Latest news with #PunePolice
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘Drug party' raid: Seven remanded in police custody till July 29
Pune: Judicial Magistrate First Class NS Bari on Sunday remanded seven individuals, including Pranjal Khewalkar—son-in-law of NCP (SP) leader Eknath Khadse—in police custody till July 29 in connection with a drug bust during a suspected party in Kharadi area. According to the prosecution, Pune Police raided a serviced apartment in the early hours of Sunday based on specific information. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC) The accused were produced before the holiday court, where public prosecutor Priyanka Vengurlekar sought seven days' police custody. She argued that further interrogation was necessary to trace the origin of the drugs, examine prior party records, and determine the involvement of other individuals. She also noted that some of the accused had criminal backgrounds and that the investigation was at a preliminary stage. Defence advocate Vijaysinh Thombare, representing Khewalkar, alleged that his client was being falsely implicated due to political motives. 'This is nothing but an attempt to sabotage my client's political career. His wife holds a political office, and this appears to be a trap,' he told the court. He claimed that there was no evidence of drug consumption by Khewalkar and that no medical report had been submitted to the court. According to the prosecution, Pune Police raided a serviced apartment in the early hours of Sunday based on specific information. The apartment, booked in Khewalkar's name, was the site of a party where five men and two women were present. Police seized liquor bottles, hookah setups, ganja, and 2.7 grams of cocaine—classified as an intermediate quantity under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), 1985. Videos from the party, showing scenes of chaos and a woman in distress, went viral on social media. Prosecutor Vengurlekar said that the accused were habitual offenders and reiterated that the police followed due procedure. 'This is not an isolated case. The recovered contraband and supporting evidence validate the charges,' she said. Thombare countered that his client had been under surveillance for months. 'Police have previously followed him on two occasions and collected CCTV footages from hotels. This is the third time, and it seems to be a deliberate move to frame him. My client is not a criminal,' he said. Advocate Abid Mulani, representing two other accused, raised legal concerns over the arrests. 'The investigating agency failed to inform the accused of the grounds of their arrest at the time of detention, violating Section 50 of the Criminal Procedure Code. This renders their continued custody unlawful,' he argued. He submitted that accused number 3 and number 4 neither possessed nor consumed any narcotics, making the invocation of the NDPS Act against them untenable. While the court has kept the question of the legality of arrest open for further consideration, Mulani contended that continued custody of these two accused is unwarranted and amounts to a violation of their fundamental rights under Article 21 of the Constitution.
News18
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Sant Tukaram Shows Cancelled In Pune Amid Protests, Makers Address Financial Loss
Last Updated: The film 'Sant Tukaram' is facing resistance in Pune, with shows cancelled due to objections from the Sant Tukaram Sansthan. The recently released film 'Sant Tukaram' is facing resistance from a certain section of the audience. The film's shows in Pune have been cancelled after a commotion. The cancellation of shows comes in the wake of the concerns raised by the Sant Tukaram Sansthan. Talking about the same, director Aditya Om said, 'In Pune city, the majority of shows of the film 'Sant Tukaram' have been disrupted. The disruptions come in the wake of objections raised by the Sant Tukaram Sansthan, following which the Pune Police have issued an advisory". 'Sant Tukaram' is touted to be an ode to the 17th-century saint-poet whose devotional verses redefined resistance and spirituality. The film charts his evolution and his soul-stirring Abhanga compositions. Aditya further mentioned, 'The advisory states that, in view of the concerns raised by the Sant Tukaram Sansthan, cinema halls across Pune city have been alerted and advised to take necessary precautions to avoid any untoward incidents. As a result, most theaters have decided to cancel the film's shows. It is important to note that the film was granted a U certificate by the Censor Board without any cuts. This entire situation has directly impacted the film's screenings, causing significant financial losses to the makers". The film's writer and director have stated that 'Sant Tukaram' has been made with complete devotion, with the sole purpose of spreading the values and teachings. The film stars Subodh Bhave, Arun Govil, Shishir Sharma, Sanjay Mishra, Shiva Suryavanshi, Sheena Chohan, Hemant Pandey, Ganesh Yadav, Lalit Tiwari, Mukesh Bhatt, Gauri Shankar, Twinkle Kapoor, Rupali Jadhav, and DJ Akbar Sami. Presented by Curzon Films in association with Purushottam Studios, and backed by producer B. Gautham, 'Sant Tukaram' is currently playing in theaters. First Published: July 20, 2025, 15:16 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hans India
17-07-2025
- Hans India
ED, ATS, and now land fraud: Chhangur Baba's legal troubles mount
