Anmol Bishnoi is currently lodged in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail following his deportation from the US in November last year.

Mumbai: Ten days after the trial court took note of the police inaction to secure the presence of absconding accused, including Anmol Bishnoi, in the murder case of senior NCP leader and former minister Baba Siddique, the prosecution submitted a plea seeking the production of the alleged gangster.Bishnoi, alleged to be the main accused at whose behest the murder took place, is currently lodged in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail following his deportation from the US in November last year. Consequently, on Monday, the court issued the warrant and also directed the issuance of a request letter to the court concerned regarding it. The prosecution also filed an application for the issuance of a proclamation against wanted accused Shubham Lonkar alias Shubbu, which the court also allowed.On July 10, the court directed the crime branch to “scrupulously follow the law” to secure Bishnoi’s presence.Siddique was shot dead on October 12, 2024, by three assailants in Bandra, outside the office of his son Zeeshan.Calling it unfortunate that the court has to issue directions to ensure compliance with procedure, special judge Satyanaran R Navander said: “Securing the custody of an accused, conducting investigation, interrogating the accused and placing him on trial are the exclusive responsibilities of the investigating agency and the law enforcement authorities.” It sought a compliance report after two weeks.The order came on a plea filed by Siddique’s wife Shehzeen, who alleged that the prosecution was deliberately avoiding taking the principal accused into custody. Advocates Pradip Gharat and Trivankumar Karnani, appearing for Shehzeen, argued that the police must take immediate steps to arrest Bishnoi and put him on trial alongside the 27 other accused who have already been chargesheeted under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. The plea alleged that police were avoiding taking his custody to prevent the names of the “actual” conspirators from coming out.After his deportation, Bishnoi was taken into custody in a 2022 case over an alleged nexus between criminal gangs in India and Babbar Khalsa International, a terrorist organisation, to raise funds, recruit youths and carry out terror strikes.

Mumbai: Amboli police have invoked sections of attempt to commit culpable homicide against a scrap-seller, Shabir Yusuf Shaikh, 30, who rode his scooter on the wrong side and knocked down a Class 4 schoolgirl in Andheri (West) on July 15.Shaikh was arrested from Ajmer railway station and taken into custody from the Railway Protection Force (RPF). Police said Shaikh left his home on July 15, early morning and was carrying scrap items on his scooter with a friend riding pillion. They said he was searching for a shop when he rode on the wrong side at high speed and hit Reva Pawar, 8, in front of Cafe Arfa Hotel on SV Road in Jogeshwari (West) at 9.40 am, while she was accompanied by her mother Nidhi, who was dropping her for tuition.Police said Shaikh and his friend fell, got up and sped away before onlookers and the police could nab him. Through CCTV, his scooter number was identified using technical assistance.Shaikh committed the offence despite knowing that riding on the wrong side will put people in danger and lead to accidents, said DCP Purushottam Karad. Reva is undergoing treatment at Cooper Hospital for a skull fracture, and doctors advised two months’ complete rest.Police said more than 200 closed circuit television (CCTV) footage were scanned over four days before they got a breakthrough. DCP Karad supervised the team consisting of ACP Shashikiran Kashid, assistant inspector Haribhau Biradar, senior inspector Pravin Patil, sub-inspectors Pradip Funde and Satpal Bodhe, and staff. Police said Shaikh was first seen on CCTV at a Dharavi shop, where he was found calling a relative and seeking financial support before fleeing the city. Police said he later appeared in footage in Dombivli, and on July 18, he got Rs 5,000 transferred to his account.A police officer said the money transferred into Shaikh’s account helped them track his whereabouts in Kalyan and, with technical assistance, they found he was travelling on the Amrapur Aravali Express, which he boarded from Bandra on July 18. Police said Shaikh left his bike at his Kalyan home before taking the train from Bandra Terminus for Ajmer on July 18. They added that after roaming around Kalyan and Dombivli and seeing news about the accident, he decided to leave Mumbai to offer prayers at Ajmer Sharif Dargah to wash off his sin, while his family members claimed they were unaware of the offence he had committed.

