62-yr-old Delhi’s ‘godmother of crime’, wanted in 113 cases, arrested

Agencies
August 19, 2018

New Delhi, Aug 19: A 62-year-old woman known as the "godmother of crime" in south Delhi's Sangam Vihar, who was wanted in connection with the killing of a man, has been arrested, police said on Saturday.

The accused identified as Basiran was declared a proclaimed offender, they said.

A total of 113 criminal cases including that of bootlegging, murder, robbery, contract killing and snatching have been registered against Basiran and her family members, police said.

Acting on a tip-off, the accused was arrested from Sangam Vihar where she had come to meet her family members to decide further strategy in connection with the seizure of her property, said Romil Baaniya, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (south).

In September 2017, a partially decomposed body was recovered from the jungle of Sangam Vihar. A case was registered in connection with the murder following which a juvenile was apprehended in this case in January 2018, he said. The juvenile then disclosed the name of his associates namely Aakash, Vikash, Neeraj, Munni Begum and Basiran, he added.

After the co-accused was arrested, Basiran fled away and was evading her arrest since then, the DCP said.

On May 25, Basiran was declared proclaimed offender in connection with the case. Subsequently, her property attached and sealed, he said.

Meanwhile, the accused also filed an application seeking anticipatory bail at Delhi High Court and also sought the release of her property at Saket Court. However, the Delhi police strongly objected to it, giving her previous criminal background following which both applications were then dismissed by the court, the senior officer said.

During interrogation, Basiran admitted that she had taken a contract of Rs 60,000 to kill Miraz who was a step-brother of one of the accused Munni Begum, he said. Basiran along with her associates hatched a conspiracy to kill Miraz.

As per the plan, on the intervening night of 8 and 9 September 2017, Munni Begum took Miraz to Basiran's house and from there, her associates took Miraz to a jungle in Sangam Vihar's K block where they intoxicated him and strangulated him to death using a leather belt. The accused then burnt the body to hide his identity and buried it in the jungle, the officer added.

It was learnt that Basiran did not have any permanent source of income and so she started selling illicit liquor. The accused even motivated her eight sons including a minor to commit the crime, the DCP said.

Once, she acquired dominance in the area, with the help of her sons, she captured government water borewells in Sangam Vihar and was running a water supply mafia, he said.

She was absconding since last eight months and was hiding in cities like Allahabad, Ahmedabad, Mainpuri and Firozabad, he added.

Police said a case of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 (MCOCA) has been registered against her son Shamim. She along with other family members will also be booked in connection with the case for amassing wealth from crime proceeds, the police said.

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News Network
November 21,2025

Bantwal: A domestic dispute appears to have led to a violent confrontation in BC Road area, where the owner of a textile shop was allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife on Wednesday evening.

Krishna Kumar Somayaji, the owner of Somayaji Textiles, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. He is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit and is reported to have survived the assault, according to police.

The Bantwal Town police have registered a case against Somayaji's wife, Jyothi KT, who has since been taken into custody.

Police stated that the complainant, Namita, an employee at the shop, reported the sequence of events. She stated that around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect entered the shop, wearing a burqa and disguised as a customer, before attacking Somayaji with a knife. The employee then transported the injured owner to a local hospital via an autorickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed that an ongoing domestic dispute between Somayaji and his wife reportedly preceded the attack. Police noted that Jyothi KT had previously visited the shop and issued threats.

Based on the complaint, Bantwal Town police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Arms Act-1959. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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News Network
November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Mangaluru East police have registered a case following a sophisticated online fraud where a 57-year-old local resident was allegedly cheated out of ₹13.4 lakh after being targeted on Facebook.

The scam began in February when the complainant, while browsing Facebook reels, was contacted by a woman identifying herself as "Lillian Mary George" from London. After establishing a chat relationship, the woman claimed she would visit India in November and bring a significant sum of money.

The trap was sprung on November 15, when the victim received a call from a woman named "Sonali Gupta," who claimed Lillian had arrived at Mumbai International Airport but was detained by customs. The fraudsters convinced the man that Lillian was carrying £25,000 (about ₹26 lakh) in traveller’s cheques and 1 kg of gold (valued at around ₹30 lakh).

Under the pretense of clearing these items, the victim was asked to make numerous online transfers between November 15 and 18 for various bogus charges, including:

•    "Pounds exchange registration"
•    "Customs declaration issues"
•    "Discount charges"
•    "Money-laundering charges"

Believing the fictitious story, the complainant transferred the cumulative sum of ₹13.4 lakh to various bank accounts provided by the fraudsters. He realised he was cheated when the culprits later promised a refund within two days but stopped answering his calls. The Mangaluru East police are now investigating the case, which highlights the continuing threat of transnational cyber fraud using social engineering and promises of fictitious wealth.

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News Network
November 26,2025

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Assembly Speaker and local MLA U.T. Khader has initiated a high-level push to resolve one of Mangaluru’s longest-standing traffic headaches: the narrow, high-density stretch of National Highway-66 between Nanthoor and Talapady.

He announced on Tuesday that a formal proposal has been submitted to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) seeking approval to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the widening of this crucial corridor.

The plan specifically aims to expand the existing 45-meter road width to a full 60 meters, coupled with the construction of dedicated service roads. Khader highlighted that land for a 60-meter highway was originally acquired during the initial four-laning project, but only 45 meters were developed, leading to a perpetual bottleneck.

"With vehicle density rising sharply, the expansion has become unavoidable," Khader stated, stressing that the upgrade is essential for ensuring smoother traffic flow and improving safety at the city's main entry and exit points.

The stretch between Nanthoor and Talapady is a vital link on the busy Kochi-Panvel coastal highway and connects to major city junctions. The move to utilize the previously acquired land for the full 60-meter width is seen as a necessary measure to catch up with the region's rapid vehicular growth and prevent further traffic gridlocks.

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