Crime
Navi Mumbai News: Raigad Police Bust Digital Arrest Racket Spanning 6 Countries, 11 Arrested
Navi Mumbai: Investigations into a complaint of a ‘digital arrest’ scam in Raigad has now been found to be linked with an international cybercrime syndicate operating across India, Nepal, Pakistan, Canada, China, and Bangladesh. Acting on a complaint filed in May, the Raigad Cyber Police have arrested 11 individuals, including tech-savvy masterminds, telecom insiders, and marketing agents.
The investigation started after a local citizen reported receiving a threatening video call on May 5 from someone posing as an official from the Telecom Authority of India. The victim was told that his identity had been misused for illegal transactions and that a Supreme Court arrest warrant was issued against him. To ‘settle’ the matter, he was forced to transfer Rs 66 lakh in multiple installments. The fraud was cleverly masked as a ‘digital arrest’.
“What appeared to be a standalone scam quickly revealed deeper layers. The Raigad Cyber police station found that the scam was just the tip of a pan-India and cross-border telecom exploitation operation run using forged company documents, SIP lines, and cloud-based calling servers,” Raigad Superintendent of Police Anchal Dalal said.
Abhay Santprakash Mishra, (29), a B.Tech Computer Science graduate from Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh was found to be the mastermind. Mishra managed a network of five high-capacity telecom servers that placed over 62 lakh spoofed calls in 28 days, including 86,910 targeting Maharashtra alone.
Mishra was found to be in constant digital communication with foreign nationals from Pakistan, Canada, Nepal, Bangladesh, and China, discussing the setup of SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) lines, a telecom technology that allows voice and video communication over the internet — often without requiring user-level identification.
Using the alias ‘Alex,’ Mishra conducted encrypted conversations via Microsoft Teams, discussing fraud operations, lease line acquisitions, and telecom routing with international collaborators. “He was also preparing forged documentation to obtain permanent residency in Nepal,” Dalal said. Authorities have also identified properties linked to him in Nepal, Noida, and Hardoi, along with Rs 85 lakh in Bitcoin, as proceeds of crime.
Police found that the gang had created fake companies such as Nivi Cloud Pvt Ltd, Credil Info Pvt Ltd, Oxydeal, and others. These companies existed only on paper — supported by fraudulent documents, forged rubber stamps, and complicit telecom sales executives.
Two Jio Sales Managers, Balmori Vinaykumar Rao and Gangadhar Gangaram Muttan, played a crucial role by accepting these fake documents via WhatsApp, signing off as company directors, and approving telecom SIP lines. These telecom lines were then used to make fake calls in the guise of CBI, ED, police, and other agencies.
Police also arrested Mohsin Mia Khan (35) from Delhi, who possessed over 6,175 SIM cards from providers like Jio, Airtel, BSNL, VI, Idea, and 13 foreign numbers — along with 26 mobile handsets. These SIM cards were being used to rotate identities, mask call origins, and bypass traceability.
The network involved a team of document forgers identified as Abdus Salam Barbhuyan, Nadeem Ahmed, Lairab Khan, Shadan Khan, and Mohammad Faisal Khan, all of whom played roles in setting up fake firms and laundering funds. Fake bank accounts, dummy directors, and proxy communications were used to route money, with over 112 bank accounts identified and Rs 66 lakh frozen so far.
Shams Tahir Khan, an MBA graduate from Rajasthan, acted as the SIP marketing conduit, onboarding international players and travelling with Mishra to Nepal, which is emerging as a safe haven for such cyber operators due to weak extradition oversight, said police.
Authorities have invoked multiple charges under IPC Sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B, the Telegraph Act, and the IT Act. Assets across multiple states and countries are now under seizure proceedings.
Raigad SP Aanchal Dalal, who led the investigation, warned that ‘digital arrest’ is a fake concept. “Neither the CBI, ED, nor the Police call citizens through WhatsApp or ask for money to avoid legal action. Citizens are urged to immediately report such incidents to the Cyber Helpline 1930, 1945, or 14407, or visit the nearest police station,” she added.
Further investigations into the crime is being conducted by SP Dalal and Additional Superintendent of Police, Abhijit Shivthare, Inspector Rizwana Nadaf, Assistant Police Inspector Amol Jadhav, ASI Mohite, PN Tushar Gharat, PN Rahul Patil, PN Rajiv Zinjurte, PC Gurav, LHC Suchita Patil and LHC Puja Patil.
Crime
Mumbai Crime: 26-Year-Old Man Arrested For Sexually Assaulting 10-Yr-Old Boy In Lower Parel Railway Yard

