Fake Mumbai Crime Branch officials kidnap NRI businessman

CCTV Footage. Pic courtesy/Diwakar Sharma

A gang of men, impersonating Mumbai Crime Branch officials, kidnapped an NRI businessman at knife-point in broad daylight from Mira Road on March 28, 2019. The 27-year-old businessman, Sonu Alok Khera, a native of Vashi, deals with readymade garments and keeps shuttling between Malaysia and Dubai for his business. He was held captive in a bungalow in Lokhandwala, Andheri West and Rs 2 crore was demanded from his mother in order to release him.

"I came to meet my friends in Mira Road at the GCC Club when a group of men entered our room and started to frisk for my licenced pistol. The group of men told me that they are officials from Mumbai Police Crime Branch," Khera told mid-day. "When they did not find my pistol, one of them took out a knife holding it to my neck and asked me to accompany them to a car. They shoved me into an Innova and drove me to a bungalow at Lokhandwala in Andheri," Khera added.

When the kidnappers left with Khera in their car, his friends at the club managed to nab two of the gang members who were later handed over to Kashimira police station. The cops interrogated the duo who disclosed where their accomplices had planned to take Khera. The cops chased the abductors to Lokhandwala Bungalow where Khera was kept hostage. Though two members managed to flee from the spot, police arrested one more kidnapper.

The accused have been identified as Rakesh Sugriv Nag (30), a Dahisar resident and Arvindkumar Harinarayan Nauria (40), a resident of Andheri and Murgan Velu Devendra (38) from Vile Parle West. All of them are in police custody while the mastermind Rupesh Dubey and Rakesh Pandey managed to flee the spot and are absconding.

The senior inspector of Kashimira police station Vaibhav Shingare told mid-day, "We have arrested three men and seized two cars (Mercedes and Innova)." Khera also stated that the kidnappers have illegally occupied the bungalow where he was taken hostage. However, the PRO of Thane (Rural) police Yuvraj Kalkutge told mid-day, "The owner of the bungalow is being monitored. We are studying the documents related to the bungalow. The case has been registered under section 385, 365, 170, 34 of IPC.

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