Cop, aide held for threatening 22-year-old

The city’s crime branch unit 12 on Tuesday arrested two persons, including a police constable, for allegedly threatening to book a 22-year-old Goregaon resident

The city’s crime branch unit 12 on Tuesday arrested two persons, including a police constable, for allegedly threatening to book a 22-year-old Goregaon resident under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and extorting ₹3 lakh from him.

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The accused have been identified as Vitthal Dahibavkar, 52, a constable attached with local arms unit in Worli, and Lakhan Mandal, 25, who works as an auto driver. Dahibavkar lives in Santacruz (East) with his family, and Mandal lives in Kalina. The two met as Mandal used to drop Dahibavkar’s son to school.

The complainant is a student and used to buy cocaine from a foreign national, said the police. On October 21, the drug peddler handed cocaine worth ₹7,000 to the complainant near Mantri Park in Malad (East). When the peddler left, the accused – who were following the complainant – intercepted him.

“Dahibavkar claimed that he was a police officer from crime branch unit 10 and threatened to book him in an NDPS case,” said Prakash Bele, senior inspector of Dindoshi police station. The accused allegedly demanded ₹15 lakh from the victim and eventually accepted ₹3 lakh.

However, they kept demanding more money from him. On Friday, the complainant approached Dindoshi police, and the accused were booked under charges of extortion and other relevant provisions.

“Unit 12 officers zeroed in on the culprits by scanning CCTV footage, as per the timing and location specified by the complainant,” said police inspector Sagar Sivalkar of the crime branch.

Police learnt that the duo has used the same modus operandi on others as well and are now investigating further.