Crime
Pirate attack: Kin of kidnapped Indian sailor in distress, prays for safe return

Family members of the missing Indian sailor Pankaj Kumar believed to be kidnapped by sea pirates from the ship MV Tampen anchored in West African nation Gabon are distressed.
Pankaj Kumar, aged 30, hailing from the Gurdaspur district in Punjab was the Second Engineer of MV Tampen.
“Only last year he got married. We are all distressed a lot. There is no information about his whereabouts in Gabon. The shipping company officials are saying that my brother is missing and beyond that there is no information,” Sandeep Kumar, the younger brother of sailor Pankaj Kumar, told IANS over phone.
According to Sandeep Kumar, the family consists of younger sister, their parents and wife of Pankaj Kumar.
“We have sent an email to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We are yet to hear anything from his office,” Sandeep Kumar added.
He said requests have been made to the shipping company the Mumbai based Proactive Shipping Management to do the needful to trace his elder brother.
According to him, aerial search operations were carried out by Gabon authorities on Monday and after that it was stopped.
The ship, with 17 Indian crew, was sailing from Cameroon to the UAE when it developed some propulsion problems and was anchored just two kilometres away from Gabon’s Owendo anchorage when pirates boarded the ship on Sunday morning.
While the pirates threw Pankaj Kumar overboard, they also shot and injured Cook Sunil Ghosh and Chief Officer Naurial Vikas who were later admitted to a local hospital.
“Ghosh (from West Bengal) is doing fine in the hospital. Family members-wife and others- had spoken to him. There is no information about his discharge from the hospital,” a relative told IANS.
“All the sailors on the ship are distressed and would want to come back home,” Nithin Suresh Kuttipravan, a friend of one of the sailors Deepak Udayaraj told IANS.
Kuttipravan is reaching out to various official agencies so that the Indian sailors are brought back at the earliest.
“An official of the Indian Embassy in Congo is trying to reach out to the sailors. The ship captain is under a lot of stress and is answering the officials from the Gabon government,” Kuttipravan said.
He said as per the information from the sailors on board of MV Tampen, the ship’s satellite phone was not working for the past one month.
“They were communicating using email. Now they are using Whatsapp using their Indian SIM cards. We have requested the Indian Embassy to provide the sailors local SIM cards so that they can stay in touch with their family members,” Kuttipravan added.
The Honorary Consulate of India in Gabon is John Rupchandani.
According to Kuttipravan, all the sailors are ready to sign off and reach India at the earliest.
“It seems the shipping company wants the sailors to sail to Dubai after setting right the ship,” he said.
“As per my information, the pirates wanted to kidnap about three/four sailors. While resisting the kidnap attempt, the pirates had shot two Indian sailors,” Kuttipravan said.
According to him, the ship was sailing at a speed of four knots powered by one propulsion and the ship dropped anchor just two kilometres away from Gabon’s Owendo anchorage.
The ship is owned by Prince Marine Transport Service Pvt Ltd, Mumbai and the sailors were provided by Proactive Ship Management.
The ship sailing from Cameroon to the UAE has been facing technical problems enroute. Both its propulsion systems had stopped several times.
The vessel was diverted to Owendo for repairs as it was the nearest port.
On Sunday, six pirates attacked the ship and kidnapped Pankaj Kumar and shot two sailors.
“The marine and local police in Gabon are questioning three persons who had boarded the ship two days before the attack. We hope to know some information about the attackers and the missing crew today (Wednesday),” Captain Sunil Kumar, Security Officer of Proactive Ship Management, told IANS on Wednesday.
“One garbage cleaner and two technicians had boarded the ship as per the information conveyed to us by our agent there,” he had said.
Officials of Prince Marine Transport and Proactive Ship Management were not available for an update when contacted by Mumbaipress.
Crime
Mumbai Police Arrest 3 Men After Viral Video Shows Dangerous Car Stunt On Eastern Express Highway

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police arrested three men on Thursday after they were caught performing dangerous car stunts on the Eastern Express Highway near Chembur. Acting quickly on a viral video shared on Instagram, the RCF Police apprehended the young men for their reckless actions on road near Chembur.
The video, which attracted widespread attention, showed the driver of a white car recklessly speeding along the expressway while several men inside were seen dangerously leaning out of the moving vehicle.
The complainant in the case is Police Constable Navnath Dattu Vaikhande (34), attached to RCF Police Station, who initiated legal action based on the viral video evidence.
The arrested accused have been identified as Adnan Mohammad Isa Khan (20), taxi driver, resident of Zakir Hussain Nagar, Govandi; native of Chamroopur Pathan, District Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Mukim Bashir Khan (22), taxi driver, resident of Road No. 3, behind Patel Hotel, Govandi; native of Sonpur, Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Junaid Awad Ali Khan (20), taxi driver, also residing at Road No. 3, behind Patel Hotel, Govandi; native of Sonpur, Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh.
The footage sparked public outrage and prompted an immediate response from law enforcement. After identifying the individuals involved, the RCF Police Station registered a case under Section 281 (Rash driving or riding on a public way), Section 125 (Negligent conduct), and Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which pertains to driving dangerously.
A video shared by the Mumbai police highlights dangerous activities by drivers and others. In the video, a group of people can be seen engaging in risky behaviour by hanging out of moving cars on the road, endangering their own lives and the lives of others, all while loud music plays.
The arrested individuals are currently in custody, and further investigations are ongoing to identify others involved in the stunt. Authorities are also probing whether the vehicle was rented or privately owned. This incident serves as a reminder of the risks associated with irresponsible behaviour on the road and the serious consequences that can follow.
Many users reacted to the post shared by the Mumbai Police. One user asked about the other accused, saying, “Only 3 were arrested? Where are the others?” On the other hand, another user expressed appreciation for the Mumbai Police, stating, “Thank you, Mumbai Police, for not turning Mumbai into Delhi Part 2.”
Crime
ED Seizes Assets Worth ₹32 Crore After Raids In Mumbai & Hyderabad In Illegal Land Development & Money Laundering Case

