Thane: A 55-year-old man allegedly attempted suicide after a Mumbai Police team arrived at his residence in Badlapur, Thane, on Tuesday night to arrest him for the alleged sexual assault of a minor girl. The girl is the daughter of a bedridden man whom the accused had been hired to care for.

A police officer investigating the sexual assault case said on Thursday, “The man was immediately rushed to the nearby private hospital, where he lay unconscious for almost 36 hours, and currently his condition is stable.

According to the police complaint, the minor girl’s father suffered a paralytic attack last year. The accused was hired in May to care for him from 8 am to 8 pm. During this time, the man allegedly began sexually assaulting the minor and made obscene remarks after her mother left for work.

Despite being warned by the girl’s mother, the man continued to harass her. On July 28, he allegedly entered her bedroom and harassed her again, prompting the girl and her mother to approach the police.

On Tuesday, the police traced the accused’s location to Badlapur, prompting a team consisting of two assistant police inspectors and three to four constables to reach the spot. Around 10 PM, the man locked himself inside his house and began threatening to end his life. Despite the police’s efforts to calm him down, he allegedly attempted suicide. Officers then broke open the door and rushed him to the hospital, said an officer involved in the investigation.

The Police registered a case against the accused under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on July 29, following a complaint by the minor girl and her mother, who reported the harassment that occurred on July 28, as reported.

Navi Mumbai: The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) has arrested a 30-year-old man for allegedly running a sex racket using mobile phones to share photographs of women with potential clients and arranging their services. Two women were rescued during the operation, which took place near a hotel in the APMC area of Navi Mumbai.

The arrested accused, identified as Rahul Lakhmeshwar Mahto, was caught red-handed on the night of August 4 after he arrived in a taxi near Hotel Fantasy Residency in Sector 19C, APMC, with two women. He had allegedly arranged a deal with a decoy customer and accepted Rs 4,000 in cash for sexual services. Once the transaction was completed, the decoy gave the pre-decided signal, following which the AHTC team conducted a raid and apprehended Mahto.

According to police officials, Mahto was part of an online prostitution racket operating across Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The AHTC had earlier received intelligence about the gang’s activities and accordingly laid a trap under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Prithviraj Ghorpade. The team, including API Yogesh Deshmukh and Police Constable Anil Mandoḷe, posed as customers to initiate the bust.

Investigations revealed that the two rescued women had been sent for prostitution by two other agents, identified as Kamesh and Kurban Ansari, who are currently absconding.

“We have registered a case under relevant sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act at the APMC Police Station. We are continuing efforts to locate and apprehend the remaining members of the trafficking network,” a police officer from AHTU said.

Mumbai: (Kamar Ansari) The internal rift within the Maharashtra unit of the Samajwadi Party has now come out in the open. For the past several days, senior party leader Abu Asim Azmi had been reportedly upset with his own party MLA, Rais Shaikh. Though he had hinted at his displeasure in earlier statements, the matter has now escalated publicly. Azmi has chosen former Congress leader Yusuf Abrahani to replace Rais Shaikh, making it evident that Shaikh is being shown the door from the party.

On the ground, one key reason behind this development appears to be Rais Shaikh’s growing popularity. In both Mumbai and Bhiwandi, he has gained considerable public support due to his relentless efforts and grassroots connect. Rais Shaikh has been elected twice from the Bhiwandi Assembly constituency on a Samajwadi Party ticket. Local residents believe he was re-elected solely because of the development work he has undertaken — particularly in education, roads, and water supply.

His strong connection with the people has further elevated his stature. Even in South Mumbai, where he once served as a municipal corporator, the public still appreciates his work. Due to this, voters are also showing interest in candidates backed by Rais Shaikh in the upcoming municipal elections.

According to sources, Abu Asim Azmi began to feel threatened by Shaikh’s rising prominence. This tension was reportedly worsened by the Samajwadi Party high command, including Akhilesh Yadav, who is believed to be unhappy with Azmi. Insiders suggest that Shaikh is being removed by azmi to prevent him from becoming a dominant force within the party.

Interestingly, Yusuf Abrahani — who left Congress recently and joined the Samajwadi Party — is the same person who, about two decades ago, had walked away from the Samajwadi Party, taking several corporators with him and severely weakening the party’s Mumbai unit. The Congress later rewarded him with a ticket from Mankhurd, from where he served one term as an MLA. However, he failed to retain his seat in the next election.

Abu Asim Azmi later contested and won from the same Mankhurd seat, defeating Yusuf Abrahani. Notably, Rais Shaikh played a crucial role in ensuring Azmi’s victory from Mankhurd. Now, ironically, in order to sideline Shaikh, Azmi has brought Abrahani back into the fold — hoping he can once again mobilize several corporators in favor of the party.

The office from where Rais Shaikh used to operate has also reportedly been handed over to Yusuf Abrahani — a clear message that Shaikh no longer has a place in the party.

According to close associates of Akhilesh Yadav and party insiders, the Samajwadi Party is now looking for a strong alternative to Azmi in Maharashtra. To prevent further damage, the central leadership is said to be increasingly ignoring Azmi’s decisions and moving in a different direction.