Mumbai / The Times of India
Dharavi's redevelopment plan projects a population of 4.9 lakh post-implementation, aiming to decongest the area. The plan includes rehab units, sale buildings, and considers natural population growth. However, concerns arise from political representatives regarding lack of consultation and prioritization of business interests over residents' needs, questioning the project's true beneficiaries and fairness.
Dheeraj Wadhawan, already arrested in a Rs 34,000-crore money laundering case, allegedly tried to sell paintings acquired with diverted DHFL funds while in judicial custody. He colluded with a bookie and businessman, but the scheme was foiled by a CBI raid. The Wadhawans face charges of fund diversion, false loan records, and lavish spending on valuables.
A 27-year-old junior engineer, Ravindra Verma, was apprehended by the Maharashtra ATS for allegedly sharing confidential information with a Pakistani intelligence operative via social media. Verma, employed by a private company working with the defence sector, was reportedly honey-trapped and provided sensitive details through WhatsApp between November 2024 and March 2025.
Mumbai Cyber Police arrested two individuals, Adnan Shamshuddin Khan and Tanveer Khan, for their involvement in a cyber fraud. They allegedly duped an accountant of 3.63 crore through a fake online share trading scheme. The accused used WhatsApp groups and fictitious companies to gain trust and launder the defrauded money through multiple bank accounts.
A 39-year-old man from Solapur, identified as Ajit Maidagi, was detained by Mumbai police on Wednesday for threatening self-immolation outside Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' residence. Maidagi arrived at 'Varsha' with petrol, allegedly upset about pending work at the Mantralaya. Police intervened before he could set himself ablaze.
Following an Enforcement Directorate raid that uncovered significant assets linked to a deputy town planner, the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation has transferred 19 staff members from its Town Planning department. This action, prompted by concerns raised by a Congress leader regarding long tenures, aims to revamp the department and improve its functioning, with further changes expected for better results.
Mumbai's Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has apprehended two directors from an import firm, Design Decode, for allegedly undervaluing luxury furniture imports by a staggering Rs 60 crore. This scheme led to an evasion of over Rs 20 crore in duties.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), with international assistance, has deported Naveen Chickar, a key figure in a transnational drug trafficking ring, from Malaysia. Chickar, who operated from abroad, smuggled cocaine and hydroponic weed into Mumbai via air cargo from the US, distributing it across India and re-exporting to other countries like Australia.