Molestation complaint filed against NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad

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November 14, 2022

Jitendra Awhad PTI 1 1 — Molestation complaint filed against NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad 2

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rida Rashid, who filed a molestation complaint against Nationalist Congress Party MLA Jitendra Awhad, on Monday said that he had pushed her aside while she was trying to meet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during an event yesterday.

Rida, who is also the Vice President of BJP Mahila Morcha (Maharashtra) said that her complaint is not a politically motivated one and sought National Commission for Women’s reaction on the issue.

An FIR was registered against Awhad for allegedly molesting a woman during an event on Sunday, according to the Thane Police.

Narrating the incident of her alleged molestation, Rida said, “In Mumbra, a bridge was inaugurated and all were invited. I asked Chief Minister’s PA to let me meet the Chief Minister. There was a lot of crowd around the CM and I was near his car. I saw MLA Jitendra Awhad. When I tried to get to the CM, Awhad pushed me aside and said, what are you doing here? He pushed me and I fell into the crowd where all men were surrounded… I showed the video to the police official. An FIR has been registered against him.”

“I have been known in Mumbra as a social activist rather than a BJP leader. So I don’t think it’s politically motivated,” she added.

NCP leader Ajit Pawar alleged that the case was registered in a “wrong manner”, and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the case. “The Molestation case registered against NCP Leader Jitendra Awhad registered in the wrong manner … it should be withdrawn immediately,” he said.

Talking about Awhad’s tweet in which he said that he is deciding to step down from the post of the MLA, Pawar urged him not to tender his resignation and asked him to “give a fight”.

“I saw his tweet. I would request him not to tender his resignation, he has seen a lot of ups and down in political life …this type of situation arises sometimes. He should give a fight,” he said.

“It was unnecessary to put such a section in Awhad’s case …CM and Dy CM themselves should intervene. I will meet Jitendra Awhad Personally…case should be taken back immediately,” Pawar added. Earlier, Awhad alleged that the police have registered false cases against him and that he will fight against “police brutality”.

He said that he has decided to resign as an MLA. “Police registered 2 false cases against me in 72 hours. I will fight against police brutality. I am deciding to resign from the post of MLA. We can’t witness the murder of democracy,” Awhad said.

Mumbra Police registered an FIR against Awhad under section 354 on the complaint of the woman. “We have received the complaint, a case has been registered. The matter is being seriously investigated,” the police said.

According to the complainant on November 13, the work on the bridge was going on for a long time to solve the traffic problem in Mumbra.

The bridge was to be inaugurated after the construction was completed. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had come to participate in this program. During the inauguration, MLA Awhad touched her.

Following the registration of the FIR, the NCP workers created a ruckus at the Mumbra police station and burnt tyres.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra NCP president Jayant Patil reached party MLA Jitendra Awhad’s residence in Thane. This comes after a molestation case was registered against Awhad following which he said that Police registered 2 false cases against him and deciding to resign from MLA post.

Maharashtra: ATS arrests PFI member for alleged involvement in anti-national activities

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ANI

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November 14, 2022

Maharashtra ATS PFI — Representative Image

Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Monday arrested a member of the banned outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) for alleged involvement in anti-national activities, the ATS officials said.

The police have arrested him in connection with an FIR by Nashik ATS.

The arrested person has been identified as Maulana Irfan Daulat Nadvi. Seven accused have been arrested so far in this regard.

Notably, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) earlier in September had made the announcement through a recently issued notification declaring “the PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts as an unlawful association with immediate effect”.

Notably, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) earlier in September imposed a ban on the radical outfit and its affiliates for five years for having “terror links”.

Along with PFI, the ban has been imposed on Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organization, National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation as an “unlawful association”.

As per the inputs received by both the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as well as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), “the PFI has been raising and collecting substantial funds from abroad in a well-organized and structured manner”.

It also came to the knowledge of the Central agencies that the “PFI was raising funds abroad and their transfer to India through clandestine and illegal channels”.

The PFI was launched in Kerala in 2006 after merging three Muslim organizations.

Delhi Excise policy: ED arrests two businessmen in connection with ongoing money laundering probe

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ANI

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November 14, 2022

Delhi Excise Policy ED CBI — Representative Image

The ED has arrested two businessmen Vijay Nair and Abhishek Boinpally in connection with its ongoing money laundering probe into the Delhi Excise policy that was scraped following corruption allegations, official sources said Monday.

