Latest news with #MaharashtraControlofOrganisedCrimeAct
Hindustan Times
8 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Notorious criminals from Kondhwa, Mundhwa and Hadapsar externed from Pune
Four habitual offenders from Kondhwa, Mundhwa, and Hadapsar have been externed from Pune city limits for two years, following an order issued by the city police commissioner on June 1, 2025. In the past five months, 71 habitual criminals from Zone V have faced legal action under various stringent laws. 37 offenders have been imprisoned in five Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) cases, while 13 criminals have been sentenced under the Dangerous Persons and Video Pirates Act, 1981 (MPDA Act), and the Externment Act. Among those recently externed is Narayan Swami (38), a resident of Kondhwa, with seven criminal cases registered against him. Charges include unlawful assembly, obstructing government work, causing injury, assault, abuse, and selling liquor without a license. Nehal Viraj Kumbhar (28), from Kondhwa, has four cases registered for the illegal sale of country-made liquor, while Shubham Kawade (30), a resident of Fursungi, faces four serious charges, including causing grievous injury, attempted murder, issuing threats, and creating panic through illegal possession of firearms. Ganesh Meghnath Bhat, alias Tamaychi (32), of Jadhav Vasti, Ghorpadi, has four cases against him for the illegal sale of country-made liquor and issuing threats using abusive language. Joint commissioner of police Ranjan Kumar Sharma said, 'These individuals are known habitual offenders. To prevent further criminal activities and maintain law and order, we are aggressively pursuing legal action under MCOCA, the MPDA Act, and the externment provisions against more such criminals. Further action will be taken without hesitation.'
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
CBI court refuses bail to gangster Chhota Rajan in 2005 arms seizure case
MUMBAI: A special court designated under the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday rejected the bail plea of gangster Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje, alias Chhota Rajan, in connection with a 2005 case involving a major arms seizure at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT). The court, in its order dated May 28, noted that the trial was nearing completion and the case was of a serious nature. 'All important witnesses have been examined, and the trial is likely to conclude within a few months,' said special judge A M Patil while denying the bail plea. The case dates back to May 21, 2005, when Mumbai police recovered a cache of firearms and ammunition concealed in drums filled with grease at a logistics facility near JNPT. The raid was triggered by the arrest of one Mukund Patel, who was found in possession of a loaded revolver at a bar near Kandivali West railway station. During interrogation, Patel allegedly disclosed that Rajan's aide, Bharat Nepali, had facilitated the smuggling of weapons into the city. Acting on this information, the Mumbai Crime Branch conducted a search at Trans India Logistic Park, recovering nine packets containing 34 revolvers, three pistols, one silencer, and 1,283 live cartridges. Following the seizure, police invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), citing the involvement of an organised crime syndicate. The CBI took over the investigation in 2015, after Rajan was extradited to India. In his bail application, Rajan contended that there was no direct evidence linking him to the arms haul and claimed he had been falsely implicated. His counsel argued that he has been in judicial custody since October 2015, and the delay in concluding the trial infringed on his constitutional right to a speedy trial. The defence also questioned the admissibility of call records purportedly linking Rajan to the other accused, arguing that the sanction to invoke MCOCA was vague and procedurally flawed. However, the prosecution strongly opposed the plea. The special public prosecutor maintained that the charge sheet contained sufficient evidence tying Rajan to the smuggling operation. It was also submitted that a police officer had identified Rajan's voice in an intercepted conversation and cautioned that given his history of absconding, he posed a flight risk if granted bail. Upholding the prosecution's arguments, the court ruled that Rajan's continued detention was justified and that the cited legal precedents in the defence's argument were not applicable at the current stage of the trial.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Time of India
MCOCA against dacoits who targeted windmill site in Beed
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Beed district police have invoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against a gang of dacoits involved in a high-profile theft on April 7 when they looted equipment worth ₹12.9 lakh from Avada company's wind turbine installation site at Vida village in Kej taluka. