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Maharashtra

How NCB released 3 detainees, rave party raids pre-planned: NCP

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 In a sensational revelation, the Nationalist Congress Party on Saturday claimed that the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) released 3 detainees including a kin of a senior BJP leader and termed the ship rave party raid as “a pre-planned conspiracy”.

Addressing media-persons, NCP National Spokesperson and Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said that a total of 11 persons were detained after the swoop on the ship (October 2), including Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan.

“Later, that night 3 persons were allowed to go by the NCB officials. They are Rishabh Sachdev, the nephew of a BJP leader Mohit Bharatiya (formerly, Kamboj), Amir Furniturewala and Pratik Gabha. The NCB must reply why they were released from detention,” Malik demanded.

Elaborating further, he said that Aryan Khan had been invited to the ship party by the trio of Sachdev, Furniturewala and Gabha.

“However, after detaining 11 persons, the same three persons who had brought Aryan Khan to the party were allowed to go. This proves that the entire fraudulent raid on the ship was a pre-planned conspiracy to lure and trap high-profile individuals,” Malik said.

The NCP leader further said that several BJP leaders from New Delhi and Maharashtra made frantic calls to the NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede for the release of the three detainees, and they were allowed to go late last Saturday (October 2).

“Who were the persons calling up the NCB that night and why? The Maharashtra and Mumbai police must probe the call detail records (CDR) data of Wankhede plus Sachdev, Furniturewala and Gabha,” Malik said.

Revealing another aspect, the Maharashtra Minister said that a BJP leader and a so-called ‘private detective’ Kiran P. Gosavi had signed on two ‘panchnamas’ giving different addresses of Thane and Navi Mumbai.

“Moreover, while one ‘panchnama’ of 4-pages was handwritten by a NCB official Satish Kumar, the other 9-page ‘panchnama’ was typed by Ashish R. Prasad and was a computer printout. How did this happen?” Malik questioned.

He pointed out that normally, the ‘panchas’ are said to be prominent or respectable persons, but in this case, the NCB got at least 2 politicians – Manish Bhanushali and Gosavi – the latter wanted by the Pune Police.

Reacting to Malik’s revelation, Shiv Sena leader Kishore Tiwari, accorded a MoS status, said that the series of developments unmasked so far indicate that the NCB has become a ‘Team B of BJP’

“I reiterate the Maharashtra Police should immediately arrest Sameer Wankhede for flouting all norms to conduct such bogus operations involving famous personalities to remain in media glare and divert attention from the drug seizure at Mundra Port,” Tiwari demanded.

Congress State Spokesperson Sachin Sawant called for action under Section 59 of the NDPS Act — who were involved in the cruise ship raids, how a relative of a BJP leader was released from detention, how BJP activists like Gosavi and Bhanushali were involved in the raids and then taken as ‘independent witnesses’.

“The series of unearthing through documentary and video evidence suggests a big conspiracy and a collusion between BJP and NCB gets established. The MVA government must probe the entire plot,” Sawant demanded.

Responding, the BJP Leader of Opposition (Council) Pravin Darekar dismissed the NCP’s allegations saying it was intended to seek publicity and arising out of frustration as Malik’s son-in-law was nabbed by the NCB in a drug case.

Threatening to make more revelations in the coming days, Malik reiterated that the entire ship raid was ‘fake’ and a planned conspiracy to trap some prominent youngsters, get huge publicity, defame Bollywood and discredit the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress MVA government.

Crime

Mumbai Police Bust Fake Goregaon Call Centre Defrauding Foreigners; 13 Held

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The Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 12 has uncovered a major scam targeting foreign nationals, following a raid on an unauthorised call centre in Goregaon. The update was first shared by Mumbai Police on X, highlighting how unsuspecting victims were tricked into paying large sums of money under the pretext of antivirus software renewal.

Investigations revealed that the accused were sending fraudulent emails, posing as legitimate antivirus renewal alerts. Once the victims responded, they were coerced into purchasing gift cards ranging between $250 and $500. These cards were then redeemed and converted into cryptocurrency, making it nearly impossible for victims to track their losses.

The racket primarily preyed on foreign nationals unfamiliar with the setup. Officials said the scam was designed to create panic among users by suggesting that their computer security had expired, pressuring them into making quick payments.

During the raid, police seized 15 desktop computers, 10 laptops, and 20 mobile phones used to run the fraudulent operations. Documents and data recovered from the systems are now being examined to determine the scale of the fraud and to identify additional victims.

Thirteen individuals have been arrested in connection with the racket. This includes two owners who were running the operation, one manager overseeing daily activities, and ten tele-caller agents responsible for contacting and convincing the victims. Police said the arrests mark a significant step in cracking down on cybercrime networks exploiting international victims.

