Six held for extorting ₹2 lakh from Tarot reader in Aarey

According to police, the accused lured the 40-year-old victim to a villa in Royal Palms in Goregaon East on February 15 on the pretext of a tarot reading session for an elderly couple. However, when she reached the location, she found four men and two women waiting for her and sensed something was wrong

MUMBAI: A tarot card reader was allegedly threatened and extorted of ₹2 lakh by six persons posing as clients in Aarey Colony. Police arrested all accused on Sunday.

Six held for extorting ₹2 lakh from Tarot reader in Aarey

According to police, the accused lured the 40-year-old victim to a villa in Royal Palms in Goregaon East on February 15 on the pretext of a tarot reading session for an elderly couple. However, when she reached the location, she found four men and two women waiting for her and sensed something was wrong.

Police said the group intimidated her by throwing a packet of drugs towards her and threatening to frame her in false cases of prostitution and drug offenses. Fearing arrest, the victim transferred ₹2 lakh to a bank account provided by the accused before leaving the premises.

She later lodged a complaint, following which a case of extortion was registered. During the investigation, police first arrested Farhan Kadri, 33, in whose account the money had been transferred. His interrogation led to the identification and arrest of five others, police said.

Those arrested include Swapnil Nadekar, 38, who claimed to be a social worker; Kavita Yadav, 40, who runs a drug de-addiction centre in Dahisar East; Pradip Pathak, 36; Eric Vegas, 60, a retired assistant police inspector; and Rahul Kambli, 41.

Police said Yadav had previously been booked in a similar case at Bhayandar police station. All five have been remanded to police custody till April 3.