The two are currently in jail after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested them in the same case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) will seek the custody of the two from a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, they said.

The Hyderabad-based Boinpally was allegedly lobbying for certain liquor businessmen based in southern India, according to the CBI.

Nair, a former CEO of an event management company, has been associated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), according to the CBI and had entered into a criminal conspiracy with others, and in furtherance of the conspiracy related to the excise policy of the government of the national capital territory of Delhi (GNCTD) of 2021-2022.

The ED earlier arrested Sameer Mahandru, promoter of liquor company Indospirit, general manager of liquor company Pernod Ricard, Benoy Babu, and P Sarath Chandra Reddy, whole-time director and promoter of Aurobindo Pharma.

The agency has undertaken as many as 169 search operations in this case so far.

The money laundering case stems from a CBI FIR that had named Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia as an accused among others.

The CBI had raided the premises of Sisodia and some Delhi government bureaucrats after filing the case.

FIR filed against NCP MLA Jitendra Awhad for allegedly molesting woman

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ANI

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November 14, 2022

Jitendra Awhad NCP Molesting Case — Image: PTI

An FIR was registered against Nationalist Congress Party MLA Jitendra Awhad for allegedly molesting a woman during an event on Sunday, according to the Thane Police.

A woman lodged an FIR against Awhad in a molestation case. She alleged that when the new bridge was being inaugurated in Mumbra, MLA Awhad had touched her with the wrong intention.

Mumbra Police has registered an FIR against Awhad under section 354 on the complaint of the woman. “We have received the complaint, a case has been registered. The matter is being seriously investigated,” the police said.

According to the complainant on November 13, the work on the bridge was going on for a long time to solve the traffic problem in Mumbra. The bridge was to be inaugurated after the construction was completed. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had come to participate in this program. During the inauguration, MLA Awhad touched her.

The victim woman alleged that MLA Jitendra Awhad touched her when she was going to meet the Chief Minister.

Following the registration of the FIR, the NCP workers created a ruckus at the Mumbra police station and burnt tires.

Awhad alleged that the police have registered false cases against him and that he will fight against “police brutality”. He said that he has decided to resign as an MLA.

“Police registered 2 false cases against me in 72 hours. I will fight against police brutality. I am deciding to resign from the post of MLA. We can’t witness the murder of democracy,” Awhad said.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.

Istanbul Blast: one accused arrested, as per officials

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ANI

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November 14, 2022

Istanbul Blast Accused arrested — Image: Reuters

Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu on Monday said that the person, who planted the bomb on Istanbul’s Istiklal Street that killed at least six people, has been arrested, according to state-run Anadolu agency’s English-language Twitter account.

In the Istanbul attack, at least 81 people were injured when an explosion rocked the busy pedestrian street. Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay called it a “terrorist attack.”

“We consider it to be a terrorist act as a result of an attacker, whom we consider to be a woman, detonating the bomb,” Oktay as saying on Sunday.

The blast occurred on the pedestrian tourist street Istiklal on Sunday afternoon. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the death toll from the explosion rose to six.

Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said that CCTV footage shows a woman sitting on a bench for more than 40 minutes and then getting up one or two minutes before the explosion, leaving a bag or plastic bag behind.

He further informed that earlier, a woman, who was suspected of being involved in the attack, was kept in custody. Bozdag, who made the comments in an interview with privately-owned A Haber news channel, said Turkish security forces believe the woman is the suspect, and officials are investigating her, according to CNN.

“There are two possibilities. Either that bag or plastic bag has a mechanism in it, it explodes on its own or someone detonates it from afar. All of these are currently under investigation.” he added.

“The name of the woman is unknown,” he said. “All the recordings and data about the woman are being analyzed.” The blast occurred on the pedestrian tourist street Istiklal on Sunday afternoon.

According to preliminary data, the city’s governor, Ali Yerlikaya, said that four people were killed and 38 were injured as a result of the blast.

“According to the information that I have received from the city’s governor, the death toll is six people at the moment, and the number of injured is 53,” Erdogan told a briefing.

The president added that preliminary information indicated that the blast was a terrorist attack. “It would be wrong to say with confidence that this is a terrorist attack, but preliminary data, CCTV footage and the first information provided by the governor to us indicates that it ‘smells like a terrorist attack,’” Erdogan said.

India on Sunday condoled the tragic loss of lives in the fatal explosion in Central Istanbul. Apart from India, the US also condemned the attack and said that they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their NATO Ally Turkey in countering terrorism.

