PUNE: The crime branch of the city police on Friday arrested two men from West Bengal on the charge of demanding extortion of Rs 50 lakh from the owner of an industrial construction firm in Aundh on June 16.
The main conspirator, identified as Santosh Deokar (32), is the former driver of the construction firm owner, police said, adding Deokar had lured his accomplice, Azharuddin Shaikh (24), to make a call to the firm owner (name withheld) to demand extortion.
Shaikh had even threatened to kill the firm owner’s family if he approached the police.
Additional commissioner of police (crime) Ashok Morale said, “A police team laid a trap after Shaikh instructed the owner to deliver the extortion money to him in Aundh.
Shaikh was taken into custody while accepting the money from the firm owner.” Morale said, “During questioning, Shaikh revealed he made the extortion calls on behalf of Deokar, following which he was taken into custody.
Deokar had quit job as a driver in the firm in 2016.
Currently running business of manufacturing spare parts, he planned to extort money from the employer for repaying loan of over Rs 30 lakh.” An FIR relating to extortion under the IPC has been registered with Chatushrungi police.