Mumbai: The Government Railway Police (GRP) suspended three police personnel on August 1 on charges of extortion passenger at Vasai Road Railway Station on June 6.

About The Suspension

The suspended personnel, who were on duty at the station, allegedly extorted Rs.5,000 from a woman passenger. They had initially demanded Rs.15,000 as a penalty for merely standing and talking on the foot overbridge. The suspended constables have been identified as Milind Satav, Sachin Valve, and Kiran Aavle.

According to the suspension letter, on the evening of June 13, the victim, Ashwin Prabhu, and his female friend were standing and conversing on the Foot Overbridge (FOB) at Vasai Road station. Despite no misconduct or unlawful activity on their part, they were approached by constables Milind Satav and Sachin Valve. The constables allegedly seized Prabhu’s mobile phone and took both individuals to the railway police chawki (a room within the Vasai Road railway station premises used by the Railway Police).

There are no CCTV cameras installed inside this police chawki. While in illegal detention, the personnel allegedly demanded a penalty of Rs.15,000 for standing and talking on the Foot Overbridge. Eventually, constable Kiran Aavle facilitated an online payment of Rs.5,000 via a scanner belonging to a money transfer agent outside Vasai Road station. The amount was extorted without issuing any official receipt or citing any legal provision under which the penalty was being imposed.

Following a formal complaint filed by Ashwin Prabhu, a departmental inquiry was conducted by the GRP authorities. The investigation found the allegations credible. Consequently, the three GRP personnel posted at Vasai Road Railway Station were suspended, as per the suspension order dated August 1. There is a possibility that other passengers may also have been subjected to similar extortion, though such cases remain unreported.

Railway commuter organisations have demanded the immediate installation of CCTV cameras in every room used by GRP personnel at all railway stations and terminals under the Mumbai Division, whether officially sanctioned or informally arranged. They also urged Indian Railways to implement similar surveillance and accountability measures across stations nationwide to deter harassment and victimisation of passengers. Such preventive steps, they said, are essential to restoring public trust and ensuring accountability within law enforcement units operating in public transport systems.

Social Worker, Sameer Zaveri’s Statement

Sameer Zaveri, a train accident victim and social worker, stated, “Incidents indicate usual modus operandi involves taking passengers by railway police into rooms where no CCTV coverage exists, and extorting money under threats of criminal prosecution. Such incidents bring a grave disrepute to the police force and destroy public trust. To prevent this menace, urgent measures are needed. Mandatory use of body cameras by all police personnel on duty at railway stations. Immediate dismissal from service of police personnel found guilty of extortion as well as departmental action against those in supervisory roles for failure to do prevention of such incidents time and again occurred. The public deserves protection, not harassment. It is time for accountability and strict action.”

Palghar: A tutor at the IITN Academy in Nalasopara West was allegedly beaten by angry parents after he was accused of repeatedly molesting a minor girl who was a student at the coaching center. The tutor, identified as Rahul Dubey, has been taken into custody by Nalasopara police.

According to reports, a minor student attending classes at the IITN Academy, located near the Hanuman temple, was allegedly subjected to repeated harassment by Dubey over the past several days. The girl reportedly resisted his advances multiple times but did not disclose the incidents to her parents out of fear.

The situation came to a head yesterday when the girl finally confided in her parents. Shortly after, the tutor allegedly sent all other students home, then tried to block the girl from leaving the classroom. The girl managed to escape and fled to safety. Her parents, enraged by the revelation, rushed to the academy and reportedly thrashed the accused tutor.

Dubey was subsequently handed over to the police, who have launched an investigation into the matter. The incident has caused a wave of outrage in the community and has once again highlighted concerns about student safety at coaching centers.

Mumbai: After a relatively subdued monsoon phase last week, Mumbai was lashed by heavy early morning showers on Monday, with several areas recording over 20 mm of rainfall in just an hour. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for Tuesday and Wednesday, warning of heavy to very heavy spells in isolated parts of the city and suburbs.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) rainfall data, the city (CT) received an average of 12.41 mm, eastern suburbs (ES) 13.84 mm and western suburbs (WS) 18.04 mm of rain between 8 am on Sunday and 7 am on Monday.

Details On Heavy Rains In Early Morning Hours

The heaviest showers were concentrated between 6 am and 7 am on Monday. In the city region, B. Nadkarni Park Municipal School in Wadala logged 29 mm, Sewri Koliwada Municipal School recorded 25 mm and the Storm Water Drainage workshop in Dadar registered 24 mm. Several other locations, including Dharavi’s Kala Killa school (19 mm) and Worli Naka (16 mm), also reported heavy rainfall.

In the eastern suburbs, Mankhurd Fire Station saw 28 mm, while Shivaji Nagar Municipal School in Govandi and Nutan Vidya Mandir each recorded 24 mm. Chembur Fire Station and MPS Maharashtra Nagar in Mankhurd measured 23 mm, with other pockets like Ghatkopar’s Ramabai school (21 mm) also witnessing sharp showers.

The western suburbs too reported intense rain within the same period. The BKC Fire Station registered 26 mm, Pali Chimbai Municipal School in Bandra logged 23 mm, while Santacruz’s Nariyalwadi school and Bandra’s Supari Tank school both recorded 22 mm. Chakala Municipal School in Andheri saw 17 mm, while the HE ward reported 16 mm.

Waterlogging Reported In Sion

Despite the morning downpour, the city did not report widespread waterlogging or severe disruptions. However, minor waterlogging was reported in some areas such as Sion’s Gandhi Market and some patches on the Eastern Express Highway. Local train services continued to operate normally on both the Central and Western lines, though traffic movement slowed in a few low-lying areas during the morning rush hour.

The IMD said that while light to moderate showers will continue on Monday, intense spells are expected midweek as monsoon currents strengthen over the Konkan coast. Temperatures will remain in the range of 27–31 degrees Celsius, with high humidity levels making conditions uncomfortable.