Spa owner allegedly molested in Navi Mumbai, police nab two for extortion

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The Navi Mumbai Police on Monday said that it arrested two people and are on a lookout for two more for allegedly molesting and extorting money from a spa owner in Vashi. Four people were consistently complaining to the police station through applications about alleged use of minors in the spa. On Sunday when the accused demanded sexual favours and extorted Rs 5,000 from the spa owner, she rushed to the police station and registered a complaint, the police said.

According to the complaint filed by the 23-year-old victim, she told the police that she runs a spa centre at Vashi and four men identified as Ganesh Govekar, Akshay Sonawane, Ritwick Kedar and Sahil Patankar visited the spa on April 25. After the visit, four of them started complaining to Vashi police saying that the spa allegedly uses minor girls for massages. Their complaints also mentioned spa and massage centres in the vicinity, the police said.

The accused kept on pressuring the 23-year-old spa owner to allegedly pay them Rs 15,000 per month and even demanded sexual favours from her. They even molested her, she told the police.

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On May 7, the suspects again visited the spa and extorted Rs 5,000 from the spa owner through a digital wallet.

"After paying the money, the spa owner rushed to Vashi police station and registered a complaint against the four involved in the matter," said an official from Vashi Police station.

He said, "They were booked under IPC section 389 (Putting person in fear of accusation of offence, in order to commit extortion), 354 (outraging modesty of women) 354A (sexual harassment) and 34 (common intention). After the complaint, Ganesh Govekar (26) and Akshay Sonawane (27) were arrested immediately. While efforts are on to nab Ritwick and Sahil."