The Mumbai Police emphasised that this bust highlights the evolving nature of cybercrime and the need for continuous vigilance. Authorities added that further investigations are underway to uncover links with larger international fraud syndicates.

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Maharashtra

Protection of religious places in Bhiwandi road expansion project, MLA Raees Sheikh assures protection of religious places after meeting with Municipal Commissioner

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rais shaikh

Mumbai: Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Raees Sheikh has demanded protection of religious places like mosque, temple, gurudwara, and Samaj Mandir in the Bhiwandi road expansion project. He has also demanded rehabilitation and compensation for the victims of the Bhiwandi and Kalyan road expansion project. Raees Sheikh was being accused of supporting the DP plan to benefit the builder lobby, after which Raees Sheikh met the Municipal Commissioner Bhiwandi Nizampur today and made it clear that the road and DP plan and policy are not prepared by the MLA. He said that the road expansion and DP plan should be changed and the protection of religious places should be ensured, on which the Municipal Commissioner Bhiwandi Nizampur assured Raees Sheikh that the protection of religious places will be maintained. If it is an obstacle in the survey, then necessary changes should be made in the project along with ensuring their protection. He said that religious places of any nature will be protected.

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Maharashtra

Insights On Mumbai Redevelopment: How The New MahaRERA Consent Waiver Speeds Up Projects

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On September 9, 2025, the Bombay High Court issued a ruling that removes one of the biggest hurdles in Mumbai’s redevelopment landscape. The Court held that new developers do not need two-thirds consent from allottees of a terminated developer to register with the Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority (MahaRERA). This clarification could unlock thousands of stalled projects, paving the way for faster redevelopment across the city.

Redevelopment has long been central to addressing Mumbai’s housing crunch. The city faces a shortage of nearly 400,000–450,000 units, with over 19,000 cessed buildings and 25,000 dilapidated structures at risk. Mumbai also leads the country in stalled projects, with more than 2,000 delayed, often because of regulatory bottlenecks. By removing the consent requirement, the Court has created a clearer, quicker pathway for societies and developers to move forward.

The ruling arose from a petition by Tuvin Constructions LLP against MahaRERA’s insistence on consent from allottees of the terminated developer in the Vilas Vaibhav Co-operative Housing Society project.

The society’s original 2014 agreement with Aditya Developer was terminated in 2023 by arbitral award.

In October 2024, the society appointed Tuvin as the new developer.

When Tuvin sought MahaRERA registration in March 2025, consent under Section 15 of RERA was demanded.

The Court, led by Justices Riyaz Chagla and Farhan Dubash, held there was no privity of contract between the new developer and the old allottees, directing MahaRERA to process registration without delay.

The judges emphasized: once an erstwhile developer’s rights are terminated, old allottees cannot extend claims to the new developer.

Consent Not Needed: No two-thirds consent required from old allottees once a termination is legally valid.

Society-Led Decisions: Registration can proceed with the society’s new agreement.

Legal Consistency: Court reaffirmed that there is no contractual link between the new developer and prior purchasers.

Immediate Effect: Request for a stay was declined; registration to move forward promptly.

Redevelopment is already reshaping Mumbai: by May 2024, over 31,000 projects were approved, with 15–25% of registrations tied to redevelopment. Yet, MahaRERA has suspended 4,800 projects for non-compliance, while 7,500 cases remain pending. Many of these stem from consent disputes—the very issue addressed by this ruling.

For societies, the ruling brings:

Faster timelines: Restart projects in weeks instead of months.

Stronger bargaining power: Better terms on carpet area, amenities, and possession timelines.

Legal clarity: Provided the termination is sound (e.g., arbitral award), fresh registration no longer hinges on old allottee consent.

Important: This does not change the rule that 51% member approval is required at the initial redevelopment stage. The ruling applies only to post-termination registrations.

Claims by purchasers under the old developer remain with that developer.

The decision prevents viable projects from being trapped in consent disputes, increasing the supply of redeveloped housing stock.

Yes, where a previous developer’s rights are legally terminated and a new developer is appointed.

Societies must pass a resolution, sign a new development agreement, and file Form A for MahaRERA registration—no old allottee consents needed.

Yes. By removing one of the most contentious hurdles, the ruling should significantly cut timelines for many stalled projects.

Absolutely. Full disclosure, adherence to timelines, and regulatory transparency remain mandatory.

This verdict marks a turning point for Mumbai’s redevelopment journey. By streamlining the consent process, it ensures that societies, developers, and ultimately homebuyers benefit from faster, fairer redevelopment.

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