“The United States strongly condemns the act of violence that took place today in Istanbul, Turkiye. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and our deepest condolences go to those who lost loved ones. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our NATO Ally Turkiye in countering terrorism,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a Sunday statement.

Earthquake of 4.1 magnitudes across Punjab’s Amritsar: NCS

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ANI

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November 14, 2022

Earthquake Punjab Amritsar — Representative Image

An earthquake of 4.1 magnitude was felt across Punjab’s Amritsar on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, informed National Center for Seismology (NCS).

The tremors were felt at around 3:42 AM.

The National Center for Seismology (NCS) said, “Earthquake of Magnitude:4.1, Occurred on 14-11-2022, 03:42:27 IST, Lat: 31.95 & Long: 73.38, Depth: 120 Km, Location: 145km WNW of Amritsar, Punjab.”

Earlier on Saturday evening, an earthquake rocked Delhi-NCR. The tremors were felt at around 8 pm.

The National Center for Seismology (NCS) said an earthquake of magnitude 5.4 occurred in Nepal, at around 7:57 pm on Saturday.

“The depth of the earthquake was 10 km below the ground,” it had said.

Conspiracy against Sanjay Raut exposed but Mallik and Deshmukh still shrugging in jail

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Vaidehi Taman

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November 14, 2022

raut, sanjay raut, deshmukh, anil deshmukh, malik, nawab malik, ed, enforcement directorate, cbi, pmla — Conspiracy against Sanjay Raut exposed but Mallik and Deshmukh still shrugging in jail 9

When the PMLA court pulled up the Enforcement Directorate for its “extraordinary pace in causing arrests and not even a snail’s speed in conducting trials” in its order granting bail to Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and his friend, businessman Pravin Raut, it was not the first time that special judge MG Deshpande made such strong remarks against the investigating agency.

Granting bail to Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor in a money laundering case, the same judge said that ever since the special court for PMLA cases had been established, not a single money laundering case had been disposed of by judgment. “ED has not shown any active approach to begin the trials of the cases, which have been pending for a long. The court understands how the agencies are wrongly used against particular leaders to break their morale and also weaken the political parties.

Sanjay Raut is one of the vocal leaders of the MVA coalition of the Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress. He is the one who got them to power against the irrational tantrums of the BJP. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Patra Chawl redevelopment case on August 1 this year. A special court granted him bail on November 9. Raut has got nothing to do with the Chawl and its development project. Meanwhile, he was haunted by a lady whom he once not only helped with employment but many resources. She turned hostile due to her illicit intentions. Raut was kept in jail for three months but came out with more vigour and composure.

This arrest was actually a blessing in disguise as there were many negative noises against him. Some Political leaders and alienated relations both created chaos in his life. For three months he was out of sight and things really changed for his betterment. The negative noises are shunned by the court orders. Now everyone knows how Raut was a victim of circumstances. This is what he was trying to convince all this while.

Nawab Malik the NAACP’s chief spokesperson and minority development minister in the MVA government was arrested by the ED in February 2022 over a two-decade-old property deal linked to Haseena Parkar, fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s sister. Vanab was very vocal against BJP and then the opposition party. He actually cracked down on the false arrest of Shah Rukh Khan’s son and exposed NCB head Sameer Wankhede. Mallik gave tough times to investigative agencies and BJP.

Anil Deshmukh, another NCP leader who was home minister in the MVA government, was arrested by the ED in November 2021, and subsequently by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in an alleged corruption case. Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had alleged in March 2021 that Deshmukh had asked police officials to collect Rs 100 crore every month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai. Deshmukh denied the allegations but stepped down as a minister later. No guilt is still proven against him.

He got bail from the Bombay High Court in the ED case in October, but could not walk out of prison as he is yet to get bail in the case registered by the CBI. The CBI told the Bombay High Court while opposing his bail plea recently that there were serious allegations of corruption, extortion and conspiracy against Deshmukh, and there is sufficient evidence to establish his involvement. Both the ED and CBI have filed charge sheets against him. The ED also assented to an application filed by dismissed police official Sachin Vaze to turn approver against Deshmukh.

The same thing happened in the case of Chagan Bhujbal, the media made many stories against him. ED and CBI made tall claims but no one could prove him corrupt or guilty, finally, he walked out of jail after two long years of imprisonment.

