Mumbai: In a major development in the ₹122 crore embezzlement case at New India Cooperative Bank, sources have revealed that the bank’s General Manager and Head of Accounts, Hitesh Mehta, has confessed to the fraud before Reserve Bank of India (RBI) officials.

According to sources, Mehta admitted to withdrawing money from the bank since the COVID-19 period and distributing it among his close associates and friends.

Following this confession, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) took Mehta into custody for further investigation.

During an audit, the RBI discovered discrepancies in the bank’s cash reserves—₹112 crore missing from the Prabhadevi branch vault and ₹10 crore from the Goregaon branch vault. The investigation is ongoing, and further revelations are expected.

Mumbai: In a shocking development in the multi-crore Torres scam, the Bhoiwada Police have registered a case against accused Armen Ataine (48) for illegally obtaining a fake birth certificate from the BMC’s F-South Ward. Along with Armen, two unidentified individuals who assisted him in acquiring the fraudulent document have also been booked under sections 120B, 34, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, and 474 of the Indian Penal Code.

During the investigation, the Bhoiwada Police discovered that Armen’s father, Garun Ataine, had lived in Lalbaug’s Jam Building between 1975 and 1978. Armen allegedly used this information to fraudulently secure an Indian birth certificate.

The Torres scam came to light in January, and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) is currently handling the case. So far, six accused have been arrested, including Armen, who was apprehended a few days ago from Madh Road in Malad. Currently in judicial custody, Armen is expected to be handed over to the Bhoiwada Police for further investigation into the forged birth certificate case.

According to EOW findings, Armen obtained a fake birth certificate from the BMC’s F-South Ward to acquire an Indian passport. Since this ward falls under the jurisdiction of the Bhoiwada Police Station, the EOW requested them to file a case. Following an inquiry, the Bhoiwada Police registered an FIR against Armen and two others late last night.

Further investigations revealed that Armen used an address from the fake birth certificate to claim Indian nationality. The Bhoiwada Police visited Jam Building No. 2, Room No. 22 in Lalbaug, where they spoke to society chairman Mahesh Hendra and other members. They confirmed that Garun Ataine and his family lived there between 1975 and 1978 before moving out.

Armen, who has acted in minor roles in Bollywood films, holds a Ukrainian passport. However, he allegedly sought an Indian passport using the fraudulent birth certificate, which stated that he was born in 1976 in Mumbai. Investigations are ongoing.

Puducherry, Feb 15: Puducherry Police arrested a school teacher for sexually abusing a six-year-old girl student of his school. The teacher identified as Manikandan, who is teaching at a private school was arrested on Saturday.

The child is a Class 1 student in the private school where Manikantan teaches. The incident came to light when the girl complained of physical discomfort and was taken to a hospital, where doctors confirmed that she had been sexually harassed.

The girl’s parents and relatives alleged that the school administration and police failed to take action despite being informed about the incident.

Infuriated by this, over 200 locals and relatives of the child staged a protest and blocked the Puducherry-Cuddalore road, causing a three-hour traffic jam.

On information, the police arrived at the scene and held talks with the protesters after which Manikandan was arrested.

The police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and are investigating.

Earlier, three government school teachers of Tamil Nadu were arrested for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl at Panchayat Union Middle School in Bargur, Krishnagiri district. The crime, which occurred in early January, only came to light on February 3 when schoolteachers visited the girl’s home to inquire about her prolonged absence.

During their visit, the girl disclosed the sexual assault, which reportedly occurred inside a toilet on the school campus. Following her revelation, the school’s headmistress and the block education officer filed a complaint, leading to the arrest of the three accused teachers on February 4.

Krishnagiri District Collector Dhinesh Kumar confirmed that the girl is being provided mental health support by psychiatrists and psychologists.

The accused teachers have denied the charges but were suspended pending investigation.

In another shocking incident, Tamil Nadu Police have arrested a science teacher at a government school in Yercaud, Salem, for sexually abusing ten female students. The accused, Ilayakannu (37), was arrested by Yercaud Police and charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.

Ilayakannu, who taught science to students in classes 10 and 12, allegedly assaulted ten girls. The incident came to light when one of the victims gathered the courage to inform the school’s headmistress and demanded action against the teacher.

The headmistress immediately reported the matter to officials of the Education Department and the District Child Protection Unit. Following this, an inquiry team visited the school and conducted investigations with the students.

Preliminary inquiries confirmed that the teacher had abused ten students. Based on the complaint filed by the District Child Protection Unit, the Kondalampatti All Women’s Police Station registered a case under the POCSO Act and arrested Ilayakannu.

Further investigations are underway.

The incident sparked outrage, with former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) expressing shock. 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.