CITY 3
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l www.dnaindia.com l facebook.com/dnaindia MUMBAI
l twitter.com/dna l dnaindia.com/mobile TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2011
Leopard kills 10-yr-old
IN A
NUTSHELL
Decomposed
body of girl
Rajan man, 2 aides arrested
After extorting `2.4L
boy in Nalasopara
identified from Bandra bizman,
IN THE PAST Sudhanshu Athalye
The decomposed body In July, the police arrested A 10-year-old boy was
of a two-year-old girl main accused was two members of the Chhota dragged away and killed by a
Rajan gang - Umed Ul leopard at Jabar Pada in Nala-
that was found near
the Budhwar Park at
demanding `1L more Rehman, 27, a sharpshooter sopara (East) on Monday
Nariman Point was Manish K Pathak and his associate Aasid Jaan morning.
Mohammed Shaikh,41 - According to the Nala-
identified by her father
from the Arambol beach
on Monday on the basis Crime Branch (Unit VIII) offi- area in Goa and brought to
sopara police, Sonu Lathad of
of her clothes and cials have arrested a gang Jabar Pada, Pelhar, Nalasopara
bangles. Jagruti Patel member of underworld don
Mumbai for their alleged
(East), was playing in an open Sonu Lathad was
role in murder of the driver
had gone missing 15 Chhota Rajan and his two as- of Iqbal Kaskar, brother of ground near his house at 7am playing on a ground
days ago from her sociates on Monday for al- fugitive don Dawood on Monday when a leopard near his house at at
house in the Macchiar legedly trying to extort Rs1 Ibrahim. Eleven mobile sprung from the jungle close 7am, when the leopard
area of Cuffe Parade. lakh from a Bandra-based phones were seized from by and attacked him.
Her mud-covered body them and Rehman was
attacked him
businessman. The big cat reportedly
was found by children The police have recovered constantly in touch with dragged Sonu by his pants into
playing in the park. Rajan, who had played an
three revolvers and seven live some bushes. weeks. Earlier, a 65-year-old
Father Ramesh Patel active role in the conspiracy
has seafood business. cartridges from the trio, who which led to the firing Locals, who rushed to the woman was attacked and
The police are also have been identified as site on hearing the boy’s killed by a leopard in the same
awaiting the DNA Prakash Nikam, 31, Sachin Above: Officials of the The police have arrested screams, scared the animal region.
Patil, 21, and Mahendra Bhoi, Crime Branch (Unit VIII) seven members of the away into the jungle but could Authorities and experts
reports to confirm the
22, all from the Kherwadi area. take custody of the three Chhota Rajan gang in do little to save Sonu. have raised concerns about
identity.
According to senior police Rajan men — Prakash connection with senior Shriram Koregaonkar, sen- the increasing number of at-
Nikam, Sachin Patil, and journalist Jyotirmoy Dey's
inspector Deepak Phatangare ior Inspector of the Nalasopara tacks by big cats as the rapid-
Train drivers of the Crime Branch, the main Mahendra Bhoi — in murder. The accused were
police station, said this was ly growing city is taking a toll
connection with an paid Rs5 lakh by Rajan for
on hunger accused, Nikam, who is close- extortion case. the shout-out. Dey was shot second such incident in two on the animal’s habitat.
ly associated with the Rajan
strike gang, had already extorted
Right: The officials
display the ammunition
dead by motorcycle-borne
assailants in Powai on June
Train drivers, including Rs2.4 lakh from the Bandra seized from the accused 11 from close range
motormen, belonging to businessman in last one year
the All India Locomotive and was threatening to kill him tion calls, the businessman de- started a parallel inquiry. cards were recovered from nalist J Dey murder case.
Running Staff if he did not give him (Nikam) cided against giving in to his “We started working on the them, he added. “Nikam was wanted in con-
Association, will drive
Rs1 lakh more. demand, thinking if he did, case and based on a tip-off, a During interrogation, the nection with the firing on for-
trains on an empty
stomach on Tuesday to “The victim, who is in the then Nikam would extort trap was laid near Bandra sta- Crime Branch sleuths came to mer corporator Milind Bankar
press for their business of decoration and money from him again and tion. Nikam along with two of know that Nikam, who had in Thane. A case was registered
demands. They will go catering services, had paid again. So, he made up his mind his associates, Patil and Bhoi, been in touch with Rajan on a against him in Kopari police
on a 24-hour hunger Nikam extortion money a year to teach Nikam a lesson and fell into the trap and we ar- regular basis, was in jail for station,” said Phatangare.
strike across the ago. But Nikam again started approached the Nirmal Nagar rested them,” Phatangare said. three years under extortion and All three accused were on
country. The locomotive making him threatening calls police on November 11 to Following a body search, MCOCA charges. It was then Monday produced in a local
pilots want their a month ago, demanding Rs1 lodge a complaint against two revolvers, a country-made that he had met Satish Kaliya, court which remanded them
working hours to be lakh more,” said Phatangare. him,” said Phatangare, adding pistol, seven live cartridges, a the main shooter of Rajan gang in police custody till Novem-
reduced and the salary Fed up with repeated extor- that Crime Branch officials also mobile phone and four SIM who has been arrested in jour- ber 21.
structure reviewed.