Vaze is the prime accused in the case of planting of explosives near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence ‘Antilia’, and the subsequent murder of businessman and case witness Mansukh Hiran. Those days Vaze and Parambeer Singh were on an adventure trip. They wanted to bring glory to the department by doing one exclusive stunt and that boomeranged badly. Anil Deshmukh was the Home minister and he immediately condemned the act and transferred Parambeer Singh.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in its affidavit filed in the Bombay high court (HC) stated that getting bail in the money laundering case would not make former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh eligible for bail in the corruption case as well. Deshmukh’s application stated that as both the cases by the ED and CBI arose out of the same offence, he deserved to be released on bail in the corruption case as well.

In the meantime, while granting bail to Sanjay Raut, the Mumbai court said that his arrest was illegal and unwarranted. Now it is high time the court should see the conspiracy against Deshmukh and Malik and deliver justice.

Varanasi court to deliver its verdict on plea seeking worship rights of ‘Shivling’ on Gyanvapi mosque premises.

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ANI

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November 14, 2022

Gyanvapi Mosque Case Shivling Varanasi Fast-track Court — Image: PTI

A Varanasi fast-track court will deliver its verdict today on the plea seeking worship rights of the ‘Shivling’ that the Hindu side claimed to be found on the Gyanvapi mosque premises.

The court had adjourned the matter for November 14 during the last hearing on November 8.

The demands of the Hindu side on which the court will deliver its verdict include permission for the immediate beginning of prayer of Swayambhu Jyotirlinga Bhagwan Vishweshwar, the handing over of the entire Gyanvapi complex to the Hindus, and banning the entry of Muslims inside the premises of the Gyanvapi complex.

The Muslim side is allowed to offer prayers in the premises till the matter is in court. The Supreme Court on November 11 extended its earlier order to protect the area where the ‘Shivling’ was stated to be discovered at the Gyanvapi Mosque complex during the court survey.

During the previous hearings in the Varanasi court, it had refused to allow a ‘scientific investigation’ of the purported ‘Shivling’.

The Hindu side had demanded carbon dating of the structure they claimed to be a Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi Mosque’s wazukhana.

However, the Muslim side said that the structure found was a ‘fountain’. The Hindu side had then submitted an application in the Varanasi District Court on September 22 that sought a carbon dating of the object they claimed to be ‘Shivling’.

The Hindu side said that they would approach the Supreme Court against the Varanasi court’s verdict refusing to allow a ‘scientific investigation’ of the purported ‘Shivling’, claiming to be found on the Gyanvapi mosque premises.

On September 29 hearing, the Hindu side had demanded a scientific investigation of the ‘Shivling’ by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the carbon dating of ‘Argha’ and the area around it.

The Varanasi court said, “It would not be proper to order the survey of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and by giving such order the age, nature, and structure of the said Shivling is known, even this does not imply the possibility of a just solution”.

Advocate Vishnu Jain, representing the side in the Gyanvapi case, “Court has rejected our demand of seeking carbon dating. We’ll move to Supreme Court against this order and challenge it there. I cannot announce the date as of now, but we’ll soon challenge this order in Supreme Court.”

Another lawyer of the Hindu side Madan Mohan Yadav said, “Though the court has rejected the demand of seeking carbon dating, the option of going to the High Court is available and the Hindu side will place their point before the High Court as well.”

Referring to the order of May 17 of the Supreme Court, the Varanasi Court had said that “If the alleged Shivling is damaged by taking samples, then it will be in violation of the order of the Supreme Court”.

“If the Shivling is damaged, the religious sentiments of the general public can also get hurt”, the Varanasi Court had said.

Carbon dating is a scientific process that ascertains the age of an archaeological object or archaeological finds. After hearing both sides’ arguments, the court had reserved the order in the Gyanvapi Mosque-Shringar Gauri case.

On May 20, the Supreme Court had ordered the transfer of the case related to worship at Gyanvapi mosque from the civil judge to the District Judge, Varanasi.

Akhlaq Ahmed, representing the Muslim side had said that the plea by the Hindu side is not maintainable as it is against the order of the Supreme Court that stated protecting the structure (which the Muslim side claims to be a fountain and the Hindu side claims to be a Shivling).

“We responded to the application on carbon dating. Stone does not have the capacity to absorb carbon. The Supreme Court in its May 17 order, according to which, the object that the commission found, had to be protected. The order of the SC will prevail, so the object cannot be opened. According to the Hindu side, the process will be scientific, even if it is so, there will be tampering with the object. Chemicals will be used for the test. We will take action based on the order by the court on October 14,” Ahmed had told agencies.

