Mumbai: The Byculla police have registered a case of cheating against a Jalgaon-based trader, identified as Amol Bhaskar Mahajan, for allegedly defrauding a Mumbai import-export businessman of Rs1.30 crore under the pretext of supplying bananas for export to Iran.

According to the FIR, the complainant, Abbas Mohammad Ali Deghani, 38, runs an import-export business dealing in fruits with markets in Iran, Iraq, and Dubai. He exports commodities such as bananas and turmeric to Iran and, due to trade practices requiring barter transactions, imports dates, pistachios, apples, and kiwis in return.

The complaint states that Deghani came into contact with an Iran-based broker, Mojtaba Ashuri, who deals in banana trade. Ashuri allegedly introduced Deghani to Mahajan, claiming that he owned a company named Sanriya Agro Produce OPC Pvt. Ltd. and was a major banana trader based in Jalgaon. Ashuri also shared Mahajan’s bank account details at an Axis Bank branch in Jalgaon.

Between October 21, 2022, and January 21, 2023, Deghani transferred a total of Rs1.30 crore to the said account for the purchase of bananas. However, despite receiving the full payment, Mahajan neither supplied the consignment nor refunded the money.

When Deghani repeatedly attempted to contact Mahajan through calls and messages, he allegedly failed to respond. During this period, Mahajan is said to have sent four invoices via WhatsApp to Ashuri in the name of his company. These invoices bore a director’s stamp but lacked any signature, raising suspicion. Ashuri subsequently forwarded these invoices to Deghani.

The FIR further notes discrepancies in the invoices, including inconsistencies between amounts mentioned in US dollars and Indian rupees, indicating that the documents were fabricated and had no legal validity.

Upon realizing that he had been cheated, Deghani approached the Byculla police station and filed a complaint. Based on his statement, the police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and have initiated further investigation into the matter.

Washington, April 27: Iran has presented the United States with a new proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, while postponing nuclear negotiations to a later stage, according to a report, which cited a US official and two sources familiar with the matter.

According to US media outlet Axios, the proposal aims to break the current stalemate in the negotiations and bypass the internal disagreements within the Iranian leadership over the scope of nuclear concessions it is willing to make.

“But lifting the blockade and ending the war would remove President Trump’s leverage in any future talks to remove Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium and convince Tehran to suspend enrichment — two primary war objectives for Trump,” the report said.

Meanwhile, citing three US officials, the report further noted that the US President is expected to hold a Situation Room meeting on the conflict on Monday (local time) with his top national security and foreign policy team.

The sources told Axios that Trump’s team would discuss the stalemate in the talks and potential next steps.

In an interview with Fox News on Sunday (local time), Trump signalled that he wants to continue the naval blockade to halt Iran’s oil exports, with an aim that it will get Tehran to give up in the coming times.

“When you have vast amounts of oil pouring through your system … if for any reason this line is closed because you can’t put it into containers or ships … what happens is that line explodes from within. … They say they only have about three days before that happens,” Trump was quoted as saying in the interview with Fox News by Axios.

This comes as tensions between the US and Iran deepened after the Islamabad talks ended without progress.

Mumbai:  In a tragic incident, three people were killed in a severe road accident on Marine Drive in the early hours of Monday.

The vehicles involved in the accident were extensively damaged, indicating the severity of the crash. A case has been registered at Marine Drive Police Station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.

In the viral video, a KTM Duke can be seen lying along the pavement, believed to be the primary vehicle involved in the crash. Two other damaged two-wheelers can also be seen in the video, indicating a possible multi-vehicle crash.

According to police, the incident occurred around 5:40 am on the northbound stretch of NS Road near Parsi Gate. The motorcycle, bearing registration number MH01EL6366, was being driven at high speed when the rider allegedly jumped a signal and struck an elderly man who was crossing the road.

The impact of the collision was severe, resulting in the death of the pedestrian on the spot. The two riders on the motorcycle, a man and a woman, also sustained critical injuries in the crash. All three victims were rushed to GT Hospital with the help of local responders. However, doctors declared them dead on arrival.

The accident caused a brief disruption in traffic along the busy stretch, even as police reached the spot and initiated further investigation. Authorities are examining the exact sequence of events and whether overspeeding and signal violation led to the fatal crash. The identities of the deceased are yet to be officially confirmed.