Connect with us
Friday,14-February-2025
Breaking News

Crime

Mumbai residential building crash toll shoots to four, 17 hurt

Published

on

kurla-bldg-collaps

The toll in the Mumbai building crash shot up to four and at least 17 others were injured here, the BMC Disaster Control said here on Tuesday.

According to the officials, the entire wing of the ground-plus-three floor Naik Nagar building in Kurla east suburb of north-east Mumbai crashed minutes before midnight, trapping many persons living there.

Earlier this morning, the body of an unidentified male, 30 was recovered from the debris and another 11 injured (all adult males), were rescued safely, rushed to Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar and LTMG Hospital in Sion.

As work got underway amid intermittent showers to clear the rubble, three more victims were recovered and another six injured survivors who have been rushed to hospital.

The rescue teams of Mumbai Fire Brigade and other agencies besides local volunteers, who joined the rescue efforts there, have expressed a potential risk to the adjoining second wing of the same building which could also collapse anytime.

Business

Torres Fraud Case: Ukrainian Actor Armen Ataine Denies Role, Claims He Only Made An Introduction

Published

on

Mumbai: In the case of Torres investment fraud, the Ukrainian Actor Armen Ataine has claimed that he has no role to play and he only introduced the alleged key conspirator to another co-accused. Ataine has moved the special court for bail on Thursday. Ataine in his plea claimed that he was approached by other Ukrainian nationals to help them set up a jewellery store in Mumbai.

Accordingly, he claimed he had arranged their meeting with Mohammad Tausif Riyaz, a prime accused in the case as his role was limited to introducing two parties. Ataine claimed that he was nowhere concerned with the firm as he was neither a director nor promoter of the company and was also not related to the activities of the Torres store. The bail plea is yet to come up for hearing.

Continue Reading

Crime

Death Of Accused In Salman Khan Firing Case: Bombay HC Reserves Order In Mother’s Plea Alleging Foul Play

Published

on

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has reserved its order on a plea filed by Rita Devi, mother of Anuj Thapan—the accused in the firing outside actor Salman Khan’s residence who died by suicide in custody—seeking a CBI probe into his death, alleging foul play.

A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Neela Gokhale also directed the State to show the relevant portion of the CCTV footage to Devi’s advocate after he raised doubts over the magisterial inquiry report, which ruled Thapan’s death a suicide.

In December last year, the HC had observed that the 18-year-old’s demise did not appear to be a custodial death. It also noted that the police had no apparent reason to harm him, as he could have been helpful in their investigation.

Thapan was found hanging in the toilet of the crime branch lock-up at Crawford Market on May 1, 2024. Police claimed he used a bedsheet to take the extreme step. A mandatory magisterial inquiry was conducted, and a report was submitted to the HC. The CID, which also investigated the case, submitted a separate report.

During the hearing on Wednesday, advocate Nishant Rana pointed out discrepancies between the magistrate’s and the CID’s reports. “Some facts are totally opposite in the reports,” he said.

However, State advocate Prajakta Shinde clarified that the CID report submitted on May 15, 2024, was only an interim report based on an Accidental Death Report and that the probe has since been concluded.

Rana, however, insisted there was a conspiracy to kill Thapan. He claimed Thapan had told his mother that police beat him with a belt and that he was seen with a knife borrowed from an inmate. However, the magisterial report stated he was seen entering the washroom with a rope.

“As per the magistrate’s report, he (Thapan) was seen carrying a rope when he went to the washroom. It is also said that he borrowed a knife from an inmate. Why would he go through the trouble of hanging himself? He could have simply cut his veins,” Rana argued.

The judges, however, reiterated that they had reviewed the CCTV footage and “found nothing.”

When Rana pointed out that the magistrate’s report did not mention Call Data Records (CDR), the bench questioned, “He died in custody. Where is the question of CDR?”

The court then closed the plea for orders.

On April 14, 2024, two motorcycle-borne men opened fire outside Galaxy Apartments in Bandra, where Khan resides with his family. The alleged shooters, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, were later arrested in Gujarat. Thapan and an associate were apprehended in Punjab on April 26 for allegedly supplying firearms and ammunition for the shooting. Police claimed he had links to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

So far, six people have been arrested in connection with the case under the stringent MCOCA.

Continue Reading

Crime

Private school teacher arrested for sexually assaulting Class 9 boy in Chennai

Published

on

Chennai, Feb 12: A 43-year-old private school teacher was arrested on the charges of sexually assaulting a Class 9 boy in Ashok Nagar, Chennai.

The accused, identified as Sudhakar (43), was a Tamil teacher at the school.

He was arrested after a case was registered against him under three sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The incident came to light when the boy developed health complications.

Concerned about the boy’s condition, his parents enquired, and the child alleged that Sudhakar had sexually harassed him.

Due to an infection, the boy was admitted to Royapettah Government Hospital for treatment. Following a complaint by the parents, the K.K. Nagar police initially registered a case and launched an investigation.

The case was later transferred to the Saidapet All-Women Police Station.

Meanwhile, the school administration announced that Sudhakar had been dismissed.

It may be recalled that a few days before a 13-year-old girl from a government school in Bargur, Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu, had accused three of her teachers of rape.

The incident occurred in the first week of January and came to light only on February 3, when schoolteachers visited the girl’s home to investigate her prolonged absence from school.

Tamil Nadu opposition leader and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) expressed shock over the incident.

In a social media post, he criticised the DMK government for “failing” to ensure students’ safety in government schools and called upon Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to take full responsibility for the incident.

BJP Tamil Nadu Chief K. Annamalai condemned the incident and said sexual assault on women and girls had become a horrifying reality in Tamil Nadu.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending