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Sameer Wankhede: NCB scarecrow cooks up Bollywood’s “shraadh”

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 “Lights, Cameras… Raid…!” When the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede planned a rave party raid aboard the Cordelia Cruise luxury ship, one thing was guaranteed — tonnes of publicity, even if the actual drug recovery maybe a few tolas.

For, among those present on the ship on October 2 was Aryan Khan, the son of Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan and producer Gauri, besides a few others from the glam-entertainment world.

Truly, a ‘heady’ ambience for the NCB’s high-profile operation, a first-ever on a luxury cruiser in India, and he effected a big haul of big names, but barely any worthwhile quantity of drugs.

Amid a national furore and international attention, Wankhede zoomed around to catch a total of 20 alleged junkies by their collars and dumping them in the lockup, all the while basking in the reflected glory.

In the past over a year since Wankhede, 42, (IRS 2008), was deputed to the IPS-dominated NCB for the late Sushant Singh Rajput death probe — he jumped head-first with surgical strikes to “uproot the drug citadel in Bollywood and Mumbai”.

Many well-known names like Arjun Rampal, Rhea Chakravorty, Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor, Rakul Preet Singh, Sara Ali Khan, comedy couple Bharti Singh and Harsh Limbachiya, Armaan Kohli and the latest, Aryan Khan, were trapped in his net, and at one point he even went tantalisingly close to the Karan Johar’s ‘girebaan’ (collar).

Earlier, during his stint at the Mumbai Airport Customs, Wankhede dabbled in his favourite glamour game — cornering/detaining people like Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma, Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Mika Singh, Minisha Lamba, Vivek Oberoi, Ram Gopal Verma, etc., and once even the 2011 World Cup Cricket Trophy made of gold-silver, which was ‘released’ after the BCCI coughed out the customs duty!

A far cry from the days when the NCB was a ghost, its name rarely heard in public — like the 2001 arrest of actor Fardeen Khan — compared with the daily parade of a charade now, akin to a ‘saas-bahu serial’.

If Wankhede was hoping for a pat or promotion, there was some disappointment — this time suddenly chinks were exposed both in the anti-drug actions and intentions, the NCB’s reputation in tatters — and the hunter became the hunted.

The name dreaded by Bollywood suddenly came under intense scrutiny as the Nationalist Congress Party Minister Nawab Malik single-handedly snooped on the super-sleuth — to hammer hollow the NCB’s credibility.

Like a thirsty bloodhound, the bearded, bespectacled Malik coolly launched a serial expose to prove Wankhede’s actions as ‘farjical’ (fraudulent) strikes — unearthing Bharatiya Janata Party-linked ‘independent witnesses’, his unsavoury friends, a wanted-nabbed criminal, alleged fake caste certificate, religious credentials, etc., that rattled the officer.

As Aryan Khan remained in a vice-like grip for 29 nights, Wankhede spent sleepless nights, ran from one NCB probe to another, knocked the doors of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, the DGP Sanjay Pandey, Mumbai CoP Hemant Nagrale, the NCSC, the Special NDPS Court and the Bombay High Court.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi government has cried foul at Wankhede’s unceremonial attempts to perform Bollywood’s last rites and exorcise it’s spirit to other glamour-parched locales like Gujarat or Uttar Pradesh.

Some politicians like Shiv Sena’s Kishore Tiwari have accused him of a ‘danga’ targeting film personalities to help perch his wife Kranti Redkar-Wankhede — a Marathi actress — as Bollywood barely beckons.

There are other dubious firsts — how crucial ‘witnesses’ are bared in public glare which can seriously hamper the NCB’s usually covert and sensitive operations with global ramifications henceforth, the unprecedented witness allegations of extortion bids with Wankhede’s name tossed, or the accusations and probes he faces now from various quarters.

As is common knowledge, the real ‘drug bunkers’ are not in Bollywood, but on the outskirts of Mumbai and the NCB’s overzealous James Bonds could take up the tough challenge instead of ‘boo-ing’ soft targets in the glamour-industry.

