rs 75.50 lakh to secure CBSE affiliation for Class 9 and 10 and committing fraud.
The accused have been identified as former and current secretary Sanjay Kashinath Sukhtankar, 69, former committee member Mangesh Narayan Rajadhyaksh, 67, former trustee Anil Pai Kokade, 77, former chairman Vinay Bhagwant Rege, 79, and Anupama Khetan, 43, proprietor of Paribhasha Educational Services and Shashwat Solutions.
According to the FIR, complainant Dr. Manohar Sanjeev Kamat, 71, a medical practitioner and former vice-president of the institution (2015–2020), alleged that the school management decided nearly a decade ago to begin a CBSE section and reserved one school building for this purpose. Classes were conducted up to Class 8 with state government permission, but CBSE affiliation is mandatory for Classes 9 and 10.
In 2018, when the first batch reached Class 8, an application for CBSE affiliation was submitted. However, some committee members later claimed that the school did not meet CBSE’s infrastructure norms, making approval unlikely.
Two management committee members Mangesh Narayan Rajadhyaksh and Mohan Nerulkar, along with trustee Anil Pai Kakode allegedly informed the board that Anupama Khetan, proprietor of Paribhasha Educational Services and Shashwat Solutions, could “facilitate” the approval as she was an “agent” experienced in securing CBSE affiliation. They also suggested that bribes might need to be paid to senior CBSE officials.
Then-secretary Sanjay Sukhtankar allegedly supported this proposal. On their recommendation, the management allegedly issued a cheque for Rs 30 lakh to Khetan, formalised through an MoU for account and audit purposes. Six months later, Khetan allegedly began paperwork for the affiliation process and arranged visits by CBSE inspection officials.
Later, she allegedly demanded an additional Rs 30 lakh via cheque and Rs 15 lakh in cash for “service charges”. Committee members informed Dr. Kamat that these payments were approved, and minutes of the management meeting on 17 August 2020 recorded the decision to pay her Rs 15 lakh in cash. However, no such entry appeared in the audit report, indicating the cash payment was made off the books.
Despite these payments, in March 2022, CBSE formally rejected the school’s affiliation request. A newly appointed committee in December 2021 also reviewed the matter and reapplied, but without success.
In February 2022, Khetan was called for discussions, during which it emerged that she had allegedly taken a total of Rs 75 lakh from the institution, but no substantive work had been carried out. Dr. Kamat submitted a written complaint to the new management demanding an inquiry into corruption and misuse of funds. When no action was taken, he approached the Mahim Police and the Charity Commissioner.
Following an inspection initiated by the Charity Commissioner, the inquiry officer noted that audit reports showed Rs 21.60 lakh (2019–20) and Rs 53.92 lakh (2020–21) recorded as “professional fees”. Since inquiry officers are not audit experts, the complainant was advised to seek a special audit through appropriate legal channels.
Based on Dr. Kamat’s complaint and subsequent findings, the Mahim police have registered a case under IPC Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), and 34 (common intention) against the accused office-bearers and Anupama Khetan. The matter remains under investigation.
Crime
Speeding Ferrari crashes into apartment building in Hyderabad Jubilee Hills

Hyderabad, July 12: A speeding Ferrari car crashed into the gate of an apartment building in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills area in the early hours of Sunday. There were no casualties, said officials.
The incident occurred on Road Number 5 in the upscale Jubilee Hills under the Film Nagar Police Station limits.
The occupants abandoned the heavily damaged Ferrari Roma, said to be worth more than Rs 3.50 crore, and fled before police arrived at the scene.
The gate of Fort View Apartments was completely damaged in the collision. The front portion of the luxury car was badly mangled.
The man driving the vehicle escaped after the accident. Police suspect that the person at the wheel was under the influence of alcohol and driving the vehicle at a high speed and in a rash manner.
Police registered a case and launched an investigation into the person who was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident. Police were examining the CCTV footage to ascertain if there were other persons in the vehicle.
Police shifted the damaged Ferrari to the police station with the help of a towing vehicle.
This is the second such incident in Jubilee Hills in less than a week. An SUV had crashed into Tollywood actor Dharma’s residence on the night of July 9.
A man who was under the influence of alcohol had rammed the SUV into the residence of Dharma on Road Number 10. The compound wall of the actor’s house was damaged in the incident.
The accused was identified as Karthik Kumar, who drove the SUV in a rash and negligent manner before losing control and ramming into Dharma’s house. Luckily, there were no casualties.
The actor alerted the police, who rushed to the spot and arrested the accused. A breathalyser test confirmed that the accused was drunk while driving the SUV.
Police registered a criminal case against Kartik Kumar and launched further investigation.
Crime
Tamil Nadu: Beedi leaves worth Rs 17 lakh meant for Lanka seized near Thoothukudi coast

