Pune: Police on Sunday issued a clarification over the use of force during a protest linked to the Nasrapur assault case, where a four-year-old was raped and murdered. Officials said a “mild lathi-charge” was carried out to disperse a crowd after a key highway remained blocked for hours, causing severe disruption.

The protest took place on Saturday evening at the Navale Bridge on the Katraj Dehu-Road bypass section of Mumbai–Bengaluru National Highway. According to police, the road remained blocked for nearly four hours, leading to a massive traffic jam stretching up to 15 kilometres on both sides. Thousands of commuters, including women and children, were stranded. Ambulances were also caught in the congestion.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone 3) Sambhaji Kadam said the police had been in constant touch with the victim’s family throughout the day. The family had been given a written assurance by the administration and wanted to end the protest, as they were exhausted.

Senior officials, including Pune City Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar, spoke to protesters multiple times. However, some individuals refused to withdraw and continued blocking the road. Police said the victim’s family was safely escorted from the site, and the girl’s body was later transported in an ambulance under police protection for the last rites.

Despite repeated appeals, a section of protesters remained adamant. Police then used mild force to clear the road and restore traffic movement. Officials stressed that the action was taken with restraint and only after prolonged efforts to resolve the situation peacefully.

A video showing the lathi-charge had circulated widely on social media, prompting criticism and raising questions over police action. In response, authorities released a detailed statement explaining the sequence of events.

Police also said the Nasrapur case is highly sensitive and is being investigated by the Pune Rural Police Force. They assured us that efforts are being made to ensure strict punishment for the accused. The victim’s family has been kept informed during the investigation.

The police appealed to citizens to remain calm and trust the legal process. They said maintaining law and order, while ensuring justice for the victim, remains their priority.

Mumbai: In a shocking incident, a 78-year-old woman was brutally murdered in Bandra East, and the Kherwadi police solved the case within 24 hours, arresting the accused from Thane. The victim, identified as Saubhagyamma Kathimyunar, a resident of Dharavi, was found unconscious on a footpath near an RNA building in Bandra East on April 27.

She was rushed to Sion Hospital, where doctors declared her dead before admission. Initially, the case was registered as an accidental death.

However, the post-mortem report revealed that the woman had been strangled and assaulted with a blunt object, prompting police to register a murder case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). 

During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage and tracked a suspect seen near the crime scene. The accused, identified as Bhanudas Vitthal Kamble (44), was later arrested from Thane. According to police, the incident occurred on the night of April 26.

The accused had come to Bandra for a function and was urinating on the roadside when the elderly woman objected and abused him. Enraged, he picked up a brick and hit her on the head. When she continued shouting, he strangled her, killing her on the spot. 

The accused later fled the scene but was traced using CCTV footage and local intelligence inputs. He has confessed to the crime and is currently in police custody. 

Chaos unfolded at Virar station on Monday morning as thousands of commuters took to the tracks, halting train services in protest against a key timetable change by Western Railway. The sudden conversion of the 8.28 am Virar Churchgate local into an air conditioned service triggered widespread anger, with passengers raising slogans against the administration.

The protest quickly escalated, bringing peak hour traffic to a standstill. Several trains on the Western line were delayed by 10 to 15 minutes, affecting thousands of daily travellers. Police personnel were deployed at the station to control the situation and disperse the crowd.

commuters expressed frustration over what they described as poor planning. An AC local was already operational at 8.33 am, and the addition of another at 8.28 am left only a five minute gap between two premium services. Passengers argued that this effectively reduced the number of regular locals, worsening overcrowding in the remaining trains.

Protesters said that while modernisation is welcome, it should not come at the cost of affordable travel. Many demanded that new AC services be introduced without replacing existing non AC trains.

The 8.28 am train is considered a lifeline for office goers, students, and workers travelling from the Virar Vasai belt. With AC fares significantly higher, many commuters said the shift has disrupted their daily budgets.

Angry passengers pointed out that overcrowding is already a major issue, and the reduction in regular services forces them to travel in unsafe conditions. “We are being pushed into more crowded trains or expensive options,” said one commuter.

Railway passenger groups have urged authorities to reconsider the decision and restore normal services. Officials are working to stabilise operations, but the protest has once again highlighted the delicate balance between infrastructure upgrades and commuter affordability in Mumbai’s lifeline rail network.