A 15-year-old minor girl was brutally gang-raped in Mumbai Powai area by six men, officials said on Saturday, adding that all accused have been arrested within 24 hours of the incident.

“Within just 24 hours of receiving the victim’s complaint, Mumbai Police teams conducted raids at various locations and apprehended all the accused,” officials said.

According to the police, the incident took place between October 27 and 28.

The main accused, along with four of his associates, lured the minor to an open, deserted plot located behind a bakery shop on Saki Vihar Road, where the accused allegedly sexually assaulted the victim, officials said in a statement.

Following the incident, the perpetrators threatened the victim, warning her that if she reported the matter to the police or her family, they would circulate her photographs on social media.

“In a separate, related incident, another accused intercepted the victim near a pipeline in Powai, where he molested and sexually harassed her,” officials said.

After facing the brutal assault, on the morning of October 29, the traumatised victim, with the help of her family, reached the Powai Police Station and recounted the ordeal, according to the officials.

“Recognising the gravity of the situation, the police immediately registered an FIR under Sections 64(1) and 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Additionally, charges under Sections 4, 8, and 12 of the POCSO Act have been invoked,” police said.

According to the investigators, none of the six arrested individuals has a prior criminal record.

Meanwhile, the victim has been sent to KEM Hospital in Mumbai for a medical examination.

“A thorough investigation into the case is currently underway under the supervision of senior police personnel,” officials said.

Further details are awaited.

In a crackdown against cyber fraud, the ED collected digital evidence and seized Rs 6.40 lakh in cash and froze 11 bank accounts with a balance of Rs 14 lakh during search operations at three premises in Hyderabad, an official said on Friday.

The Directorate of Enforcement, Kochi Zonal Office, conducted searches in Hyderabad on October 28, 2026, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The searches were at the premises related to Allamraju Satyanarayana Murthy and were conducted in connection with a cyber fraud case registered at Ernakulam, the official said in a statement.

The ED investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the Cyber Police Station, Ernakulam.

As per the FIR, the complaint was lodged by Nimesh alleging that he was induced by the accused through telephonic communications and chat messages using the Telegram app to make investments by promising high returns, the ED said.

It was represented to the complainant that he would secure high returns by trading through the website www.capitalix.com, it said.

Accordingly, the accused deceived the complainant into transferring an aggregate sum of Rs 24,76 crore in several instalments to various bank accounts maintained by or under the control of the accused, it said.

Thereafter, the accused failed to return either the assured profits or the principal sum so received, thereby committing cheating and criminal breach of trust, causing wrongful loss to the complainant, it said.

The investigation revealed that the complainant was cheated of Rs 26.02 crore during the period from May 23, 2023, to May 27, 2024. After receiving the money, the accused transferred it to various mule accounts operated by them, the ED said.

The layering was done deliberately to avoid detection of the source of funds. Investigation revealed that one Allamraju Satyanarayana Murthy floated several entities in the name of his family members and employees from which funds were layered, it said.

These entities included BTR Industries, Velugu Trading Company, Aasritha Mega Solutions Pvt Ltd., Aasritha Infra Projects and Aasritha Infra Projects Pvt Ltd, it said.

The ED said a Villa Project in Hyderabad was launched in the name of Aasritha Infra Projects and Aasritha Infra Projects Pvt Ltd. The accused has acquired multiple immovable properties from the Proceeds of Crime, the ED said.

During the search, incriminating evidence in the form of documents and digital evidence was seized. The ED said it also identified immovable properties, plots and a villa, valued at about Rs 5 crore.

Two men were arrested in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district for running a WhatsApp group through which they shared information about the movements of government officials with people involved in illegal mining, helping them to evade checks by authorities, officials said on Friday.

The Bhavnagar Local Crime Branch (LCB) arrested the accused on October 29 after the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Bhavnagar Rural suspected that they were keeping watch on the movements of government officials from near the old Collector’s office.

According to the police, the two men were allegedly operating a WhatsApp group named ‘Jai Ramadhani’, to which they had added people involved in illegal mineral excavation and transportation.

They monitored the movement of vehicles used by the SDM and other government officials and relayed information through audio messages in the group.

“The accused allegedly charged each member Rs 1,000 a month for sharing information about the officials’ movements,” the police said.

The SDM alerted the police after suspecting that the two men, who were sitting near the entrance of the old Collector’s office, were keeping watch on his movements and those of other officials to help people involved in illegal mining evade enforcement action.

An LCB team reached the spot and detained the two men. During questioning, they allegedly admitted to running the WhatsApp group and sharing information about the movement of government officials with its members.

The SDM, M D Parmar, subsequently lodged a complaint at Nilambaug police station, following which an offence was registered. The accused were handed over to the police station for further investigation.

The arrested men have been identified as Bhagirathsinh Vala, a resident of Shramjivi Society near Shivaji Circle in Bhavnagar, and Rohit Rathod, a resident of Ruva village on Airport Road. The police seized a motorcycle and a mobile phone from them.

“The operation was carried out by the LCB under Inspector H B Chauhan, with Sub-Inspectors R A Vadher, V C Jadeja, P D Zala and V B Chaudhary, along with other personnel,” officials said.

The operation followed instructions from senior officials to identify those involved in illegal mining and those allegedly helping operators evade government officials.