Five arrested for extorting Rs 6.4 lakh from herb seller

Police have arrested five people,one of them facing more than 40 criminal cases, for allegedlyextorting Rs 6.4 lakh from a herb seller in suburban Bandra,an official said on Monday.

The Mumbai police crime branch Unit 3 in coordinationwith Unit 12 personnel made the arrests on Sunday, he said.

The police identified the arrested accused as GudduHajarat Ali (38), Iqbal Shaikh (47), Abid Jahur (28), KalimKhan (33) and Umrao Ali (36).

Hajarat Ali is a history-sheeter with 42 criminalcases registered against him, the official said.

Except Shaikh, all other accused hail from Rajasthan'sKota and the victim, too, is originally from the same town, hesaid.

The arrested accused, posing as policemen, threatenedthe victim, saying they will book him on charges ofimpersonating as a doctor and duping people, the officialsaid.

On Saturday afternoon, they picked up the herb sellerfrom Carter Road in Bandra and asked him to pay Rs 9 lakh, hesaid.

The accused threatened the victim with direconsequences if he did not fulfil their demand, the policeofficial said.

Fearing for his life, the victim contacted his brotherand asked him to arrange money. On the same evening, thevictim's brother paid Rs 6.4 lakh to the accused for hisrelease, he said.

The victim's brother gathered courage and approachedthe police.

On his complaint, an offence of extortion wasregistered against the accused at the Bandra police station,he said.

All the accused were nabbed from suburban Dahisar whenthey assembled to distribute the extorted money amongthemselves, he said.

The official said Rs 6 lakh was recovered from theirpossession and further investigation in the case wasunderway.