Mumbai: Andheri police on Saturday arrested six people from Mumbai and Pune for allegedly posing as income tax (I-T) department and crime branch officials, abducting a businessman and his wife, conducting a fake raid at his Andheri East company and demanding Rs 1 crore to avoid further action.The July 17 incident at Two M Ophthotronics Pvt Ltd in Sahar Cargo Estate, Chakala, resembled the plot of Akshay Kumar-starrer “Special 26”. Police registered the FIR on Friday on complaint received from company owner Rajkumar Kandasami who was told by employees that Income Tax officials had raided his office. He was threatened on the phone and ordered to reach the office immediately.Sub-inspector Rohan Surve said two plainclothes men approached Kandasami and his wife near their home, identified themselves as Income Tax officials, showed an identity card and forced the couple into a cab before taking them to the office. The group allegedly seized the mobile phones of the couple and employees, restricted their movement, questioned staff and examined documents. One accused allegedly produced a purported search warrant and obtained Kandasami’s signature.The accused allegedly threatened Kandasami with a substantial penalty before offering to “settle” the matter for Rs 1 crore. They left around 8pm after the purported raid continued for more than three hours. Investigators–senior inspector Umesh Machindar, inspector Atul Nikam, assistant inspector Ramdas Kadam, sub-inspectors Rohan Surve, Rameshwar Karpe and staff–analysed call records, mobile numbers, dump data, location information and CCTV footage under the supervision of DCP (West Zone-3) Datta Nalawade and nabbed the accused from Andheri, Vile Parle, Pune and Nalasopara, reconstructing the suspects’ movements using footage from govt and private cameras.Senior inspector Machindar said the investigation led police to Santosh Khopatkar (37) and Vinay More (37) in Mumbai suburbs. They were arrested and their mobile phones seized. Police traced Prem Sabnani (50), who had switched off his phone, to his home in Pune’s Sinhagad Road area.Police also traced Pragya HM (27) in Andheri East and Reshma Shyamrao Warang (41) in Nalasopara. The other accused were identified as Shabina Shaikh (48), Jitendra More and Ashok Shinde (57). Jitendra and Shinde are already in judicial custody in another case registered at Manpada Police Station.Investigators are searching for fake identity cards, govt logos, rubber stamps, letterheads and purported search-warrant documents. Seized phones are being examined for calls, chats, WhatsApp messages and financial transactions to identify the main conspirator and other associates.Police are investigating whether the group similarly targeted other businessmen. Claims that some people connected with Income Tax Department were involved are being independently verified, and police have drawn no conclusion against them.
