Mumbai: A 70-year-old retired professor from Nagpur lost Rs16.50 lakh after falling victim to a digital arrest scam.

The fraudster falsely accused him of involvement in child trafficking and claimed a bank account in Mumbai, allegedly in his name, contained proceeds from the crime. On May 6, the professor received a call from someone claiming a mobile number issued in Bengaluru under his name was used for illegal activities.

The caller then transferred him to a supposed police officer via video call, who showed him a bogus arrest warrant and demanded his Aadhaar details. Claiming the professor needed to appear before Delhi police or face arrest, the scammer said he had been placed under ‘digital arrest’ and instructed him to transfer funds for verification.

Fearing legal trouble, the complainant transferred Rs16.5 lakh across multiple accounts. After receiving vague responses when he asked for his money back, the professor realised he had been cheated and approached the cyber police to file a complaint. According to police officials, further investigation has been taken up.

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police have arrested a 35-year-old man who made a bomb threat call claiming that the Mumbai International Airport would be blown up by 2 PM today. The arrest was made by MIDC Police shortly after the threatening call was received by the Mumbai police control room.

The accused, identified as Manjeet Kumar Gautam, originally hails from Uttar Pradesh but currently resides in the Sakinaka area of Mumbai.

According to officials, Gautam called the police control room and warned, “I will blow up the Mumbai airport by 2 PM today.” The threat triggered immediate security protocols, with bomb detection squads and other security agencies placed on high alert at the airport.

The MIDC police acted swiftly to trace and apprehend the caller. Gautam is currently in custody, and police are investigating the motive behind the call. Initial findings suggest he acted alone.

Thane: A portion of a decades-old building in Maharashtra’s Thane city collapsed, prompting the evacuation of 17 families in the early hours of Tuesday. The incident occurred around 2:25 am at the Nandadeep building, located in the Kisan Nagar area of Wagle Estate. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

According to Yasin Tadvi, chief of the disaster management cell of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), the building was over 50 years old and had already been classified as dangerous under the C2B category after a structural audit conducted earlier this year. The C2B classification indicates a building that is structurally compromised and in need of urgent repairs or demolition.

The collapse involved a portion of the third-floor roof and the stair gallery. While the incident occurred while residents were inside, emergency services responded swiftly and the structure was completely evacuated as a precaution. Residents were relocated to safer locations by civic authorities.

Tadvi also confirmed that residents of two adjacent buildings were asked to vacate their homes temporarily and seek alternative accommodations, as a safety measure. “All emergency teams, including fire brigade and municipal officials reached the spot quickly and ensured the evacuation of the building,” he added as quoted by Media.

The incident has once again drawn attention to the large number of aging and unsafe buildings in Thane. According to civic data, a total of 4,407 buildings in the city have been classified as dangerous. Among them, the Mumbra area alone accounts for 1,343 such structures, the highest in any locality.

Monsoon-related vulnerabilities have added to the urgency of addressing these unsafe buildings. With rains expected to intensify over the coming weeks, civic officials have begun reissuing notices to occupants of such buildings, urging them to vacate in the interest of safety.