Mumbai, Mar 30 (PTI) Following are the top stories from the Western Region at 1700 HRS.

BOM7 MH-HC-DEBT RECOVERY-PMLA

Attachment of proceeds of crime: PMLA has overriding effect on debt recovery laws, says HC Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has ruled that Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) holds an overriding effect over debt recovery laws like SARFAESI and RDB Acts when it comes to the attachment of "proceeds of crime".

BOM2 MH-NCP-MERGER BUZZ

NCP legislators voice support for party''s merger with NCP (SP) Mumbai: Two months after the tragic death of then deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in Baramati, two NCP leaders have voiced support for the merger of the party, now headed by Sunetra Pawar, with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).

BOM6 MH-LODHA-GAS CYLINDERS

After LPG request fuels row, Lodha says criticism of religious events has become a 'fashion' Mumbai: Maharashtra cabinet minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Monday said criticising Hindu festivals and religious events has become a "fashion", asserting the backlash against his request for LPG cylinders for Jain temples was part of a larger narrative rooted in this thinking.

BOM3 GJ-BYPOLL-BJP

BJP fields late MLA's son for Umreth assembly bypoll in Gujarat Ahmedabad: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday selected Harshad Parmar, son of former BJP MLA Govind Parmar, for the upcoming byelection to Umreth assembly constituency in Gujarat.

BOM4 MH-MURDER-ARREST

UP man lures wife from hometown, kills her with friend's help in Palghar Palghar: In a brutal premeditated murder, a 26-year-old man, who suspected his wife's character, allegedly stabbed her to death with the help of his friend in a remote village in Maharashtra's Palghar district, police said on Monday.

BOM5 MP-SIM FRAUD-ARREST

Telecom agent arrested in MP's Dewas for issuing 84 SIM cards using single photo Dewas: An agent for telecom companies was arrested in Dewas in Madhya Pradesh for allegedly issuing 84 SIM cards to different persons using a single photo, a police official said on Monday.

BES6 CG-SAI-POLICE PASSING OUT

Chhattisgarh CM calls for tech-driven, citizen-centric policing Raipur: Sensitivity coupled with modern technology is a feature of new-age policing, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Monday, emphasising that gaining public trust is as important as maintaining law and order.

PTI RSY

Proceeds of crime attachment under PMLA prevails over debt recovery laws in tainted asset proceedings. Attachment of proceeds of crime under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act was described as prevailing over debt recovery legislation, including the SARFAESI and RDB Acts, where the property is linked to money laundering. The key legal point is that the PMLA operates with overriding effect in relation to attachment proceedings concerning tainted assets, and debt recovery mechanisms do not displace action taken under the anti-money laundering framework.