Thane: A tragic incident has shaken the city of Thane after a 17-year-old girl, who was set on fire by her friend four days ago, succumbed to her burn injuries on Sunday morning. The victim, who had sustained nearly 80 per cent burns, was undergoing treatment at KEM Hospital in Mumbai but could not survive despite doctors’ efforts.

According to the police, the accused, also 17, worked as a delivery boy, while the victim was employed as a compounder at a local dispensary. The two had known each other for several years and had lived in Chembur before both families moved to Balkum about a year ago. Police said the two were believed to have been close and were in frequent contact.

The incident took place when the girl was alone at home on Friday. The boy allegedly entered the house and, after an argument over a personal issue, poured an inflammable liquid on her and set her ablaze. Hearing her cries, neighbours rushed to help, and the accused himself took her to Thane Civil Hospital. She was later shifted to KEM Hospital in Mumbai for advanced care, where under treatment she lost her life on Tueday morning.

Senior Police Inspector Pravin Mane of Kapurbawdi police station confirmed that the accused was detained under charges of attempt to murder, which will now be converted to murder following the girl’s death. He was produced before the Juvenile Court in Thane and sent to a remand home.

Police sources revealed that the girl had earlier told relatives the boy had threatened her during a visit to Chembur for the Bhaubij festival. Authorities are now verifying this claim. Forensic experts are examining the flammable substance used in the attack, and officers are continuing their probe to determine the exact motive behind the crime.

Washington, Oct 28: Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers have joined hands to support the India-US relationship, months after the Trump administration announced a series of policies targeting Indian interests.

At least six bipartisan letters and resolutions have been drafted over the past 10 days defending the interests of the Indian American community, reaffirming support for the India–US partnership, and pressing the administration for accountability over its recent actions targeting New Delhi.

Last week, a group of House members expressed concern that an event at Rutgers University on Monday could “fuel further prejudice” against Hindus at a time when Hindu temples have been targets of violence.

The co-signers of the letter were Democrats Sanford Bishop from Georgia, Shri Thanedar from Illinois, and Suhas Subramanyam from Virginia, and Republican Rich McCormick, also from Georgia.

Two days earlier, another bipartisan group of six House Representatives wrote to US President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, expressing concerns over the H-1B proclamation.

“We are concerned that the recent proclamation related to H-1B visa petitions will create significant challenges for US employers and overall weaken our competitiveness,” the letter stated.

The group again included Democrat Suhas Subramanyam along with Republican Congressmen Jay Obernolte and Don Bacon, among others.

On October 17, four US lawmakers wrote to President Donald Trump, urging him to attend the Quad Leaders’ Summit in India and other meetings in Asia.

The same day, a bipartisan resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives to recognise the “contributions made to the United States by the Indian American diaspora” and condemn recent acts of racism against Indian Americans.

The resolution also termed the India-US relationship as “one of the most important democratic partnerships in the world”.

It was a sharp departure from just days earlier, when 19 House members, all Democrats with no Republican support, wrote to President Donald Trump on October 8, urging him to “reset and repair” the India-US “critical partnership”.

Leaders from both Democratic and Republican parties have faced criticism for mostly remaining silent as senior officials of the Trump administration, like Trade Advisor Peter Navarro and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, repeatedly targeted India over its purchase of Russian oil and trade imbalance.

In August, the Trump administration imposed 50 per cent tariffs on New Delhi, which included a 25 per cent levy for importing Russian oil.

Then, in September, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on H-1B visas, imposing a $100,000 application fee to restrict the programme. Over 70 per cent of the approved H-1B applications in 2024 went to Indian nationals.

While a handful of Democrats opposed the administration’s stance publicly, Republican lawmakers, until recently, decided to keep quiet.

In early October, Democratic Representative Ami Bera, a leading advocate of the US-India relationship, told Media that some Republican lawmakers have remained silent out of fear of the president.

“I think they’re certainly afraid to take on President Trump directly,” he said.

In recent weeks, ties have stabilised, and negotiators have resumed talks to finalise the first phase of a trade agreement.

Last week, President Donald Trump held a special Diwali event at the White House where he termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi “a great person” and said he loves “the people of India.”

Bera added that more members should come out to support the relationship.

“Instead of making this about President Trump, let’s make it about the US-India relationship. Let’s make it about what we think as members of Congress – Democrats and Republicans. I don’t want the India-US relationship to be a Democratic thing or a Republican thing. It should be an American thing,” he told Media.

Mumbai: Three days after Mumbai Police uncovered a massive mephedrone manufacturing unit in Nalasopara’s Pelhar area, the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police Commissioner on Monday suspended the senior inspector of Pelhar police station for failing to detect the illegal operation running almost under his nose.

Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik issued the suspension order against Senior Inspector Jitendra Vankoti, citing ‘inexcusable negligence’ in monitoring his jurisdiction. The order noted that the illegal factory was located barely 200–300 metres from the Pelhar police station. Despite its proximity, Vankoti claimed he was unaware of the activity, a response the department found unacceptable.

“The site of the above incident was 200 to 300 meters away from Pelhar police station, but during the interrogation, Senior Police Inspector Jitendra Vankoti has stated that he was unaware of the incident,” the order stated. It further mentioned that despite his subordinates being engaged in related intelligence and patrol duties, the inspector failed to ensure effective monitoring, obtain confidential information, or initiate timely action against illegal businesses.

The disciplinary action follows a major operation conducted by Mumbai Police’s Zone-6 Narcotics Cell in coordination with Tilak Nagar police, which raided the factory in the Rashid Compound area of Pelhar, Nalasopara (East) on October 25. During the raid, officers seized over 7 kilograms of mephedrone (MD) and precursor chemicals valued at around Rs 13.5 crore, along with raw materials worth another Rs 1 crore.

Five individuals, including the key manufacturer of the synthetic drug, were arrested. Among them is Sohail Abdul Saif Ali Khan, a former hawker from Mumbra who allegedly transitioned into large-scale drug production. Police said Khan operated multiple luxury vehicles, including a BMW, and had been running the illegal unit for nearly 10 months, producing around 50 kilograms of contraband every month.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-6, Chembur) Sameer Sheikh supervised the operation, which exposed an intricate network of distribution linked to Mumbai’s narcotics supply chain.