A Special Investigation Team of Maharashtra Police told a court at Beed on Wednesday that Santosh Deshmukh was killed because he was thought to be an obstacle in a plan to extort Rs 2 crore from an energy firm, and Walmik Karad was in contact with his killers when the crime was executed.
Two people have been detained and are being questioned by Meerut police in connection with the alleged kidnapping and extortion of comedian Sunil Pal. Pal's wife visited the Lal Kurti police station in Meerut with three lawyers to inquire about the matter. Last week, Pal claimed that he was abducted while on his way to Uttarakhand for a show. He claimed the kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh, but he managed to secure his release after paying Rs 8 lakh, which he collected from some friends. The comedian said he was dropped by the side of a road in Meerut, from where he made his way to the Delhi airport and flew to Mumbai. The kidnapping case of comedian Sunil Pal has been transferred from Mumbai to Meerut. The police are also looking into an audio clip that has surfaced online, in which Pal allegedly discusses the kidnapping plan with an unidentified person, mentioning his wife's awareness of the situation and media discussions about the episode. Pal's wife, Sarita, claimed the viral audio clip had been edited. She said Pal is currently at home but is unwell, which is why she came to Meerut to meet police officials. When asked about any connection to the recent kidnapping case of Bollywood actor Mushtaq Khan, Sarita said she had no knowledge of it.
The Centre on Monday decided to extend the ban imposed on the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang [NSCN-K)] along with all its factions, wings and front organisations for five more years due to its involvement in activities prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.
The Maharashtra State Commission for Women has directed Mumbai Police to take immediate action on a complaint filed by actor Prajakta Mali against MLA Suresh Dhas for making inappropriate remarks about her. Mali alleged that Dhas' comments impacted her personal and social life and led to defamatory content being circulated online. The commission has instructed the Mumbai Police Commissioner to submit a factual report on the matter. Dhas has stated that he is ready to face any consequences regarding the issue and has emphasized the need to focus on the Santosh Deshmukh murder case and crime in Beed district.
Anyone with self-respect would have quit, Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar supremo Sharad Pawar said on Monday amid demands that Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde resign after his close aide was held in a case that has made national headlines.
The accused, Sudarshan Chandrabhan Ghule (26) and Sudhir Sangle (23), were handed over to the special investigation team of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the case, the official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his pain over the abuse directed at his mother during a Congress rally in Bihar, stating that the people of Bihar will not forgive the RJD and Congress for their actions.
Arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari has opposed the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) plea in a Delhi court seeking to declare him a "fugitive " in connection with a black money case. Bhandari claims his stay in the UK is legal as the London High Court denied his extradition to India. The court's decision was also cited by an English court in April to deny the Indian government's request to extradite another accused in a rice-buying scam. Bhandari's lawyer argued that the ED's application was "vague, misplaced and without jurisdiction " and that the value involved in the case was less than the required Rs 100 crore to declare someone a "fugitive. " The Delhi court has sought the ED's rebuttal to Bhandari's argument by May 3.
Singh asserted that Deshmukh set a staggering collection target of Rs 100 crore for his officers, specifically from Mumbai, while also discussing plans to target key opposition figures, including former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recovered 30 original passports and obtained information on agents and agencies running the 'donkey-route' business of illegally sending Indians abroad.
Singh also filed an affidavit before the single-member commission, saying he has nothing to depose and doesn't want to be crossed-examined by the probe panel.
'Sujatha's decision to surrender reflects the deep crisis of confidence that the Maoist ranks are facing in recent times.'
The Mumbai Police's crime branch had taken Waze's custody on November 1 based on the complaint filed by builder-cum-hotelier Bimal Agrawal, in which Param Bir Singh is also named as an accused.
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan has received a death threat and a demand for Rs 50 lakh, Mumbai police said on Thursday, adding an extortion case has been filed in this connection.
Amid opposition call for his resignation over the Beed sarpanch murder case, Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde on Wednesday said he is ready to quit if asked by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis or deputy CM Ajit Pawar.
The Supreme Court has quashed a chargesheet against a retired Army officer in an alleged rape case, calling it an "abuse of process of law". The court found that the complainant's testimony showed no offense and the FIR deserved to be quashed. The court also noted that the Delhi High Court erred in its decision of not quashing the chargesheet. The complainant, a woman, had filed multiple FIRs against different persons, allegedly blackmailing them for money. The court concluded that the former Army officer was a "victim of an unscrupulous abuser" of law whose modus operandi was to extort money by misusing the rape and molestation laws.
The Indian government has provided assurances to Belgian authorities regarding the prison conditions awaiting Mehul Choksi if he is extradited. The details focus on meeting European standards for humane treatment and addressing concerns about overcrowding and solitary confinement.
The probe agency, in the release, did not disclose the exact roles of the accused police officers, citing that it would affect the investigation.
