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Mumbai: RPF Cracks Down On Fake ‘Tantrik’ Posters Across Suburban Railway Network, Seizes 22,000 Illegal Ads

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Mumbai: In a major crackdown on fraudulent advertisements inside Mumbai’s suburban railway network, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Western Railway’s Mumbai Division intensified its campaign against fake ‘tantriks’ and ‘vashikaran babas,’ whose posters had been illegally plastered across local trains and platforms. On October 14, an accused and his two accomplice were arrested with more than 22,000 posters.

According to an official, posters, often promising supernatural fixes to personal, health, and financial issues, have not only misled commuters but also defaced railway property.

Following a spate of complaints received via social media and the Rail Madad portal, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner Santosh Kumar Singh Rathod formed a special enforcement team. The drive gained momentum under the leadership of Sub-Inspector Santosh Soni.

“On October 14, acting on a tip-off, Soni and his team apprehended Abdul Samad, son of Irshad Khan, red-handed while he was pasting such posters inside a stationary local train at Platform No. 2 of Andheri station. Over 600 posters were recovered from his possession at the scene” further added official.

During interrogation, Samad disclosed the whereabouts of the main culprits — a self-styled so called godman and his accomplice — who were later arrested from their hideout in Mira Road. A subsequent search led to the seizure of an additional 22,000 posters. All three individuals, along with the confiscated materials, were handed over to the RPF post at Andheri for further legal proceedings.

“This is part of an ongoing operation to cleanse the railway premises of illegal and misleading advertisements,” said an RPF official. “The actions are aimed at curbing fraudulent practices and improving the aesthetics and safety of local trains.”

In just the past month, RPF teams have nabbed 29 offenders caught red-handed while putting up such posters. A total of 49,100 posters have been seized during this period, and fines amounting to Rs 13,000 have been imposed by the court.

This drive follows a similar operation conducted in May 2025, during which 53 offenders were booked, and 37,400 posters were confiscated. That campaign led to penalties totaling Rs 26,500.

Crime

Police to grill ex-soldier in Secunderabad armoury heist case

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Hyderabad, Sep 13: A court in Telangana’s Secunderabad has sent former army NCO Upputholla Mallesh to police custody for seven days in connection with the theft of firearms and ammunition from the 20 Battalion, Madras Regiment’s armoury in Bolarum.

Police will take the accused into custody on Monday for further interrogation in the sensational case, sources said on Sunday.

The investigators will grill Mallesh further on the basis of information provided by him during the preliminary questioning after his arrest.

Mallesh, 37, had allegedly committed the theft on the intervening night of August 30 and 31. The police had announced the arrest of Mallesh on September 11. The same day, he was sent to judicial custody for 14 days and lodged at Chanchalguda Central Prison.

Telangana Police will also share details to be gathered during the questioning with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Army authorities for further investigation.

Telangana Director General of Police C. V. Anand had stated at the press conference on Friday that prima facie, Mallesh acted alone in committing the offence. He, however, had said that police were continuing the investigation into the possible role of others.

During police custody, investigators are likely to elicit information from Mallesh if he was helped by anyone in committing the offence and if he handed over weapons to others for hiding.

The DGP had announced that the entire cache of arms and ammunition stolen from Kote & Magazine of 20 Battalion, Madras Regiment was recovered.

Bollarum police, along with Hyderabad Task Force and SOT Malkajgiri Commissionerate, had arrested Mallesh in a joint operation.

The intention behind the theft preliminarily appears to be disgruntlement out of early retirement from service, the DGP had said.

Hailing from Nagarkurnool district, Mallesh joined the Indian Army in 2010 and worked for 16 years before retirement from service on June 30, 2026, on the grounds of indiscipline

and poor health.

After thorough investigation, police had zeroed in on Mallesh, a native of Jangareddypalle village of Nagarkurnool district who was staying with family at Balajinagar in Secunderabad Cantonment. His movements since August 27 and on the day of the offence were suspicious and did not match what he was saying.

Investigations revealed that on August 27, 28 and 29, he had gone to the area on a recce of the arms depository. On the night of August 30, he broke the lock of the arms and ammunition stores and carried the stolen cache on his bike and later transported the same in his car to Nagarkurnool district, where he hid it near his house.

