Mumbai: Police arrest two, including cop’s relative, for kidnapping and robbery of call center employee

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The Malvani Police have arrested two individuals, including a relative of a Mumbai Police official, for allegedly kidnapping, robbing, and extorting over Rs 6 lakh from a call center employee. The accused also recorded an explicit video of the victim and threatened to release it on social media as a means of blackmail. The arrested individuals have been identified as Angel Gomes (25) and Aditya Badekar (21).

According to police sources, the duo kidnapped a 25-year-old man from the Mahakali area on Lagoon Road, Malvani, in the early hours of December 24, around 3 am. They took him to an under-construction building in Goregaon, where they recorded a nude video of him holding a pouch of ganja. The accused then released him the following evening, threatening to make the video viral if he disclosed the incident to anyone. Before letting him go, they transferred over Rs 6 lakh from the victim's account.

The complainant, a call center employee, reported that Gomes, a former colleague, orchestrated the crime. It is alleged that Gomes was terminated from the call center in April and believed the complainant was responsible for his dismissal, which led to animosity between them.

Three days ago, the victim was accosted by Badekar outside his home. Shortly after, Gomes arrived, assaulted him, and took him to Goregaon, where Gomes continued to argue with him.

The victim recounted that Gomes forced him to visit an ATM to check his account balance before taking him to a construction site. The following day, Gomes demanded his Aadhaar card and later took him to a drain in Prem Nagar, where he purchased liquor from a bar.

Gomes then took the complainant to meet his father, forced him to sign a document promising not to file a complaint, and recorded a nude video of him holding a bag of marijuana, falsely framing him as a drug dealer. Passersby, noticing the complainant's distressed appearance, questioned him, further adding to his humiliation.

Gomes subsequently withdrew Rs 60,000 from the complainant's account at a shop before dropping him home. Later, the complainant discovered that Gomes had downloaded multiple loan apps on his phone and stolen a total of Rs 6.21 lakh from his account.

The complainant reported the incident to the Malvani Police, who registered a case. Under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner of Police Anand Bhoite (Zone 11), a team was formed under the supervision of Senior Inspector Shailendra Nagarkar. The duo was apprehended last night and subsequently arrested. They were presented before the court today, according to an officer from the Malvani Police Station. Further investigation is underway, the officer added.