Mumbai: The Churchgate Police have arrested a 26-year-old man under the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old boy in the Lower Parel railway yard area on January 31. The accused is currently in police custody.
According to the Government Railway Police (GRP), the incident occurred on January 31 between 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM. The accused, a native of Madhya Pradesh, is unemployed and lives on footpaths in Mumbai. He has a criminal history, with several cases of theft registered against him at various police stations.
The investigation revealed that the accused lured the boy by promising him Rs.10,000 for watching a bag. He told him that his bag was stuck in the local train. He took the boy from Churchgate on a local train and alighted at Lower Parel. There, he led the boy inside the yard to a parked train and sexually assaulted him before fleeing.
The victim was found crying by the Mumbai Central Railway Police, who then traced his mother. The boy’s family resides on a railway platform. A case was registered and transferred to the Churchgate Railway Police Station.
Using CCTV footage and human intelligence, the police arrested the accused. The Churchgate Railway Police have registered a POCSO case against him. The boy is in the 3rd standard.
Crime
Mumbai Police’s Anti-Narcotics Team Attacked By Suspected Drug Traffickers In Navi Mumbai; Several Injured

Navi Mumbai: In a shocking incident, the anti-narcotics team of the Mumbai Police was attacked by suspected drug traffickers during an operation in the Ulva area of Navi Mumbai last week. The incident occurred when the team conducted a raid in the Ulva locality while tracking suspects linked to a drug trafficking case who were located near Shagun Chowk.
When officers attempted to arrest them, the accused allegedly launched a violent attack on the police team using sharp weapons, including choppers, swords, hockey sticks and a village axe. In the attack, Assistant Police Inspector Kiran Mandhare of RCF Police Station was injured in the attack. Other police personnel, including Firoz Siddiqui, Ahmed Raza Qureshi and Atul Jaisawal, also sustained injuries and are currently undergoing treatment.
Following the attack, the senior police inspector at the Ulva Police station immediately sent a team of police for help. Moreover, a case has also been registered against all eight accused.
The report also stated that the Mumbai Police team did not seek help from the local police station before conducting the raid and had not informed the Navi Mumbai Police in advance about the operation.
Earlier In January 2026, three men were taken into custody for allegedly arguing with and assaulting traffic police personnel during a vehicle-checking drive at a naka bandi in Panvel on New Year’s Eve, leaving a traffic constable injured.
The incident took place around 2.30 am on December 31 at Shivshambho Naka, where traffic police had intensified checks as part of security arrangements for New Year celebrations.
Crime
Mumbai: Court Relies On Dying Declaration, Acquits Husband And Other Relatives In 2018 Dowry-Linked Murder Case

Mumbai: The sessions court has convicted two brothers for setting their sister-in-law ablaze while she was sleeping in Shivaji Nagar in March 2018. The two, Tejim Shaikh and Kafil Shaikh, were found guilty based on the victim, Farida Shaikh’s dying declaration and sentenced to life imprisonment.
According to the prosecution, the accused were residing with Farida and her husband Aftab Shaikh in Rafiq Nagar, Shivaji Nagar, due to work-related reasons. It was alleged that Farida was under physical and mental pressure following the death of her three-month-old daughter and was subjected to harassment over an insufficient dowry.
As per the case registered with the Shivaji Nagar police, a quarrel broke out on March 6, 2018, after Farida allegedly refused to allow Aftab to join his brothers. Later that night, around 2am, Farida felt kerosene being poured over her. She stated that Tejim was pouring the kerosene while Kafil stood nearby, and that Kafil then set her on fire with a matchbox.
Aftab later tried to extinguish the flames and rushed her to Rajwadi Hospital. Farida suffered burn injuries over about 92-95% of her body. Her statement was recorded by police during treatment, followed by a formal dying declaration before a Naib Tahsildar. She succumbed to her injuries on March 11, 2018, after which the accused were booked for murder and dowry harassment.
The defence argued that Farida had committed suicide by pouring kerosene on herself and challenged the dying declaration. However, the court rejected the claim and relied on her statement.
The court did not accept allegations of cruelty against the other family members, noting that they were vague and lacked specific details. It also acquitted Aftab, observing that Farida had not accused her husband of any role in the incident and had instead stated that he attempted to save her after she was set on fire.
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