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The site's watchman, Akash Bhaskar Jadhav (26), and his colleague, Abhijit Dundhav, filed a complaint in this regard. Jadhav said the incident occurred on April 7. Around 11.45pm, 14 unidentified people arrived at the location. When the complainants confronted them, four of them assaulted the duo with wooden sticks and tied them up. The remaining 10 climbed up a ladder into the wind turbine's structure and stole key components — including a rotor cable (Rs2 lakh), starter cable (Rs8.1 lakh) and earthing cable (Rs2.8 lakh) — together worth Rs12.9 lakh. An FIR was filed under IPC section 310 (2) at Kej police station and a detailed investigation launched. On April 14, the Kej police and Beed's local crime branch teams arrested four of the accused — Baban Sardar Shinde (40) of Nandurghat, Dhanaji Ravji Kale (23) of Terkheda in Dharashiv, Mohan Hari Kale (30) and Lalasahab Sakharam Pawar (26) of Dasmegaon. Six other members of the gang have been identified and are absconding. Police recovered stolen property — including copper wire and a four-wheeler — worth Rs9 lakh from the arrested men. Beed superintendent of police Navneet Kanwat said, "Investigations revealed that the gang has carried out 11 serious crimes in Beed and Dharashiv districts, including armed robberies, burglaries and grievous assaults within Kej, Neknur, Dhoki and Vashi police station limits." Kej police inspector Vaibhav Patil prepared a proposal to invoke MCOCA based on the criminal history and organised nature of the gang. The proposal was submitted to Kanwat on May 13 and forwarded to special IG Virendra Mishra at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, who granted the sanction on May 29. "Subsequently, MCOCA sections 3 (1) (ii), 3 (2) and 3 (4) were invoked. The case has been transferred to assistant SP Kamlesh Meena of Kej for further investigation," said Kanwat.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
Mumbai crime branch nabs man involved in 11 cases after getting bail in January
The Mumbai crime branch on Thursday arrested a history sheeter with nearly 20 cases against him including one under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). The accused identified as Shiva Amogam Shetty (29) was released in January this year after being behind bars for over two years and allegedly was involved in 11 crimes ever since being out on bail. The accused was handed over to the Navi Mumbai Police where several of these cases have been registered. An officer from Mumbai crime branch (unit VII) said that they had a tip-off about the accused Shiva Armogam Shetty (29), a Kanjurmarg resident, who had stopped reporting to the local police station, one of the conditions set by the special MCOCA court while granting him bail in January this year. The police nabbed him from Kalwa where he was residing with his wife under another identity. After detaining him and interrogating him, the police found his alleged involvement in 11 cases – since he was released in January this year. Several of these cases were registered in Navi Mumbai following which he was handed over to them. An official said that since his previous cases were in Mumbai, he targeted areas like Thane, Mira Road, Navi Mumbai and Palghar An official said that Shetty had created a reign of terror in the eastern suburbs and in January 2022, his men had also stabbed two police constables who had been chasing him. It was in order to reduce his influence that sections of the stringent MCOCA had been applied against him in which it is difficult to secure bail. 'Earlier this year he had been granted bail. While initially for a few months he would report to the local police station following which he stopped coming suddenly. We suspected he was up to no good and when he was not found at his house, we had started looking for him,' said a crime branch officer.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
Court denies bail to gangster Chhota Rajan in 20-year old arms haul case
IN A 20-year-old case of alleged concealment of arms among drums of grease at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), a special court rejected the bail plea of gangster Chhota Rajan, calling it a 'serious offence'. Rajan was deported to India in 2005 and is currently lodged in Tihar jail in New Delhi. Rajan sought bail in the case stating that he has spent 10 years in jail as an undertrial and the trial is yet to conclude. After his deportation, all the cases pending against him were transferred for a probe to the CBI and a special court has been designated for trial in these cases. This particular case dates back to May 21, 2005, when one Mukund Patel was arrested for possessing a loaded revolver near Kandivali railway station. His interrogation revealed that Bharat Nepali, a henchman of gangster Chhota Rajan, has imported a huge quantity of firearms and ammunition concealed in one drum, hidden among 27 drums of grease. He also led the police to the drum kept at a logistic park in the JNPT area. The container had 34 revolvers, three pistols, one silencer and 1,283 live cartridges concealed. Police invoked sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act. Rajan was named as an absconding accused in the case as the leader of an organised crime syndicate, called the Chhota Rajan gang. Rajan sought bail stating that there is no evidence against him and he has been in judicial custody since 2015. Special public prosecutor Pradip Gharat submitted that there is evidence, including an intercepted conversation, and that the case is nearing conclusion. The court said that Rajan has been punished for offences ranging from life imprisonment to two years. Rajan was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2018 for the murder of journalist J Dey in 2011. 'The present matter is of a serious nature. Prosecution has already examined a total 45 witnesses…all the important witnesses have been examined by the prosecution. Now, there may be few witnesses who remain to be examined…and thereby, the trial may be completed within a few months,' special judge A M Patil said in the order passed on May 28.
