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Maharashtra

Shiv Sena(UBT) in ‘Saamana’: After Nasrapur convict sentenced to death, what next?

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Mumbai, June 30: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Tuesday hailed the Special Court’s judgement sentencing the prime accused in the horrific Nasrapur minor assault and murder case to death. It has triggered a massive debate across the state regarding the breakdown of law and order and the growing atmosphere of insecurity for women and children in Maharashtra.

The Thackeray camp, in an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’, said that the verdict provides closure to the victim’s grieving parents; it exposes a larger, more systemic failure. While the ruling administration is expected to tout this case as a major achievement — highlighting how it was fast-tracked to deliver a conviction in just 58 days — the core issue remains unaddressed: Will crimes against women actually decrease?

The Thackeray camp has accused the current dispensation of being preoccupied with corruption, multi-crore scams, exam paper leaks, and political horse-trading, while failing to protect citizens.

The editorial said a series of shocking incidents across major cities highlights this growing crisis. “Once revered as the cultural and educational capital of the state, Pune has now gained notoriety for heinous crimes against women, dowry deaths, the menace of the ‘Koyta (machete) Gang’, brazen murders, and widespread hooliganism. Law and order has reportedly collapsed even in the Chief Minister’s home turf of Nagpur, where cries of victimised women go unheard,” it said.

The editorial further stated that in the Kasheli area of Bhiwandi, a seven-year-old girl was recently subjected to sexual assault. In Kolhapur, a four-year-old toddler was assaulted after being lured with chocolates. In Pimpri-Chinchwad, a residential building security guard attempted to molest young girls inside the society complex. The recent Badlapur case, where two minor girls were assaulted inside a reputable school’s premises, triggered a massive political and social storm. Two months ago, a predator attempted to assault two young girls in Ghatkopar, Mumbai. In Kalyan’s Kolshewadi, a 55-year-old man assaulted a minor girl, said the editorial.

The Thackeray camp has sharply called out the “political hypocrisy” of the current leadership. “The state government, which aggressively promotes welfare schemes like the ‘Ladki Bahin’ initiative to secure women’s votes, is completely abandoning these very women when it comes to actual physical security. Even daily commutes on Mumbai’s local trains have turned hazardous, with minor altercations frequently escalating into fatal stabbings.”

The editorial referred to the passage of a stringent “Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill” by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government back in 2020 to curb crimes against women. However, it has remained pending with the Central government for the last six years. “Over 23,000 cases of violence and murder involving minor children have been officially registered in Maharashtra in recent years, a number that is drastically higher if unregistered cases are factored in, proving that strict laws like POCSO have lost their deterrent effect on criminals,” said the editorial. While the judiciary has swiftly executed its duty in the Nasrapur case within two months, the ultimate accountability does not lie with the courts, noted the editorial.

“The crucial questions regarding state security cannot be answered by the judiciary. They must be answered by the state government and the Chief Minister, who holds the Home Ministry portfolio,” remarked the editorial.

“Can the ruling politicians, who have allowed a progressive and safe state like Maharashtra to slide into a dark alley stretching from Badlapur to Nasrapur, provide these answers? Only when women and young children can step out and breathe freely without fear will true justice be achieved. Until then, a single hanging remains just a temporary response to a permanent crisis, leaving the haunting question wide open: What next?” asked the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.

Crime

Fake social media account, Chat GPT used in Ketan Agarwal murder

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Pune, Sep 20: A fake account on social media platform Instagram, along with ChatGPT and murder films, was used by Siya Goyal and her co-accused in the alleged murder of her fiance Ketan Agarwal, reveals the charge sheet filed by the police in the sensational case.

The 5,053-page charge sheet, filed on Saturday, detailed the alleged conspiracy behind the death of the 26-year-old businessman at Lohagad Fort in Pune in June, NDTV reported.

Agarwal was allegedly pushed off the fort on June 18 by his fiancee Siya Goyal, who was assisted by her purported lover Chetan Chaudhary, and another accused, identified as Ritesh Hange. All three have been arrested by the police.

According to the charge sheet, the accused had initially discussed seriously injuring Agarwal and even explored the possibility of hiring someone from outside Maharashtra to carry out the attack.

Police claimed the plan was later dropped because they feared the hired assailant could expose the conspiracy or create problems for them. Investigators have mentioned that a person contacted during this stage has since become a witness, the media report said.

As per the charge sheet, the accused subsequently decided to kill Agarwal themselves and watched murder films and used ChatGPT for the purpose. They also listened to podcasts on how to avoid detection by police as part of their preparations.

Goyal and her co-accused also researched last year’s Meghalaya honeymoon murder case where Indore resident Raja Raghuvanshi was allegedly killed by his wife, Sonam, during the couple’s honeymoon in the state’s East Khasi Hills district.