Train services are not
● Fraudsters arrested
likely to be affected.
Mumbai motormen said Bhandarkar furnishes
they are under
immense pressure as
the train’s length has Offering auction flat, 2 estate `30,000 bond in
agents cheat doctor of `3.5L
increased from three
coaches to 15.
alleged rape case
1 held for DNA Correspondent
setting man Dayanand Kamath
THE CON JOB Film-maker Madhur
ablaze With realty prices in Mumbai Dr Rajesh Dere was When he did not Bhandarkar on Monday
The Versova police skyrocketing, it is easy for con- introduced to Rajshri More in get an executed a bond of
made an arrest on men to find victims and make April 2010 by his neighbour. allotment Rs30,000 before the And-
Monday for the death easy money by “offering flats at More told him that LIC has letter from heri metropolitan magis-
of Ramesh Shah, 36, a reasonable rates". been auctioning flats at LIC Housing trate’s court in connec-
resident of Versova in The Matunga police have ar- reasonable rates and she Finance Ltd tion with the 2004 case
Andheri (W) who was rested two real estate agents for could help him get one for two weeks, of rape and criminal in-
allegedly set ablaze a he contacted
allegedly cheating a doctor from She showed him a flat at Airoli timidation filed by small-
week ago for refusing More in June
Sion hospital of more than Rs3.5 and told him that it cost `25 lakh time actress Preeti Jain.
to sell his hutment for a lakh by promising him acquire an Magistrate BB
redevelopment project. On May 25, Dr Dere gave her the To win Dr Dere’s confidence, she
auctioned flat mortgaged by the Pantawene asked the Na- Madhur Bhandarkar outside
Sanjay Parab was filled form, a demand draft of sent a forged letter of LIC Housing
Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) tional Award winning the Andheri magistrate’s court
arrested from outside `2.5 lakh in favour of LIC Housing Finance Ltd through Shetty to him at
of India at reasonable rate. film-maker to deposit his on Monday —BL Soni DNA
the sessions court, Finance Ltd and `1 lakh cash Sion hospital in the first week of July
where he had applied To win the confidence of Dr Ra- passport and warned him
for an anticipatory bail. jesh Dere, 38, associate professor not to attempt influenc- against the magistrate’s
After the plea was of forensic medicine at Sion Hos- able to help him get a flat. and HDFC Bank — to pay the re- ing the witnesses. court initiation of process
rejected, a police pital, the duo also gave him a She reportedly showed him a maining money, a source said. The magistrate's court against him in the rape
arrested him. A forged allotment letter of LIC vacant flat on the second floor in When he did not get any letter is expected to commit the case, issued notices to Jain
manhunt is on for two Housing Finance Ltd. Apoorva Apartments, Sector- VIII from LIC Housing Finance Ltd for case to the sessions court and the prosecution.
others in the case. "Rajshri More, 32, and Rajesh at Airoli in Navi Mumbai. She told two weeks, he contacted More in for trial on November 29, The single judge bench
Shetty, 29, have been booked for him that the flat cost only Rs25 June and told her that if she did said Jain’s lawyer Sushan of justice RV More direct-
Youth held for forgery and cheating. More, who lakh and if he wanted to buy it he not give him allotment letter, she Kunjuraman. ed them to file replies as
lives in Kalwa, is a post-graduate, should give Rs1 lakh as process- should return his money, the de- In a related develop- to why the process issued
minor’s rape while Shetty, who lives in Sion, is ing fees and 10% of the total cost mand draft and pay the interest ment, the Bombay high against Bhandarkar
A 19-year-old boy was a Class 7 dropout," said assistant (Rs2.5 lakh) through demand on the personnel loan. court, hearing an appeal should not be set aside
arrested on Monday for police inspector Srikant Ramdas draft. She reportedly told him To win Dere's confidence, she filed by Bhandarkar until December 5.
allegedly raping a of the Matunga police station. that he could pay the balance in sent an allotment letter, dated
seven-year-old girl While More was arrested ar- 15 to 20 days after receiving the June 4, of LIC Housing Finance Ltd
from Raigaon. The rested on November 5, Shetty allotment letter from LIC Hous- through Shetty to Dere at Sion
police said Mukesh was caught three days later. ing Finance Ltd. hospital in the first week of July.
