Bhiwandi: In a shocking case of impersonation and alleged extortion, the Shanti Nagar Police in Bhiwandi have registered a criminal case against four individuals accused of posing as Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials and demanding money from local traders under the threat of legal action. Police have arrested a 43-year-old woman from Thane in connection with the case, while efforts are underway to trace her three absconding accomplices.
According to investigators, the accused allegedly targeted two separate shopkeepers in Bhiwandi and demanded a total of ₹5 lakh by falsely claiming to be government food safety officers conducting inspections. In one of the incidents, the suspects are also accused of collecting ₹15,000 from a trader after threatening him with legal proceedings.
Police said the first complaint was lodged by Javed Chaudhary (31), an employee at a vegetable shop located at Vetal Pada on Nagaon Road. The incident reportedly took place on June 10, 2026, at around 5:15 pm, when four individuals, including the arrested woman and another woman identified only as Sonatai, arrived at the shop near Noor Masjid, opposite Sagar Plaza Hotel.
The accused allegedly introduced themselves as officers from the Food Department and began inspecting vegetables and packaged bread stocked at the premises. After the inspection, they reportedly accused the shopkeeper of selling substandard and spoiled food items and threatened to initiate legal proceedings against him.
Police said the suspects then demanded ₹2 lakh to avoid filing a case. Witnesses informed investigators that the accused openly invoked the name of the Food and Drug Administration and allegedly intimidated the trader in the presence of customers and local residents gathered at the spot.
Based on Chaudhary’s complaint, the Shanti Nagar Police registered an offence under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 308(3), 204, 319(2), and 3(5), and launched an investigation.
During the probe, police uncovered a second, similar incident involving Shamsad Khan (51), a grocery shop owner residing in Patel Nagar near Vanjar Patti Naka. According to Khan’s complaint, three women and one man visited his shop on June 2, 2026, at around 12:30 pm and claimed to be officials from the FDA's Thane office.
The group allegedly informed Khan that a complaint had been received against his establishment and that a case would be registered against him. They then allegedly demanded ₹3 lakh to settle the matter and prevent legal action. Investigators said the accused succeeded in collecting ₹15,000 from the trader before leaving the premises.
Following the complaints, police arrested Shantabai Dashrath Rajput alias Shantabai Suresh Jadhav (43), a resident of Shiv Sagar Building, Anand Dighe, Tembhi Naka, Thane. Acting on the court’s permission, police formally arrested the accused in the early hours of June 11 at approximately 1:35 am. Authorities also informed her daughter, Pratiksha Suresh Jadhav, about the arrest, as required under legal procedure.
The arrested woman was subsequently produced before a local court, which remanded her to police custody until June 14 for further investigation.
Police said three other accused — including Sonatai (full identity yet to be established), another unidentified woman and an unidentified man — remain absconding. Search operations are underway to trace and apprehend them.
Investigators are now examining whether the accused have targeted other traders in Bhiwandi and neighbouring areas using a similar modus operandi. Police are also verifying whether the suspects had any actual links with a government department or were operating entirely on forged identities to extort money from business owners.
Confirming the development, Senior Police Inspector Vinayak Gaikwad of Shanti Nagar Police Station told The Free Press Journal that the accused were allegedly impersonating Food Department officials and coercing traders into paying money by creating fear of prosecution.
“The accused were posing as Food Department officers and were illegally extracting money from traders by threatening them with official action. Further investigation is in progress,” Gaikwad said.
The case is being investigated under the guidance of Police Sub-Inspector Yogesh Gaikar, and officials have appealed to traders to immediately report any suspicious inspections or demands for money by persons claiming to represent government agencies.
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