Thane: The Wagle Unit 5 of the Thane Crime Branch cracked a major mobile phone theft case, arresting a 28-year-old man and recovering 30 high-end smartphones collectively valued at over Rs 5.3 lakh.Acting on a tip-off, police zeroed in on the suspect—identified as Akbar alias Papa, a native of Siddharthnagar in Uttar Pradesh—who was hiding in a chawl near Chinchoti Lake in Naigaon East, Palghar district. A coordinated raid on Feb 19 led to the arrest of the accused, Akbar Shaukat Ali Shah. Investigators said Shah evaded arrest by frequently shifting locations and allegedly lived under a false identity.

A search of his rented accommodation yielded smartphones of various popular brands. Preliminary investigation linked the recovered devices to a theft case registered at Kasarvadavali police station under Sections 331(4) and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The operation was carried out under the supervision of DCP (crime) Amarsingh Jadhav and ACP (Detection 1) Shekhar Bagde. The team was led by senior police inspector Salil Bhosale of Wagle Unit 5 and assistant police inspector Jagdish Gavit, who continued to probe the case. Police personnel Uttam Shelke, Raghunath Garde, Tejas Thanekar and Nilesh Shedge were also part of the operation.

Thane: The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) held its first General Body meeting in nearly four years on Friday, only for proceedings to be adjourned shortly after they began, following the death of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.The civic body operated under administrative rule since the tenure of its elected corporators expired. Friday’s session marked the first formal assembly of newly elected representatives, but business was swiftly set aside in deference to the occasion. The meeting opened with a condolence motion, during which members from across party lines paid tribute to Pawar, citing his contributions to Maharashtra’s development and his ties to Thane’s growth. A two-minute silence was observed before the House was adjourned for the day as a mark of respect, with all agenda items postponed.

NCP group leader Najib Mulla grew visibly emotional as he recalled his personal association with the late deputy chief minister, speaking about their final meeting, Pawar’s mentorship, and his well-known discipline of beginning work early each morning. Shiv Sena group leader Pawan Kadam described the news as deeply saddening, while BJP group leader Mukesh Mokashi extended condolences and underscored Pawar’s administrative capabilities. NCP (SP) leader Ashraf Shanu Pathan called on the mayor to send a formal representation to the state govt seeking a thorough inquiry into the circumstances of the accident and fixing accountability where warranted. Corporators from AIMIM echoed the demand for a detailed probe and offered support to Pawar’s family. Shinde faction corporators Vikas Repale and Ram Repale also shared their experiences of working alongside Pawar during elections. Following tributes from several senior members, the House was adjourned, with all scheduled agenda items to be taken up at a later date.

Thane: In a major move to tackle Thane’s worsening traffic chaos, the state will frame a dedicated parking policy for commercial vehicles blamed for choking city roads, MLC Niranjan Davkhare said. Raising the issue at Thane District Planning Committee (DPDC) meeting, Davkhare flagged rampant parking of commercial vehicles outside housing societies and along service roads as a key cause of mounting congestion across the city and suburbs. The meeting was chaired by deputy chief minister and Thane guardian minister Eknath Shinde. “With no structured parking policy in place, motorists are facing daily inconvenience and severe traffic bottlenecks. The urban development department must step in with a comprehensive policy,” Davkhare said.

According to Davkhare, Shinde responded positively and announced that the development department would formulate an appropriate policy to regulate commercial vehicle parking.

