The Mumbai Crime Branch’s Anti-Extortion Cell has uncovered an alleged extortion racket linked to an SRA redevelopment project in GTB Nagar, Sion, and arrested two accused who were allegedly demanding money from the developer by threatening to file RTI applications and create hurdles in the project.
The arrested accused have been identified as Anand Bidlani (62) and Ramesh Chawaria (60). According to the police, both were caught red-handed while allegedly accepting Rs 2 lakh as extortion money during a trap operation conducted by the Crime Branch.
Mumbai Crime Branch DCP Raj Tilak Roshan said the accused had been repeatedly demanding money from the complainant in exchange for not filing RTI applications and not obstructing the redevelopment project. Police claim the duo had already extorted around Rs 28 lakh before their arrest.
The complainant, Raghu Devendra, works as an Operations Manager with the Trans India Group. His company is involved in the redevelopment of Punjabi Colony in GTB Nagar through A.B. Builders and Developers Solutions Pvt Ltd under an SRA project.
According to the complaint, the accused had allegedly been threatening project officials since December 2023 and demanding money to allow redevelopment work to continue without interference. Police said the gang initially demanded Rs 1 crore and allegedly threatened to shoot the developer and project representatives if their demands were not met.
Fearing for their safety, the developer allegedly paid Rs 5 lakh initially and later another Rs 2 lakh. The accused subsequently demanded Rs 25 lakh, which was later negotiated down to Rs 15 lakh. Investigators said this amount was allegedly handed over in cash at a hotel in Matunga.
During the investigation, police found that parts of the conversations and financial transactions were recorded on mobile phones. The complaint further states that the accused continued making extortion demands through WhatsApp calls and personal meetings, putting pressure on project stakeholders for additional payments.
Police said the alleged kingpin of the gang, Mandeep Singh alias Ladi, along with several associates, is currently absconding. The wanted accused include Jaswinder Maniktala alias Ganja, Sandeep Bhamri, Gurjeet Singh Sehgal and Deepak Singh alias Sehgal.
The case was initially registered at Matunga Police Station before being transferred to the Crime Branch for further investigation. According to investigators, the gang extorted a total of Rs 28.5 lakh from the complainant. Efforts are underway to trace and arrest the remaining accused.
The Anti-Extortion Cell is continuing its probe to determine whether the gang was involved in similar extortion attempts targeting other redevelopment projects in the city.