Man posing as extortionist nabbed

In the meantime, the extortionist lowered his demands from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. The ransom was finally settled for Rs 3.4 lakh, said the police.

The businessman was about to give in to the threats when he approached Joint Commissioner of Police Crime D Shivanandan, who in turn directed the Anti-Extortion Cell to take immediate action. A trap was laid accordingly.

The hotelier8217;s telephone was kept under observation. However, there was very little clue for the sleuths to follow investigation.

Though the extortionist was young, he was able to imitate senior gangsters. The hotelier was almost led into believing that Lali himself was calling over the cellphone.

Police sources revealed, when the hotelier asked whether the gangster could make a promise that he would not make any more demands 8212; the rude reply was no Promise or Colgate8217;.

The hotelier finally remembered that voice sounded like a former employee, who was sacked for negligence about 15 days ago. It did not take the police long to nab the suspect.

The suspect was later identified as Nandish Rajjappa Bhovi 23 a resident of Akurli Road in Kandivali. He was currently living at Ramghad Zopadpatti in Mulund.

Deputy Commissioner of Police crime Pradip Sawant disclosed that a special squad has been despatched to Kathmandu in Nepal to nab Vishwakarma alias Lali, who is named in the murder of two hoteliers in 1998. The Naik hitman is also among the ten most wanted men in the city, Sawant pointed out.

YOUTH KILLED: A 23-year-old youth was slashed to death by two of his acquaintances who chased him at Wagle Estate in Thane on Tuesday.

The victim was Ganesh Sangraj Shetty who was a local resident of Thane. Earlier in the incident, a fight had blown up between Ganesh Manik Pawar 22 whose nephew, the victim was, and Vinod Mallari Pawar and Rajan alias Lajjar. The police have not been able to confirm the exact cause of the dispute.

The dispute is said to have caused enough ire in the minds of the accused who decided that they could hold it no longer. At 5.20 pm on Tuesday, Mallari and Rajan chased Shetty and Pawar when they were on their way to run an errand. A brutal attack with choppers followed. As Pawar was slashed on the wrist, Shetty was repeatedly stabbed on the chest. It was only a matter of time before he succumbed to his injuries.

The culprits fled the spot and are absconding since then, police sources say. The Khopri police have launched a manhunt and are on the lookout for the two killers.