The victim, Wasim Siddiqui, had refused to lend money to his brother; enraged the accused hired four men to kidnap and loot him
Wasim Siddiqui was stopped by four men claiming to be cops. They told him that he had some suspicious items, and they had to be checked
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Four people have landed behind the bars for kidnapping and robbing a man, after they were apprehended in the midst of the crime, when an informer notified the Crime Branch. Interestingly, it was later revealed that the victim's brother was behind the crime, and the police are looking for him. The victim, Wasim Siddiqui, is a small-time businessman who imports goods, and is a resident of Nagpada. He was headed towards Mumbai airport at about 7 pm on February 2 on his bike, when four men intercepted him near Milan Subway.
Also read - Mumbai Crime: Man steals brother's bike, demands Rs 10,000 for info
They allegedly introduced themselves as policemen, and told him that he possessed some suspicious items, and he would have to accompany them for scanning and further investigation. Afraid, Wasim, quietly followed them. One of the accused rode on his bike, another took an auto, and the other two rode their bikes. They took him to a quiet lane in Dharavi.
They took him to Dharavi and began to check his belongings. They took $3,400 (Rs 2.18 lakh) which he was carrying
Being watched
When Wasim requested them to take him to an open area, he was taken outside the galli, and they started scanning his pockets and bag. Wasim was carrying $3,400, which were snatched by the four. However, unknown to them, they were being watched, and the person happened to be an informer of the Crime Branch. He approached them and asked what they were doing. The four accused asked him to mind his own business.
A person watching the movements, who happened to be an informer, notifed the Crime Branch about the goings on
Brother behind it
He notified Crime Branch Unit 9, and a few officers arrived at the spot and got hold of the four accused. They were taken to the Crime Branch and questioned. Their statements shocked the unit, as they said that one of them was known to the victim's brother, who had hired them to kidnap and rob him. A few days before the incident, Wasim's brother had wanted to borrow some money from him, which he (Wasim) had refused. Angry, he had decided to teach Wasim a lesson by robbing him.
The four men were arrested and it was found that Wasim’s brother had hired them to kidnap and rob him. Illustration/Uday Mohite
The accused were identified as Wazir Khan Pathan, Mujawar Shaikh, Mubarak Shaikh and Mahesh Shahpurkar, and have been booked under Sections 170 (personating a public servant), 341 (wrongful restraint), 365 (kidnapping), 392 (robbery), 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. The Crime Branch unit managed to recover the stolen $3,400, about '218,038.54 from the accused. The accused were handed over to Vile Parle Police. They were produced before a court and remanded in police custody till February 7. The police are on the lookout for the victim's brother. A police officer from Vile Parle police station said further investigation is on.
Feb 2 The incident took place when Wasim was going to the airport
Rs 2.18L The cash recovered from the accused
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