MUMBAI: In a case of sextortion, the Marine Drive police have arrested five persons, including two women, for extorting money from the managing director of a financial company after threatening to make public a video of his sexual encounter with a woman.
The complainant, a 55-year-old resident of South Mumbai, paid Rs 5,000 to the woman at a flat when three persons barged in, made him undress, shot a video and threatened to make it public. The accused allegedly robbed him of Rs 55,000 in cash and two mobile phones worth Rs 60,000 before demanding Rs 6 lakh to settle the matter when he lodged a complaint with the police.
According to the FIR, the complainant had known a woman named Kalpana Bovlekar for around one-and-a-half years and had helped her financially on several occasions. On Oct 13, the woman allegedly contacted him through WhatsApp and sought Rs 40,000. When he offered to transfer the money to her bank account, she reportedly asked him to hand it over to another woman. The complainant subsequently contacted the woman, who allegedly called him to meet her near Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli.
The complainant reached the location in his car at around 5.15 pm. The woman, who was wearing a yellow churidar and a mask, allegedly took the complainant to a nearby building and then to a flat, the FIR said.
Inside a room, the complainant handed over Rs 40,000 to the woman. He alleged that she subsequently offered to have sexual relations with him for Rs 5,000, which he paid, he told police. He said the three men suddenly barged into the room and assaulted him. One allegedly grabbed him and struck him near the ear, while another removed his belt and hit him. The third man allegedly took away his two mobile phones and the remaining Rs 55,000 from his trousers. The trio then recorded a video of him in a semi-nude state and threatened to implicate him in a police case. The woman allegedly cooperated with the men during the incident. No action has been initiated against this woman, said police.
The accused subsequently demanded Rs 10 lakh, which was later negotiated down to Rs 6 lakh, according to the complaint. The complainant alleged that the group forcibly took him in a cab to his office to look for his house keys. They later allowed him to leave but continued contacting him, threatening to release the video. Those arrested are Kalpana Bovelkar, Prashant Ghadigaonkar, Pranali Ghadigoankar, Robin Chorge and Abhijit Kadam. The same set of accused were earlier arrested in a similar offence registered at MRA Marg police station. Their advocate, Navnath Devkate, has sought judicial custody for them.
