Mumbai :
Police have arrested five people,one of them facing more than 40 criminal cases, for allegedly extorting Rs 6.4 lakh from a herb seller in suburban Bandra, an official said on Monday.
The Mumbai police crime branch Unit 3 in coordination with Unit 12 personnel made the arrests on Sunday, he said.
The police identified the arrested accused as Guddu Hazrat Ali (38), Iqbal Shaikh (47), Abid Jahur (28), Kalim Khan (33) and Umrao Ali (36).
Hajarat Ali is a history-sheeter with 42 criminal cases registered against him, the official said.
Except Shaikh, all other accused hail from Rajasthan’s Kota and the victim, too, is originally from the same town, he said.
The arrested accused, posing as policemen, threatened the victim, saying they will book him on charges of impersonating as a doctor and duping people, the official said.
On Saturday afternoon, they picked up the herb seller from Carter Road in Bandra and asked him to pay Rs 9 lakh, he said.
The accused threatened the victim with dire consequences if he did not fulfil their demand, the police official said.
Fearing for his life, the victim contacted his brother and asked him to arrange money. On the same evening, the victim’s brother paid Rs 6.4 lakh to the accused for his release, he said.
The victim’s brother gathered courage and approached the police.
On his complaint, an offence of extortion was registered against the accused at the Bandra police station,he said.
All the accused were nabbed from suburban Dahisar when they assembled to distribute the extorted money among themselves, he said.
The official said Rs 6 lakh was recovered from their possession and further investigation in the case was underway.
