MUMBAI: The ED on Friday initiated a probe under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) against a Mumbai-based film producer linked to actor Shekhar Suman over alleged violations involving undisclosed overseas assets and foreign exchange transactions.As part of the investigation, the agency carried out searches on Thursday at premises linked to Kalanee Impex Ltd. and its directors — Dharmesh Sangani, his wife Ranjeeta Sangani, and Narendra Sangani. Dharmesh Sangani is a co-founder of a film academy promoted by Shekhar Suman.Officials said the investigation is currently focused only on the Sanganis and their company.“During the course of search, evidences relating to undisclosed foreign companies and foreign bank accounts of Dharmesh Sangani were found. These companies and accounts have not been disclosed in the Income Tax Returns.“The source of funds, ownership structure and other aspects of these foreign entities and bank accounts are being examined,” the ED said in a statement.Neither Sangani nor Kalanee Impex could be reached for comment. A query sent to the film academy also remained unanswered.The ED alleged that during the searches, Dharmesh Sangani threw his mobile phone from the 13th floor of a building in an attempt to destroy evidence. Investigators later recovered the phone, following which the agency lodged a complaint with Mumbai Police alleging destruction of evidence.According to the ED, Kalanee Impex failed to realise export proceeds worth crores of rupees within the time limit prescribed under the Foreign Exchange Management (Export of Goods and Services) Regulations, 2015, and the Reserve Bank of India’s Master Direction on Export of Goods and Services.The agency further alleged that the company “did not” apply to the authorised dealer banks or the RBI for an extension to realise the export proceeds, as required under the applicable legal framework.The ED also said the Customs department had listed the company among “defaulting” exporters through a public notice issued in May 2026.During the searches, officials recovered documents relating to the seizure of jewellery worth about USD 3 million by the US Customs and Border Protection in June 2025. The seizure was linked to an alleged case involving “smuggled” merchandise and suspected counterfeit trademark goods.“The linkage between the seized consignment and exports from India by the company is being examined,” the agency said.The agency also claimed that Dharmesh Sangani was intercepted at Heathrow Airport in London in September 2016, where authorities seized 7.41 kg of “under-declared” gold jewellery from him.The ED said it is examining the documents and electronic devices seized during the searches to determine the extent of the alleged FEMA violations, trace overseas assets, establish the money trail and identify the role of all those involved.

Court flags police inaction in Baba Siddique case; Anmol Bishnoi named.

MUMBAI: Observing that police inaction and failure to adopt the remedies available under the law are clear from the records in the murder case of former minister Baba Siddiqui, a special MCOCA court Friday directed the crime branch to “scrupulously follow the law” to secure the presence of the absconding accused, including Anmol Bishnoi.Bishnoi, alleged to be the main accused at whose behest Siddiqui was shot dead in Oct 2024, is lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail following his deportation from the US last Nov, reports Rebecca Samervel.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 2 weeks.Stating that inaction has the potential to prejudice the prosecution itself, the judge directed the investigating agency to submit a compliance report on or before the next date of hearing on July 24.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.In a seven-page order, the judge further said that the investigating agency has admittedly made no efforts whatsoever to secure the presence of the absconding accused. “Neither has any requisition been made seeking his custody…. Once these facts (Bishnoi’s presence in Tihar jail) are within the knowledge of the investigating agency, it becomes its legal obligation to take appropriate steps for procuring his custody in accordance with law,” the judge said.The prosecution submitted that physical custody was essential for effective interrogation and that proceeding without it would delay the trial for the already arrested accused. Rejecting the prosecution’s stand, the judge said, “We are living in an era of advanced digital technology. Video conferencing has become an integral part of the judicial process and is being regularly utilised by trial courts as well as correctional institutions throughout the country.”The order came on a plea filed by Siddiqui’s wife Shehzeen Siddique, 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.The judge refuted the defence submissions and said, “The investigating agency cannot, merely on that ground, indefinitely postpone proceedings against the principal accused and thereby compromise the larger interests of justice.”

The accident trapped 13 children inside a school van, with one, Vihaan, succumbing to his injuries.

MUMBAI: The Chembur tree that collapsed and killed 11-year-old Vihaan Srivastav had extensive internal decay and damaged roadside roots, which compromised its stability and led to its fall, the BMC’s panel inquiring into the tragedy has said in a preliminary report.The panel noted that the tree had been visually inspected in May and found to be healthy, with no prior complaints regarding its condition.According to the report, submitted on Friday, while the roots on one side remained intact, the roadside roots were blunt and damaged, leaving the tree imbalanced and eventually causing it to collapse. The committee noted visible signs of decay inside the trunk.“The uprooted tree was estimated to be 60 to 70 years old, and no official complaints had been received regarding its condition. The tree underwent a visual inspection on May 12, during which it was found to be healthy and structurally sound, and was pruned on May 29 as part of the annual premonsoon tree maintenance drive,” an official said.

