Bhayandar: The Local Crime Branch (LCB) unit of the Thane (rural) police busted a gang which lured victims into a honey-trap and stage raids wherein men posing as cops and human right activists would demand money to hush up the matter. While the kingpin of the racket identified as Raghvendra Hanumant Autigiri alias Raghu (38) has been arrested and booked for impersonation extortion, both his accomplices are still at large.
The action followed after a complaint filed by a Mumbai-based executive who became victim of extortion by the gang in Kashimira last month. The complainant stated that he along with his colleague had come to meet his female friend at her flat in Kashimira, where both were introduced to two other women saying they were her friends.
Twenty minutes later, three men barged in, two including Raghu posed a cops, their third accomplice who identified himself as a human rights activist claimed of receiving a tip-off about a prostitution racket being run at the flat. The trio forced them to get undressed, before clicking their objectionable pictures in the company of women and demanded Rs 5 lakh under the threat of registering a case for their involvement in prostitution activities.
The amount was scaled down to Rs 2 lakh and the duo were allowed to go only after they handed over Rs 28,000 cash and a cheque of Rs 1.7 lakh. However, the trio kept on threatening of circulating the photographs, prompting the victim to lodge a complaint.
Sensing the seriousness of the case, SP Dr Shivaji Rathod deputed the LCB team led by Police Inspector Vyenkat Andhale and API Pramod Badhakh, to conduct parallel investigations. Probe into the case included scanning several suspects with past records to find out about crimes with a similar modus operandi, led to the arrest of Raghu, who revealed the names of his aides. The complicity of the women in the crime is yet to be established police said.
