Further investigation is underway, police said. (Representational)

Mumbai:

Police have arrested a key accused in a case where a Mumbai resident was cheated of around Rs 81 lakh in the name of facilitating admission for his son in an MD course at Pune’s BJ Medical College, an official said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Anil Ramchandra Tambat, was caught from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in central Maharashtra, around 375km from the metropolis, on Sunday by a Mumbai police team after a 10-month-long investigation into the case, said the Borivali police station official.

According to the official, Tambat and his co-conspirators Sandeep Waghmare, Abhijeet Patil, and Bhushan Patil have been charged with duping a businessman dealing in medical devices.

The complainant in the case, Mangesh Anant Rane, a resident of Mumbai’s Kandivali who runs a medical and surgical supply business, was looking for admission for his son, who completed his MBBS in 2019, in an MD programme. Despite his efforts, Rane’s son could not secure admission to an MD course, said the official.

Later, Rane came in contact with Waghmare who introduced him to Abhijeet Patil, Tambat and Bhushan Patil. They assured Rane that his son would get a seat through the government quota. On their suggestion, the businessman’s son reapplied for NEET PG (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test-Postgraduate) exam, he said.

Three days later, Rane received an email claiming his son had secured a seat at BJ Medical College, Pune. Believing the email was from the college, Rane followed the next steps and submitted all necessary documents, including his son’s certificates, said the official.

The businessman then paid Rs 94 lakh to Tambat, Rs 8.5 lakh to Abhijeet Patil, Rs 23 lakh to Waghmare, and Rs 11 lakh to Bhushan Patil, totalling Rs 1.36 crore. After receiving the money, the four sent a set of documents along with a “college ID card” to the businessman, claiming his son had secured admission in the prestigious college, he said.

However, Rane later discovered that the documents and the ID card were fake and when he demanded his money back, they returned Rs 55 lakh, but withheld Rs 81 lakh. Instead of retuning the remaining money, the four fraudsters threatened to kidnap and kill his son if he approached the police, said the official.

Later, Rane lodged a complaint against them with the Borivali police which filed an FIR and launched an investigation.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pune:

A devastating incident occurred in Bopkhel, Pimpri-Chinchwad, on Wednesday afternoon, leaving a community in grief. A 3.5-year-old girl, Girija Ganesh Shinde, died on the spot when a heavy iron gate fell on her while she was playing with friends.

CCTV footage captured the distressing moment, showing the gate collapsing on Girija as another child attempted to pull it. She suffered critical injuries and was pronounced dead before receiving medical treatment.

According to DCP Shivaji Pawar, four children were playing in the area, with two entering the space behind the gate and Girija and another child standing in front. The gate, weighing hundreds of kilograms, fell on Girija when another child tried to pull it.

The police have registered an Accidental Death Report and will investigate the case from all angles, including potential negligence, once the parents file a complaint. Currently, the family is devastated by the incident, and the community is mourning the loss of the young girl.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pune:

An ice-cream shop owner was shot at in Saswad in Maharashtra’s Pune district on Thursday afternoon, a police official said.

Rahul Tilekar was hit by one bullet and is currently hospitalised, the official added.

“The cause of the firing is not known. We have zeroed in on two to three suspects. Further probe is underway,” the Saswad police station official said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pune:

A 19-year-old man has died after a car driven by the nephew of a Maharashtra MLA hit a bike on Pune-Nashik national highway last night.

Police have registered a case and arrested Mayur Mohite; he is the nephew of Dilip Mohite Patil, MLA from Pune district’s Khed Alandi Assembly segment. Dilip Mohite Patil belongs to the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

The victim has been identified as Om Bhalerao. A police officer has told news agency PTI that the Toyota Fortuner SUV driven by Mayur Mohite was coming from the wrong side and hit the bike head on. Further probe, police said, is on.

In a statement to the media in the aftermath of the accident, the legislator has said that his nephew did not flee the spot. He has also stressed that he was not intoxicated.

The incident has yet again put rash driving in Pune under the spotlight. Last month, two 24-year-old software engineers died after a speeding Porsche, allegedly driven by the 17-year-old son of a prominent realtor, hit their bike from behind.

The teen accused, who was driving drunk, was out on bail within 15 hours of the accident on terms widely seen as lenient. This sparked national outrage and prompted the Juvenile Justice Board to modify its order and sent the accused to an observation home.

Police have since found evidence of how the family members of the teen attempted a cover-up and several of them have been arrested.

New Delhi/Pune:

The peon, who was arrested in the Pune Porsche crash case yesterday along with two doctors for allegedly manipulating the blood test report of the 17-year-old accused, handed Rs 3 lakh bribe to the doctors, sources have said.