What BMC found

Among the panel’s key recommendations is the launch of a ‘Vrikshmitr’ initiative aimed at encouraging housing societies, resident associations and NGOs to monitor the health of trees in their neighbourhoods and alert the civic body about potentially hazardous trees before they pose a threat to public safety.Following the June 30 incident, the BMC suspended three officials pending a departmental inquiry over alleged negligence: Jagdish Bhoir, assistant garden superintendent of M-West ward; Yogesh Parte, assistant engineer of M-East ward; and Arun Mundhe, sub-engineer (roads), M-West ward.Of the three, the panel has reportedly recommended revoking the suspension of one, who had issued at least two written notices to the road repair contractor and the roads department, warning that excavation around tree bases was damaging roots and could lead to tree crashes.The accident trapped 13 children inside a school van, with one, Vihaan, succumbing to his injuries. Four other children sustained minor injuries.The panel comprised deputy municipal commissioners P Malavde (special engineering) and Shashank Bhore (engineering). The report was submitted to additional municipal commissioner Avinash Dhakane.

The CAG report also pointed to an overestimation of the scheme’s coverage. It said the state’s reported achievement of 85.1% Functional Household Tap Connections by March 2024 was misleading as it included 27.7 lakh households with private or own-source tap connections that were yet to be covered under the mission

Mumbai: A performance audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has criticised the implementation of the Centre’s flagship Jal Jeevan Mission in Maharashtra, pointing out that there were deficiencies in the coverage, implementation and funding of the scheme. During the five-year audit period of 2019-24, only 12,703 or 24.6% of 51,560 water supply schemes initiated in the state were completed and 38,857 or 75.3% were ongoing, it said.The CAG report also pointed to an overestimation of the scheme’s coverage. It said the state’s reported achievement of 85.1 per cent Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) by March 2024 was misleading as it included 27.7 lakh households with private or own-source tap connections that were yet to be covered under the mission. Excluding these, the actual achievement under the JJM stood at 101.3 lakh connections, or only 69% by December 2024, the audit said.The Jal Jeevan Mission is the Centre’s flagship programme launched in August 2019 to provide functional household tap connections (FHTC) to every rural household. The funds for the programme are shared between the Centre and state in a 50:50 ratio.The audit was conducted between July and October 2024 and covered the period 2019-20 to 2023-24. The CAG report for 2024 was tabled in the state legislature on Friday.The report also pointed to the delay in the release of funds, pointing out that the state’s schemes received only 46.3% of the funds they were entitled to in the 5-year period. “Maharashtra was admissible for Rs 59,740.9 crore but the total releases from the Centre and state were Rs 27,657.5 crore,” the report pointed out.The delays in the implementation of the project caused a cost-escalation, the CAG report said. The initial estimated expenditure in 2020 was Rs 13,668.5 crore. However, a sum of Rs 26,410.5 crore was incurred by March 2024 without achieving the target of providing FHTC to every household, it said.The audit was deeply critical of the poor planning in the programme. “The cost of implementation increased due to inadequate initial planning, deficient surveys, delays in execution and frequent revision of schemes,” it said. It said that schemes were planned without assured water sources, there was no baseline survey, the village action plan was deficient and the district action plan was not prepared for the whole scheme period.For instance, the audit found that 13 water supply schemes were sanctioned for augmenting the water supply but the water source was not ensured which delayed the completion of the schemes. Two water supply schemes were sanctioned without the provision of a water treatment plant, resulting in the supply of non-potable water.

Residents said modifications were made to the structure over the years

Thane: A 12-year-old boy was crushed to death, while his mother and his nine-year-old brother sustained head injuries after a portion of their nearly 30-year-old one-storey tenement collapsed on them in a chawl in Thane’s Azad Nagar on Friday.The mother, Urmila Jaiswar (35), and her younger son, Vinit, were rushed to hospital and were reported to be stable.The boys—Jaykumar and Vinit—had returned home from school and were resting after lunch while Urmila was on her phone when they heard a creak. Within seconds, the ceiling collapsed, trapping the trio beneath the debris. Their father was away at work at a sweet shop.Local Shiv Sena corporator Meenakshi Shinde, who was among the first to reach the spot, said a section of the tenement’s extended cantilever balcony crashed onto the rented room occupied by the Jaiswar family. A few residents alleged that structural modifications had been carried out to the building a few years ago and some repairs were undertaken recently. The structure may not have been able to withstand the extensions and must have weakened during the rains, said residents. Civic officials said the exact cause of the collapse is under investigation.Urmila and Vinit, recovering in hospital, remained unaware of Jaykumar’s death and repeatedly asked neighbours about his condition. “We haven’t told them yet,” a neighbour said.Mayor Sharmila Pimpalolkar, who visited the site and the family, directed civic officials to immediately evacuate adjoining structures as a precautionary measure and ensure that the medical expenses of the injured are borne by the civic body.The death came two days after deputy CM Eknath Shinde declared “zero tolerance” towards rain-related mishaps in Thane and directed civic authorities to take immediate corrective measures wherever required. With the Friday tragedy, the toll from rain-related incidents in Thane rose to three in the last 10 days. A teenage girl from Mumbra was electrocuted during heavy rain last week, while a 64-year-old plumber died on Thursday after a tree fell on him.

