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Maharashtra

Probe NCB’s extortion racket, fake raids, Maha Minister to Supreme Court

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In another dimension to the sensational so-called rave party bust aboard a cruise ship last October, a Maharashtra Minister has appealed to the Supreme Court to take suo moto cognisance and initiate a probe into what he contended as “extortion and fake raids” perpetrated by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in the past few years.

Prominent farmers leader and Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Mission President Kishore Tiwari, who holds minister of state status, has filed a PIL after Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan and others were let off the hook by the NCB in the infamous raid – on board the Cordelia Cruise ship – commanded by the then Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede.

“The Hon’ble Supreme Court should institute a high-level judicial enquiry into the malafide style, approach and affairs of the NCB at Mumbai, and its officials targeting film celebrity and few models since last two years, now established upon absolute clean chit given to Aryan Khan by the NCB,” said Tiwari in his plea.

This is the second such appeal by Tiwari to the apex court after the first one on October 18, 2021, seeking to highlight how the fundamental rights of Aryan Khan and other “soft targets” – trapped by the NCB after the raids sparked off an embarrassing controversy – were infringed.

“Now, as the NCB itself has given complete clean chit to the innocent people who were first implicated in a false case by abusing the position… as such unfortunate incidents of abuse of powers and authority by NCB is a matter of grave concern for law-abiding citizens of the country..”, said the PIL

Tiwari further argued that the SC’s intervention was necessary to safeguard “the public faith and confidence” in the law enforcement agencies of India like the NCB.

He claimed that in recent times, the NCB is abusing its position and trying to deprive the basic human rights of persons like Aryan Khan or others, accused under the NDPS Act, put them behind bars illegally, and subjected them to immense public humiliation.

Referring to Wankhede, who was removed from his position – with grave allegations levelled against him on various counts from different quarters including by state Minister Nawab Malik – for selectively and vindictively targeting rich persons or celebrities like Aryan Khan ostensibly to “uproot the citadel of drugs in Bollywood”.

Tiwari added that now with the absolute clean chit given to Aryan Khan and others, “its crystal clear that it was a big game of abuse of power and authority” by Wankhede against whom allegations of “extortion” also came up, and all this needs to be probed independently by the apex court under Article 139/142 of the Constitution.

The NCB had taken note of these and shunted Wankhede to his parent department for allegedly “running an extortion racket with the help of politically influenced people linked to the ruling party” (Bharatiya Janata Party), and reportedly acquiring huge assets or properties disproportionate to his known sources of income, etc.

Tiwari’s PIL comes even as Wankhede was given a fresh transfer to a posting in Chennai, and more revelations of the case details emerged from the NCB’S voluminous charge sheet filed before a special court last week.

Crime

Mumbai Crime: CBI Arrests Long-Absconding Bank Fraud Accused After 21 Years

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Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has successfully arrested the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot, a proclaimed offender in a high-value bank fraud case, pursuant to sustained and meticulous efforts made by the investigating team.

The case was registered on 31.05.2004 for defrauding Bank of Baroda. It was alleged that the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot, had dishonestly applied for housing loan by the use of forged and fabricated documents.

Charge Sheet Filed in 2007, Accused Remained Untraceable

After completion of investigation, a charge sheet was filed in the case on 30.04.2007, making the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot as one of the conspirators for cheating and defrauding the Bank of Baroda. The accused failed to join the trial or respond to summons/warrants and was untraceable since 2024.

Multiple Non-Bailable Warrants (NBWs) were issued against him. Finally, on 09.12.2024, the Hon. Special Judge for CBI, Greater Bombay ordered to issue Proclamation warrant against him. Despite sustained efforts over the time to trace him, the absconding accused had remained untraceable.

Absconding Accused Frequently Changed Residences

The accused Dinesh D. Gehlot had frequently changed residences. He had misled the local residents about his real identity and had maintained minimal interaction with locals, further hindering efforts to trace him.

CBI Employs Advanced Technology to Locate Accused

The CBI through the deployment of advanced technological tools and identity-tracking databases, meticulously analyzed the digital footprint of the absconding accused to ascertain his current identity and location. Supplemented by extensive field investigations and on-ground inquiries, the CBI team successfully located the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot in Noida.

Accused Apprehended and Remanded to Judicial Custody

Pursuant to his identification, the accused Dinesh D. Gehlot was apprehended on 20.08.2025 and produced before the Competent Court at Mumbai, which remanded him to judicial custody for the purpose of further trial proceedings. The accused is presently undergoing trial.

CBI Highlights Technology and Persistence in Law Enforcement

“This case is a classic example of how the integration of technology-driven intelligence platforms with the persistent and coordinated efforts of investigating officers on the ground can substantially augment the operational capabilities of law enforcement agencies in tracing and apprehending long-absconding offenders,” said a CBI official.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Rains: Vasai Streets Turn White As Milk Shop Stock Spills Into Floodwater

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Mumbai: In a bizarre and rare scene, the flooded streets of Vasai turned completely white after an entire milk shop’s stock spilt into the waterlogged roads on Wednesday. The unusual incident occurred due to heavy rainfall and waterlogging in the area, leaving locals stunned as the streets began to resemble a river of milk.

