Case Against 2 Sisters In Mumbai For Rs 7 Lakh Extortion Bid Over 'Rat In Dosa' Video

Police registered an FIR and launched an investigation after two sisters allegedly demanded Rs 7 lakh from the owner of a Mumbai-based restaurant for not circulating an old video purportedly showing a dead rat in a food dish and lodging a complaint against him, an official said.

According to the police, the sisters visited the hotel in suburban Borivali in September.

During the meal, a dead rat was allegedly found in a food dish, following which a video was recorded, and authorities were alerted, the official said on Wednesday.

Based on a viral video clip, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suspended the restaurant's license on September 28, forcing it to shut down.

The restaurant owner lodged a complaint alleging that the sisters threatened to file a formal police case and circulate the old video unless they were paid Rs 25 lakh.

After negotiations, they agreed to accept Rs 7 lakh, of which the complainant allegedly paid Rs 1 lakh as an advance on September 30, police said.

The complainant, meanwhile, approached the police. When the sisters demanded the remaining Rs 6 lakh over WhatsApp between October 1 and 5, police laid a trap at the restaurant where they arrived to collect the cash.

The police served notices to both women instead of arresting them, a police official said.

A case has been registered against the sisters under Section 308 (extortion) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and further investigation is underway.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)