Mumbai: A Mumbai court on Friday denied bail to the driver of the BEST bus involved in the December 10 accident in Kurla East, which resulted in the deaths of seven persons and injured more than 40.

An electric bus of the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport undertaking had hit several vehicles late night that day on the arterial SG Barve Road, following which driver Sanjay More was arrested under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

More’s bail plea was rejected by Additional Sessions Judge VM Pathade, though a detailed order has not been made available as yet.

In his plea filed through advocate Samadhan Sulane, More had claimed the accident was the result of a mechanical fault in the bus and that he had been unjustly arrested.

The prosecution, however, contended no technical fault was found in the ill-fated bus.

After hearing arguments from both sides, judge Pathade rejected More’s bail plea.

Agartala, Jan 10: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths on Friday conducted raids in Tripura and searched the residence of a police official and premises of several people allegedly involved in drug peddling and money laundering cases, sources said.

The sources said that the ED officials conducted the raids and examined documents and various papers of the persons allegedly involved in the drug business and money laundering.

These raids were mainly conducted in various places of three districts –West Tripura, South Tripura and Sepahijala.

Around 250 security personnel, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans, assisted the ED teams during the raids.

However, the ED has not given official confirmation about the findings of the raids.

According to the sources, the raids were conducted at the offices and residences of several key persons, who run the cross-border rackets from behind and so far remained untouched by the law enforcing agencies.

The ED teams reportedly scrutinise documents, digital evidence and other materials that could provide leads in dismantling the suspected nexus involving drug traffickers and financial offenders.

Though Tripura has become the most important producer of Ganja (marijuana) and a corridor for synthetic drugs like highly addictive methamphetamine tablets, this is the first time in Tripura that such major raids were conducted by the Central agency against the key drug players.

“In Agartala, the ED raided the houses of several illegal drug traders who have been doing the business engaging unemployed and smart semi-educated youths,” the sources said.

According to sources, the ED identified seven persons, including Dhruba Majumdar, an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Tripura Police, in the drug peddling racket. Majumdar is presently posted at the Crime Branch section under the office of the Superintendent of Police, South Tripura district and a resident at Baikhora.

According to the sources, some officials of Tripura Gramin Bank were also involved in the drug trafficking racket with some money trails linked to that bank.

The ED sleuths also summoned some Tripura Gramin Bank officials and questioned them early on Friday.

Meanwhile, just before the 2023 Tripura Assembly elections, the ED conducted raids in different places of West Tripura and Sepahijala districts as part of their investigation relating to drug trafficking cases and seized documents on bank deposits worth Rs 2 crore.

Chandigarh, Jan 10: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday said it has recovered a pistol and heroin dropped by Pakistani drones along the border fence in Punjab.

The BSF said that in two operations, the troops achieved significant success in thwarting cross-border smuggling attempts involving Pakistani drones.

In the first operation, a packet of heroin weighing 520 grams, dropped by a Pakistani drone, was recovered from Khanwal village in Amritsar District.

In the second operation, a PX5 Storm pistol 30 bore along with an empty magazine was recovered from a farming field ahead of the border fence near Rajatal village, also in Amritsar district.

These recoveries highlight the BSF’s prompt action and the alertness of its troops in foiling such smuggling attempts, ensuring the security of the nation, the paramilitary force added.

In 2024, the BSF Punjab Frontier, as a border guarding force, recovered 294 drones, a substantial increase from 107 drones in 2023. Additionally, approximately 283 kg of heroin was seized, four Pakistani intruders were neutralized, and 161 Indian smugglers along with 30 Pakistani nationals were apprehended from the border.

Beyond operational successes, the BSF Punjab also undertook numerous civic action programmes, including medical camps, blood donation camps, pre-recruitment training for defence forces and public outreach initiatives, all of which received widespread acknowledgement and support from the local population.

The year 2024 has been exceptional for the BSF Punjab Frontier, showcasing remarkable achievements in securing the nation’s borders.

With strengthened surveillance and determined efforts against smuggling and drone threats, the BSF Punjab remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the nation against all the threats and challenges, said the officials.

Punjab shares a 553-km barbed-wire fenced international border with Pakistan which is under the vigil of the BSF Punjab. The drug network operates along the Afghanistan-Pakistan-India route.