Mumbai: A Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) jawan, Sagar Wagh, was arrested on Friday for allegedly abducting and robbing a forex delivery boy, in connivance with four others, including two police constables.Police said that on March 25, Sumit Ambavekar (30) had gone to Juhu to deliver foreign currency to a client when he was intercepted by five men, including constable Sandeep Shinde (33) of Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) police station, constable Gajendra Rajput (40) of Jogeshwari police station, and Wagh. The accused allegedly forced Ambavekar into a car, drove to Dahisar, and robbed him of $10,000 and his Rs 15,000 monthly salary.Shinde was caught on the spot by Dahisar patrolling officers after they noticed a commotion involving the victim, while Rajput was nabbed two days later from his Thane residence. During interrogation, the duo revealed the whereabouts of Wagh, who was then apprehended. Shinde and Rajput have been suspended from the police force and a departmental inquiry has been initiated against them.“Shinde and Rajput flashed their Mumbai Police ID cards and made the victim tell his wife and mother on a video call that he would not come home at night as he is being taken to the police station,” said a Juhu police officer.In the FIR, Ambavekar, employed with a forex company in BKC, said: “I was sent to deliver US dollars to a client at JVPD Scheme. At 3.10pm, I reached the address and was speaking with the security guard, when suddenly, two men came from behind. One of them grabbed me from behind, and the other snatched my phone. I asked them, ‘What happened?’ One of them slapped me twice and said: ‘Sit in the car, I will tell you what to say’. After that, both of them grabbed me and made me sit in a car.“There were three other men already sitting in the car. “One of them frisked me and took $10,000 from one of the pockets in my trousers. The men threatened me and switched off my phone. One of the men in the back seat took my bag and pocketed Rs 15,000 that belonged to me,” said Ambavekar in his complaint.The accused interrogated Ambavekar about his family, his company and its staff and told the man driving the car to go to Borivli Crime Branch Unit. When they reached Goregaon along the Western Express Highway, they stopped for juice and water. “They again stopped the car near the traffic police checkpost under the highway bridge in Kandivli. Shinde and Rajput flashed their police identity cards to the victim. They said that the three other men were also police. Then Shinde asked Ambavekar, ‘How many cases do you have against him? Do you want to increase the cases? Will your wife bail you out?’,” said a police officer.“At 5pm, they stopped near the Hanuman Mandir on the highway, after taking a U-turn from under Dahisar Metro station. Shinde then asked Ambavekar to bring the currency documents and his boss to the Dahisar unit the next day. When Ambavekar asked to return the currency or take him to the police station, they started to leave in an autorickshaw. An argument broke out between Shinde and Ambavekar, when the latter took their photographs on his mobile. People caught Shinde as he assaulted Ambavekar, who then called Dahisar police,” the FIR stated. Shinde was caught, but the remaining four accused managed to flee.Juhu police are now on the lookout for the remaining two accused.

Mumbai: Nearly a month after the city crime branch arrested a Navi Mumbai resident who allegedly impersonated an IAS officer attached to the office of Union home minister Amit Shah and attempted to influence a police officer during the execution of an arrest warrant against a female doctor in a cheque-bounce case, they booked the medical practitioner.“We have served a notice to Dr Asmita Sarang, who lives in Grant Road, under the provisions of BNSS, when an arrest is not required for offences punishable with less than seven years,” said a senior police officer.Police are also probing if the arrested accused, Mohammed Munir Pathan (42) from Vashi, had tried to influence two deputy police commissioners (DCPs) in the registration of an FIR in an unrelated case.“From his call detail reports, it was learnt that Pathan was in touch with two DCPs and an FIR of cheating has also been registered in an unrelated case. It is not clear whether Pathan impersonated Shah’s PS and influenced one of the DCPs to register a separate FIR or the FIR was registered in a natural course,” said the senior officer.Crime branch officers also found a company registered in the names of Pathan and Dr Sarang, which is being probed.In March, Hanumantu Raju, attached to Connaught Place police station in Delhi, had come to Mumbai to execute a bailable warrant issued against Dr Sarang in a cheque dishonour case. Shortly after Raju contacted the doctor, he allegedly received a threat call from the impersonator. During the probe, it transpired that Pathan had allegedly posed as “IAS officer Pawan Kumar Yadav, PS to Amit Shah” and called the Delhi police constable, pressuring him not to take action against Dr Sarang. Police found that Pathan had allegedly procured the SIM card using an acquaintance’s identity to whom he paid Rs 3,000.Following a complaint, the case was transferred to the crime intelligence unit of the Mumbai Crime Branch. Pathan was traced and arrested under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita for cheating and impersonation as well as under the Information Technology Act.

