According to police sources, a complaint was filed by a 35-year-old businesswoman dealing with imitation jewellery work after the accused, claiming to be a crime branch officer, allegedly accused the family of running illegal commercial work
The accused was arrested and further probe is underway, said an official. Representational Pic/File
The Dahisar Police in Mumbai have arrested a 27-year-old man who allegedly impersonated a Crime Branch officer and attempted to extort Rs 50,000 from a family engaged in handmade imitation jewellery work, officials said on Thursday.
According to police sources, a complaint was filed by a 35-year-old businesswoman dealing with imitation jewellery work. She was residing in a rented home at Arvind Chaturvedi Chawl, Ganesh Nagar, Rawalpada (Dahisar East) with her husband, two daughters, and three artisans from West Bengal.
On December 8 at around 6 pm, the accused, claiming to be a 'Crime Branch officer,' allegedly accused the family of running illegal commercial work from a residential room and threatened to file a case unless they paid him Rs. 50,000. Believing him to be genuine, the complainant even showed him sample jewellery. The accused then allegedly took Rs. 300 from her purse and her husband’s original Aadhaar card before ordering them to meet him with the full amount by 9 p.m. at the Hanuman Mandir junction on the highway, official sources said.
When her husband later met the accused at the spot, the man, identifying himself as Chandresh Pathak, repeated the threat and demanded the money. The couple, sensing something suspicious, approached the Dahisar police and lodged a complaint.
"Acting on the complaint, police traced and arrested Pathak for extortion, criminal intimidation, and impersonating a public servant. Further investigation is underway to verify if he has targeted other households in a similar manner," said an officer from Dahisar police station.
Pathak was produced before the Borivali Metropolitan Magistrate Court on Wednesday and remanded to police custody.
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