Mumbai: Two MBA students arrested in connection with the suspected drug overdose case at a music concert in Goregaon in April, which left two of their batchmates dead, told fellow students over a WhatsApp group that “pills” would be available at the concert, the chargesheet has revealed. A 3,500-page-long chargesheet was filed before a magistrate court at Borivali on Thursday, even as police arrested one more person in the matter.Nitesh Khemlani became the 14th individual to be arrested in the case. He is related to the prime accused, Mahesh Khemlani, who has been accused of supplying the drugs, along with another key accused, Ayush Sahitya.The chargesheet has been filed against 12 of the 14 accused persons. Those named in the chargesheet include Mahesh, Sahitya, three others accused of delivering drugs — Anand Patel, Shubh Agarwal and Vineet Gerelani — besides two MBA students, the event organiser, a security guard at the venue, two employees of the venue management company and Khemlani’s partner, Jiya Jacob.The police have stated in the chargesheet that the drugs were sent from Germany via courier by Khemlani’s friend. Police also said that despite being alerted by bouncers at the venue that drugs were being supplied and consumed, the organisers took no action. Police have alleged that the organisers and the drug suppliers connived to facilitate the supply of narcotic substances for financial gain.Investigators have banked on monetary transactions and WhatsApp chat conversations to establish a link between different accused persons.The chargesheet contains statements of 110 witnesses, including other MBA students who attended the event.Nitesh and Deepak Hemwani, who was held on June 29, have not been named in the chargesheet. Hemwani is accused of receiving the drug parcel at his residence.Advocates Surendra Landge and Azad Gupta, who earlier represented Patel, said they are yet to receive a copy of the chargesheet.The incident dates back to April 11, when three MBA students — part of a larger group of students from the same college — popped Ecstasy pills while attending a techno music concert at an exhibition ground in Goregaon East. They fell ill and two of them — a 28-year-old male and a 24-year-old female — died the next day. The third student — a 25-year-old female — survived.In her statement, the survivor said that she and her friends reached the music concert at 9.30 pm. She popped a yellow-coloured pill with water that one of her classmates, Raunak, gave her. Around midnight, her 24-year-old friend, who later died, popped a similar pill. “We were dancing together and my friend seemed OK. I had taken the same pill during another event in Oct last year,” she said, adding that she did not remember what happened thereafter at the music concert and woke up directly in hospital.

The police complaint was lodged on Thursday by one of the two girls who suffered electric shock

Navi Mumbai: An FIR was registered against the suspended NMMC (zone-1) executive engineer (electrical) Pravin Gade at Nerul police station Thursday evening in the incident of two college girls Ujwala Wagh (19) and Shubhangi Balkhande (17) sustaining severe electric shocks due to an exposed underground live electrical wire submerged on the water-logged road on the Mumbai carriageway of the Sion-Panvel highway near Nerul flyover on June 30 around 12.30 pm, reports George Mendonca. The girls had alighted at the traffic signal from a share auto rickshaw after returning from college and were walking through the flooded road to reach a stationery shop.Following the incident as political leaders and workers of various political parties separately staged sit-in protests in the cabin of NMMC commissioner Kailas Shinde demanding immediate suspension of the concerned official, the civic chief had suspended Pravin Gade on July 1 after a preliminary inquiry into the electric shocks incident found him prima facie responsible for negligence, as he was the concerned officer responsible for NMMC’s electrical department in the zone-1 area where the incident occurred. Thus, holding him accountable for allegedly failing to monitor, review and control the electrical work under his jurisdiction. NMMC chief Shinde had also initiated disciplinary proceedings against Gade for his alleged dereliction of duty.The police complaint was lodged on Thursday by the college girl Ujwala Wagh after she and her friend Shubhangi Balkhande were discharged from Fortis Hospital, Belapur, on Thursday morning as they recovered completely after treatment for 10 days. The accused suspended NMMC officer Pravin Gade was booked under the BNS section for the offence of negligent act endangering human life or personal safety of others.Nerul police claimed that an FIR was registered against the accused Pravin Gade after receiving information from the NMMC administration in response to the correspondence regarding whose negligence had caused the electric shock incident.Subhash Balkhande (42), the father of the college girl Shubhangi, said, “Though Nerul police have registered an FIR against suspended NMMC executive engineer Pravin Gade, the actual culprit is the concerned NMMC contractor, who neglected the maintenance of the underground electrical cable, resulting in the breaking of the cable and exposure of live electric wire, causing the mishap. Fortunately, my daughter Shubhangi and her friend Ujwala survived despite suffering severe electric shocks. Now that my daughter has been discharged from the hospital after complete recovery, I will be going to Nerul police station on Friday evening to seek to register an FIR against NMMC’s concerned contractor for his act of negligence that could have been fatal for my daughter and her friend.”