Posing as ANC officials, dismissed constable, informer extort ₹22 lakh from trader

The accused have been identified as Chandrakant Gaware, the dismissed constable, and Naveed Salim Parmar. Gaware and Parmar were arrested from Byculla and Dongri respectively

Mumbai: A dismissed police constable and his informer were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly extorting ₹22 lakh from a garment trader after disguising themselves as anti-narcotics cell (ANC) officials and promising the businessman to clear off his elder brother who got involved in a drugs case.

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The accused have been identified as Chandrakant Gaware, the dismissed constable, and Naveed Salim Parmar. Gaware and Parmar were arrested from Byculla and Dongri respectively.

According to the police, in March this year, the duo approached the complainant, Hussain Batatewala, and Parmar told him that his elder brother would be made an accused in a drug case. He further told the trader that he knew police inspector Gaware, who worked at the Bandra ANC unit and can get his brother cleared of the charges.

“Later, they met Gaware in a hotel outside Bandra unit of the ANC where Gaware promised to ensure that the name of his brother was dropped from the case and demanded ₹35 lakh and two iPhones for getting the matter settled,” said a police officer. “Upon negotiation, the deal was set at ₹22 lakh and two iPhones.”

Initially, Batatewala paid ₹11 lakh to start the process, the officer said, adding, “In the last week of March, Parmar told the trader that his work was done and showed him a paper in which his brother’s name was shown to be dropped from the case. The complainant then paid the remaining ₹11 lakh and even gave two iPhone 14 Pro Max to them”

However, when the complainant showed the paper to his lawyer, the lawyer pointed out that the document had no court stamp. “The accused then told the complainant that he will get the said paper as well after a few days, but kept on avoiding him after that. Later, as the complainant kept on calling him, Gaware told Batatewala that he couldn’t do his work and in May even returned the phone but not the money.”

“Gaware has three cases registered against him, whereas Parmar has 16 cases against him. Parmar knew that the complainant’s brother was in trouble and thought of easily extorting some money from him. He roped in Gaware as he can perform the role of an officer well. The complainant’s brother was later arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Cell,” said the police officer.

The duo has been remanded to police custody till June 21 by a local court.