The stolen arms and ammunition included four AK-203 assault rifles along with five magazines, an INSAS rifle with three magazines, six 9 mm pistols along with 12 magazines, one civil 6.35-bore pistol along with a magazine, one passive night-vision binocular, 1,156 rounds of ammunition of 9mm pistol, 720 rounds of AK-203 ammunition, 11 ball, 5 tracer and 20 blank rounds of 5.56 mm INSAS ammunition.

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Crime

Two snatchers, receiver arrested in Delhi; gold earring snatching case solved within 24 hours

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New Delhi, Sep 13: A team of Mansarovar Park police in the national capital has arrested two alleged snatchers and a receiver of stolen property in a gold earring snatching case, with the cops claiming to have solved the case within 24 hours of the incident.

A motorcycle allegedly used in the commission of the crime has also been recovered.

According to the Shahdara district police, a PCR call regarding the snatching was received at Mansarovar Park police station on September 9. The complainant, identified as Guddi Devi, told police that she was travelling on a motorcycle with her nephew when two men riding a bike approached them from behind as they were crossing Durgapuri Flyover.

The pillion rider allegedly snatched a gold earring from her left ear, following which both men fled towards Durgapuri.

During the probe, police examined the complainant, inspected the spot and prepared a site plan. Investigators also analysed CCTV footage from the area and obtained clear images of the alleged accused along with the registration number of the motorcycle used in the crime.

The motorcycle was traced to its registered owner, Meenakshi, who told police that it was being used by her brother Puneet. Police subsequently apprehended Puneet from his residence and recovered the motorcycle at his instance.

During interrogation, Puneet allegedly disclosed his involvement with his associate Vikas alias Puchchi. Vikas was subsequently apprehended from the Nand Nagri bus stand. Both were arrested, and the court granted one-day police custody remand.

Police said further interrogation led to the identification of Arjun as the alleged receiver. According to police, Puneet and Vikas disclosed that they had sold the stolen gold earring to Arjun near Tahirpur Gurudwara for around Rs 8,000.

Arjun was traced and questioned. Police said he admitted purchasing the earring for Rs 8,000 and later selling it for approximately Rs 10,500 to an unidentified person in B-Block, Nand Nagri. As the stolen property was no longer in his possession, Arjun was arrested following due legal procedure.

Police said efforts are underway to identify the subsequent purchaser and recover the stolen gold earring.

The arrested persons have been identified as Puneet, 23, a resident of Nand Nagri; Vikas alias Puchchi, 38, also of Nand Nagri; and Arjun, 36, a resident of Nand Nagri.

According to police, the accused have also been linked to three other cases registered at Police Station Mansarovar Park under relevant provisions of the BNS.

Police said Puneet has one previous criminal involvement, while Vikas alias Puchchi has more than 17 previous criminal involvements in cases related to robbery, snatching, theft and the Arms Act. He is also an active Bad Character (BC) of Police Station Nand Nagri.

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Crime

Bengal man arrested for sexually assaulting minor daughter

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Kolkata, Sep 12: A man in West Bengal South 24 Parganas district has been arrested for sexually assaulting his 13-year-old daughter, police said on Saturday.

According to the police, the elder daughter had filed a complaint against her father with the Baruipar police. She claimed that she left home due to sexual assault, which she was subjected to by her father, and alleged that he was doing the same to her younger sister. Based on that complaint, officers of Baruipur Women Police Station have arrested the accused.

According to the police, the arrested person is a hawker by profession.

Allegedly, in December last year, the accused’s elder daughter was subjected to physical abuse. She left home in anger and fear. The younger daughter alleged that her father’s misbehaviour was not resolved even after she informed her mother. The mother kept quiet even after knowing everything.

It is alleged that after the elder daughter left home, the father continued to sexually assault the younger daughter. The ‘victim’ claimed that this had been happening for the past few months. She said that there was no situation to tell anyone. She spoke to her sister on the phone. After that, both sisters informed their mother. Even after that, the mother remained silent and refused to accept their allegations.

Incidentally, the accused’s elder daughter called 100 and informed the police about the matter. Based on that, officers of Baruipur Women Police Station arrested the accused from the Kulpi Road area last night. A case has been registered against the accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. Police have applied for his custody to investigate the matter further.

“Based on the complaint by the daughter, the father has been arrested. We will seek his custody to interrogate him further. Investigation is on, and all the allegations are being looked into,” a senior officer of Baruipur Police District said.

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