Thane: A 34-year-old man from Navi Mumbai was allegedly cheated of Rs 32 lakh with a promise of a job at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), police said on Monday.

The Vashi police have registered a case against Rishabh Rajesh Mhatre, a resident of Uran, under sections 318(4) (cheating) and 336(3) (forgery) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), an official said.

He said that the fraud occurred between March and December 2024 when the alleged accused lured the complainant, a resident of Ulwe, with an offer for the post of “Export Assistant Manager” at JNPT, and created and presented forged documents related to the recruitment process.

Over several months, the complainant was coerced into paying a total of Rs 32 lakh in instalments, and the complainant realised he had been duped when the job did not materialise, the official said.

No arrest has been made so far, and a probe is underway, he added.

New Delhi, Dec 29: AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to stay the operation of the Delhi High Court order that had suspended the life sentence and granted bail to expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case, stating that the intervention sends a strong message that crimes against women and children will not be treated lightly.

Taking to social media platform X, Maliwal said: “Welcome the decision of the Hon’ble Supreme Court staying the High Court order granting bail and suspending the sentence of convicted MLA Kuldeep Sengar.”

“In a case marked by extreme brutality against a minor, justice must be uncompromising. This intervention sends a strong message that crimes against women and children will not be treated lightly,” she added.

In its order, a three-judge Supreme Court bench said: “We are conscious of the fact that when a convict or an undertrial has been released, such orders are not ordinarily stayed by this court without hearing such persons. But in view of peculiar facts, where the convict is also convicted for a separate offence, we stay the operation of the Delhi High Court.”

The bench, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and comprising Justices J.K. Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, issued notice to Sengar in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) plea and directed that a counter-affidavit be filed within four weeks.

The apex court clarified that Sengar will not be released pursuant to the impugned Delhi High Court’s order.

The CJI-led Bench agreed to examine the submission of Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, who argued that the Delhi High Court’s interpretation would mean a police constable could be treated as a “public servant” under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, while a member of the legislature would stand excluded.

Appearing for the CBI, SG Mehta said the Delhi High Court “erred” in concluding that a legislator would not fall within the category of a “public servant” for the award of sentence.

Placing on record the trial court’s conviction order, the Centre’s second-highest law officer highlighted that the victim was below 16 years of age — approximately 15 years and 10 months — at the time the offence of rape was committed on her.

Mumbai: Amid the seat-sharing talks between the Shiv Sena UBT and MNS is ongoing, Raj Thackeray has urged party workers not to be demoralised by the discussions and said that the focus should rather remain on safeguarding Mumbai rather than getting drawn into a “numbers game.” The statement comes as the MNS chief addressed the party leaders in Bandra today, December 29.

While addressing the party workers, Raj Thackeray said, “Don’t be upset about how much space someone got. Self-interest is trivial compared to the welfare of the Marathi people. Don’t look at anyone’s personal self-interest. There is a responsibility to save Mumbai. Unite to crush others’ dreams.

After the Sena UBT and MNS formally announced an alliance ahead of the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections scheduled for 2026, the leaders did not disclose details of their seat-sharing arrangement, stating that the formula would be announced at an appropriate time.

Explaining the secrecy, Raj Thackeray remarked, “There is a gang of kidnappers that has caused a menace in Maharashtra. They have been kidnapping political people from their parties, too. Hence, we are staying wary of them and keeping the numbers under wraps.”

Earlier on Saturday, MNS leaders Bala Nandgaonkar, Nitin Sardesai and Sandeep Deshpande met Uddhav Thackeray to iron out differences over wards in the Mahim assembly segment, which covers areas like Dadar and Prabhadevi where both parties are influential.

While speaking to reporters, Nandgaonkar said some seats had to be exchanged, for which he met Uddhav. Nandgaonkar also said that the party, which has contested all polls independently so far, is new to seat-sharing talks.

The polls are also set to see a new dynamic this BMC polls, as the reunion came after nearly two decades of political rivalry and personal estrangement, majorly altering the city’s political equations. This year, the brothers were first spotted together in July 2025, when they shared a stage at a rally opposing the “imposition of Hindi.” Since then, their families have exchanged visits on several special occasions, including birthdays, Ganpati celebrations, Diwali parties, Bhai Dooj, weddings, and political events.