A chargesheet filed by Andhra Pradesh police in connection with the Rs 3,500 crore alleged liquor scam mentions former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as one of the recipients of kickbacks. The chargesheet alleges a complex scheme involving shell companies, policy manipulation, and extortion to generate funds that were ultimately routed to Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The speculation about the likely cabinet reshuffle in Maharashtra strengthened on Saturday, with senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule stressing that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' discretion is supreme among allies.
The lawyer told the police that he lost his phone a week before and had filed a police complaint, the official said.
'The CM's credibility is on the line.'
An official posted at the traffic police control room then alerted seniors about the message, based on which the Worli police here registered a case against the unidentified person under section 351(2) (3) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, he said.
Survivors of the 2006 Mumbai train blasts express shock and disappointment after the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 accused, citing lack of evidence. They feel justice has not been served after 19 years.
The resignation followed a vociferous demand by the opposition for Munde's removal from the cabinet.
The Supreme Court of India granted interim bail to a 23-year-old social media influencer accused of raping a 40-year-old woman, raising questions about the Delhi Police's investigation. The court questioned the basis of the rape charges, noting that the woman had gone voluntarily with the accused to Jammu. The court also remarked on the man's influence, asking "Who gets influenced by such people?"
The actor was accompanied by Pinki Irani who allegedly introduced her to Chandrashekhar, a senior police officer said.
An NDRF team is deployed to rescue miners allegedly trapped in an abandoned coal mine in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, but operations are delayed as the exact location remains unidentified. Officials claim no signs of an incident have been found, while local residents and politicians allege a mine collapse during illegal mining activities.
Mumbai Police registered a first information report against a man for allegedly demanding money from T-Series company owner and producer Krishan Kumar earlier this month for not filing a rape case against his nephew and the company's managing director Bhushan Kumar, an official said.
Saying the law doesn't recognise the concept of marital rape, the Delhi high court has quashed an order directing prosecution of a man for performing 'unnatural' sex with his wife.
Mishra was accused of sharing Pal's location from a Prayagraj court before the latter along with two policemen was shot dead on February 24.
Bhatt was earlier sentenced to life imprisonment in a 1990 custodial death case in Jamnagar and 20 years in jail in a 1996 case relating to planting drugs to frame a Rajasthan-based lawyer in Palanpur. He is currently lodged in the Rajkot Central Jail.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has stated that his party wants to go solo in the upcoming local body elections to strengthen its base. This statement has raised questions about the unity of the opposition INDIA bloc and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP). Raut clarified that the party has not called for the dissolution of either bloc and that the local body elections are an opportunity to empower party workers at the grassroots level. He also criticized Congress leaders for reacting to his comments without hearing the full context.
Fatehi was questioned at the Mandir Marg office of the EOW for hours on Friday.
"It is just that Fadnavis and I have swapped our chairs. Only Ajit Pawar's chair is fixed," said Shinde, who was the CM before the assembly elections with Fadnavis and Pawar as his deputies then.
The Whatsapp helpline of Mumbai traffic police received a message from a Pakistan number containing a threat to blow up Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' office in Mantralaya, an official said on Friday.
A commander of the banned CPI (Maoist) was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand's Palamu district. Another red rebel, carrying a bounty of Rs 15 lakh, was injured in the encounter. Several weapons, including a self-loading rifle, were recovered during the search operation following the gunfight.
The NCB and Wankhede had earlier in the day filed two separate affidavits before the special court against the allegations of extortion attempt levelled against them.
A family court in Mumbai has ordered NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde to pay interim maintenance of Rs 2 lakh per month to his estranged wife Karuna and their daughter. The court denied maintenance for their son, considering him an adult. Munde's lawyer clarified that the court has not reached a final conclusion in the domestic violence case, and the interim maintenance order is based on financial considerations. Karuna Sharma, Munde's estranged wife, plans to challenge the order in the high court as she believes the amount is insufficient.
A suspended police sub-inspector from Beed, Maharashtra, India, has alleged that he was offered money to carry out an "encounter" of Walmik Karad, an accused in the murder case of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. The suspended cop, Ranjeet Kasle, claims he mentioned the names of the individuals who made the offer in a local police station diary. However, a senior police official from Beed has dismissed Kasle's claims as baseless and demanded proof. Kasle was suspended earlier while serving as a sub-inspector in the local cyber crime department. Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village, was abducted and killed last December allegedly for attempting to stop extortion targeting an energy company. Karad is among eight individuals arrested in connection with the murder and charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The state Crime Investigation Department (CID) filed a chargesheet in the case last month. Kasle's claims come amidst ongoing investigations into the custodial death of Badlapur sexual assault case accused Akshay Shinde. Kasle has demanded a central government SIT to investigate Shinde's death, believing it will reveal the truth.
