A minor girl was allegedly raped by her 19-year-old step brother in Ulhasnagar township in the district, police said.

The accused Vishal Bhalerao committed the offence on November 6 when the victim’s mother was not present in the house, Assistant Police Inspector (API) M M Jadhav said.

The boy also threatened her to not reveal the incident to anyone, he said.

When the girl’s mother confronted him, the accused threatened and abused her, the official said.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the IPC and under the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, he said, adding efforts are on to nab the absconding accused.

The prime accused in the murder of city builder Kishor Khatri has been arrested, police said today.

Ranjitsing Chungde was nabbed last night from near the local railway station when he was trying to flee, they said.

Khatri was found murdered in Somthana Shivan area on November 3. In the past, he had been associated with political parties like Shiv Sena and MNS.

Chungde and Khatri were once friends, but they fell out over money matters, police said, adding this may have led to the latter’s murder.

Superintendent of Police Chandrakishore Mina and Additional SP interrogated Chungde, who admitted his involvement in the crime, police added.

Bombay High Court has dismissed a petition filed by National Spot Exchange Ltd (NSEL), embroiled in an alleged Rs. 5,600 crore scam, seeking quashing of invocation of provisions of Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors In Financial Establishments (MPID) Act against it.

A division bench headed by Justice Ranjit More last month dismissed NSEL’s petition after observing that prima facie investigations by the city police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) reveal violation of the provisions of the MPID Act by the company.

“The material collected by the EOW during probe reveals that the petitioner did not carry out its operations as per the bye-laws and permission granted to it by the Government of India,” the court said.

The bench noted that a chargesheet has already been filed and further probe is also underway, and the petitioner has an alternate efficacious remedy to apply for discharge before the trial court.

In September 2013, a complaint was filed by Pankaj Saraf against NSEL with the police. Initially, FIR was lodged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code for cheating and criminal conspiracy. Subsequently, provisions of the MPID Act were invoked and a chargesheet was also filed in January 2014 against the accused persons.

NSEL’s counsel Aspi Chinoy contended that the company’s Commodity Spot Exchange only provided an electronic/ online trading for the purchase and sale of commodities. He argued that NSEL never received or accepted any deposit as defined in section 2(c) of the MPID Act.

Chinoy argued that the application of MPID Act against NSEL and its directors is “ex-facie illegal and without jurisdiction”.

The court, however, refused to accept this.

“From the statements recorded by the investigating agency, copies of which were placed before us for our perusal, it would prima facie reveal that NSEL represented to its traders and suppliers of the goods that they would be provided security free loan. The petitioner had assured its clients fixed returns at 14 to 16 per cent per annum,” the court said.

A 35-year-old man allegedly killed his wife before himself committing suicide in front of his three minor children in Mumbai, police said. Rajesh Jadhav, an autorickshaw driver, had a quarrel with his wife Amrapali at their home in a chawl in suburban Jogeshwari following which he allegedly strangled her, they said.

After killing his wife, Jadhav allegedly hanged himself to death at home, in the presence of his three children, a son and two daughters, the eldest being only three years old, police said. “Prima facie it looks like Jadhav first strangulated his wife and then hanged himself.

They had a big fight before the incident. All this happened in the presence of their three children. The eldest son is aged three,” Assistant Commissioner of Police Arun Chavan said.

The neighbours heard the screams of the family members at around 4.30 PM on Saturday. The incident probably occurred around that time, police said. However, the matter was reported to police by local residents at around 7.30 PM, they said.

Subsequently, a case was registered at Amboli police station. “We have sent both the bodies for postmortem,” Chavan said. Jadhav left behind a suicide note in which he purportedly mentioned that nobody should be held responsible for his acts, he said.

A probe is on into the incident, he said adding that a case has been registered.

A Mumbai-bound IndiGo plane today made an emergency landing here after an elderly passenger complained of chest pain, an airport official said.

“The IndiGo flight on its way to Mumbai from Varanasi made an emergency landing at 3.28 PM after its pilot spoke to our ground duty officials about an elderly man, who complained of chest pain,” K Gunasekaran, Director of Raja Bhoj International Airport said.

The man was given first aid and rushed to a private hospital, from where he was later shifted to a Government medical facility, he added.

The plane left for Mumbai at 5.30 PM, the Director said.

A 22-year-old gas balloon seller died in a cylinder explosion in Malvani area, police said.

The incident took place last night when the deceased Manish Avsare, was checking the reading of the gas cylinder, Milind Khetle, senior police inspector of Malad police station said.

Avsare along with his father had gone to blow the gas balloons at a private function. During the function, he noticed that the gas had suddenly stopped coming out from the cylinder and hence was taking the reading, the officer said.

The seller, who sustained burn injuries on face and chest, was rushed to nearby Shatabdi hospital where he was declared brought dead, police said.

A fire erupted inside a building in Dadar area of Central Mumbai, though no one was injured in the incident, officials said.

The blaze occurred at around 11 PM on Saturday inside a house in Ahamad Seller building behind Hindmata Cinema in Dadar, a fire brigade official said.

Prima facie, a short-circuit seems to have caused the fire in the house, he said.

No one was killed or injured in the fire, police said.

Two fire engines managed to douse the flames soon after the mishap, officials added.