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Mumbai cops book 2 Delhi bizmen for extortion bid on former partner
The accused allegedly confined the businessman and his friend in a room in Sakinaka for several hours on November 21 and assaulted them suspecting him of tipping off Customs officials about their illegal activities that caused them huge loss.
The Mumbai police Wednesday said they have booked two Delhi businessmen who allegedly tried to extort Rs 25 lakh from a former business partner.
The accused allegedly confined the businessman and his friend in a room in Sakinaka in east Mumbai for several hours on November 21 and assaulted them suspecting him of tipping off Customs officials about their illegal activities that caused them huge loss. The Sakinaka police have registered a case but haven’t arrested the accused yet.
According to the police, the complainant Rajendra Kamat, 57, a Chembur resident, is into business of import and export of pharmaceutical products, besides running a logistic firm. He also works as a customs commission agent.
Kamat in his complaint to police said that he had earlier done business with the accused Umesh Garg who is also into import-export of pharmaceautical products and gold jewelry. But while working with Garg and his business partner Sachin Batra, Kamat learnt that the two are also into some other alleged illegal activities and so he ended all business ties with them.
Kamat told police that in January 2018 Garg had asked him if he had tipped off customs officials about his businesses which he denied.
Kamat had learnt that Customs officials, Directorate of Revenue intelligence and Enforcement Directorate officials were probing Garg and Batras for suspected money laundering, the police said.
Garg and Batra were very angry on Kamat and demanded Rs 25 lakh from him claiming they suffered huge loss because of him. In recent months Garg and Batra again started demanding Rs 25 lakh from Kamat and threatened to kill him and his children if he failed to pay them, a police officer said.
On November 21, Garg abused Kamat over phone and asked him to come and meet him at his Sakinaka office. After Kamat reached Garg’s office along with his friend, Garg and Batra took him to a cabin and allegedly started beating him up.
“Garg banged my head on the wall several times. I pleaded before them and told them that I am a patient of epilepsy, but they kept on assaulting me and demanding Rs 25 lakh. When my friend came to my rescue they started abusing and hitting him too,” Kamat said in the FIR.
“They snatched away property papers of my friend who has nothing to do with this matter and told us that the documents would only be returned once they get their money. They confined both of us in a room for hours. We managed to escape late at night,” Kamat added.
The police registered an FIR against Garg and Batra on November 24.
“The case was registered after 2-3 days of the incident. We are verifying the allegations made in the complaint. The investigation is on,” deputy commissioner of police, zone-10, Ankit Goyal said.
