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Crime

Vandal runs riot in 489-year-old Portuguese-built Mumbai church cemetery

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In a shocking incident, an unknown person sneaked inside the historic St Michael’s Church premises around dawn and vandalised 18 crosses in the graveyard of the 489-year-old church, near the Mahim station, officials of the Archdiocese of Bombay said here on Saturday.

According to the church’s Parish Priest, Fr. Bernard Lancy Pinto, the incident occurred around 6 a.m. when the unidentified miscreant entered the church premises and embarked on a damage-spree in the cemetery, sparking furious reactions among the Mumbai’s Catholic community.

“A FIR has been lodged at Mahim police station and investigations have begun. The police have assured us that they will arrest the person concerned based on the CCTV footage and the statement of witnesses,” he said.

He said the police have promised appropriate legal action against the vandal and they will also conduct a probe to check for any security lapses.

“It is regrettable and painful that the graves of the Catholics were vandalised at the St Michael’s Church. The sentiments of the community are deeply hurt as this act not only involved the destruction of religious objects but also disrespect for the dead,” said an Archdiocese spokesperson this evening.

“While the Church appreciates the support and assistance of various groups, we strictly do not wish to give this act a communal overtone. The police are investigating the incident and we remain hopeful that the perpetrator of this vicious crime will be brought to task,” the spokesperson added.

The St. Michael’s Church is the oldest Portuguese-built church in 1534 in its former colony of isles and the then sea-trading centre known as ‘Bom Bahia’ (later Bombay).

127 years later in May 1661, when Britain’s King Charles II married Princess Catherine of Braganza, the daughter of Portugal’s King John IV, ‘Bom Bahia’ was transferred to her husband as part of her wedding dowry.

The Mahim Church is famed for its Wednesday ‘novenas’ where people from all religions flock to attend and pray for miracles that are believed to take place.

The Catholic community in Mumbai and elsewhere has reacted sharply to the vandalism in Mahim Church and urged the police and government to take prompt action in the matter, besides ensuring security for the 125-odd churches in the city.

Many Christians – who number around 500,000 (or 3.30 per cent) of the city’s population – penned their sense of agony and outrage on social media posts, and recalled similar but smaller incidents of vandalism, theft of valuable church properties, etc, that have occurred in the past few years in different parts of Mumbai against the peace-loving community.

Saturday’s development came barely a day after the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation revoked a move to acquire a part of the cemetery besides the St Peter’s Church in Bandra west, for a road widening project, after Catholics from Mumbai raised an outcry and intervention of some local political leaders.

Crime

Chadian national held at Mumbai airport with gold worth Rs 3.86 cr hidden in slippers

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Mumbai, May 17: In a major crackdown on gold smuggling, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Mumbai, arrested a Chadian national who arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) from Addis Ababa, after seizing 4,015 grams of gold worth Rs 3.86 crore ingeniously concealed in the heels of his slippers.

Acting on specific Intelligence, DRI officers intercepted the male passenger shortly after his arrival in Mumbai. Upon conducting a personal search, the officers discovered multiple foreign-origin gold bars cleverly hidden inside the modified heels of the man’s slippers.

In his voluntary statement recorded by officials, the Chadian national admitted to concealing the gold in this unusual manner to bypass customs checks and evade legal detection. The gold was seized under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and the passenger was placed under arrest.

Officials stated that further investigations are underway to trace the origin and intended recipients of the smuggled consignment and to determine if the incident is linked to a broader smuggling network.

This seizure adds to a growing list of recent smuggling attempts intercepted by vigilant DRI officials.

In an earlier case from April 2025, DRI Mumbai had seized foreign-origin gold worth Rs 6.30 crore from a passenger who had arrived at CSMIA from Bangkok. The gold, hidden in specially designed compartments of the passenger’s luggage, was also seized under the Customs Act, with the individual arrested immediately.

The DRI continues to maintain a strict vigil at international entry points, using a combination of Intelligence gathering and surveillance to thwart attempts at smuggling precious metals and other contraband. The agency reiterated its commitment to cracking down on such offenses, which pose a serious threat to economic stability and border security.