Thane: Crime Branch Unit-1 arrested a 23-year-old Mumbra resident for allegedly snatching gold chains from a retired assistant sub-inspector and a senior citizen in Kalwa within a span of a week. The accused, identified as Saif Firoz Khan, was part of a two-member gang that allegedly carried out the robberies in a similar fashion. Police recovered stolen property and equipment collectively valued at Rs 3.4 lakh, including two gold chains weighing 13 grams and 10.1 grams, respectively, along with the motorcycle and mobile phone used in the offences.The first incident took place on Jan 31, 2026, when a retired police officer was on a late-night walk. Two men on a motorcycle allegedly intercepted him and forcibly snatched his gold chain before fleeing the spot. A case was registered under relevant sections of the BNS, said a cop. On Feb 6, the duo allegedly struck again in the Ganpati Pada area of Kalwa, targeting an elderly man during the evening hours and escaping with his gold chain using the same modus operandi, said Sachin Gaikwad, senior inspector of Unit-1. Acting on CCTV footage and technical surveillance inputs, officials traced Khan to his residence at Tal Apartment on Khardi Road in Mumbra. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed to the crimes and disclosed the name of his accomplice, Naushad Khan, who remains absconding.

Mumbai: Bombay high court on Friday asked the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to state by next week if it would consider, purely on “humanitarian” grounds, permitting autorickshaw, taxi, Ola-Uber drivers, and even passengers to offer namaz at a temporary shed in the vicinity of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport’s domestic terminal.The HC was hearing a petition filed on Jan 19 by the Taxi-Rickshaw Ola-Uber Men’s Union, seeking orders to protect the fundamental rights of “thousands of devotees, who were deprived of a place of temporary worship inside the airport premises”.

The union was aggrieved by the “sudden demolition” of a prayer space. It said MIAL assured the union that a temporary prayer hall would be provided for Ramzan. However, with no space created, they approached the HC to direct MIAL and the govt to restore the prayer hall or provide an alternative prayer space on the airport premises. tnn

Thane: A special MCOCA court in Thane acquitted nine accused in a 2017 attempted armed dacoity case, observing that the prosecution failed to conclusively link them to the crime despite nearly eight years of trial.Special judge VG Mohite held that while the incident of attempted dacoity was established, the prosecution failed to prove the identity of the assailants beyond reasonable doubt.

The case dates back to July 22, 2017, when employees of a wine shop in Bhiwandi transported around Rs 7 lakh in cash in a Bolero jeep to their employer’s residence in Ulhasnagar. Near village Waret on the Ambadi-Bhiwandi road, 2 motorcycles intercepted the vehicle, and pillion riders allegedly opened fire while demanding the cash bag. Three occupants sustained bullet injuries, but the driver accelerated and managed to escape. The attackers chased the vehicle briefly before fleeing. The cash was not looted. Police subsequently arrested nine persons and invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), alleging they operated as an organised crime syndicate led by Vijay Menbansi. During trial, the court found significant inconsistencies in the prosecution’s case. Key eyewitnesses gave contradictory statements and failed to reliably identify the accused in court. The test identification parade records were not produced, and the executive magistrate who conducted it was not examined. Two injured witnesses were also not examined, with no explanation offered. The court further observed that cash allegedly seized from two accused was irrelevant since no money was actually robbed. Firearms recovery evidence weakened after one accused absconded, and the prosecution failed to produce a ballistic report linking the weapons to the incident.With the charges of attempt to murder, dacoity, and conspiracy not proved, the MCOCA charges also collapsed. The court ruled that prior criminal records alone were insufficient to secure conviction. A tenth accused remains absconding, and proceedings against him will continue upon arrest.

BHOPAL: A video showing a youth performing a dangerous stunt on a moving car went viral on social media platforms on Friday, prompting a probe and an arrest in the case.In the video, the youth is seen starting the car, setting it in motion, and then climbing onto the roof while the vehicle was still moving. Notably, no one was visible in the driver’s seat during the recording.

The incident took place near Ekant Park in the Char Imli area under the jurisdiction of Habibganj police station. According to police, the video was recorded on Thursday. Taking cognisance of the viral clip, traffic police traced the vehicle through its registration number and submitted a complaint to Habibganj police station. Based on the registration details and video verification, police identified and detained the accused, a resident of Bag Sewania. A case was filed against him on charges of rash and dangerous driving under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Motor Vehicles Act.Police said the accused is preparing for competitive examinations (NDA). He and his friends allegedly recorded the stunt video to share on social media. As sections invoked are bailable, he was arrested and later released on notice. A probe is on.