9 held for trying to grab Goregaon plot

The main accused, Baba Khan, had been arrested on charges of extortion less than a year ago after he allegedly kidnapped a hawker in his BMW and assaulted him for refusing to pay protection money

MUMBAI: The Bangur Nagar police have arrested Baba Khan, a cafe owner and alleged extortionist, and his eight associates for allegedly trespassing a 1,900-square feet plot in Goregaon West which houses the factory of a company producing asbestos products. Khan, who allegedly runs various illegal businesses, assaulted the security guards and the manager of the company with weapons and threatened to kill them in a bid to vacate the plot, said police. He was arrested on Wednesday based on a complaint by the company’s constituted attorney, Amit Ramkishore Bub, the police added.

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According to the complaint lodged by Bub, 46, Khan and his eight henchmen barged into the factory premises of Lakshmi Asbestos Products Ltd on May 9. They were armed with rods, pistols, swords and knives, and used a bulldozer and JCBs to dump mud and debris in the compound. They assaulted the security guards who tried to stop them, claiming the plot belonged to them. The manager of the company, Dharmendra Somani, was also assaulted with rods and a sword when he tried to intervene in the matter.

Khan and the other accused threatened to kill Somani and the security guards, Bub mentioned in the complaint. They left the premises after Somani called Bub but asked for the plot to be vacated within 24 hours.

Bub then approached the Bangur Nagar police. Based on his complaint, Khan and the other eight accused were booked under section 25 (3) (illegal sale or transfer of firearms, ammunition, or other arms) of the Arms Act along with sections 115 (2) (voluntary causing hurt), 190 (unlawful assembly), 191 (rioting), 333 (trespassing), 189 (4) (armed with deadly weapon), 189 (2) (unlawful assembly), and 351 (3) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The nine accused were arrested on Wednesday and produced before the court on Thursday. They were remanded in police custody till May 19.

“We are trying to find out if someone gave them a contract to get the plot vacated and if they are connected to the land mafia or the builder lobby,” said an officer from the Bangur Nagar police station.

Khan had been arrested on charges of extortion less than a year ago, on July 15, 2024, after he allegedly kidnapped a hawker from Malad in his BMW and assaulted him for refusing to pay protection money.