A grim Malik has warned of more aces up his ‘kurta’ sleeve, vowing that “picture abhi baaki hai”, will end only after Wankhede’s sack and jail.

With many BJP leaders openly supporting him, only time will tell if Wankhede is a political puppet or a pure patriot.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)

Maharashtra

Mumbai: Complaints related to potholes should be resolved within 24 hours, road blockages should be removed after concreting is completed: Municipal Commissioner

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The water level in the dams supplying water to Mumbai has reduced. The Meteorological Department has also predicted a delayed arrival of rains. In this context, all the wells in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region should be inspected immediately and their current condition should be assessed. The silt and garbage present in the wells should be removed and cleaned. A system for recharging rainwater should be established. Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide directed that in collaboration with local corporators, coordination should be established with housing societies in the area of ​​the wells and they should be encouraged to use water from these wells. The process of cleaning drains should continue even during the monsoon. Complaints regarding potholes should be remedied within 24 hours of receipt. Bhede also directed that radars, other materials and road blocks should be removed immediately after the completion of cement concreting of roads. The monthly review meeting of various departments of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation was held today (June 11, 2026) at the Municipal Corporation Headquarters. Additional Municipal Commissioner (Western Suburbs) Dr. Vipin Sharma, Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Dr. Ashwini Joshi, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijeet Bangar, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Eastern Suburbs) Dr. Avinash Dhakane, Joint Commissioner (Vigilance) Dr. M. Devendra Singh, Joint Commissioner of Police (Transport) Mr. Satyanarayan Chaudhary, Deputy Commissioner (Municipal Commissioner Office) Mr. Prashant Gaikwad were present on the occasion. Apart from this, all the Joint Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, Heads of Departments were also present in this meeting.

Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide said that for proper management of water resources in Mumbai, it is necessary to restore traditional sources of water and use alternative sources. Due to increasing population and climate change, water management has become difficult. Latest information about all government, public and private wells and boreholes in Mumbai should be collected by the Assistant Commissioners of all administrative departments (wards). Their use should be ensured during the repair of wells. Private housing societies should take the initiative and use this water. Mrs. Bhide also said that the local corporator, administration and housing society should coordinate for this.

Necessary improvements should be made in engineering at accident-prone (black spot) places

All the concerned agencies should take special care that the traffic flow remains smooth and uninterrupted during the rainy season. Necessary planning and measures to avoid traffic congestion should be implemented in constant coordination with the traffic police. Accident prone (black spots) places should be identified and necessary engineering improvements should be made there immediately. Also, an effective action plan should be prepared to reduce the number and severity of accidents by determining priorities. It should be strictly implemented. Strict measures should be taken to prevent unauthorized parking on both sides of the roads. Public awareness and incentive activities should be implemented so that the public parking lots of the civic and residential municipal corporations are used to the maximum. A special campaign should be launched in collaboration with the traffic police and the transport department to remove abandoned and long-standing vehicles from the roads. Planned measures should be implemented according to the local situation to avoid traffic congestion around schools, hospitals and other important government institutions. Mrs. Ashwini Bhide directed that all the concerned departments should work in coordination to provide a safe, convenient and fast transport system to the citizens.

Planned and effective measures should be implemented to reduce flood points

Reviewing the river and drain cleaning works, Mrs. Ashwini Bhide said that 112 percent of the silt has been removed from major drains, 115 percent from small drains and about 84 percent from Mithi River as compared to the set targets. However, drain cleaning works are in progress at some places in Zone 5 and should be completed immediately. Assistant Commissioners of all administrative divisions should visit drains, storm water channels and flood-affected areas in their divisions and review the work regularly. The campaign to remove floating waste from drains should be continued without interruption and it should be ensured that the drain cleaning work continues continuously even during the rainy season. Planned and effective measures should be implemented in their respective departments to reduce ‘flood points’ (water accumulation areas). Effective coordination should be made with Metro, Railways and other concerned agencies to ensure that pre-monsoon preparations are completed in their areas of responsibility. Also, if new or artificial water storage areas have been created due to development works or other reasons, they should be removed immediately. Manhole covers on underground sewers and storm water channels should be thoroughly inspected and covers that are broken, loose or pose a threat to the safety of citizens should be replaced.

