Fifth arrest in bizman extortion case

The anti-extortion cell of the crime branch on Saturday arrested an alleged member of a gang of extortionists which targets builders and businessmen in the northern suburbs. Four members of this gang were arrested last week.

The group has been demanding protection money from a businessman at the behest of a man involved in the matka king Suresh Bhagat murder case.

The arrested person has been identified as Ramesh alias Lallu Satyanarayan Vishwakarma, 29, a resident of Blue Galaxy Apartment in Anand Nagar, Dahisar (E). The AEC had last week arrested Bala Naikum alias Pale, 30, Mrinal Desai, 26, Nitesh Lavangare, 26, and Deepak Naidu, 27.

According to the police, a complainant runs a stone-mining business at Kaman in Bhiwandi. In 2012, he was attacked by an unknown person. "The victim came in contact with Lavangare, who later introduced him to one Manoj Naidu, who claimed to be close to Harish Mandvikar, an accused in the matka king Suresh Bhagat murder case," said a crime branch officer.

Once Naidu learned that the victim is a businessman who was earlier attacked, he started demanding protection money from him at the behest of Mandvikar, who is lodged in Kolhapur jail. The police are now trying to find out how the gang has been taking orders from Mandivkar since he is behind bars.

"Last year, Naidu demanded Rs 50 lakh as protection money from the victim. On October 10, when the victim had visited the Borivli court for work, he was allegedly threatened with a firearm by Pale. We have learned that the gang has been instrumental in threatening builders and businessmen in Borivli and Dahisar for protection money," the officer said.