Thoothukudi, July 11: In a major anti-smuggling operation, the Tamil Nadu Q Branch police seized beedi leaves worth an estimated Rs 17 lakh that were allegedly being smuggled to Sri Lanka from the Thoothukudi coast in the early hours on Saturday.
The consignment was recovered from a forested stretch near Inigo Nagar Beach, while the suspected smugglers managed to flee after spotting the police.
The operation was launched following a specific intelligence input received by Q Branch Inspector Vijaya Anitha, who was informed that a large quantity of beedi leaves was being stockpiled in the Inigo Nagar coastal area for clandestine transportation to Sri Lanka by boat.
Acting on the tip-off, a special police team led by Sub-Inspector Ramachandran, along with Special Sub-Inspector Ramar, Inspectors Irudayaraj Kumar and Isakkimuthu, and First Grade Constables Palani, Balamurugan and Pechiraj, conducted a late-night patrol in the South Police Station limits of Thoothukudi City Sub-Division.
During the search operation, the team reached a forested area south of Inigo Nagar Beach, where they discovered a cache of beedi leaves concealed and kept ready for loading onto a boat bound for Sri Lanka. Police recovered 18 bundles of beedi leaves, each weighing approximately 30 kg, indicating that the consignment had been carefully packed for sea transport.
However, the suspected smugglers, who were reportedly present in the vicinity, escaped into the darkness after noticing the approaching police personnel. In addition to the contraband, the police also seized a cargo vehicle believed to have been used for transporting the beedi leaves to the coastal loading point.
Officials said the seized consignment has an estimated international market value of around Rs 17 lakh. The recovered beedi leaves and the cargo vehicle are being handed over to the Customs Department for further investigation and legal proceedings.
Police have launched an investigation to identify and apprehend those involved in the smuggling network.
Investigators are examining the ownership of the seized vehicle and gathering intelligence to trace the larger syndicate suspected of operating along the Thoothukudi coast.
The seizure is part of the intensified surveillance being carried out by the Q Branch and other enforcement agencies to curb cross-border smuggling activities between the Tamil Nadu coast and Sri Lanka.
Authorities said further investigations are under way to determine the intended recipients of the consignment and whether the operation is linked to an organised smuggling network operating in the region.
Crime
NESCO drug overdose case: Vanrai Police arrest 14th accused, twin brother of alleged mastermind Mahesh Khemlani

Mumbai, July 11: The Vanrai Police have arrested the 14th accused in the high-profile NESCO drug overdose case, taking into custody Nitesh alias ‘Nick’ Khemlani, the twin brother of alleged mastermind Mahesh alias ‘Mark’ Khemlani.
According to police, Nitesh Khemlani was arrested following an investigation into the suspected financial network linked to the drug case. He was produced before a local court, which remanded him to police custody until July 13 for further questioning and investigation.
The arrest comes as part of the ongoing probe into the drug-related incident reported at the NESCO area in Goregaon, Mumbai. Police are examining the alleged drug syndicate’s operations, including its financial transactions and links among the accused persons.
The Vanrai Police said that during the investigation, suspicious financial transactions between Nitesh Khemlani and some of the accused already arrested in the case came to light. Based on these findings, police took him into custody for further investigation.
Investigators are now questioning Nitesh Khemlani to trace the alleged financial network behind the drug operation, identify possible sources of funding and uncover further links connected to the case.
The arrest marks the 14th in the case, with police continuing their probe into the wider network involved in the alleged drug supply and distribution chain.
The NESCO drug overdose case has drawn significant attention due to the involvement of multiple accused and the alleged links to a wider drug network. Police officials have said that further arrests and revelations may emerge as the investigation progresses.
The Vanrai Police are focusing on establishing the complete chain of events, including the movement of funds, connections between accused persons and the possible role of other individuals associated with the case.
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