Congo-based hotel manager ‘tried to extort’ 3 Gujarat MLAs; ‘threatened to harm’ Junagadh MLA’s family, say police
Two alleged accomplices were arrested after MLA Sanjay Koradia filed a complaint.
Written by Brendan Dabhi
Ahmedabad | Updated: October 31, 2025 04:44 PM IST
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According to the FIR, MLA Koradia allegedly received the extortion call on his WhatsApp number on October 26. (Credit: X/@Sanjay_Koradia)
An Indian national working as a hotel manager in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of western Africa is suspected of making extortion calls to at least three members of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly, police said.
While Sameer Galif Ringbloch, a native of Talala in Gir-Somnath, still allegedly remains at large out of India, his two alleged accomplices were arrested by Junagadh Police on Friday after Junagadh MLA Sanjay Koradia filed a police complaint.
The Junagadh Police arrested Imran alias John Noormohammad Simari, resident of Gir-Somnath, and Ronak Raju Thakor of Ahmedabad as co-accused in the case, filed at Junagadh ‘B’ Division police station.
Police officials from different districts said that according to preliminary information, Ringbloch had allegedly attempted to extort Koradia in Junagadh and two other MLAs from Rajkot and Ahmedabad. However, police said the other two did not file an official complaint. Local officials said they are simultaneously inquiring into these extortion calls.
According to the FIR, MLA Koradia allegedly received the extortion call on his WhatsApp number on October 26. The caller allegedly abused him and then demanded Rs 30 lakh, following which Koradia stated he blocked the number.
However, on October 28, he allegedly received another threatening call and several messages from another number, threatening to harm his family members if he did not pay the money. The caller allegedly also told Koradia that he “had several men in Gujarat” and that the Gujarat Police “would not be able to touch him”.
The caller allegedly then gave Koradia the Indian phone number of accused Ronak Raju Thakor of Ahmedabad and allegedly told him to send the money through Angadia to him.
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Ronak Thakor, the anonymous caller, and other unknown persons were booked under BNS sections of extortion, criminal intimidation, criminal intimidation through anonymous communication, and being present as an abettor.
Subsequently, Junagadh Police said they managed to trace Ronak Thakor and, through him, Imran Simari. However, DySP Hitesh Dhandhaliya said that these two were only involved in allegedly attempting to collect the extortion amount and Ringbloch was the “main mastermind”.
PI A B Gohil said that Ringbloch had “threatened to kill” Koradia’s family members if not paid.
DySP Dhandhaliya said, “Ringbloch had been booked several years ago in a case of assault but has been in Congo for about seven years now, working at the hotel of a businessman from Morbi. He comes to India intermittently and we are exploring avenues to apprehend him.”
Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters.
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Health and Public Policy: He has deep expertise in healthcare issues, including rare diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the complex logistics of organ transplants, and public health challenges like drug-resistant TB and heat health surveillance. His on-ground reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mucormycosis was critical in exposing healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities in Gujarat.
Social Justice and Legal Administration: He reports on the functioning of the legal and police system, including the impact of judicial philosophy, forensics and crucial administrative reforms (. He covers major surveillance and crackdown exercises by the Gujarat police and security on the international border.
Disaster and Crisis Management: His work closely tracks how government and civic bodies respond to large-scale crises, providing essential coverage on the human and administrative fallout of disasters including cyclones, floods, conflict, major fires and reported extensively on the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad.
Civic Infrastructure and Governance: Provides timely reports on critical civic failures, including large scale infrastructure projects by the railways and civic bodies, as well as the enforcement of municipal regulations and their impact on residents and heritage. ... Read More
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