Mumbai: The city crime branch has arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly kidnapping and extorting money from the chairman and director of a Ponzi scheme.
According to police, Omprakash Goenka, 72, chairman and director of the Citrus Check-Inns and Royal Twinkle Star Club, was allegedly kidnapped for the purpose of extortion on November 6 by the arrested accused Kishor Adhav and his accomplices. Goenka himself is named in cases for duping investors.
According to crime branch officers, Adhav a resident of Dadar, had invested in Goenka's scheme along with his friends. Until 2016, Adhav was being paid dividend but when Goenka stopped doing so and further, refused to return the principal,
Adhav had been threatening him, claimed Goenka. Further, he said, he was also assaulted by Adhav and his accomplice in 2017. Goenka also said, he had already paid Rs 50 lakh to Adhav.
According to the complaint filed by Goenka, Adhav and four others kidnapped him on November 6 and was taken to his office in the Lower Parel area.
He claimed to have been threatened with a firearm and allowed to leave only when he agreed to pay extortion money.
He then approached Andheri Police and registered an offence of extortion and abduction, following which Unit 10 of the crime branch took over the investigation and arrested Adhav.
According to police, Goenka is accused of duping around 18 lakh investors across the state to the tune of Rs 4,500 crore. In the past he was arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in Mumbai, Nashik and Pune. Currently, he is out on bail.