Pune/Mumbai: Congress has staked its claim to the Pawar family’s traditional seat of Baramati after the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) made it clear that it will not field a candidate against deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar for the April 23 bypoll. Sunetra Pawar, who is the NCP president, will file her nomination on April 6 for the bye-election, party sources said on Friday.Congress state chief Harshwardhan Sapkal on Thursday held online interviews with the aspirants for the Baramati seat. “We have received six applications for Baramati and four for the Rahuri seat so far. If NCP (SP) is not contesting these seats, our party will, and we are firm about it,” he said.The bypoll was necessitated by the death of Pawar’s husband Ajit Pawar, who was the deputy chief minister at the time, in a plane crash on Jan 28.Sunetra Pawar is currently a Rajya Sabha member. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde are expected to be present when she files her nomination papers, NCP sources said.Ajit Pawar was an eight-time MLA from home turf Baramati.Senior BJP member Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday made an emotional appeal to Congress, claiming that late Ajit Pawar was a long-time colleague of the Congress and respecting the relation, the party should not put up a candidate against his wife, Sunetra.He said, “Nearly 75% of Ajit Pawar’s political career was associated with the Congress. I appeal to its leadership for consideration and not put up any candidate in Baramati. We have no problems if they nominate a candidate for the Rahuri seat but our appeal to all parties is to help Sunetra win unopposed.” BJP MLA Shivajirao Kardile passed away last Oct, necessitating the bypoll for the Rahuri assembly seat. NCP (SP), which had contested the Baramati seat against Ajit Pawar in the 2024 assembly poll, announced that it will not put up a candidate this time. Its members are not happy with the Congress’s stand to contest the bypoll in Baramati.Shiv Sena (UBT), the other MVA partner, said that the alliance partners will take a call on contesting the bypoll but did not object to Congress’s preparations. (With PTI inputs)

Ruturaj Gaikwad blamed his spinners for Chennai Super Kings’ five-wicket loss to Punjab Kings in their IPL match on Friday, saying an off day from them hurt the team despite a strong total on the board.Chennai Super Kings posted 209 for 5, with Ayush Mhatre scoring 73 off 43 balls. But Punjab Kings chased down the target in 18.4 overs, led by captain Shreyas Iyer, who made 50.After the match, Gaikwad pointed to the performance of his spinners, Noor Ahmad and Rahul Chahar, as a key factor in the defeat. Chennai had seam options like Gurjapneet Singh and Jamie Overton available as impact substitutes but chose to bring in Chahar.“We felt we had three seamers going in, and obviously we have two good wrist spinners (Noor Ahmad and Rahul Chahar) bowling in tandem, especially in the middle after the powerplay. We felt that, you know, it will help,” said Gaikwad.“But I think, you know, slight off day for both of them. So, I think, that is what cost us. Sometimes we executed really well. Sometimes we just didn’t execute at the right time,” he added.He said the team could not build pressure in the middle overs.“There was a point when it (required run-rate) went to 11, and a couple of good overs would have taken it to 12-13. We just did not get momentum in the middle (with the ball).”Gaikwad added that the batting had positives, with contributions from Mhatre and Shivam Dube, but said the bowling needs to improve.Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer said the start given by openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh played a big role in the chase.“The way we started today, that was an exceptional start for us. I feel the way they (Arya and Prabhsimran) have been batting has been phenomenal and it stabilises the rhythm for us,” Iyer said.“I am glad everyone is getting to bat. It gives immense confidence to the team. Whenever we are in a pressure situation, people are aware on how to handle it. We just decided in the dressing room, we will play a brand of cricket to impress each other — that gives us a certain sort of clarity, and basically challenging each other.”In the chase, Iyer’s 50 off 29 balls and his 59-run stand with Nehal Wadhera helped Punjab reach 210 for five. The target was 209.Punjab also got contributions from Priyansh Arya (39 off 11), Prabhsimran Singh (43 off 34) and Cooper Connolly (36 off 22).Iyer started slowly, scoring 8 off 9 balls while Connolly took charge. After Connolly fell to Anshul Kamboj, Iyer took control and targeted the spinners. He reached his fifty in 26 balls but was later dismissed by Kamboj while going after a wide delivery.Punjab completed the chase in 18.4 overs, handing Chennai their second loss in a row.