Mumbai Crime Branch busts digital loan app extortion racket; six arrested

The accused have been remanded in police custody till Saturday by the court. PIC/MUMBAI POLICE

In a major crackdown on digital loan app extortion, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch has arrested six members of a gang accused of harassing a man and his family through threats and blackmail, forcing him to take multiple loans amounting to more than Rs 7 lakh.

As per the man's complaint, he had taken an online loan of Rs 22,050 on May 25, 2025, through one such app. After the loan, along with interest, was repaid, the accused allegedly gained access to the victim's mobile data via the APK file.

They then began calling the victim and his relatives, using abusive language, threatening them, and demanding more money.

The gang allegedly threatened the victim that if he did not take fresh loans and pay their "interest", they would harm his family and spread defamatory messages. Due to continuous harassment through calls and messages, the victim was forced to borrow from as many as 18 different online loan apps, totalling around Rs 7,05,570.

Even after repaying several loans, the accused continued to demand more money and harassed the victim's relatives, friends, and office colleagues. The mental trauma caused by the repeated calls and threats severely affected the complainant's mental health.

Acting swiftly on the complaint filed on May 25, 2026, the Crime Branch registered a case and arrested six accused on Monday. The accused have been remanded in police custody till Saturday by the court. Police said more victims of the same gang could surface during further investigation.

Mumbai Crime Branch urges citizens to stay cautious while downloading online loan apps

The successful operation was carried out under the guidance of Police Commissioner Deven Bharati, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, and other senior officers, including Additional Commissioner of Police Krishna Kant Upadhyay, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Raj Tilak Raushan, and officers from crime branch unit-2.

Key officers involved in the probe include Police Inspector Dilip Rastekar, Inspector Prashant Gawde, Assistant Inspector Dinesh Shelar, Sub-Inspectors Jayesh Kulkarni, Rameshwar Ghatol, and others from various units.

Police have appealed to citizens to be cautious while downloading loan apps and to report such harassment immediately.