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized unaccounted assets worth over Rs 32 crore following raids at 13 locations in Mumbai and Hyderabad, as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged illegal land development and money laundering case.
The searches, carried out on May 14 and 15 (today) under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), led to the recovery of Rs 9.04 crore in cash, and diamond-studded jewellery and bullion valued at approximately Rs 23.25 crore. Officials also recovered a significant volume of documents considered to be incriminating.
A major portion of the seizure Rs 8.6 crore in cash and jewellery and bullion worth Rs 23.25 crore was recovered from the Mumbai and Hyderabad residences of Y. S. Reddy, Deputy Director of Town Planning, Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC). Investigators also recovered documents believed to expose a large-scale illegal construction scam in the Vasai Virar region, allegedly executed in collusion with VVMC officials.
The searches were part of an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, targeting a syndicate allegedly involved in the illegal development of 41 mixed-use buildings in the Vasai-Virar region. These structures were reportedly constructed on nearly 60 acres of land originally earmarked for sewage treatment plants and dumping grounds by the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC).
According to ED sources, the syndicate allegedly forged municipal clearances and sold residential and commercial properties built on encroached public land, flouting urban planning and environmental norms. The racket is said to involve a complex web of shell companies and money laundering channels spanning Mumbai and Hyderabad.
The ED initiated its probe based on multiple FIRs registered by the Mira Bhayandar Police Commissionerate against several builders, local operatives, and others. The case pertains to the illegal construction of residential-cum-commercial buildings on both government and private land under the jurisdiction of the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC), with unauthorized activity dating back to 2009.
According to ED officials, 41 buildings were constructed illegally over time on land earmarked for public utilities, including a sewage treatment plant and dumping ground, as per the approved development plan of Vasai-Virar. The accused allegedly fabricated approval documents to mislead homebuyers, selling residential units despite having prior knowledge that the constructions were unauthorized and subject to demolition.
“This was a case of systematic fraud, wherein developers knowingly deceived the public by selling units in buildings that had no legal sanction,” an ED official said.
The matter reached the judiciary, and the Bombay High Court, in an order dated July 8, 2024, directed the demolition of all 41 illegal structures. A Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by affected families was later dismissed by the Supreme Court. Subsequently, VVMC carried out the court-mandated demolition, which was completed on February 20, 2025.
ED officials said that the ongoing investigation will further examine the financial transactions, identify the complete network of individuals and entities involved, and determine the extent of money laundering and fraud perpetrated in the case.
Crime
Mumbai: Shivaji Nagar Police Station Head Caught Red-Handed Taking Bribe Of ₹1 Lakh From School Trustee; Arrested By ACB

Mumbai: In a major crackdown on corruption within the police force, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Mumbai arrested Senior Police Inspector Bapurao Madhukar Deshmukh, 57, head of the Shivaji Nagar Police Station, on Tuesday night. He was caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a school trustee at his own police station. This amount was reportedly part of a larger Rs 2.5 lakh bribe that he had allegedly demanded for providing police protection and assistance in a legal matter.
According to the ACB, the complainant is a 41-year-old trustee of a school located in the Shivaji Nagar area. The issue dates back to August 15, 2024, when a group allegedly broke open the lock of the school gate and forcibly entered the premises over a property-related dispute. The trustee had approached the Shivaji Nagar police station to file a complaint and had also submitted the matter to the Charity Commissioner.
Seeking official police assistance to prevent further intrusions and to safeguard the school until the Charity Commissioner passed a final order, the trustee approached Inspector Deshmukh. However, instead of providing legitimate police support, Deshmukh allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 3 lakh to ensure police protection and to prevent the opposing group from accessing the premises.
After some negotiation, the bribe was brought down to Rs 2.5 lakh. Unwilling to pay for lawful services, the trustee approached the ACB and lodged a complaint. Following a verification process, the ACB set up a trap and nabbed Deshmukh while accepting the first instalment of Rs 1 lakh at his office on Tuesday night.
Deshmukh, a Class I officer with just a year left until retirement, was arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He will be produced in court on Wednesday. The operation was conducted under the guidance of ACB Additional Commissioner Sandeep Diwan, with supervision from Additional DCPs Anil Gherdikar and Rajendra Sangale.
According to the report quoting an ACB source, further inquiry will also examine Deshmukh’s assets to determine if he owns property disproportionate to his known sources of income. The case has however sparked renewed concerns about corruption at senior levels in the police force.
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