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Maharashtra

Kankoli Police’s strange business proved murder as accidental death, Mumbai Crime Branch turns it into murder, four accused arrested, two absconding

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Mumbai: The strange business of Sindhudurg Kankoli Police was to convert a five-year-old murder into an accidental death and make the deceased an accused in the charge sheet, but the Mumbai Crime Branch has revived the mystery by declaring this accidental death as murder and has also claimed to have arrested four accused.

The Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested four accused, claiming to have solved the mystery of a five-year-old murder case, which the accused had succeeded in declaring as an accidental death and the police had also declared it an accident and had made the deceased an accused in the road accident. The Mumbai Crime Branch had received information that the accused who committed the murder in Sindhudurg was residing in Mumbai, after which the Crime Branch has solved the murder case after five years. The accused had killed Ashfaq Malani in Sindhudurg in 2021, after which his accomplices threw the body into the ghat and proved the murder to be an accidental death. But later, a secret information was received that some people from Mumbai had committed the murder in Sindhudurg, on this basis, the Crime Branch took action and arrested the accused. The accused were in a dispute over money. Ashfaq was taken to Omkar Deluxe Hotel in Sindhudurg by his associates and killed. After that, the body was put in an ambulance and hidden. To prove the accident, the motorcycle was also thrown into the ghat. Along with it, the mobile phone was also recovered from there. The police found the body after 22 days and the police registered an ADR. The police had also filed a charge sheet in it, but the murder was revealed after five years. The accused have also confessed to the crime during the investigation. The accused had opened a loan office and after that, they used to collect fees from people by luring them to provide loans. In this case, the police have arrested four accused, while two accused are still said to be absconding. DCP Crime Branch Detection Nonath Dhule said that the murder was committed due to a dispute over money of Rs 1.5 to 2 lakhs. All these accused used to provide loans in the name of loan apps. During the investigation of the Crime Branch, the accused have confessed to the murder. The four accused have been identified as Manoj Narayan, Surendra Chavan, Atish Bhagwan More and Shetty. All four have been arrested and handed over to the Kankoli police, while two accused Amit Raut, Manoj Bhandari are still absconding. The DCP said that to prove this case as an accident, the accused had left all the documents including the victim’s motorcycle at the scene so that there would be no doubt that this was not an accident but a murder.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Goregaon bridge quality and quality of construction in 48 hours alleged, video of asphalt being torn off goes viral on social media, opposition criticizes BMC

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Mumbai: A video of the tarmac of a bridge collapsing in just 48 hours in Goregaon, Mumbai, has gone viral, raising questions about the quality of the bridge and allegations of corruption in its construction. Mumbai’s poor infrastructure has once again come under scrutiny. It has not even been 48 hours since the inauguration of the Rs 248 crore Murnilathai Flyover in Goregaon that serious questions have started being raised about its quality. The 750-metre-long flyover took eight years to complete, but the ground reality tells a different story. A special ground report revealed that the tarmac had collapsed at several places, and the construction quality is also poor. Public anger has erupted on social media and demands for accountability regarding the quality of the multi-crore project have gained momentum. BMC Mayor Ritu Tawde inaugurated the bridge two days ago, but its fort has opened in two days. Questions are being raised about the quality of work on the Mrinaltai flyover. When asked about the poor work on the Mrinaltai bridge, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawade said that the bridge has not been given the final touches, while its quality is not poor, while on the other hand, the opposition has started criticizing the ruling party regarding the work on the bridge.

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