Thane: The Thane Sessions Court has granted bail to Kashimira resident Savlaram Smartharam Chaudhary, who was accused of allegedly raping a woman on the pretext of marriage. The court, in its order, observed that the woman was well aware of the fact that the accused was married and hence was equally responsible for the act.

The order stated: “It appears that the accused has not denied or disputed physical relations with the victim. However, he claims that these were consensual relations between adult persons, whereas the victim claims that she consented to such relations due to an assurance of marriage. The investigation papers show that the accused got married on July 23,2024and has a baby. The period of the alleged offence is between August 2023 and January 2025, which means the victim continued her relationship with the accused even after his marriage. She is 28 years old and deals with monetary transactions. She knows the consequences of physical relations with a married person prior to marriage. In these circumstances, the ingredients of Section 69 of BNS are prima facie not attracted against the accused.”

The prosecution alleged that the accused gave a false promise of marriage and maintained physical relations with the woman at various hotels and lodges. He also allegedly obtained Rs 8 lakh from her and committed the offence of cheating, which led to an FIR being lodged against the accused and a co-accused.

The accused, however, claimed innocence, stating that he was falsely implicated. He was arrested on July 27 and has been in judicial custody since July 31 after custodial interrogation. The accused and the victim were colleagues at an imitation jewellery shop, where their friendship eventually turned into a relationship.

The accused further argued that he did not have sexual relations with the victim under a false promise of marriage and that the allegation regarding the Rs 8 lakh was baseless. He maintained that the money was taken as a loan to start an imitation jewellery business and was subsequently repaid.

He also produced a bank statement before the investigating officer, showing that the amount had been returned. Additionally, on April 25, the accused and the victim entered into a compromise deed stating that the victim did not owe any amount to the accused.

Thane: After three days of investigation, the Bhoiwada police solved the case of a severed woman’s head on Tuesday by arresting her husband, who allegedly beheaded her with a sharp knife in Bhiwandi following a domestic dispute stemming from suspicion about the husband’s extramarital affair.

The victim has been identified as Pravin alias Muskan (22), who lived with her husband just a few meters from the creek. The accused, Mohammad Taha Ansari alias Sonu (25), a driver by profession, had married her two years ago. The couple has a one-year-old son.

According to the police, frequent quarrels broke out between Muskan, her husband, and in-laws over domestic issues. Sources said she wanted to live separately with her husband. Eventually, she rented a house near the Eidgah creek area in Bhiwandi and began living apart with her son.

The police said teams scanned CCTV footage and alerted informants. While investigating the severed head, officers questioned residents near the creek and learned that a woman’s house had been locked for four days. Her family was then traced, and her husband Sonu confessed to the murder. He was arrested and later remanded in police custody for further investigation.

Pramod Kumbhar, the investigating officer from Bhoiwada Police Station, said, “Preliminary investigation suggests that Muskan suspected her husband of having an extramarital affair, which led to frequent quarrels between them. He allegedly beheaded her with sharp knives and disposed of the body parts by throwing them into the creek.”

The police team, fire brigade, and dog squads searched for Muskan’s remains in the creek. A drone camera was also deployed to locate her torso. Despite efforts lasting four hours, the torso could not be found, and the search was later called off.”

Maharashtra: A 49-year-old driver lost his life on Saturday evening in Panchavati, Nashik, after a gas cylinder exploded at a welding shop. The tragic incident occurred near Tapovan Corner, along the compound wall of the old bus depot, according to the Panchavati police.

The deceased has been identified as Ramnath Somvanshi, a resident of Swami Samarth Nagar on Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Road. Police said Somvanshi had visited the gas welding shop for work related to his vehicle’s registration number plate.

At the time of the incident, the shop owner was using a gas cutter to remove a tyre nut from a car. Shortly after switching off the cutter, the welding gas cylinder exploded, causing severe injuries to Somvanshi. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries.

Following a preliminary investigation, the Panchavati police registered a case under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for causing death by negligence against the welding shop owner on Sunday night.

Officials stated that the shop owner failed to ensure adequate safety measures, despite working with hazardous and explosive materials. Although no arrest has been made so far, the accused has been issued a notice to remain present for further inquiry.

Police are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of the explosion and assess whether the safety protocols at the site complied with regulations.