Two men have been arrested in Nagpur district for pretending to be Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials and extorting money from a grocery shop owner, police said on Wednesday.
After taking Rs 2 lakh from the complainant Kisna Yelne (45), a resident of Pachgaon, the duo had demanded another Rs 1 lakh, said an official of Kuhi police station.
The accused were identified as Kunal Sanjay Meshram (30) and Mangal Bhimrao Suratkar (41)
On August 27, the accused visited Yelne's shop and Meshram purchased `gukta' (scented tobacco) . Then his accomplices entered the shop and caught hold of Yelne and his brother.
Claiming to be FDA officials, they conducted a search, and after recovering gutka packets, threatened to take action as scented tobacco is banned in Maharashtra.
They demanded Rs 3 lakh to settle the matter, according to Yelne's complaint.
Yelne brothers immediately gave them Rs 2 lakh. After the accused demanded balance amount, Yelne approached police.
The police laid a trap and arrested Meshram and Suratkar, the official said. Further probe is on.