Moreover, investigators stated that a fake Instagram account named ‘Mahi’ was created using the photograph of a woman known to the accused in order to “lure” Agarwal to the fort.

Subsequently, messages from the account encouraged the victim to visit the spot on June 18 for a surprise birthday plan for Goyal.

According to the chargesheet, the fake account was part of a plan devised by Ritesh Hange to bring Agarwal to the fort. The account was deleted after the incident.

Further, the charge sheet also revealed that the accused conducted a recce of locations around Lonavala before selecting Lohagad Fort.

According to investigators, Goyal and Chaudhary visited Tiger Point and other locations in search of an isolated spot.

Police said that Lohagad was eventually selected because of a death at the fort in March last year. The accused thought they could make Agarwal’s death appear like an accidental fall at the spot.

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Crime

Stall operator booked after two die of electrocution in Mumbai Lalbaug Ganesh pandal

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Mumbai, Sep 20: An FIR has been filed following a tragic electrocution incident near a Ganesh festival pandal in Mumbai Lalbaug area early on Sunday, which resulted in the deaths of two people, including an 8-year-old girl.

Two people, including an eight-year-old girl, died and four others were seriously injured after receiving electric shocks from a loose wire at a Pepsi-Cola stall near Aastha Hospital on Dattaram Lad Marg in Kalachowki, Mumbai, early Sunday.

Police have registered an FIR against nearby stall operator Kamal Shetty under Sections 106(1) and 125(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, alleging negligence, and have begun an investigation.

According to information from the fire brigade, the incident occurred at around 2 a.m. on Sunday when devotees were present near the pandal.

Two boys and three girls, aged between 8 and 20, reportedly came into contact with the electrical current and suffered burn injuries.

Following the incident, all five victims were rushed to Masina Hospital in Byculla for treatment. Doctors declared the 8-year-old girl Raghni Ghanshyam Yadav dead upon arrival.

Meanwhile, a second victim, a woman who was admitted to Global Hospital in Parel, later succumbed to her injuries. Her identity was yet to be ascertained.

Kiran Akbar Naik, 19, Tanvi Narsh Hande, 19, Sahil Sandip Tare, 19, and Ruhi Singh, 12, were undergoing treatment for injuries sustained in the incident.

Among the injured, one girl was reportedly in critical condition and was shifted to Global Hospital in Parel for further treatment. The remaining three injured victims are undergoing treatment at Masina Hospital and have been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), where their condition remains serious.

According to the FIR filed at Kalachowki Police Station, the wire allegedly came into contact with the girl, Raghni, and others nearby.

The girl was declared dead at Masina Hospital, while another woman, identified as 33-year-old Sujata Thorati, died at Global Hospital. Four injured persons were admitted for treatment.

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Maharashtra

17-year-old among three killed in Mumbai high-end car accident (Lead)

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Mumbai, Sep 20: A 17-year-old was among the three people who were killed in a serious accident involving a high-end car on the Mumbai Coastal Road early on Sunday, officials said.

Another person is critically injured and is currently receiving treatment.

According to information received from the Coastal Road Control Room, the accident occurred at around 5.20 a.m. near Lotus Jetty, opposite Lala College.

The car was travelling from Marine Drive towards Haji Ali when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle due to overspeeding.

The speeding vehicle crashed onto the Coastal Road and hit a boundary wall. It fell off the bridge into an area where construction work was underway.

The severity of the accident was evident from the extent of the damage to the car.

The vehicle tore off through the signboard hanging from the bridge. The roof of the car was pushed inwards, the windshield was shattered, and the bonnet was completely destroyed.

Following the accident, all four occupants of the car were rushed to Nair Hospital, where emergency medical teams assessed their condition.

According to an update issued by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Nair Hospital at around 8.40 a.m., three of the occupants were declared brought dead by doctors.

Two of the deceased have been identified as 21-year-old Shanay Gajjal and 17-year-old Dhirya Seth. The identity of the third deceased is yet to be ascertained.

The injured has been identified as 23-year-old Aditya Oswal.

Speaking about the incident to media, Senior Police Inspector Meena Jagtap said: “At around 5:20 a.m., a black BMW was travelling from Marine Drive towards Haji Ali in the northbound direction when it fell from the Coastal Road. There were four people in the car. Three people died, while Aditya is currently at Nair Hospital.”

She said that it is yet to be ascertained whether the occupants of the car were in an intoxicated state when the accident occurred.

Police are investigating the case.

Further details are awaited.

On September 3, several people were booked after Mumbai Police took cognisance of a viral video showing luxury and high-performance cars speeding and racing dangerously inside the Marine Drive-Southbound Coastal Road tunnel.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, three people were critically injured after a speeding off-road SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) hit them near PKC Hospital in Vashi, Navi Mumbai.

The driver fled the spot after the crash instead of helping the injured.

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