Mumbai: Three arrested for abducting businessman, driver for extortion

“The businessman got scared and let them in. The three then forced the driver to drive back to the businessman’s residence in Thakur village. Here, they asked him to step out and return with Rs 5 lakh,” police said.

The trio then fled from the spot with the driver and the car. The businessman then spoke with his relative and decided to approach the police the next morning.
Aanandrao Haake, senior inspector of Samta Nagar police station, said, “We were worried that they may harm the driver and wanted to ensure we rescued him safely.”

Three different police teams tried to trace the trio and the driver all day but the accused kept moving around in the vehicle continuously to avoid being caught, police said. All through, the trio was communicating with the businessman using his driver’s phone and asked him to come with the money at Chamunda circle in Borivali (west) late night on January 27.

The businessman went to the spot but the accused sent his driver to collect the money after taking away his phone and car. The driver said he has been asked to collect the money and return with the car after giving the accused the amount.

The Crime Branch as well as the local police, based on CCTV camera footage and technical evidence, managed to trace and arrest all three accused and are in the process of recovering the car, police said. The accused have been identified as Krishna Saidapur, 23, Sameer Shaikh, 25, and Devraj Pawar, 23. While Saidapur was caught by local police, the crime branch nabbed the other two.

A police official from Samta Nagar police station said, “The complainant had some financial issues with all three accused. They had come in touch with him through his former driver. But having financial issues does not mean you can abduct anyone. The accused could have approached the police.”