On Friday, Seven men were arrested for allegedly abducting a 30-year-old real estate agent in Mumbai’s Mahim area and extorting money from him.
According to the Indian Express, the real estate agent was identified as Harshal Manjarekar. The incident took place on July 23 near Mahim. The real estate agent was et go the same day after his driver handed the accused cash and jewellery worth Rs 13 lakh. Manjarekar filed a complaint with the police five days after the incident. The accused have been identified as Kalpesh Mali (39), Suhas Kannade (28), Vinayak Mhatre (34), Sameer Mhatre (44), Vishal Koli (32), Anil More (28) and Mahesh Bhoite (39).
The cops have said that the incident took place when Manjarekar was on his way to Bandra, that is when his car was allegedly accosted by a Wagon R near his residence in Macchimar colony at Raheja junction. After which, three men got out off the Wagon R and possed as crime branch officials. The three men threatened Manjarekar and his driver and forcefully sat in their car. An officer told the Indian Express, “The driver was subsequently let off, following which, they took Manjarekar to Navi Mumbai. They asked him for cash. When Manjarekar said that he only had Rs 2 lakh in his car, they made him call his driver and ordered him to get more money to Palm Beach road in Navi Mumbai.”
The accused asked the driver to drop the bag containing cash and jewellery near NMMC headquarters in Belapur. When the driver called the accused to tell them about the bag, that is when they told the driver to pick up Manjarekar from Kharghar station. The cops arrested all seven accused from Dombivali and Pratiksha Nagar in Sion. A police officer told the leading daily, “Manjarekar used to stay in Pratiksha Nagar. One of the accused stayed in the same building. He knew that Manjarekar was wealthy. So, he floated the idea of abducting him and formed a group with six others.”