Thane: Bringing the curtain down on an 11-year-old anti-corruption case, a Thane sessions court on Wednesday acquitted a traffic police constable accused of demanding and accepting a bribe for towing an accident-hit bus, holding that the prosecution failed to prove the essential ingredient of “demand” for illegal gratification.Additional Sessions Judge DS Deshmukh cleared Vilas P Chavan, then attached to the Kalwa traffic unit, of charges under Prevention of Corruption Act. The court observed that while recovery of money was established, mere recovery without proof of demand cannot sustain a conviction.The case dates back to Jan 2014, when a bus contracted to ferry company employees was involved in a collision on the Bhiwandi bypass near Diva, injuring seven passengers. The prosecution alleged that Chavan demanded Rs 3,000 from the bus owner for towing the vehicle and refused to issue a receipt, prompting the complainant to approach the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). A trap was laid and tainted currency was recovered from the constable.However, after examining seven prosecution witnesses, including the complainant, panch witnesses and the investigating officer, the court noted that the recorded conversations showed Chavan repeatedly asking for vehicle documents and indicating willingness to issue a receipt for towing charges. Panch witnesses, during cross-examination, admitted that there was no explicit demand for a bribe.The court also flagged defects in the sanction granted for prosecution, observing that the sanctioning authority did not independently verify crucial material such as call detail records or audio evidence, rendering the sanction invalid.The court directed that seized amounts be returned to the complainant and the accused.

VADODARA: In a big setback to him and Team India, India’s wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was on Saturday ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand, which begins here on Sunday. Pant sustained a side strain after being hit just above his waist, on the ribs, from one of the deliveries bowled by a throwdown specialist late in his long batting session here. The 28-year-old was attended by the support staff members, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, and left the BCA B ground after receiving treatment, grimacing in pain.

“He has been diagnosed with a right-sided strain with internal oblique muscle tear, and has thus been ruled out of the forthcoming ODI series against New Zealand,” a reliable source told TOI. While KL Rahul is the regular wicketkeeper in India’s ODI side, the selectors will soon announce a replacement for Pant.Pant last played an ODI for India against Sri Lanka in July 2024. He was part of the squad that won the Champions Trophy in 2025, but did not feature in a single match. The left-hander led Delhi in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy recently and made two half-centuries against Services and Railways, respectively. He made his comeback after recovering from a toe fracture he sustained in the fourth Test against England at Manchester, during the two-Test series against South Africa at home.

LUDHIANA: A gruesome murder in Ludhiana came to light after CCTV footage captured a couple transporting a dismembered body hidden in a household drum on a bike. The case revealed that a carpenter allegedly dismantled his friend’s body while his children played on the roof, with his wife allegedly assisting in the cleanup.Punjab Police confirmed on Friday that they had arrested woodworker Shamsher Singh Shera and his wife Kuldeep Kaur in connection with the death of Davinder Singh, a 30-year-old digital printing professional from Mumbai. The victim’s body was discovered on Thursday, cut into six pieces and scattered near the Jalandhar Bypass. According to investigators, Davinder had arrived in Ludhiana by train on January 6 to purchase new machinery. Shortly after arriving, he met with his friend Shamsher. Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Sameer Verma stated that the two men consumed “chitta”, a local term for heroin, at Shamsher’s house. While under the influence, a heated argument broke out over an unpaid debt. “During the altercation, Shamsher pushed Davinder, which knocked him unconscious. Believing the man was dead, Shamsher used a saw to dismember the body, a process that reportedly took him two and a half hours,” Verma said. CUTTING THROUGH FRIENDSHIP’S REMAINS

Additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Sameer Verma said that: “While most of the remains of Mumbaikar printer Davinder Singh have been recovered, one arm is still missing. We suspect it may have been taken by stray animals.” Both of the accused — Shamsher and his wife, Kuldeep Kaur — remain in custody facing murder and conspiracy charges as the investigation continues

JAMMU: A drone from Pakistan dropped a consignment of arms and ammunition in a border village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district on Friday, police said on Saturday.“Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of BSF and special operations group of police launched a search operation in Paloora village of Rajpura area on Friday night. A packet containing one Chinese HE grenade, 16 rounds of 9mm cartridges, one Glock pistol with a magazine, and one Star pistol with two magazines was recovered from the site,” police said.The recovery was made amid heightened security measures to thwart any attempt by terrorists to disrupt the upcoming Republic Day celebrations, police added.Earlier, on Nov 21, a Pakistani drone was sighted over a forward village along international border in Ghagwal tehsil of Samba, prompting security forces to conduct a search operation for suspected airdropping of narcotics, weapons, or other payloads.On Oct 27, BSF foiled a major narcotics smuggling attempt from across the border in Ranbir Singh Pura in Jammu district. Two bags dropped by a Pakistani drone were recovered, containing over five kilograms of heroin worth more than Rs 25 crore in the international market.

JAMMU: A suspicious pigeon, believed to be from Pakistan, was caught in a forward village near the LoC in Akhnoor sector of J&K on Saturday.The pigeon, caught in Kharah Balli village, was bearing coded markings, police said. The bird was first noticed by a 13-year-old boy, whose parents informed the police.“The pale grey pigeon is having red and yellow rings in legs inscribed with “Rehmat Sarkar” along with a mobile number and a name, followed by certain numbers, besides stamped wings,” police sources said. Additionally, a stamp was observed on the wings mentioning “Nowshera Aling Pigeon Club”, they said.Meanwhile, locals of Gorkha Nagar on Saturday noticed an object suspected to be a drone lying near a nallah in the area. Police have taken the object in custody for a detailed examination.