Crime
SC closes PIL against alarming rise in lynchings, mob violence
New Delhi, Feb 11: The Supreme Court on Tuesday disposed of a PIL seeking directions to DGPs of states to take immediate action in lynching and mob violence cases in accordance with the directions of the apex court and added that the directions in the Tehseen Poonawalla vs. Union of India case were binding on all authorities across India.
A Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.Vinod Chandran opined that sitting in the national Capital, it cannot monitor incidents in different areas of different states across the country.
“Sitting in Delhi, we cannot monitor incidents in different areas of the country and in our view such micromanagement would not be feasible,” said the Justice Gavai-led Bench.
It added that the directions laid down by the top court in the case of Tehseen Poonawalla vs. Union of India, are binding on all authorities across the country under Article 141 of the Constitution.
In its 2018 judgment in the Poonawalla case, the Supreme Court had directed designation of nodal officer in each district for taking measures to prevent incidents of mob violence and lynching.
“The Director General of Police/the Secretary, Home Department of the concerned states shall take regular review meetings (at least once a quarter) with all the Nodal Officers and State Police Intelligence heads,” it had ordered.
In its order, the Justice Gavai-led Bench stated that an aggrieved person can always seek remedy in accordance with the law, clarifying that the apex court cannot lay down any uniform criteria for the grant of compensation to the victims of mob lynching incidents since the quantum of compensation ought to be decided on a case to case basis.
Further, the apex court refused to examine the validity of cow protection laws introduced in several states, suggesting the litigants to approach the jurisdictional High Court.
“It will be appropriate that persons who are aggrieved approach jurisdictional High Courts to challenge the vires of the legislations/notifications,” the SC said.
During the course of hearing, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, the second-highest law officer of the Centre, submitted that mob lynching is a distinct offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and if there is any violation, the law will take its own course.
In an earlier hearing, the top court had pulled up the state governments of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Bihar for not filing their counter-affidavits.
“We clarify that in the event counter affidavits are not filed by the above-mentioned states, the Chief Secretaries of the said states shall remain personally present in the court on the next date of hearing to show cause as to why an action should not be taken against them for non-compliance of the orders of the court,” it had said in an order passed on November 5, 2024.
Earlier in April last year, the apex court had granted six weeks to various state governments to file their reply detailing the action taken in cases of lynchings and mob violence.
“It was expected of the state governments to at least respond and give details as to what action has been taken in respect of the said instances (of lynchings and mob violence). We, therefore, grant six weeks’ time to all the state governments – who have not yet filed their affidavits – to file their counter-reply and give an explanation as to what action has been taken by the states in respect of incidents mentioned in the writ petition or interlocutory applications,” the SC had said.
In July 2023, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and the Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Maharashtra governments. Later, all state governments were added as parties in the PIL on an application moved by Islamic clerics’ organisation Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind. The plea prayed for a minimum uniform compensation to be determined by the court that should be granted to the victims or their families in addition to the amount determined by the authorities.
“In most cases, minimal action of merely registering FIRs is the only thing that is done by the authorities which seems to be more of a formality than any genuine initiation of the criminal machinery,” the plea said.
Crime
Mumbai Property Owner Alleges Forged Rent Receipts Submitted To Electricity Department; FIR Registered In Colaba

Mumbai: A property owner from Pydhonie has alleged that two tenants submitted forged rent receipts to the electricity department to obtain benefits and falsely establish tenancy rights, following which a criminal case was registered at Colaba Police Station.
According to FIR, Complainant Mohammed Ali Abdul Kadar Patel (51), a businessman residing at Nakida Street, Motiwala Building, Pydhonie, he has been engaged in the property business.
Patel stated that on February 12, 2026, PSI Rohini Dhere contacted him on his mobile phone and called him to Colaba Police Station in connection with an inquiry regarding a complaint filed by him against Anis Umar Wadia and his mother Ruksana Umar Wadia.
Patel said that in November 2021, he had purchased the property located at “13/15, Motiwala Manzil, Kolsa Street, opposite Pydhonie Police Station, Mumbai” from Ajay Hiralal Parakh and others. At the time of purchase, the previous owners allegedly handed over tenant lists and other relevant documents to him. After the transaction, the previous owners issued a “Letter of Attornment” dated November 18, 2021, informing all tenants that Patel had become the new landlord of the property.
Patel further stated that in December 2021, he sent letters by post to all tenants seeking Know Your Tenant (KYT) details. In response, Anis Wadia, son of late tenant Umar Hasan Wadia, visited his office and submitted a written application along with supporting documents. Anis allegedly informed Patel that their surname was “Wadia” and not “Wadhwa” as reflected in the tenant records, and requested correction in the tenant list.
The documents submitted allegedly included old rent receipts from 2020, Aadhaar card and death certificate of Umar Hasan Wadia, ration card copies, electricity bills, Aadhaar cards of Ruksana Wadia, Anis Wadia, and his brother Yunus Wadia, along with a list of family members residing in the premises.
During verification of the documents, Patel claimed he noticed discrepancies as the Wadia family was occupying Room Nos. 13 and 14, whereas their electricity bill and ration card mentioned Room No. 7. When questioned about the discrepancy, Anis allegedly replied that the room number had been reflected in that manner since earlier times. Patel stated that he had instructed him to get the records corrected at the earliest.
Patel also stated that after taking over the building, he renamed “Motiwala Manzil” as “Patel Mansion” and from May 2022 onwards started issuing printed rent receipts to all tenants under the new building name. He said rent receipts for Rooms 13 and 14 continued to be issued in the name of late Umar Hasan Wadia.
According to Patel, he later corresponded with the office of the Divisional Engineer, Consumer Service, B-Ward, Electric House, Colaba, regarding consumer records linked to the premises. He alleged that Ruksana Umar Wadia and Anis Umar Wadia prepared forged and fabricated rent receipts for their wrongful gain and submitted the same before the electricity department authorities. Based on his complaint, an FIR has been registered against
Ruksana Umar Wadia and Anis Umar Wadia Colaba Police Station and further investigation is underway.
Crime
Heartwrenching! Newborn Baby Found Dead In Pile Of Garbage Near Chembur | Disturbing Visuals Surface

