Mumbai: Mumbai Police have claimed to have arrested an interstate suspect in an illegal weapons case within the jurisdiction of the Malad police station. Police received information that a man was bringing weapons from other states to Mumbai. Acting on this information, police laid a trap and searched the suspect in Malad. A country-made pistol and a live cartridge were recovered from him. The accused was patrolling suspiciously near Chincholi Bunder. When searched, the accused revealed his name as Dheeraj Surendra Upadhyay, 35, a resident of Borivali. Police have registered a case against him under the Arms Act. The accused was illegally patrolling with a pistol without a license. Dheeraj Upadhyay is a convicted criminal with criminal cases registered against him at the Kasturba, Dahisar, Samta Nagar, and NHB Colony Kasturba police stations. When questioned, the accused revealed that he had purchased the weapon from Ravinder Pandey alias Raghavendra of Uttar Pradesh. Subsequently, the police team went to Uttar Pradesh and arrested Ravinder alias Raghavendra from Gorakhpur. When he was cornered, a country-made pistol, two empty magazines, and ten live cartridges were recovered from his UP-registered car. The accused has been brought to Mumbai on transit remand. Five country-made pistols, a magazine for a country-made pistol, two empty magazines, nine live cartridges, 12 live cartridges for a Bear rifle, and 10 live cartridges for a Maruti four-wheeler were seized from the accused. This operation was carried out under the guidance of DCP Sandeep Jadhav on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti.

Mumbai: The Borivali police arrested two men for allegedly blackmailing and extorting money from a 63-year-old high court lawyer after secretly recording him nude during a massage session. The arrested accused have been identified as Sameer Ali Hanif Khan (21) and Bhupendra Bhagwan Singh (25), while a third accomplice, Manvinder alias Munna, remains absconding.

According to police officials, the incident occurred between September 7 and September 22. The complainant, a Borivali West resident, had been looking for massage services through JustDial when Sameer first approached him. After two routine sessions, Sameer returned for a third appointment, accompanied by Bhupendra and Manvinder.

During the massage, Bhupendra allegedly filmed the lawyer in the nude and then confronted him with the video. the trio threatened to make the clip viral unless he paid Rs 50,000. When the lawyer resisted, the men allegedly assaulted him with a belt and kicks.

Out of fear of defamation and further violence, the lawyer eventually transferred the money through GPay. The accused later split the extortion amount, Sameer and Bhupendra taking Rs 20,000 each, and Manvinder Rs 10,000.

The harassment did not stop there. Last week, Bhupendra allegedly contacted the complainant again, this time demanding Rs 6 lakh under the same threat of exposing the video. The repeated blackmail finally forced the lawyer to approach the Borivali police, who registered a case on September 23.

A special team under Senior Inspector Madhusudan Naik launched a probe. With the help of cyber cell experts, the police tracked down Sameer in Kherwadi and Bhupendra in Andheri. Both men were placed under arrest and confessed during interrogation. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest the third accused, Manvinder.

Cops revealed that the accused had previously worked as caretakers for senior citizens in affluent households across Mumbai while offering massage services as a side occupation. Police have seized their mobile phones, which reportedly contain similar videos of other individuals, suggesting that the group may have targeted multiple victims in the same manner.

“It appears that the accused are habitual offenders involved in systematic blackmail,” said a police officer, according to the report. “We appeal to anyone who may have been targeted by these men to step forward and file a complaint,” he added.

Mumbai: A shocking controversy erupted in South Mumbai after a complaint was lodged against a Colaba-based art gallery for allegedly displaying obscene paintings of Hindu deities Lord Shiva and Goddess Mahakali. The Colaba Police have registered an FIR against Abhay Mascara and T. Vaikanna.

The complainant, Advocate Vishal Lalchand Nakhwa (45), a resident of Mandvi Koliwada, Masjid, stated that on September 26, he received a message on WhatsApp about objectionable artworks being displayed at Gallery Mascara, located at 3rd Pasta Lane, Colaba.

When Nakhwa visited the gallery to verify, he was allegedly shocked to find framed nude and obscene paintings of Goddess Mahakali and Lord Shiva under the title ‘Union for Peace.’ He also noticed several other paintings of nude men and women in sexual positions being displayed openly.

According to the complainant, there was no board restricting the entry of minors below 18 years, which made the exhibition even more objectionable.

Disturbed by the sight, Nakhwa confronted the staff present. They informed him that the gallery was owned by Abhay Mascara and that the controversial paintings were created by an artist named T. Vaikanna.

Nakhwa claimed that when he questioned them about the paintings hurting religious sentiments, the staff dismissed his concerns, stating it was the “artist’s perspective.” He alleged that he was then asked to leave as the gallery staff locked themselves inside.

Following the incident, Nakhwa called his colleague Advocate Madan Shrikrishna Redij, who also confirmed that the gallery was locked from inside. Subsequently, a police control room call (100) was made, after which officers reached the spot.

The complaint was then filed at Colaba Police Station against gallery owner Abhay Mascara and artist T. Vaikanna under charges of hurting religious sentiments by displaying obscene depictions of Hindu deities. Police have registered an FIR and further investigation is underway.