2 held for extortion bid in false rape case

HT Correspondent

MUMBAI: The police has arrested two men for assaulting a Kandivali-based businessman and extorting ₹10 lakh by threatening to file a rape case against him with the help of their female accomplice.

According to the police, the 47-year-old complainant was acquainted with one of the accused, Irfan Ramzaan Shaikh, through his business transactions. On Tuesday, Shaikh invited the businessman to a five-star hotel in Andheri east to watch a cricket match. At 10.30 pm after the complainant reached the hotel room, he found Shaikh in the room along with a woman who was introduced to him as Pooja.

The three had dinner in the hotel room and watched the match. However, after the match ended, Shaikh left the room leaving him with Pooja.

The businessman in his statement to the police said that as he was watching television when Pooja came close to him and as he was trying to stop her, Shaikh and his accomplice Parag Arun Bhui barged in and started accusing the businessman of raping Pooja. As the victim denied, Shaikh and Bhui assaulted him and demanded ₹10 lakh from him. When the complainant refused to pay, Shaikh threatened to lodge a rape case against him. Shaikh and his accomplices then left the room leaving the businessman there. On Wednesday at 11 am he left the hotel and approached the Sahar police and reported the incident.

Sanjay Govilkar, senior police inspector of Sahar police station said that they have registered a case against Shaikh and two of his accomplices for assault and extortion.