Chaudhari, a resident Dr Dere has refused to com- After a couple of days, she gave But, when he tried to contact
of Bhayander (W), was ment on the issue. The duo is yet Dr Dere a application form of LIC More, she switched off her mo-
a regular visitor at a to reveal how they got a forged Housing Finance Ltd. bile phone. Suspecting foul play,
friend’s house, where
letterhead of LIC Housing Finance. On May 25, he gave her the he went to LIC Housing Finance
the girl lived. On
Dr Dere was introduced to More filled form, a demand draft of Ltd’s Fort head office and was
Sunday, Chaudhari
lured the girl into near- in April 2010 by his neighbour. Rs2.5 lakh in favour of LIC Hous- shocked to learn that the letter
by bushes, allegedly More told him that LIC has been ing Finance Ltd and Rs 1 lakh cash. was forged. He lodged a com-
raped her and fled. auctioning flats at reasonable rates Dr Dere later took personal plaint against More, Shetty and
http://www.dnaindia.com/
http://www.dnaindia.com/ and she knew the manager of LIC loan of Rs18 lakh from two fi- one of their associate, who is yet
mumbai/archives
mumbai/archives Housing Finance Ltd and would be nancial institutions — Barley Bank to be identified, for cheating.
●maximummumbai
Krishnakumar Padmanabhan
Have Mumbai, Delhi swapped characters?
U
ntil a decade and a half ago, Mum- Mumbai’s heart and surreptitiously sucked
bai was the Indian city to live in. the soul out of it. As Mumbai has become
It was easy enough to come up increasingly indisciplined and lawless, Del-
with reasons to do so: only here hi seems to have discovered civilisation.
can you start with absolutely nothing and There is something about the manner in
achieve virtually anything; only here can a which people queue up for their Metro
woman commute alone at night; even the rides, turn down the volume, and behave
mafia has a heart of gold; people from all themselves on the trains. As for the ‘unsafe-
sections of society are friendly and civil; and for-women’ status, a few months ago, I was
so on. And, oh yes, there was the cliche; that on the last train to Rithala — farther from
‘the city never sleeps’. As Mumbai has become Delhi than Virar is from Mumbai — and
Today, Mumbai increasingly seems a pale increasingly indisciplined and counted about 40 women out of a total of
shadow of the city as we knew it, leave lawless, Delhi seems to have about 120 passengers. Ten of them were ac-
alone the city that it once was according to discovered civilisation companied by male companions; the rest
old-timers’ tales. What’s worse, in some were on their own.
ways, Mumbai is increasingly coming to re- On Delhi’s outer and inner ring roads, the
semble Delhi as it used to be. power and money. rough equivalent of Mumbai’s Western and
Delhi has many things going for it, chiefly Disturbingly, some of these descriptions Eastern Express Highways, motorists gen-
the massive budgetary support it gets and seem to apply to Mumbai today. erally follow the rules and traffic moves
its status as the seat of political power. But Think of the Amboli murders, where two smoothly without cops on the prowl look-
while institutions, images and ideas do con- men were killed for doing the right thing, ing to rip off the next harried officer-goer
tribute to a city’s growth, they do not make or the chilling Kurar quadruple murders, who jumped the amber signal. Heck, cars
the city; it’s the people who inhabit a city the increasing violence against women, es- even stop at red lights late at night.
— and their deeds — that do so. It’s the peo- pecially on our fabled suburban railways, And when it comes to art, something the
ple who lend a city its character, give it its the chaos on our roads, and, finally, the rot two cities have sparred about forever, when
soul. On that count, what does the Mum- of power and money... can you miss the was the last time you saw a gallery
bai you see tell you? ‘Jaanta hain main kaun hoon?’ air seeping being ransacked or an exhibition being
Before we get to that, let’s look at some into the city’s breath like the mountain chill banned in Delhi?
of the things that used to define Delhi. that wafts down from the Himalayas — be Of course, despite all the positive signals,
It was seen as a brutally violent place it in the jagged-edged flags or the red bea- Delhi is still not the Mumbai of decades
where you could be shot dead for no cons on our car roofs. past. Women are still unsafe and the city
reason, a city that had scant respect for Quite ironically, Delhi, on the other hand, continues to reek of power and money.
women, where road rage was a casual, has gone from one positive change to an- But is that reason enough to deny that
everyday affair. Delhi, in short, reeked of other, as if it had gently inserted a straw into Mumbai has degenerated?
● krishnakumar@dnaindia.net ● inbox@dnaindia.net