Unable to pay, the drivers told the four to take them to the police station. The men, however, detained the drivers for two hours and then told them that they would now be handed over to the police.
Four men were arrested by the Samta Nagar police on Monday for allegedly posing as policemen and trying to extort Rs10 lakh from tempo drivers carrying gutkha and detaining them for two hours. The tempo drivers too were arrested for carrying gutkha. The police have recovered a press card from one of the four accused.
According to sub-inspector Mithun Pardeshi, around 4pm, Sakinaka residents Hidrat Sayyed, Kishore Baisane, Kaifali Khan and Harendra Singh, who were on motorcycles, stopped two tempos carrying gutkha at Mahindra Gate near Thakur Complex bridge, Kandivli. The gutkha was meant to be delivered somewhere in South Mumbai.
"The quartet told drivers Sikandarali Siddiqui and Murali Prasad that they are crime branch officers from the Anti-Extortion Cell and are aware that the tempos are carrying banned substances. They then demanded Rs10 lakh to settle the matter," said Pardeshi.
Unable to pay, the drivers told the four to take them to the police station. The men, however, detained the drivers for two hours and then told them that they would now be handed over to the police.
"Assuming that they would not get caught, the four brought the drivers to the police station with the tempos and informed the police that they were carrying gutkha. The drivers then told us that the four claimed to be policemen. One of the accused was carrying a press card and a card of some anti-corruption committee," said Pardeshi.
The four men were booked under sections 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 347 (wrongful confinement to extort property, or constrain to illegal act), 170 (impersonation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. The police have seized their motorcycles.
"We have also arrested Siddiqui and Prasad for possessing gutkha. They have been booked under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 273 (refusing to answer public servant authorised to question) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Food Safety and Regulation (Prohibition) Act. Their two tempos and gutkha worth Rs2.24 lakh have been seized," Pardeshi said.
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