Duo arrested for kidnapping, extortion of Kandivali lecturer

Two men arrested for impersonating police officers, kidnapping a college lecturer, extorting ₹50,000 from him in a fake murder case threat.

MUMBAI: Two men were arrested for allegedly impersonating police officers, kidnapping a college lecturer, and extorting ₹50,000 from him by threatening to arrest him in a murder case.

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According to the Kandivali police, on Sunday the lecturer, identified as Sarang Suresh Phadnis, 44, who teaches at Mittal College, was returning to his residence in Kandivali East, after delivering lectures when the incident took place around 5:15pm.

Phadnis said that while crossing the Kandivali foot-over bridge towards the east, where he was intercepted by two men. Upon inquiry, one of the men informed Phadnis that he had been captured on a CCTV recording in Borivali during a murder incident. They insisted he accompany them to the Borivali police station for further investigation. Phadnis suspected some foul play and refused to go along with them.

The two men then pushed him into an autorickshaw and threatened to get him arrested. The rickshaw was taken to Borivali. While travelling, the men told Phadnis to pay ₹50,000, if he did not want to get arrested in the murder case. They said that they would delete the CCTV recording and let him go if he met their demand.

Phadnis refused to pay the men and started shouting. One of them then searched his bag but could not find any cash. When the auto reached Poisar, a motorcyclist intercepted the rickshaw and asked the driver to stop. He told them that he was a policeman and asked the driver to follow him to the Kandivali police station.

The accused who claimed to be policemen were then asked to show their credentials which they did not possess. The two men identified as Manoj Gupta and Mulayam Yadav were then arrested by the police. They are booked under sections 170 (personating a public servant), 365 (kidnapping or abduction with intent to secretly confine the person), 379 (theft), 419 (cheating by personation), and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

“The accused are residents of Nalasopara and Bhayandar. We are now trying to find out how many more people they extorted money from,” said a police officer from Kandivali police station.