Navi Mumbai: Panvel City Police have arrested two persons for allegedly murdering a 44-year-old man in the Patel Mohalla area of Panvel following a dispute linked to an alleged extramarital affair, officials said.

The deceased was identified as Salim Anwar Shaikh (44), a resident of Patel Mohalla. According to the police, the accused attacked Shaikh with a sharp weapon and assaulted him over previous enmity on Saturday night near a mosque in the locality.

During the attack, the main accused, Shahnawaz Altaf Shaikh, allegedly stabbed Salim four to five times in the back and also inflicted serious head injuries. The other accused, identified as Salim Khamu Shaikh and Altaf Shaikh, allegedly assaulted him with kicks and punches before fleeing the spot.

Shaikh was rushed to a nearby hospital in a critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment on Sunday morning.

Police said preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was allegedly involved in an extramarital relationship with a woman from the same area. He had reportedly started living with his wife again over the past few days, which allegedly led to tensions between the parties.

Initially, Panvel City Police had registered a case of attempt to murder, but sections related to murder were later added after the victim’s death.

According to investigators, the attack was allegedly carried out due to previous rivalry and anger over the victim’s alleged inappropriate behaviour towards relatives of the woman involved. Police said the woman’s husband, son and their associate were involved in the crime.

A murder case has been registered against three accused, of whom two have been arrested so far. Further investigation is being conducted by Police Sub-Inspector Sanjay Aspadwar.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Centre after petrol prices in Mumbai crossed ₹111 per litre following yet another fuel price hike, the fourth increase in less than two weeks.

Taking a swipe at the soaring rates, Chaturvedi said Mumbai’s petrol prices had now reached the ‘shagun’ figure of Rs 111 and warned that diesel prices in metro cities could soon touch Rs 100 per litre if the current trend continues.

“In Mumbai Petrol price has reached shagun ka 111 number. Diesel reaching 100 in metros in the next price hike… which is likely in the next 24 hours,” Chaturvedi wrote in a post on X.

Her remarks came shortly after state-owned oil companies announced another steep revision in fuel prices amid rising global crude oil rates and escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia.

Today’s revision saw petrol prices rise by Rs 2.61 per litre and diesel by Rs 2.71, taking the cumulative increase since May 15 to nearly Rs 7.5 per litre. With the latest hike, petrol in Mumbai now costs Rs 111.21 per litre, while diesel has climbed to Rs 97.83 per litre, among the highest retail fuel prices in the country.

The latest fuel surge follows earlier hikes on May 15, May 19 and May 23 after oil companies resumed revisions following a prolonged freeze in retail prices. The repeated hikes are expected to significantly impact Mumbai’s daily commuters, cab and auto-rickshaw drivers, transport operators, delivery services and businesses already struggling with rising operational costs.

Officials have attributed the increases to rising international crude oil prices, disruptions in shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and the impact of geopolitical tensions linked to the Iran conflict.

The sharp rise in fuel prices has also intensified political attacks from Opposition parties, who have accused the government of burdening citizens with back-to-back hikes at a time of rising inflation and household expenses.

Mumbai, May 23: In a major crackdown, the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested three alleged criminals who had reportedly arrived in the city to sell illegal foreign-made weapons, officials said on Saturday.

They added that the accused, all from outside Maharashtra, were apprehended during a late-night operation carried out on the basis of specific Intelligence inputs.

According to police officials, credible information was received indicating that certain individuals carrying weapons were on their way to Mumbai.

Acting swiftly on the tip-off, the Crime Branch laid a trap near a public toilet located on P.D. Mello Road close to St. George Hospital.

Around 10:45 P.M. on Friday, the three accused were caught red-handed during the operation.

Police recovered three firearms, magazines and 45 live cartridges from the possession of the accused. Officials said the ammunition and weapons bore the inscription ‘Made in China’.

However, investigators are now trying to determine the actual source and route through which the weapons entered the country, making the origin of the Chinese-marked arms a key aspect of the ongoing probe.

The arrested accused have been identified as 24-year-old Jashanpreet Mangal Singh and 24-year-old Sukhwinder Singh, both residents of Patiala in Punjab, and Arbaz, a resident of Jhalawar in Rajasthan, officials mentioned.

They said all three have serious criminal backgrounds and multiple cases registered against them.

Investigators further revealed that two of the accused had allegedly been absconding since 2022 in connection with a murder case and had been on the radar of law enforcement agencies for a long time. Arbaz alone is stated to have as many as 19 criminal cases registered against him.

According to preliminary investigations, the accused were allegedly planning to supply and sell the weapons to local criminals operating in Mumbai and nearby areas.

Following the arrests, a case under relevant sections of the Arms Act has been registered against them at Mumbai’s M.R.A. Marg Police Station.

Officials said the investigation is now being expanded to uncover the larger network behind the illegal arms supply racket. Police teams are examining all possible links, including whether the accused had any association with the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

The Crime Branch is also trying to establish whether the seized weapons were part of a larger consignment meant for organised criminal groups operating across different states.

Further investigation into the case is currently underway.