These sticky pads often fatally trap mice, lizards, birds and snakes, leaving them to slowly starve to death

Mumbai: Another e-commerce platform has pulled glue traps from its listings following intervention by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, which said the products are banned in most parts of the country.Quick-commerce platform Zepto has stopped the online sale of glue traps after PETA India flagged that the manufacture, sale and use of the devices are prohibited across 32 states and Union territories. The organisation also highlighted the indiscriminate and cruel nature of glue traps, which can ensnare birds, mice, kittens, lizards and other small animals, often leaving them to die a slow and painful death.Confirming the move, Zepto said it is strengthening its internal checks to identify and remove such listings more effectively in the future.“We are happy that Zepto has shown sensitivity and compassion by banning glue traps. These sticky pads often fatally trap mice, lizards, birds and snakes, leaving them to slowly starve to death,” a PETA India spokesperson said.Zepto joins a growing list of retailers that have removed glue traps after being approached by PETA India. Online marketplaces Amazon India, Flipkart, Meesho, Snapdeal and JioMart have also delisted the products, while retail chains Rajmandir Hypermarket and Wellness Forever have stopped selling them across their stores.“Zepto’s compassionate decision will spare countless animals, including rats, birds, bats, kittens and squirrels, from being caught in glue traps and suffering excruciating deaths,” said Umang Sharma, Corporate Affairs Liaison at PETA India.PETA India said glue traps are not a sustainable solution for rodent control and urged households and businesses to adopt humane methods such as removing food sources, sealing waste bins and blocking entry points to prevent infestations. — Vijay Singh

The spot where the BEST bus hit the road divider

Mumbai: In yet another serious BEST bus mishap in the city, a bus on Route No. 501 crashed into a roadside divider on the Sion-Panvel highway near Mankhurd on Monday morning, killing a 65-year-old pedestrian and injuring 10 others, including the driver and conductor.The victim, Bhaskar Kagade, a native of Dharashiv, was reportedly waiting near the divider while on his way to catch a state transport bus to his hometown when the accident occurred around 9.55 am. He was declared dead on arrival at Rajawadi Hospital.As the incident involved a wet lease bus, like most crashes over the past two years, it has intensified concerns over maintenance standards of BEST’s 2,551 wet lease buses.The bus driver, Banwarilal Prasad Sharma (51) was booked for causing death by negligence and rash driving and was arrested. Sharma told police the accident was caused by brake failure.A BEST official said preliminary investigation has not revealed any technical problem with the bus, and they are probing if it was a “driver error”. Also, since July 19, there was no technical problem reported in the bus.Monday’s is the second major BEST accident this month in which the driver has cited brake failure as the reason. On July 10, a BEST bus in Andheri allegedly suffered a similar mechanical malfunction, injuring three people and damaging 14 vehicles.According to Mankhurd police, the bus on Route 501 was on Monday operating between Pratiksha Nagar and Airoli and was headed towards Pratiksha Nagar when it rammed into the divider. Passengers said the vehicle was moving at an estimated speed of 40-50 kmph. The force of the impact severely damaged the front portion of the bus, with the bumper getting detached.Local residents and passing motorists rushed to the spot and helped extract injured passengers before they were taken to nearby hospitals. Driver Sharma and conductor Vaibhav Waghmare (41) were admitted to Rajawadi Hospital and are reported to be stable.Police carried out preliminary questioning of Sharma and collected his blood samples and are awaiting forensic reports.Eight other injured persons were shifted to Govandi’s Shatabdi Hospital. They were identified as Shivmangal Maity (42), Ganesh Patel (24), Lata Waghela (43), Rajesh Varugamina (35), Ankita Jadhav (22), Ranjana Ghorpade (53), Shankar Sathe (47) and Sanket Nakati (25). Their condition was stated to be stable, though detailed medical reports were awaited.BEST committee members demanded a safety audit of wet lease buses, citing brake-related complaints. Committee member Ajay Singh said 89 buses reported brake defects in April, 91 in May and 49 during the first half of June.BEST panel chairperson and corporator Trushna Vishwasrao, speaking at the BMC general body meeting, said she had asked the BEST administration not to go ahead with the proposed lease of 1,500 buses from Mateshwari, the firm whose bus was involved in the accident. She claimed the maximum number of buses involved in accidents belonged to Mateshwari. She further said that, over two years, only one accident involved a bus owned by BEST and argued BEST should own more of its buses instead of operating them on a wet lease basis. BEST owns only 249 buses, while the rest are operated on wet lease, she said. Ex-mayor Kishori Pednekar sought a policy on compensation for accident victims.Citizens’ activist Nikhil Desai said, “It is shocking that Mumbai continues to witness frequent BEST bus crashes involving fatalities and multiple vehicles. Such incidents are particularly alarming at a time when the BEST fleet is at its lowest strength in decades. Passenger safety must be priority, and these accidents create fear and uncertainty among commuters who depend on public transport. With new buses set to be inducted into the fleet, BEST must ensure they are technically sound, equipped with speed governors, and subjected to rigorous safety checks.”A member of citizens’ group Aamchi Mumbai Aamchi BEST said, “Preventive maintenance should be carried out regularly so that critical systems, especially brakes, never fail. Equally important is training and periodic refresher courses for drivers. Mumbai needs a safe, reliable and confidence-inspiring bus service.”RS MP Milind Deora tweeted, “I had raised concerns last month over BEST’s wet-lease bus operations & called for a comprehensive safety review. Today’s tragic fatal accident in Mankhurd underscores the urgency of those concerns. BEST must immediately fix every identified safety lapse & ensure strict accountability.”

