ULHASNAGAR: Panic gripped Ulhasnagar’s Camp No. 5 area on Thursday evening after assailants allegedly opened indiscriminate fire at Kailash Colony Chowk, killing two brothers, including a minor, and critically injuring their uncle in what police suspect was a fallout of an old rivalry and extortion dispute.The deceased were identified as Anil Harkesh Chauhan, 22, and his younger brother Aman Harkesh Chauhan, 17. Their uncle, Arjun Surajbali Chauhan, 26, sustained serious bullet injuries and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital.According to family members, the incident took place around 7.30 pm when around 10 to 12 persons allegedly arrived at the spot in cars and two-wheelers. The family has named Sagar Patil as the prime accused in the firing incident.Eyewitnesses said the attackers opened fire in the middle of the road in full public view, triggering chaos in the busy locality. Residents and shopkeepers ran for safety as multiple rounds were allegedly fired.Police rushed to the spot after receiving information and shifted the victims to Central Hospital. However, Aman Chauhan succumbed to his injuries before he could receive treatment.An eyewitness said Aman, after being shot, managed to approach him and informed him about the firing. “We first rushed him to a private Balaji Hospital, but since there was no surgeon available there, we shifted him in an autorickshaw to Central Hospital. He died on the way,” the eyewitness said.Preliminary investigation suggests the attack stemmed from an old dispute between members of the Chauhan family and a group of criminals, allegedly linked to the Ambernath gaon area.Speaking to TOI, the deceased’s elder brother, Vicky Chauhan, alleged that the accused were demanding money every month from Anil, who worked as a tempo driver. “About a month ago, Sagar Patil, Balvindar Birajdar and Shekhar Birajdar demanded hafta from my brother to allow him to operate his tempo in Ambernath gaon. When he refused, he was threatened,” Vicky claimed.He further alleged that Anil initially lodged a non-cognisable complaint, or NC, at the Hill Line police station, following which the same group allegedly assaulted him. “My brother later registered an FIR against them, but no strict action was taken. The accused got bail and continued threatening him. Had the police acted seriously, my brother would have been alive today,” he alleged.Another relative claimed that several accused involved in the firing were history-sheeters with multiple criminal cases registered against them. They also alleged that the accused enjoyed political backing, which is why no stringent police action was taken against them earlier.Senior police officers, including officials from Hill Line police station, visited the crime scene after the incident. Police cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace the absconding accused.A senior police officer said investigators were probing the extortion angle. “During the preliminary inquiry, it has come to light that the accused allegedly demanded hafta from the deceased, and the firing occurred after he refused to pay. Further investigation is underway,” the officer said.The double murder has sparked tension in the area and raised serious concerns over law and order in Ulhasnagar.

AMBERNATH: In a push to strengthen civic infrastructure and recreational facilities in Ambernath, MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde on Wednesday inspected a series of redevelopment projects across the town, including the newly revamped Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Garden, an upcoming sports complex in west Ambernath and a garden redevelopment project at Hutatma Chowk in the eastern part of the city.The redevelopment work of the former Atal Suryoday Garden, located in the ward represented by Shiv Sena corporators Kunal Bhoir and Aparna Bhoir, has been completed recently and the garden has now been opened for public use. The civic body has renamed the facility as Bharat Ratna Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee Garden.During the inspection, Shinde reviewed the amenities developed at the park and directed officials to ensure high-quality public facilities for residents. Civic officials said the redevelopment was carried out after considering suggestions from local citizens while retaining the original open-space character of the ground.The upgraded garden now features covered seating arrangements, a dedicated children’s play area and two badminton courts for youngsters. Traditional-style seating structures have also been added to create a leisure-friendly atmosphere for visitors.Keeping in mind the large number of morning and evening walkers in the area, authorities have also developed a synthetic jogging track inside the park. Officials said special emphasis was placed on preserving greenery and maintaining open spaces during the redevelopment work.Later, the MP visited the site of the proposed modern sports complex coming up in west Ambernath. According to officials, the facility will include both indoor and outdoor sports infrastructure aimed at providing professional-level amenities to local athletes. Shinde instructed the civic administration to ensure quality standards and speedy completion of the project.He also reviewed the redevelopment work underway at the Hutatma Chowk garden in east Ambernath. The project includes the construction of an art gallery and an open-air stage, which is expected to serve as a venue for cultural and social events in the future.Among those present during the inspections were MLA Balaji Kinikar, municipal council president Tejashree Karanjule, deputy president Sadashiv Patil, Shiv Sena office-bearer Rajesh Kadam, former municipal president Sunil Chaudhary and corporator Ravindra Karanjule, along with local party workers and civic officials.