Sources say the peon, Atul Ghatkamble, acted as the middleman and collected Rs 3 lakh bribe meant for the two doctors from the teen’s family.

Dr Ajay Tawade and Dr Hari Harnor of Sasoon Hospital were arrested yesterday by the Pune Crime Branch.

Investigation has revealed Dr Tawade and the teen accused’s father spoke over the phone on the day of the accident. “The juvenile’s father had called the doctor and offered him allurements to replace the blood samples,” police said.

Dr Taware has hinted at the minor blood samples being replaced by the blood samples of a doctor, it’s learnt. Officials said the samples were swapped to remove the traces of alcohol.

“I will not keep quiet. I will take everyone’s name,” he said during the investigation.

Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar had yesterday said that the samples collected at the hospital and sent for forensic tests were not of the juvenile accused.

“Around 11 am on May 19, a blood sample (of the teen) that was taken at Sassoon Hospital was thrown in a dustbin and the blood sample of another person was taken and sent to the forensic lab. During the investigation, we found CMO Srihari Halnor replaced this on the instructions of Ajay Tawade, HOD of forensic medicine department at Sassoon Hospital,” Mr Kumar had said while addressing the media.

As the minor’s blood samples were replaced, the report which was received on Sunday showed no traces of alcohol. However, CCTV footage from one of the bars he visited that night showed him drinking with friends.

Two young IT professionals were killed after their motorcycle was hit by the speeding Porsche allegedly driven by the 17-year-old boy in the early hours of May 19 in Pune.

The Porsche, believed to have been at over 200 km per hour speed, hit the bike on which two 24-year-old techies were returning home after a party. Ashwini was thrown about 20 feet in the air and landed hard, said an eyewitness. Aneesh was thrown at a parked car and suffered serious injuries. Both died on the spot.

New Delhi:

Two techies were killed after a speeding Porsche – being driven by a 17-year-old boy – hit their bike in Pune on Saturday. The incident has triggered massive anger, with many blaming lax laws for deaths due to rash driving and minors on the wheels.

The teen who was at the wheel, son of a prominent realtor from the city, is just four months short of 18 years – the minimum age required to legally drive a car.

The teen’s father has been arrested. Additionally, the owners of a couple of bars where the minor was served alcohol have also been arrested.

The minor was granted bail by the Juvenile Justice Board on conditions — he has to work with traffic police in Yerwada for 15 days, write an essay on accidents, undergo treatment for his drinking habit and take counselling sessions.

In response to the bail decision, Pune Police have filed an application with the sessions court to try the juvenile as an adult.

Charges Against Teen

The teen would be tried and punished under Section 185 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which deals with drink driving offences.

The act states that drink driving is a criminal offense if a breath analyzer test reveals that the blood alcohol concentration of the driver of the motor vehicle is more than 30 mg per 100 ml.

For the first drink driving offence under the act, a person can get six months of jail and a fine of Rs 10,000. For a second offence, you could spend up to 2 years in jail and be fined Rs 15,000 (up from Rs 3,000). Repeat offenders might also face penalties related to their driving licenses.

Police are also trying to prove a case of culpable homicide not amounting to murder where there is knowledge that the act could cause death.

Charges Against Teen’s Father

A case has been filed against the teen’s father under Sections 75 and 77 of the Juvenile Justice Act. These sections pertain to willful neglect of a child and providing intoxicating substances to a minor, respectively.

The former deals with the willful neglect of a child, or exposing a child to mental or physical illnesses, for which punishment can stretch to a three-year jail term and a fine of Rs 1 lakh. The latter deals with supplying a child with intoxicating liquor, or any narcotics or drugs, unless prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner, and those convicted could face up to seven years in jail.

Pune:

An 11-year-old boy died after being struck by a cricket ball on his genitals in the Lohegaon area of Maharashtra’s Pune last week. 

The victim, identified as  Shambhu Kalidas Khandve alias Shaurya was enjoying a game of cricket with his friends, making the most of the ongoing summer holidays from school. However, what started as an innocent pastime turned into a nightmare when a routine play took a devastating turn. As Shaurya was bowling, a powerful strike from the batter sent the ball hurtling towards him with unexpected force, directly hitting him in his private parts.

The impact of the blow was immediate and severe, causing Shaurya to collapse in agony on the ground. His friends, shocked and horrified by what had transpired, rushed to his aid, attempting to revive him. Despite their efforts, Shaurya remained unconscious, prompting bystanders to intervene and transport him to a nearby hospital.

However, the 11-year-old Shaurya could not be saved, and he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital. 

A case of accidental death has been registered at the Airport Police Station.