At the start of this week, Mumbai and several parts of Maharashtra witnessed heavy rains, leading to severe waterlogging in many areas. During this period, a video surfaced online showing a remarkable scene of a waterlogged road in Vasai completely turned white.

A video of the incident went viral on Instagram, shared by the accounts @unexplored_vasai and @nalasoparamerijaan_, drawing widespread attention. It showed the condition of the road, with gallons of milk mixed with the floodwater and flowing through the streets. The unusual visuals shocked many people on social media.

In another news story related to the Mumbai rains, flash floods caused by relentless rainfall on August 19 brought devastation to an animal shelter in Vasai’s Naigaon area. The JJ Foster Home (Jeet & Juhi) and Wagging Hearts Foundation, run by 20-year-old student and animal rescuer Jeet Bhatti, suffered a tragic loss, two dogs and three cats died in the flooding.

The shelter was home to 28 dogs and 63 cats, along with six stray animals kept in a temporary structure nearby. A disturbing video that has gone viral shows the heartbreaking condition of the shelter, with several helpless animals struggling in the rising water.

Bhatti, who has been rescuing animals since his teenage years, described the situation as “heartbreaking,” saying, “The animals were terrified and under immense stress. Even though our house was built a couple of feet above ground, the water rose nearly four feet inside.” He blamed the disaster on unchecked construction, destruction of mangroves, record-breaking rainfall, and high tides.

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Maharashtra

Bombay HC Orders SRA To Issue Commencement Certificate For Vile Parle Slum Redevelopment, Raps Officials For Delay

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Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has come down heavily on the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and other officials for allegedly stalling a slum redevelopment project at Vile Parle, Mumbai, and directed them to issue a commencement certificate (CC) to Sateri Builders & Developers LLP.

Court Clears Builder’s Plea

A bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Arif Doctor on Friday allowed the writ petition filed by Sateri Builders and a slum society, Shree Gurukrupa SRA CHS, challenging repeated obstructions to the project. The bench noted that despite the project having been cleared earlier by the court and the Supreme Court, the authorities were still raising fresh objections.

Redevelopment Dispute Since 2020
The dispute relates to a plot and an adjoining D.P. Road plot on Dayaldas Road, which the developer was appointed to redevelop under a Slum Rehabilitation Scheme in November 2020. The SRA had granted a Letter of Intent (LOI) and Intimation of Approval (IOA) in May 2022 after directing the developer to also accommodate persons affected by the road widening (PAPs).

However, some slum dwellers and a rival developer allegedly backed by a local MLA, Parag Alavani (respondent 9), challenged the approvals. Though the Apex Grievance Redressal Committee (AGRC) initially set aside the LOI in July 2022, the high court reinstated it in April 2024, and the apex court upheld that order in May 2024.

Petitioners Accuse MLA of Interference

Society’s advocates Mayur Khandeparkar and Rishi Bhatt too submitted that the project was unnecessarily being stalled due to interference by Alavani.

Developers Claim Project Stymied

Senior advocate Anil Sakhare and advocate Yogesh Sankpal, appearing for the builder, argued that “the entire redevelopment was being systematically stymied at every stage solely due to the interference of Respondent No. 9, acting in support of a rival developer.”

He pointed out that the SRA even issued a fresh notice on July 31, 2025, asking for another proposal for the D.P. Road plot despite its inclusion already being approved and upheld.

Court Pulls Up SRA for Abdicating Duty

The court observed: “It would indeed reflect a most sorry state of affairs when any statutory authority abdicates its statutory duties on account of any extraneous or extrajudicial intervention… Respondent No. 2 (SRA) appears to have done so in the present case.”

State Defends Housing Minister’s Role

Advocate General Birendra Saraf, appearing for the state, clarified that the Housing Minister “merely held a meeting and has not issued any binding directions nor any decision was taken,” and that the SRA must act independently.

HC Orders CC to Be Issued Without Delay

Noting that the builder had complied with its obligations, including rent deposits for PAPs, the court said there was “absolutely no reason” to withhold the CC. It directed the authorities to “complete the procedure and issue the CC” and restrained them from entertaining “any complaints and/or interference from Respondents 8 (Pagrani Universal Infrastructure Pvt Ltd, another developer) and 9 insofar as they pertain to the present slum scheme.”

The court emphasized that the Slums Act is a welfare legislation enacted to improve the living conditions of persons compelled to reside in slums, in poverty, filth and squalor.

“The primary object of the Slums Act is to ensure that slum dwellers are protected from eviction without rehabilitation and are provided with decent, secure, and hygienic housing/living conditions,” the bench added.

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