Three-member gang arrested for accusing builder of rape to extort ₹61L

Mumbai: The police busted a three-member gang of extortionists for allegedly blackmailing a flat owner by accusing him of rape and demanding crores. The police have arrested all three accused, including a woman, and learnt that they had targeted another builder as well.

According to the Waliv police, last week a 45-year-old builder, who has construction sites across the Vasai-Virar region, approached the police accusing three people of demanding ₹61 lakh from him. The officers said that the accused have been identified as Manish Manubhai Seth, a resident of Gujarat, Nasik Hamid Shaikh, a resident of Vajreshwari in Palghar district and Sahiba Rajbirsingh Bakshi alias Neetu Jayprakash Pandey, who hails from Rajasthan.

Police officials said that in 2022, Pandey had met the victim and told him that since she was starting a business in Mumbai, she needed a flat on rent. The victim rented her a flat in Waliv for ₹10,000 per month and had drafted an agreement for 11 months in 2022. After Pandey began staying there, she often invited the victim to her house and had also allegedly introduced him to Shaikh and Seth as her business partners.

In November this year, the trio invited the complainant to the house and allegedly beat him after accusing him of raping Pandey a few months ago and claiming that she was pregnant as a result thereof. The men then threatened the victim of registering a case against him and demanded ₹2 crore from him and the flat. The victim who was scared allegedly gave them ₹61 lakh to settle the matter.

In December, when the trio began demanding more money, the builder realised that it was a scam and approached the Waliv police and registered a case of cheating blackmail and extortion under sections 420, 388, 385, 384, 406, 411 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

The officers said that after the case was registered, they laid a trap for Shaikh in Vajreshwari and arrested him. Through Shaikh, the police reached Seth and Pandey and arrested the duo as well.

“We have found out that the gang have blackmailed another builder in Vasai and extorted lakhs from him as well,” said a police officer from Waliv police station.

The police are now investigating to find out how many more men have been targeted by the trio using the same modus operandi.