Pune/Lonavala: In a dramatic twist to the controversies surrounding self-styled spiritual leader Chhangur Baba, Mumbai-based businessman Mohammad Ahmed has come forward with serious allegations of intimidation, fraud, and criminal conspiracy related to a high-value land deal in Lonavala. Speaking to the media, Ahmed claimed that he was 'threatened and harassed' by Chhangur Baba and his associates after a registered agreement for the sale of land turned sour. Mohammad Ahmed had entered into a land deal in 2023 with Chhangur Baba for a plot measuring 1.87 lakh square feet in Lonavala. As part of the agreement, Chhangur Baba committed to paying Rs 16.5 crore to Ahmed through a registered agreement. However, after paying an initial amount of Rs 49 lakh, Chhangur Baba allegedly began delaying the remaining payment. The agreement was valid for 12 months, but before the term could expire, Ahmed alleges that Chhangur Baba began delaying the transaction and attempting to take control of the land without fulfilling the financial terms. "He began avoiding further payments, and when I insisted, I was threatened and pressured. It was clear that he wanted to grab the land without honouring the agreement," Ahmed said. Fearing foul play, Ahmed filed a civil suit in the Vadgaon Maval Court in Pune seeking cancellation of the agreement. He also accused Chhangur Baba of attempting to misuse his influence in Uttar Pradesh to have false criminal cases filed against him. 'When that didn't work, he tried to use local goons to threaten me and my family. Out of fear, I remained silent. But now, with so many cases surfacing against him, I have decided to go to the Pune Police,' Ahmed added. Ahmed further alleged that close aides of Chhangur Baba, including Abid Rabbani and Sameer Srivastava, were involved in managing his unaccounted wealth and hiding their real identities. He claimed that proceeds from other land sales, including five bighas in Chitayan village in Uttar Pradesh's Utraula area, were being funnelled into illegal religious conversion activities. The new allegations come as Chhangur Baba, whose real name is Jamaluddin, faces serious legal scrutiny. Earlier this month, he was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for allegedly masterminding a large-scale religious conversion racket. He is said to have targeted members of the Scheduled Castes and economically weaker sections across multiple states. Two of his key associates, Neetu alias Nasreen and her husband Naveen, have also been sent behind bars. In the wake of the ATS complaint, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case on July 9 to probe money laundering and foreign funding linked to the alleged conversions. Authorities have revealed that Chhangur Baba amassed assets worth over Rs 100 crore in a short span. This raises serious questions about the source of his wealth and the network supporting him. Ahmed has now decided to he would file a formal complaint with Pune Police, alleging land fraud, criminal intimidation, and attempted extortion. 'This is not just about one deal - it's about a much larger racket involving illegal funding, conversion, and intimidation. It's time the truth comes out,' he said.
Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Indian Express
Two held for assault, blackmail of man after connecting via LGBTQ dating app
DAYS AFTER a 22-year-old restaurant staffer was attacked and robbed of cash after he was called for a meeting by a man he met on a dating application for LGBTQ persons, police arrested two suspects who had forcibly recorded videos of the victim before robbing him. A First Information Report in the case was registered at Nanded City Police station by the 22-year-old man who works at a restaurant. According to the FIR registered on Monday, the complainant had been using a dating app for LGBTQ persons. He had recently connected with a person on the application and the other person had shown interest in meeting. On Monday, when the complainant went to meet the person, he was forced to get into a car. The two men in the car, forced the victim to take his clothes off, attacked him and recorded his videos. Threatening to release the videos, the duo forced the victim into making online transfers of Rs 8,000. As the police launched a probe, they zeroed in on two suspects based on technical leads. The two suspects Robin alias Shubham Kamble (27), a resident of Nanded Phata, Sinhagad Road and Omkar Mandlik (28), a resident of Vadgaon Khurd, were arrested. This was not the first incident in the recent past in which such an assault had been reported on victims who connected with suspects through LGBTQ dating apps. Last February, a 24-year-old man was attacked and robbed of his gold chain by a suspect whom he connected with throught a dating app for LGBTQ persons. The Pune police subsequently arrested two suspects and advised users of dating applications to exercise caution while meeting persons they connect with on dating apps. Recently, Pune Police booked a group of unidentified men for allegedly blackmailing a 24-year-old gay man to pay over Rs one lakh between August last year and January this year by befriending him on a dating app. Multiple such cases have been reported in the past in which people have been attacked, blackmailed, sexually abused and robbed by persons they had met on various dating apps. A police officer who was part of the investigation of the recent case said, 'Probes suggest that these suspects register on the dating application only for the purpose of targeting people in this manner. In many cases people are afraid of coming forward with complaints, especially in the cases of LGBTQ dating applications. We are making an appeal to people to exercise caution while using the dating application, especially while meeting people in person. We are also urging people to come forward and report these crimes so that the perpetrators can be caught.'
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Time of India
78 held for possessing fake currency notes in Maharashtra this year
Mumbai: As of June 15, 2025, 78 persons were arrested in the state for possessing fake currency notes in the state this year, said CM Devendra Fadnavis in a written reply to a question raised by NCP MLC Sanjay Khodke. According to the data provided in the written reply by the home department, in 2020, a total of 71 accused were arrested in 34 cases of fake currency. In 2021, 98 accused were arrested in 48 cases. In 2022, 99 accused were arrested in 46 cases, and in 2023, 82 were arrested in 40 cases. In 2024, these numbers went up by over 50% as 138 accused were arrested in 68 cases. This year, until June 15, 2025, 78 accused were arrested in 37 cases. Fadnavis further stated that fake currency notes worth Rs 28.91 lakh were seized by Pune Police on April 17, 2025. Similarly, the Bhiwandi crime branch unit of Thane Commissionerate carried out raids on May 3, 2025, and seized fake currency notes worth Rs 45.50 lakh at Bhiwandi in Thane district. He also said seven accused in the Pune case and six accused in the Bhiwandi case were arrested. The CM also mentioned that the equipment and materials used in the crime were seized and sent for investigation, and the govt has been taking action against active groups involved in the printing of fake currencies. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai
