Thane, Dec 15: A woman facing a serious charge of alleged sexual assault levelled by her 10-year-old biological son has been granted bail by the special Prevention of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Court, Thane.

The bail was granted on the grounds that the investigation was complete and the chargesheet had been filed. Also, since there is pendency of several cases, the court said there was no reason to keep the accused behind bars. There are three other accused in the case.

The woman has refuted the allegations, claiming that her estranged husband was caught having an alleged extra-marital affair and that the entire story of the alleged sexual assault of her child was concocted by him to defame her.

The court, in its order, acknowledged that tampering with evidence cannot be ruled out but stated that this concern would be addressed by imposing stringent conditions on the accused to prevent such actions.

The order copy specifies that the accused must strictly not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat, or promise to the victim, witnesses, or any other person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade them from disclosing such facts to the court.

“The accused are restricted from repeating the offence or committing any other offence and are asked to regularly attend the court’s proceedings and trial and be represented by a duly instructed legal practitioner,” the conditions of the order copy say.

The disturbing case was filed with the Vartak Nagar police station, in which the boy alleged that his biological mother had sexually assaulted him earlier this year. The serious matter came to light after the child, on his own, sought help from a child helpline (1098) in August, asking to be rescued from his mother’s custody.

The child helpline accordingly alerted the local police, who subsequently arrested the accused mother and three other men for the alleged sexual assault of the 10-year-old.

The court’s order, passed on December 10 and made available recently, stated, “The offence is ex facie not punishable with death or life imprisonment. The accused are not hardcore criminals, as there are no criminal antecedents reported against them by the investigating agency.”

The woman is the natural mother of the victim, whereas the second accused is her maternal uncle. Ex facie, there are matrimonial disputes pending between the estranged couple. Meanwhile, in this background, the possibility of tampering definitely cannot be ruled out.

“However, considering the pros and cons of the application, there is no point in detaining the accused further behind bars, as there is no further requirement of any custodial interrogation from them, and the apprehension expressed can be taken care of by imposing stringent terms and conditions. The trial is likely to take its own pace and time in view of the pendency of other older cases. Therefore, the bail application is allowed by adding stringent conditions against the accused.”

The prosecution’s case dates back to January 2025, when the accused woman was living separately from her estranged husband, the boy’s biological father, amid a difficult marriage.

As per the documents, the boy called his father and informed him that some unknown men had been visiting their place and had allegedly assaulted him physically and sexually. The child also alleged that the men forced him to drink an alcoholic beverage. He claimed that his biological mother offered no opposition while he was being abused.

A few days later, on July 30, the child called the child helpline number 1098, seeking rescue from his mother’s custody. During the call, the child informed the operator that he had been sexually assaulted by his own mother and had been warned of consequences if he told anyone about the act. The father of the child was then alerted to the abuse.

“The helpline then contacted the father, brought the victim to him, and an FIR was subsequently registered,” the order copy reads.

The child’s father took the boy from his estranged wife’s custody and approached the Vartak Nagar police station with the helpline operator, where an FIR was registered against his wife and three other men for the alleged charges.

The wife has refuted the allegations, claiming that her estranged husband was caught having an alleged extra-marital affair and that the entire story of the alleged sexual assault of her child was concocted by him to defame her.

Mumbai: The Sir JJ Marg Police have arrested a 21-year-old man for allegedly forging examination documents and illegally staying at the Old Boys’ Hostel of Sir JJ Hospital by posing as a first-year MBBS student.

The accused, Faisal Amiruddin Shaikh, 21, from Uttar Pradesh, resided in the hostel for one month using fake documents, including a bogus NEET result. He actually scored 90 marks but fabricated 514 marks to claim admission eligibility. The complaint was filed by warden Rewat Tukaram Kaninde, 37, a medical officer posted there for seven years.

The hostel is for first-year MBBS students. On December 12, during a routine inspection at 10:30am, the warden found Faisal in Room No. 144 not attending classes. Faisal claimed his admission was upgraded to RML College, Lucknow. When asked for documents, he said they were with his father. A phone call raised suspicions as the father initially denied having a son, later clarifying no upgrade occurred.

College checks confirmed Faisal had no roll number or enrollment. His submitted documents were forged. Faisal confessed to lying to his parents about securing MBBS admission and forging papers to enter the hostel. His father, a tailor in Dubai, and family wanted him to become a doctor, allegedly motivating the fraud.

Mumbai: woke up on Tuesday to what initially appeared to be a textbook winter morning, marked by clear blue skies, mild winds and a sharp chill in the air. However, the pleasant conditions were short-lived as a dense layer of smog soon settled over the city, reducing visibility and once again highlighting Mumbai’s worsening air pollution crisis.

Despite favourable weather conditions, air quality emerged as the city’s biggest concern. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the day was expected to remain bright and comfortable, with temperatures ranging between 18°C and 34°C. Yet, early morning commuters, walkers and schoolchildren encountered hazy surroundings and an acrid smell, particularly in low-lying and traffic-heavy zones.

Data from air quality monitoring platform AQI.in showed Mumbai’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at 163 during the early hours, placing it firmly in the ‘poor’ category. While this marks a slight improvement from the severe pollution levels recorded late last month, experts warn that the air remains unhealthy, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, senior citizens and those with respiratory or cardiac conditions.

The persistent pollution has largely been attributed to dust and fine particulate matter generated by the city’s continuous construction activity. Massive government-led infrastructure projects, including metro rail corridors, flyovers, coastal road extensions and extensive road-widening works, combined with a surge in private real estate development, continue to release pollutants into the atmosphere. Vehicular emissions during peak hours further compound the problem.

Several locations emerged as pollution hotspots. The Wadala Truck Terminal recorded a worrying AQI of 335, categorised as ‘severe’, posing serious health risks even to healthy individuals. Chembur and Powai followed with AQI levels of 263 and 210 respectively, both falling in the ‘unhealthy’ range. Deonar reported an AQI of 203, while the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), one of the city’s busiest commercial hubs, registered a poor reading of 190.

Suburban areas fared relatively better but were not entirely spared. Charkop recorded an AQI of 85, while Parel-Bhoiwada stood at 82, both classified as ‘moderate’. However, Mulund West (110), Borivali West (123) and Kandivali East (127) slipped back into the ‘poor’ category, reflecting the widespread nature of the pollution.

For context, AQI levels between 0–50 are considered good, 51–100 moderate, 101–150 poor, 151–200 unhealthy and anything above 200 hazardous. With large parts of Mumbai hovering close to or exceeding unhealthy thresholds, concerns continue to mount over the long-term health implications as winter progresses.