23 December,2025 08:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Samiullah Khan
Police said the gang maintained constant pressure on victim for a year. Representation pic/istock
A Malad East-based gas agency owner was allegedly extorted of nearly Rs 99 lakh over more than a year by a gang that impersonated senior Mumbai Police officers, police said. The Dindoshi police station has arrested a 39-year-old accused, who is part of the gang, and is investigating the full extent of the racket.
According to the police, the case began in September 2024 when the complainant was approached by a man identified as Pravin Khedekar, who had been collecting subscriptions for a Ganpati festival group known to the victim. The man sought financial help, citing personal difficulties, and the complainant initially transferred small amounts via Google Pay and PhonePe.
Police said the request for help was part of a larger plan. Soon after the transfers, the complainant began receiving threatening calls from unknown numbers, with callers posing as senior officers of the Mumbai Police. The callers falsely claimed that Khedekar had committed a murder using the money given to him and alleged that the complainant had funded the crime.
Police said the gang maintained constant pressure on the victim for over a year. Representation pic/istock
The impostors threatened the victim with arrest, fake police encounters, and harm to his family, and demanded money to "settle" the case. Fearing serious consequences, the complainant initially paid Rs 50,000 in cash, followed by Rs 2 lakh. The cash was handed over at a BMC garden in Dahanjewadi, Malad East, to an elderly man, who police say was also part of the gang and acted as a courier.
Police said the gang maintained constant pressure on the victim for over a year, repeatedly calling him from different mobile numbers and impersonating various police officers. At different stages, the accused allegedly posed under multiple identities, including that of a fake officer named Avinash Shinde, to keep the victim intimidated and confused.
The extortion amounts steadily escalated, with money collected both in cash and through multiple UPI IDs. At one point, the gang allegedly collected Rs 7 lakh in cash from the complainant's father as well.
Investigations revealed that between September 2024 and December 14, 2025, the victim paid a total of Rs 99.16 lakh, including Rs 80 lakh in cash and Rs 19.16 lakh through online transfers. The complainant told police that he was forced to take loans worth Rs 95 lakh from financial institutions, mortgaging his gas agency to meet the repeated demands.
Unable to bear the pressure and fresh threats demanding another Rs 20 lakh, the complainant left his home on December 15, 2025, fearing for his life. His wife subsequently lodged a missing person's complaint at the Dindoshi police station. Police traced the complainant to Palghar last week and brought him back for questioning. During the inquiry, the full extent of the extortion racket came to light.
Based on the complainant's detailed statement, the Dindoshi police registered an extortion case against members of the gang for impersonating senior police officials. A 39-year-old accused, identified as Pravin Prakash Kate, has been arrested. Police said the arrested accused, Pravin Khedekar, and the elderly courier were all part of the gang, though their individual roles in the extortion racket are still being ascertained. Further investigation is underway to identify other gang members, trace the money trail and recover the extorted amount, police said.
