Three Arrested for Extortion of ₹8.5 Crore from Builder in Thane

Extortion Case in Thane

In Thane, Maharashtra, the crime branch has apprehended three individuals for allegedly demanding ₹8.5 crore in extortion from a prominent builder, with an initial payment of ₹10 lakh already taken. This information was disclosed by the police on Wednesday.

The suspects have been identified as Santosh Bawdekar (47), Siddhesh Badkoli (35), and Imtiaz Ilyas Momin (31). According to police reports, Bawdekar contacted the real estate developer following the death of the property's original owner.

The police revealed that Bawdekar filed a complaint with the Thane Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and threatened to entangle the builder in legal complications by filing complaints with central agencies and courts. Allegedly, he demanded ₹4.5 crore to settle the matter with government departments, along with an additional ₹4 crore for himself and his two accomplices.

After the builder reported the incident to the police, the crime branch's Unit-1 initiated an investigation. The three suspects were arrested on July 30 when they arrived at the victim's office in Kalwa to collect the first installment of ₹10 lakh in cash. The police have registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) related to extortion and conspiracy at the Kalwa police station.

Authorities have stated that the court has remanded the accused to police custody until August 7, and the investigation is ongoing.