Mumbai Crime: Vegetable vendor helps cops nab extortionists

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It was only because of a Mulund-based vegetable vendor, that the Kandivli police managed to arrest two accused in an extortion case of Rs 5 crore. The cops have been on the lookout for them for the past two months, but on Tuesday when they called the victim, who runs an ice-cream factory, from the phone of the vendor, the cops tracked them down.

It all started in May when one day the accused, M Bhanusali and S Yadav, reached the victim's doorstep with a parcel. On receiving the box, when the victim opened it, he was shocked to find one live cartridge and a note mentioning a demand of Rs 5 crore. The accused had also threatened to shoot him. He immediately filed a complaint in the matter.

Soon after, the accused started threatening the victim over phone. They would convince strangers in allowing them to make emergency calls and contact the accused instead. Even after the cops rounded up all the people from whose phones they had called, they failed to trace them. But on Tuesday when the victim received a call from the accused, the cops traced it to the vendor. On being asked, the vendor said two youths had made a call from his phone. A police officer said, "The duo has been booked under sections 387, 34 and 506 of IPC. They are in police custody."

Also read: BMC employee, four others arrested for making extortion calls

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