On February 25, 2021, an SUV with explosives was found near Antilia, industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in south Mumbai

Mumbai: Observing that as a case is made out by the prosecution for framing of the charge, five years after the Antilia bomb scare and murder of Mansukh Hiran, a special court on August 1 will frame charges to be faced by the 10 accused. Once charges are framed and if the accused plead not guilty, the trial will commence.On Monday, the court decided August 1 as the date for framing of charges after hearing extensive arguments from the prosecution and the defence. The maximum sentence attracted is the death penalty.On February 25, 2021, an SUV with explosives was found near Antilia, industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in south Mumbai. The prosecution has claimed that Hiran, the vehicle owner, was murdered on March 4, 2021, because he knew of the conspiracy. Ten accused, including dismissed police officers Sachin Waze, Sunil Mane and Pradeep Sharma, have been named. Waze was arrested that same month. The accused have been booked under various charges, including the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code.The NIA had submitted that Waze is mastermind of the entire conspiracy and in pursuance of the same placed a threat along with a vehicle laden with explosives near the residence of the industrialist “with the intent to terrorise wealthy prosperous individuals and also to extort money by putting into fear of that consequences, and also a post on the telegram channel of Jaish-ul-Hind was a deliberate attempt to give credibility to the terror”.It was further argued that Waze, Mane, Sharma, Santosh Shelar, Anand Jadhav, Satish Mothkuri, and Manish Soni entered into a criminal conspiracy and intentionally caused the death of Hiran “as he refused to accept the responsibility of placing the vehicle laden with gelatin sticks and was a weak link who would unearth the entire conspiracy which is a direct outcome of the terrorist act”. It was further submitted that in pursuant to the criminal conspiracy, Waze, Mane, Shelar, Jadhav, Mothkuri, Soni, and Sharma abducted Hiran to eliminate him.

At least 35 pirates had on Dec 14, 2023 hijacked the Bulgarian ship MV Ruen with its 17 crew members in the Arabian Sea and demanded a ransom of $60 million. (File Photo)

MUMBAI: A special court in Mumbai on Monday sentenced 44 Somali pirates to life imprisonment in two separate judgments after they pleaded guilty to the charges following their arrests in anti-piracy operations conducted by the Indian armed forces in 2024.While 35 of the accused were convicted in the hijacking of the Maltese merchant vessel MV Ruen, nine others were sentenced in connection with the hijacking of the Iranian fishing vessel Al-Kambar 786, after they surrendered following a rescue operation by the Indian Navy. By pleading guilty, the accused waived their right to a trial. All of them were present in court.On July 6, 34 of the accused in the MV Ruen case signed a written plea expressing their decision to admit guilt. In their application, they stated that they had been facing severe hardship during nearly two years of judicial custody due to cultural, linguistic and dietary barriers, as well as the complete absence of local support. They also pointed out that charges had been framed against them only on May 13, 2026, after a considerable delay.Having fully understood the charges, the accused stated that they were voluntarily pleading guilty without any duress or coercion, despite being aware that the offences carried the maximum punishment. They requested the court to show leniency, saying they were poor, first-time offenders from an allied nation, and sought the minimum possible sentence in accordance with any applicable diplomatic arrangements between India and Somalia.“That our decision to plead guilty is purely voluntary, under no duress or compulsion, and we are aware that maximum punishment may be awarded as well. However, we hope for leniency from the Indian judiciary and government as this is our first offence and we are poor citizens of an ally country with good diplomatic relations with the Government of India,” the plea stated.A similar plea was filed by the nine accused in the Al-Kambar 786 case, who were arrested in April 2024.The proceedings in the second case commenced after submissions by Special Public Prosecutor Ranjit Sangle, following which the court framed charges against the nine accused under multiple laws, including the Indian Penal Code, Maritime Anti-Piracy Act, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act, Passport Act, and Foreigners Act.After the charges were explained in English to Li Jama, one of the accused in the MV Ruen case, he translated them for the remaining accused to ensure they understood the proceedings.