Mumbai: A horrific incident has come to light from Mumbai’s Chembur area, where the body of a newborn baby was found in a pile of garbage. The shocking incident took place near Navjeevan Society.
A video of the incident was shared by mumbai.insight on its official Instagram handle. Visuals showed a team of police officers and forensic department officials present at the site near the barricaded area.
According to the report, an investigation has been launched into the case. Police will scan CCTV footage to identify and arrest the person responsible for this inhumane tragedy. The forensic department will conduct a post-mortem to determine the cause of the infant’s death.
Meanwhile, just a few days back, a newborn baby girl was found abandoned on a footpath near Victoria School in Mahim. The infant was discovered behind a water tanker and was immediately rushed to Sion Hospital, where she is currently undergoing treatment and reported to be in stable condition.
Last year in November, Media reported a story where activists stated that around 10 to 15 cases of newborn abandonment occur in Mumbai every year, though the real number could be higher as many cases go unreported. In 2026, Mumbai witnessed a disturbing rise in cases of newborns being found abandoned across various parts of the city.
Activists said that lack of awareness, social stigma, and fear of judgment often lead parents to abandon their babies unsafely instead of seeking legal help. Notably, under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, parents who cannot care for their newborns can legally surrender them to any authorised adoption agency or Child Welfare Committee (CWC) office.
Crime
Bombay HC Dismisses Plea By Sohrabuddin Shaikh’s Brothers, Upholds Acquittal Of 22 Accused In 2005 Fake Encounter Case, Rejects Retrial Demand.

Mumbai: The Bombay HC on Thursday dismissed the appeal challenging acquittals of all the 22 accused in the 2005 alleged fake encounter case of gangster Sohrabuddin Shaikh and his aide Tulsiram Prajapati.
A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad on Thursday dismissed the appeal filed by Sohrabuddin’s brothers, Rubabuddin and Nayabuddin Shaikh challenging the special court’s verdict of 2018 acquitting all the accused. The detailed order however would be available subsequently.
Sohrabuddin’s brother had in April 2019 approached the HC against the special court’s judgment, acquitting all the accused. The appeal filed by Sohrabuddin’s brothers claimed that the trial was flawed. It cited instances where witnesses later claimed that their testimonies were not accurately recorded by the trial court. The appeal sought for the judgment to be quashed and for a retrial in the case.
Interestingly, the prosecuting agency, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has not filed an appeal against the acquittal. During the hearing in the appeal on October 8, 2025, Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, representing the CBI, had informed the HC that the agency has accepted the verdict by the special CBI court, Mumbai, acquitting all the 22 accused, and will not be challenging the same.
The special court, in December 2018, acquitted all the 22 accused, citing insufficient evidence and prosecution’s failure to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. It observed that the prosecution had failed to establish a cogent case to suggest there had been any conspiracy to kill Sohrabuddin and the others, and that the present accused persons had any role in it. The court also the CBI had failed to prove there existed any nexus between these officers and the local politicians, some of whom were also accused in the case.
Sohrabuddin, alleged to be a gangster, was killed in November 2006 in an encounter near Ahmedabad by the Gujarat police. His wife Kausar Bi was also allegedly killed. Later in December 2006, Prajapati, who was considered as a key eyewitness, was killed in another alleged encounter.
The Supreme Court then handed over the probe to the CBI and transferred the trial in the case to a special CBI court in Mumbai.
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