Cops arrest 5 informers for extortion

The DB Marg police arrested five police informers late on Tuesday night for extorting lakhs of rupees from brothel workers and threatening to beat them and destroy their lives.

According to officials, a few brothel workers from Charni Road complained to the DB Marg police about four informers of the social service branch of the Mumbai police who had allegedly been constantly threatening to beat them with the help of police if they would not pay them haftas (payments made on monthly basis).

After the DB Marg police received complaint from the workers, the police laid a trap to arrest them. One of the accused was arrested red-handed when he was a allegedly threatening a woman and asking her to pay him a hafta. Later on, the police arrested four others. The accused have been identified as a Sudai Yadav (40), Prasadi Mandal (22), Dyaneshwar Naik (24), Samir Purkait (43) and Suni Sonawane (43).

The police said the accused were arrested under Sections 386 and 387 (Extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC.

Sources said the accused had been extorting money from shopkeepers and brothel workers for the past two years by threatening to frame them in fake cases.