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Crime

WBSSC recruitment case: Undeterred by baton charge, teachers gherao Bikash Bhawan again

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Kolkata, May 16: A day after being baton-charged by police, the protesting teachers have assembled again, surrounding Bikash Bhavan, the West Bengal Education Department’s headquarters, on Friday morning.

Some of the protesting teachers with severe head and body injuries were also seen joining the protests.

Some of the protesters attempted to get inside the Bikash Bhavan premises by removing the barricades raised by police around the building at Salt Lake in Kolkata.

A police contingent from Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate has already reached the spot and is trying to control the situation.

The protesting teachers claimed that even if they face police assault again, they would continue with their protests till their last breath until their demands in the matter are fulfilled.

Their main demand is that the state government and West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) should immediately publish lists segregating the “untainted” or “genuine” candidates from the “tainted” ones, who had paid money for getting school jobs.

They also alleged that the state government and WBSSC are “deliberately refraining from publishing the segregated lists to protect the untainted candidates”.

The protesting “genuine” teachers started a gherao agitation on Thursday morning, cordoning off Bikash Bhavan from all sides. At around 10 p.m. on Thursday, a huge police contingent reached the spot and resorted to a massive baton charge to disperse the protesters, in which several protesting teachers were severely injured.

Although the “gherao” demonstration was dispersed, the protesting teachers assembled at a distance from Bikash Bhavan, continuing with their sit-in demonstration.

On April 3, the Supreme Court’s division bench of erstwhile Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar had upheld a previous order by the Calcutta High Court’s division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi cancelling 25,753 school jobs in West Bengal.

The Apex Court also accepted the observation of the Calcutta High Court that the entire panel of 25,753 candidates had to be cancelled because of the failure of the state government and the commission to segregate the “untainted candidates from the “tainted” ones.

The state government and West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) had already filed review petitions at the Apex Court on this issue.

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Crime

Mumbai Police Arrest 3 Men After Viral Video Shows Dangerous Car Stunt On Eastern Express Highway

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Police arrested three men on Thursday after they were caught performing dangerous car stunts on the Eastern Express Highway near Chembur. Acting quickly on a viral video shared on Instagram, the RCF Police apprehended the young men for their reckless actions on road near Chembur.

The video, which attracted widespread attention, showed the driver of a white car recklessly speeding along the expressway while several men inside were seen dangerously leaning out of the moving vehicle.

The complainant in the case is Police Constable Navnath Dattu Vaikhande (34), attached to RCF Police Station, who initiated legal action based on the viral video evidence.

The arrested accused have been identified as Adnan Mohammad Isa Khan (20), taxi driver, resident of Zakir Hussain Nagar, Govandi; native of Chamroopur Pathan, District Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Mukim Bashir Khan (22), taxi driver, resident of Road No. 3, behind Patel Hotel, Govandi; native of Sonpur, Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Junaid Awad Ali Khan (20), taxi driver, also residing at Road No. 3, behind Patel Hotel, Govandi; native of Sonpur, Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh.

The footage sparked public outrage and prompted an immediate response from law enforcement. After identifying the individuals involved, the RCF Police Station registered a case under Section 281 (Rash driving or riding on a public way), Section 125 (Negligent conduct), and Section 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Section 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which pertains to driving dangerously.

A video shared by the Mumbai police highlights dangerous activities by drivers and others. In the video, a group of people can be seen engaging in risky behaviour by hanging out of moving cars on the road, endangering their own lives and the lives of others, all while loud music plays.

The arrested individuals are currently in custody, and further investigations are ongoing to identify others involved in the stunt. Authorities are also probing whether the vehicle was rented or privately owned. This incident serves as a reminder of the risks associated with irresponsible behaviour on the road and the serious consequences that can follow.

Many users reacted to the post shared by the Mumbai Police. One user asked about the other accused, saying, “Only 3 were arrested? Where are the others?” On the other hand, another user expressed appreciation for the Mumbai Police, stating, “Thank you, Mumbai Police, for not turning Mumbai into Delhi Part 2.”

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