2 ‘IS sympathisers’ acquitted of terror charges in state case

Another Youth Convicted Under IPC

 

Mateen.Hafeez@timesgroup.com

Mumbai: In one of the fastest trials in a state anti-terrorism squad (ATS) case, a special Akola court on Tuesday acquitted two persons, suspected to be Islamic State (IS) sympathisers, of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) charges. But the court convicted another accused, Abdul Malik (23), in the case to three years’ imprisonment for stabbing a police constable in 2015 to protest against the beef ban in the state. Malik was convicted under Indian Penal Code, and ATS could not prove the UAPA charges against him too.

Malik, a pharmacist, had attacked a constable in Pusad, Yavatmal, on Eid ul Zuha (Bakra Eid) in September 2015. He was held and his interrogation led police to another accused, Shoaib Khan, who Malik said instigated him. Though both are from Pusad, Malik and Khan met in a radical chatroom online and found they were from the same place, police said. Khan, son of a retired state irrigation officer, and Mujeeb Rehman, imam of Pusad’s Jama Masjid, were later arrested. ATS claimed the three youth were part of a module preparing to join IS. Police had earlier said that Rehman had brainwashed all youngsters in the group and exhorted them to join IS. During interactions, however, the youths learnt that Rehman had demanded dowry from his wife and this ‘un-Islamic act’ led to divisions, said a police officer.

Police had earlier said that during interrogation Khan told them that in case of failure to join IS, the group had kept the option of joining the Taliban in Afghanistan open. Police had said the arrested persons’ mobile phones contained instigative speeches by banned outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar. Malik’s statement was recorded before a magistrate after his arrest.

Advocates Ali Raza Khan and Najeeb Shaikh appeared before court for the accused. Ali, who represented Khan and Rehman, said there were 100 witnesses in the case. “ATS could not prove the UAPA charges. Police had accused them of terror activities and said they were planning to go abroad and meet terrorists. ATS showed Rehman as the mastermind but could not prove the allegations. We had demanded compensation for the accused. Now that they have been acquitted, we will approach court for compensation. The youth have lost three-and-ahalf years of their lives behind bars,” said Ali.

Special UAPA judge A S Jadhave sentenced Malik to three years’ imprisonment, but he was released as he has spent three-and-a-half years behind bars.

The Times of India, May 23, 2019

Brazilian teenager: SoBo residents’ body president conned, raped me

Bhavani Srinivasan & Mateen Hafeez TNN

Mumbai: Cuffe Parade police probing a rape complaint filed by a 19-year-old Brazilian against Cuffe Parade Residents’ Association president Padmakar Nandekar have learnt Nandekar had invited her for dinner to his home and promised to drop her back to Bandra where she currently lives. But he took her to a five-star hotel, instead.

Nandekar, 52, was arrested on Monday on charges of rape. He has been sent to policy custody till May 24.

The survivor is a participant in a year-long youth exchange programme organized by a popular club. She arrived in India in August 2018. “The girl stayed with Nandekar’s family for six months and later moved in with another family in Bandra,” said an officer.

According to the police, on April 15, Nandekar’s wife was out of town when he took the girl for dinner to a five-star hotel near Gateway of India where he allegedly spiked her drink and raped her. The girl has told police she felt dizzy and when she woke up the next morning she found Nandekar in the room. The survivor has told the police she left the hotel and spoke to her mother in Brazil who told her to file a complaint. The girl, along with the Bandra family, then approached Cuffe Parade police. The police took the girl for medical examination and a final report is awaited.

Nandekar’s daughter is on a similar exchange programme in Spain.

A spokesperson said the exchange programme rules are strict and this is the first time such an incident has occurred. “As per guidelines, the exchange student has to return to the host family’s residence by 10 pm. However, since Nandekar had previously hosted the girl, he knew her new host family which is why she was allowed to stay out with him overnight,” he said.

“Nandekar is influential and so the girl’s host family first approached the club, which filed the FIR against him,” the spokesperson stated. The international organisation is likely to suspend his membership.

The Cuffe Parade Residents’ Association has not taken any decision yet on ousting Nandekar.

The Times of India, May 23, 2019

Mumbai cops make bus head for police station with suspect

Mateen Hafeez  / TNN

May 21, 2019, 08.27 AM IST

 

 

MUMBAI: Retired banker Raju Doshi (67) wanted to invest in gold. Taking his savings of Rs 15 lakh, the Ghatkopar resident went to Zaveri Bazaar with a friend. Reaching there, the duo met Nitan Pednekar (29), who worked in a jewellery unit, and sought his help to buy a gold chain. Nitan took the money and never returned.

The police started probing from Nitan's Kalwa home. "We told his father his son had committed a crime. He gave us his son's number, and we asked Nitan's brother to talk to him," said an officer. Nitan told his brother he was on a bus for Goa. At the police's cue, the brother told him to give the phone to the driver. An officer took over and told the driver about Nitan. "Learning that the bus was at Khed, I told the driver to take it to Khed police station," the officer said. "Then I communicated with my Khed counterparts about the case. When the bus reached there, Nitan was nabbed."

He was later brought to L T Marg police station. The amount was recovered, the major part from Nitan's girlfriend.


