Reel rivalry leads to kidnapping, assault; four arrested

MUMBAI:The Powai police on Monday arrested a Pune-based content creator and three of his accomplices for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a Mumbai-based content creator who had criticised the former’s posts promoting a betting app

MUMBAI:The Powai police on Monday arrested a Pune-based content creator and three of his accomplices for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting a Mumbai-based content creator who had criticised the former’s posts promoting a betting app. While the rivalry between the arrested accused, Pratik Shinde, and the complainant, Chetan Chandrakant Devalkar, was around eight months old, Shinde and his accomplices caught hold of Devalkar on July 26 while he was in Powai, assaulted him inside a moving car and threatened to stab him if he did not desist from criticising Shinde’s posts, police officers familiar with the case told Hindustan Times.

Pratik Shinde (left, in white t-shirt) and his accomplices were arrested on Monday

According to the police, Chetan Devalkar, 28, (@relate_with_chetyal on Instagram) had been creating reels for nearly eight months to counter other content creators who were promoting a Chinese betting app. Among them was Pratik Shinde (@pratiikshinde on Instagram), whose stories and reels pertaining to the betting app were roasted by Devalkar on multiple occasions.

“Around 5-6 months ago, a man named Aniket called Devalkar on Instagram and warned him not to roast Shinde’s promotional content for the betting app. But as Devalkar believed the betting app was problematic, he continued roasting Shinde’s reels and stories,” said a police officer.

Shinde harbored resentment against Devalkar owing to these circumstances. On July 26, 2026, around 7:30pm, when Devalkar was at Panchkutir in Powai, Shinde’s accomplice Yash Babre confronted him, led him to a black Scorpio parked a short distance away and forcibly shoved him into the vehicle.

“A dark-complexioned man who was inside the Scorpio then tried to gag Devalkar – the man placed his foot on Devalkar’s neck, pulled out a knife, and threatened to stab him in the stomach,” said the officer quoted earlier.

As the vehicle sped off from the spot with Devalkar inside, Sameer Kuchekar and two other unidentified accomplices of Shinde abused and assaulted him using their hands, while the dark-complexioned man hit Devalkar with a wooden club.

“At some point, Devalkar realised that the man driving the vehicle was Aniket, who had threatened him months earlier, while Shinde was seated beside the driver. Shinde asked Devalkar why he made videos against the betting app he was promoting. Because Devalkar was afraid and to wriggle out of the situation, he assured them that he would not create reels against them in future,” the officer said.

Around 11.35pm on July 26, the accused dropped off Devalkar at Kalamboli. He subsequently sought medical treatment and approached the Powai police on Sunday. Based on his complaint, Pratik Shinde, his accomplices Yash Babre, Aniket Godse, Sameer Kuchekar (alias SK), and three other unidentified men were booked for kidnapping and assault.

On Monday, Babre was located near his residence in Vikhroli and arrested, while three other accused – Pratik Shinde, Aniket, and Sameer Kuchekar – were arrested from Indapur in Pune district.

Datta Nalawade, Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone 10), said the four arrested accused were produced in court on Monday and remanded in police custody for seven days.