Thane: police in Thane grabbed four individuals who were blackmailing an ex-city council member. They wanted Rs 50 lakh to keep a compromising photo quiet.
The ex-councilor went to the cops, who then caught one guy and then the other three. In another case, a court in Thane freed three guys who were accused of planning to get Rs 25 lakh through extortion and plotting a killing.
The judge wasn’t convinced by the proof. These cases show that crime is on the rise in Thane, but it’s not always easy to prove in court.
Ex-Councilor Blackmailed for Rs 50 Lakh
Four people were busted in Thane for attempting to extract Rs 50 lakh from a former council member from Kulgaon Badlapur Municipal Council.
Here’s what went down: the ex-councilor got an icky photo of himself with a woman. The blackmailer said they’d leak it if he didn’t cough up the cash.
The victim went to the police last month. After some digging, the police nabbed a 32-year-old from Badlapur on March 15.
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Three More Involved Get Arrested
During questioning, the first guy ratted out his three partners. Cops picked them up soon after.
Cops said that the group had priors. They’d been mixed up in robberies, drug stuff, and other heavy crimes.
Court Lets 3 Guys Go in Separate Rs 25 Lakh Extortion Case. Separately, a Thane court freed three guys who were accused of trying to get Rs 25 lakh through extortion and planning a murder.
The accused were Mohammad Arafat, alias Guddu, Javed Mansoori, and Shakir Mansoori—all from Shanti Nagar in Mira Road.
The prosecution said these guys were following the victim and sharing his info on WhatsApp. They supposedly got caught having guns and bullets, too.
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Court Says There Wasn’t Enough Evidence
Judge SB Agrawal, who gave the decision on March 4, wasn’t convinced that the prosecution had proven the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The defense said that there was bad investigation and weak proof. The forensic report didn’t connect the accused to the weapons or any devices that had been taken as evidence.
Also, the video and photo proof didn’t clearly point to the accused or prove they demanded money directly.
No Real Proof of Conspiracy, Said the Court
The court mentioned that there wasn’t any clear link between the accused and the supposed murder plot or extortion demand.
Since there really wasn’t any strong or clear proof, the court declared all three men innocent.
