Sleuths of the Uttan coastal police station have booked three men on charges of extorting money from a 30-year-old woman by issuing threats to demolish her tenement in a slum cluster in Dhaavgi village.
Apart from cash, the accused had accepted a part of the extortion amount through an e-wallet. While two men identified as-Gowardhan Patil and his accomplice were caught red-handed accepting money, the kingpin of the gang is still at large.
The action followed after the 30-year old woman who works with an agency engaged in serving sick people registered a complaint with the DCP (Zone I) seeking action against the extortionists.
In her complaint to the police, the woman stated that a person who identified himself as Vinod Naik visited the Lal Bahadur Shastri slums and clicked pictures of her tenement, which was under repair for protection from rains. He threatened to get the tenement demolished if she did not pay Rs 15,000 to his accomplice-Gowardhan Patil. Hours later, Patil called up the woman and demanded the money which according to him was to be paid to a civic officer.
The terrified woman handed over Rs. 5,000 cash and transferred Rs. 5,000 to an e-wallet account specified by Patil. However, Patil continued calling her for the remaining amount. Fed up with the threats and demands, the woman informed the DCP, following which a team from the Uttan police station laid a trap and arrested the duo on Monday evening. A case under section 384 of the IPC has been registered against the trio. Further investigations were underway.
