Mumbai: The Mumbai crime branch unit 5 has arrested a Ola driver for allegedly demanding Rs 40 lakh from a Kurla jeweller by claiming to kidnap his mentally challenged brother, who was missing since November 5. The accused has been identified as Amir Shahjad Shaikh, 32, a resident of Kurla.
According to the crime branch officer, Shaikh knew the jeweller and after learning about his missing brother, hatched the conspiracy. The complainant runs a jewellery shop in Kurla. His 39-year-old mentally challenged brother left his Kandivali home on November 5 and since then he is missing.
After searching for him, the jeweller lodged a missing complaint at the Samata Nagar police station. They had also uploaded his photographs along with their contact details on social media.
On November 16, the jeweller received a series on Internet calls. Initially the caller said, “his brother is not eating, what to do?” In his last call, he asked, “You want your brother or not, and demanded Rs 40 lakh.” However, whenever the jeweller asked him to give the phone to his missing brother, the accused disconnected the phone.
After the series of calls, the jeweller approached the Kurla police station and registered an offence of kidnapping and extortion against the caller.
After the offence was registered, crime branch unit 5 started its parallel probe. The crime branch team of Assistant Police Inspector (API), Surekha Juanjal, Mahendra Patil, (API), Police Sub Inspector Mahesh Bandgar and police constable Vikas Ghagare, Nitin Jadhav, Nitesh Vichare zeroed in on Shaikh and arrested him on Saturday from Kurla.
Shaikh was handed over to Kurla police station for further investigation.
