Navi Mumbai: The Raigad Cyber Police have busted a massive online gaming and gambling racket, arresting one accused from Rajasthan and freezing Rs 194.4 crore across 44 mule bank accounts linked to the fraud.

The arrested accused has been identified as Bharmal Hanuman Meena (38), resident of Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. Police said he was operating the AM999 Online Games app along with accomplices, duping people across states through illegal betting and gaming platforms.

According to officials, the case was registered on September 19, after a complainant from Alibag reported losing Rs 10,000 through one of the gaming apps. During the probe, cyber police found that dozens of mobile apps—including AM999, Madhur Matka, Parimatch, Casinodays, Bluechip, 1XBET, 4rabet and others—were being used to lure citizens with false promises of returns.

Investigations revealed that the accused and his associates were routing money through multiple mule accounts. Relatives of the arrested man were also found running several current accounts across different banks, earning daily commissions from fraudulent transactions.

Senior police officials confirmed that among the frozen accounts, suspicious high-value transactions included Rs 56 crore, Rs 114 crore and Rs 186 crore in just two months through different shell firms linked to the racket. Some of the accounts were opened in the names of ordinary shopkeepers and homemakers, but handled crores of rupees, raising suspicion of bank staff involvement.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is also probing the network, which is believed to involve over 500 mule accounts and transactions worth nearly Rs 3,000 crore nationwide.

Superintendent of Police, Raigad, Aachal Dalal said, “This is one of the biggest crackdowns on online gambling fraud in recent times. Citizens must remain alert and avoid downloading or investing money through such illegal apps. We will continue to track and dismantle these networks.”

Police have appealed to citizens to report any such fraud immediately to their local police or the Raigad Cyber Police Station.

New Delhi, Sep 25: A Delhi court on Thursday granted bail to businessman Samir Modi, brother of former IPL chief Lalit Modi, in an alleged rape case.

The Saket Court allowed Modi to be released on a bail bond amount of Rs 5 lakh, ensuring his presence in future trial proceedings.

On Tuesday, the court reserved its decision on the bail plea after hearing arguments from both the complainant’s side and the defence.

The Delhi Police had opposed the bail application, arguing that the accused is influential and may pose a flight risk.

Samir Modi was arrested last week at Delhi’s IGI airport following a Look-Out Circular (LOC) issued against him.

He was taken into custody after a First Information Report (FIR) was filed at the New Friends Colony Police Station by a woman alleging a long-term relationship with Modi since 2019, and making accusations of sexual assault.

Modi’s legal team has consistently denied the allegations, terming them “false and concocted” and aimed at extortion.

In a press statement, his lawyers highlighted complaints filed by Modi himself in August, accusing the same woman of demanding Rs 50 crore in blackmail, and questioned the credibility of her claims.

It further questioned the credibility of the complaint, saying: “A detailed perusal of the alleged complaint will immediately show these claims of extremely serious and grave offences to be wild and scurrilous stories. Accusations refer to events alleged to have begun four years ago and continued thereon, which in itself speaks volumes about the nature and origin of this complaint and the complainant’s motives.”

The statement added that Samir Modi, who is involved in several business-related litigations, “has full faith in the judiciary of our country and agencies who will not only investigate but immediately bring closure to this matter”.

The Saket Court had earlier ordered in-camera hearings after the complainant’s lawyer urged for a closed-door hearing, stressing the sensitive nature of the case.

Mumbai: The Wadala Truck Terminal Police have arrested a woman and her son in connection with the suspicious death of her husband, a police constable, Pravin Suryavanshi, 52. The accused, Smita Suryavanshi, 42, and her son Pratik Suryavanshi, 22, were arrested on Tues day after a preliminary probe.

The police suspect Pravin was pushed, causing head and hand injuries. The probe revealed that the motive was that Pravin did not give his monthly salary to his family and refused to transfer his properties in Kalyan and Nashik to his son’s name.

The incident occurred on May 9, at the Officer’s Police Colony in Pratiksha Nagar. Initially, the Wadala TT police registered a case of accidental death on June 13. However, the deceased’s siblings suspected foul play.

The post-mortem report was also a crucial turning point, revealing “hemorrhage and shock due to multiple injuries over body, unnatural death”. The report further detailed that Pravin had sustained a staggering 38 injuries.

Police found discrepancies in the statements given by Smita and Pratik, with evidence pointing to at least 15 points of contradiction. The probe uncovered a long history of marital disputes. The day of the incident was no exception.

The police said the couple did not call for help from neighbours or the police; instead, they enlisted a person from an adjacent building to take Pravin to the hospital. Further more, Pratik reportedly went to smoke a cigarette while his father was lying injured in the house. This delay in seeking medical attention is believed to have contributed to Pravin’s death.

Inside the home, investigators found blood splattered in two different locations. The window panes, where a scuffle was believed to have taken place, were found to have fallen inwards rather than outwards.