Another lawyer representing the Muslim side, Tohid Khan had said, “The court will deliver its verdict on whether the application seeking carbon dating is acceptable or should be rejected. The structure is a fountain and not Shivling. The fountain can still be made operational.”

12 year old kidnapped for a ransom of Rs 2 crore, police arrests five people at Thane

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PTI

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November 13, 2022

arrested,police,Thane,Dombivali — Arrested | Image: Representative

The 12-year-old son of an industrialist in Maharashtra who was kidnapped for a ransom of Rs 2 crore was successfully rescued from neighbouring Gujarat and reunited with his parents, police said on Sunday.

The police have arrested five persons, including three women, in connection with the abduction that took place on November 9 in Dombivili town of Thane district, an official said.

On the morning of November 9, the accused kidnapped the boy who was on his way for tuition classes.

The boy’s father later received a call on his mobile phone and was informed that he would have to pay a ransom of Rs 1 crore for his son’s safe return, additional commissioner of police Dattatreya Shinde said. While the police were subsequently informed, the family received another phone call and the caller demanded Rs 2 crore within three hours, he said.

More than 300 policemen were enlisted to look for the child.

The police teams worked on various inputs, he said. Teams were dispatched to Jawhar, Nashik, Palghar etc to look for the boy and the accused, the official said.

At one time, when the police came to know that the accused were present in a jungle, and the police team offered Rs 50,000 to villagers for tracing the accused, he said.

The police received a tip-off that one of the accused who was a resident of Palghar had shifted to Surat in neighbouring Gujarat and moved his belongings in a tempo, the official said.

The police traced the tempo driver who had transported the goods to Surat and finally on November 11, tracked down the accused in the city along with the child, he said.

The boy was rescued safely and handed over to his parents, the official said. According to the police, the main accused has cases of double murder, house breaking and prohibition offences to his name. The main accused has been looking for potential targets since the last two years, deputy commissioner of police Kalyan Sachin Gunjal said.

Mumbai Airport Customs seized 61 kg of gold worth 32 crores, arrests seven passengers

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ANI

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November 13, 2022

Gold, Mumbai Airport, seized | Image: Representative

The Mumbai Airport Customs seized 61 Kg gold valued at Rs 32 Crore and arrested seven passengers in two different cases, said a senior Customs official on Sunday.

The official informed that this has been the highest seizure in a single day reported in the history of Mumbai Airport Customs.

The arrested persons include five men and two female passengers on Friday.

In the first case, four passengers of Indian nationality who landed from Tanzania were found carrying the smuggled gold in the form of one Kg bars ingeniously concealed in specially designed waist belts with multiple pockets.

A total of 53 Kg of gold valued at Rs 28.17 Crore was recovered from the four passengers.

The specially designed belts with UAE-made gold bars concealed inside were handed over to the passengers by a person of Sudanese nationality at Doha airport during the transit time.

At Mumbai Airport, based on the continuous monitoring of suspicious flights and building on the data-based analysis from the earlier high-quantum gold and foreign currency seizures, a systematic profiling of suspect passengers was undertaken on sensitive flights from certain places in Africa and the Middle East, read the statement of Customs. In the recent case of Foreign Currency seizure of 4.08 crores, the pattern and mode of operation noticed along with profiling of foreign national passengers and extrapolating the patterns led to success in this case.

During the operation, four Indian passengers arrived from Doha on Qatar Airways Flight No. QR-556 were intercepted.

On enquiry, they were found to be coming from Tanzania. As per the senior customs officials, during the personal search of the said passengers, 53 Kg of Gold was recovered in total. The gold bars were concealed on their body in a specially designed belt, having multiple pockets, wrapped around their torso. During the interrogation, all four passengers confessed that they were handed over the gold in transit at the Doha airport by an unknown Sudanese national who had not travelled with them on the flight, said the senior customs officials.

All four passengers have been arrested and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody by the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate. In another case, based on the intelligence, officers of Mumbai Airport Customs seized 8 Kg gold valued at Rs 3.88 crore from three passengers (one male and two females) arriving from Dubai by Vistara Flight. Gold dust in wax form was found ingeniously concealed in the waistline of the jeans pants worn by the passengers. The three passengers included one lady passenger in her late sixties who were in a wheelchair. All three passengers have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody. Further investigation into the matter is going on.