The Dadar police on Sunday arrested yesteryear gangster Ashwin Naik for allegedly repeatedly extorting a real estate developer based in Central Mumbai.
The Dadar police on Sunday arrested yesteryear gangster Ashwin Naik for allegedly repeatedly extorting a real estate developer based in Central Mumbai. Acting on the developer’s complaint, a trap was laid and Naik was arrested soon after he accepted the extortion money in Dadar (west). The operation was conducted under the leadership of joint commissioner, law and order, Deven Bharti in charge of all police stations.
According to the Dadar police, a trap was laid around noon. Naik and his aides arrived in two cars at the given spot on the Bhavani Shankar road, which near Dadar police station. “Naik first enquired with the builder who were the people in the vicinity. After being convinced that its not a police trap he accepted the amount. Soon after, we swooped in and arrested him. The extortion money was found in his possession,” said deputy commissioner of police, zone V, Mahesh Patil. The bag in which Rs 15 lakh, first installment of the extortion money, was kept has been seized along with two Innova cars of Naik.
The identity of the complainant, a builder, is withheld which is always done in extortion cases. The builder lives in Dadar area and has constructed a building in Shivaji Park area. Naik in the past had already managed to threaten and extort Rs 25 lakh from one of the partners of the builder.
On December 9, Naik’s aides had kidnapped the builder and took him in their vehicle to the Subhash Nagar office of Naik located in NM Joshi Marg area of Central Mumbai. The builder was picked up after being threatened with a revolver, stated an official statement of Mumbai Police. Here, Naik asked him for '50 lakh and an area of 6,000 square feet in the new building.
The builder got scared and got ready to pay the extortion amount again. However, he later mustered courage and approached the police. He then called Naik and the given spot was fixed. Accordingly, on Sunday an FIR was registered and a trap was laid. A special team with officers from different police stations was made for it.
Along with Naik his aides, Pramod Keluskar, Janardhan Sakpal, Prathamesh parab, and Rajesh Tambe have been arrested. Some are involved in the December 9 incident but few more will be arrested, said police sources. Naik will be produced before a magistrate’s court on Monday.
