Gang posing as cops ‘kidnap, extort’ Surat man, 4 held

Surat police arrested four suspects who posed as Gandhinagar police personnel to kidnap a 22-year-old web developer and extort Rs 4 lakh from him. (Representative image)

A WEB developer in Surat was allegedly kidnapped by a gang who posed as Gandhinagar police personnel and extorted Rs 4 lakh from him, police said on Friday. Police arrested four suspects in the case, with officers saying that at least three others are on the run.

Police said 22-year-old Mihit Desai, a resident of Pasodara area in Surat who hails from Amreli, runs an office on a partnership basis at Sarthana. Police said that last Saturday, three youths allegedly  barged into the office. One of them snatched Desai’s mobile phone and locked the door from inside, claiming to him and three of his employees that they were police personnel.

The accused demanded some tax-related details and documents linked to the firm, which Desai could not provide. They then threatened him and his staff over running an “illegal” business,  and made them sit in a car in which three others were present. While two of the accused stayed back at Desai’s office, the others left the spot with Desai in the car.

As per Desai’s complaint at the Sarthana police station, on Thursday, the accused warned that Desai and his partner would have to pay Rs 10 lakh, failing which they would file a “forgery case and send the two to jail”. After discussion, they settled on Rs 8 lakh. Mihit called up his elder brother, told him to arrange the amount and reach Kamrej. The accused called their two aides who were at Desai’s office and told them to reach Kamrej and collect Rs 4 lakh as part payment. After doing so, the accused let off Desai near the National Highway and fled.

On the basis of Desai’s complaint, Sarthana police registered an offence under BNS 308(6) (extortion), 189(2) (being a member of an unlawful assembly), 190 (assembly of five or more persons), 204 (offense of personating a public servant), 137 (2) (kidnapping), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy) and 351 (2) (criminal intimidation).

The police identified the three arrested accused as Pratik Hirani, Sahikumar Parmar (barber), Yash Bariya and Ronakpuri Goswami.

Sarthana police inspector D K Patel said, “A car used in the crime was earlier used by Gandhinagar cyber crime department personnel on a rental basis. The accused paid Rs 30,000 as rent to the car owner to use his vehicle. Further investigation is underway.”