The Times of India, May 21, 2019

Man who left home to meet pal 3 weeks ago yet to return

Waqar Mapari

Mateen.Hafeez@timesgroup.com
 

Mumbai: Three weeks after a 21-year-old youth from Navi Mumbai went missing “mysteriously”, his family is clueless of his whereabouts. What has brought a twist to the disappearance of Waqar Mapari, an MBA student, is that his scooter was found near the old Vashi bridge on Friday.

Waqar’s friends and family members have scanned footage of at least 250 CCTV cameras, checked with associates and have even explored the ‘girlfriend’ angle, but they have not found any concrete leads.

Waqar went missing on April 29. He was at home watching a cricket match with his father when he got a call from a friend Sufyan Baig, who had borrowed Waqar’s scooter and had come to return it, said his father Yusuf alias Amir.

“My son went to drop his friend who stays nearby. The CCTV footage shows Waqar returned to our building but left in a hurry after checking his phone. He got on his scooter again and left,” he said. Last Friday, a relativespotted Waqar’s scooter parked near the Vashi bridge.

“But we have no clue as to where my son is,” said Yusuf who lodged a complaint at Nerul police station a day after he went missing. Circumstances in which Waqar left home indicate he was not going too far, said his father. “He was not carrying any money.” Police sub-inspctor P G Ghagare said they are now examining call data records.

The Times of India, May 20, 2019

Three firm directors booked for cheating investors of Rs 7 crore

Mateen Hafeez / TNN

 May 18, 2019, 10.59 AM IST

 

MUMBAI: Police have registered a cheating and breach of trust case against three directors of a private firm for cheating depositors to the tune of over Rs7 crore.

The unit formed under the Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (MPID) Act, that works under the city’s economic offences wing (EOW), filed the case. The unit deals with investment fraud cases wherein investors are duped in various business schemes. “Ghatkopar resident, Chandrakant Kavade, 56, lodged a cheating complaint against three directors of Wealthshore Management Pvt Ltd at Pant Nagar police station,” said an officer. The directors named in the FIR are Pramod Chincholkar, Kuriyan Johnson and Vikas Mahamuni.

“The case has been transferred to the EOW and, as per the case papers, 417 investors have been cheated of over Rs 7 crore. The firm claimed to have invested in many businesses. It asked depositors to invest for 36 months and promised 15% annual returns. However, they stopped paying the returns to investors and most of them couldn’t even get their principal amount back,” said a source. Assistant police inspector Sunil Pawar is probing this case.

In a separate case, the EOW arrested Sakharam Hake alias Yesh, 37, an engineering dropout, for his alleged involvement in a Ponzi scheme.

He along with another accused, Vijay Ahire, 41, director in Y P Capital India Ltd, an Andheri-based firm, lured depositors with promises of handsome returns.

“Rupali Kamble, 41, a housewife from Worli, lodged the complaint based on which we arrested Ahire. Yesh was nabbed later,” said an officer. Assistant police inspector Vinod Kelkar is probing the case.



The Times of India, May 18, 2019

Water filters used to hide Rs 15 crore drug

Mateen Hafeez / TNN

 May 16, 2019, 04.16 AM IST

 

MUMBAI: Directorate of revenue intelligence (DRI) officials on Monday intercepted a taxi, part of a cab aggregator, and found 15kg amphetamine hidden in two water filters. It was being taken to the Vashi post office to be sent to South Africa. The narcotics are worth Rs 15 crore, said DRI officials.

The DRI arrested Shiva Sharma (38), a Thane resident and Ugochi Chikelu (35), a Nigerian national, from his rented flat in Khargar, Navi Mumbai. Sharma, who owns the cab was with a driver in the car. Sharma said that it was Chikelu’s consignment. Sharma told the DRI that on May 4 and May 6 too he had sent consignments on Chikelu’s instructions.


The Times of India, May 16, 2019

Malegaon blast victim's dad wants ATS at trial

TNN | May 14, 2019, 10.13 AM IST

 

 

 

MUMBAI: The father of a victim in Malegaon 2008 blast case has moved special NIA court seeking presence of ATS, the first investigating agency, during the trial. In his plea, Nisar Bilal (59), whose son Sayyed Ahmed was killed along with five others on September 29, 2008, said with 111 witnesses having deposed, for a fair and just trial, it was pertinent that ATS be present to assist NIA's special public prosecutor and the court.

"It is unfortunate that the investigating agency that recorded material statements and drew panchanamas against the accused is not interested in trial proceedings without cogent reasons," the plea said.

Special judge V S Padalkar directed NIA to file its reply on May 20.

The trial is under way against Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit and five others. On October 30, charges were framed under UAPA, IPC and Explosive Substances Act. Maximum punishment under the charges is death penalty. Out on bail, Thakur is contesting Lok Sabha elections from Bhopal.

Bilal said NIA and ATS must work in sync for fair prosecution. "Instances such as tracing documents and witnesses have been a herculean task, and without assistance of ATS officers, it becomes more difficult to deal with them, often leading to delay or adjournments," the plea said. It said that since the court was considering ATS and NIA charge-sheets, officers from both should attend the trial. It said their presence was required "to assist the court, to save time and government expenditure". 

--Rebecca Samervel

 

The Times of India, May 14, 2019