ULHASNAGAR: The city may get 30 electric buses by October this year, providing major relief to commuters travelling between Ulhasnagar and neighbouring areas such as Thane, Ambernath, Badlapur, Murbad, and Navi Mumbai. The proposal was discussed during a meeting between Shiv Sena leader and former MLA Pappu Kalani, other Shiv Sena functionaries, and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday, where several long-pending civic and infrastructure issues concerning the city were taken up.Shiv Sena leader Kamlesh Nikam said the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation had submitted a proposal seeking 100 electric buses from the state government, which was later forwarded to the Centre. Out of these, 30 buses are likely to be allotted in the first phase by October. According to Nikam, the buses will operate on routes connecting Ulhasnagar with Murbad, Badlapur, Ambernath, Thane, and Navi Mumbai, significantly improving connectivity for residents, especially people from middle-class and economically weaker sections.During the meeting, Sena leaders also discussed multiple development projects planned for the city. Nikam said deputy CM Shinde sanctioned fund of Rs 100 crore for concrete roads in city roads through Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) fund. Tender processes for these projects are expected to begin shortly.Issues related to redevelopment and regularisation in Ulhasnagar were also raised during the meeting. Kalani demanded the appointment of key officials in the UMC, including an Additional Town Planner and deputy municipal commissioner, to speed up pending projects and administrative work. Shinde reportedly directed officials to fill the required posts at the earliest.The meeting also focused on the city’s water supply concerns. Pappu Kalani sought the development of an independent water source for Ulhasnagar so that the civic body can reduce its dependence on expensive water purchased from Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation.

THANE: A day after minor girl rape case at the Kalyan Railway Yard, two separate incidents of sexual assault on 16-year-old girls have come to light in Dombivli. In both instances, the harrowing crimes were discovered only after the victims became pregnant.These back-to-back incidents have sent shocked the residents of twin Kalyan-Dombivli cities raising serious concerns over the safety of young girls. In latest case, both accused have been arrested and remanded to police custody.The first incident took place within the limits of the Ramnagar Police Station, involving a 24-year-old videographer and video editor identified as Shubham Saroj.The incident surfaced only after the minor victim became pregnant. The victim’s family lodged a formal complaint on Saturday evening, prompting swift action from the local police who nabbed Saroj immediately.The accused and the victim had known each other for two years. They attended the same coaching classes, which the accused allegedly used as a guise to build trust.Taking advantage of the acquaintance, Saroj lured the minor into a trap and repeatedly assaulted her.“The accused and the victim knew each other through coaching classes. He exploited this familiarity to trap and repeatedly assault her,” said Ganesh Juwadwad, Senior Police Inspector at Ramnagar Police Station.The second case was registered under the jurisdiction of the Manpada Police Station. According to police, the 16-year-old victim was allegedly assaulted by 23-year-old Kaju Nishad. Following the crime, Nishad fled Maharashtra to evade the law and hid in his village to Uttar Pradesh.The ordeal came to light a week ago when the victim’s family noticed physical changes and discovered her pregnancy. Reeling from the shock, the family immediately approached the police.“Using technical surveillance and local intelligence, our team tracked Nishad to his hideout in Uttar Pradesh. He was arrested, brought back to Dombivli, and has been remanded to police custody,” a senior police officer said, adding that further investigation is underway.Saroj was produced before a Kalyan court, which remanded him to police custody until May 21. Both Nishad and Saroj have been booked under stringent sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Police are conducting further investigations in both cases.(The victim’s identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)