Former informer held for bid to extort money from inspector

The Kanpur-based accused initially demanded Rs 1 lakh from a senior inspector

Former informer held, extortion case, Mumbai Police, money extortion, indian express news

The accused, who originally hails from Malvan in Maharashtra, has stayed in Mumbai for several years and has also worked as a police informer here. (Express File Photo)

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A 39-year-old Kanpur-based man has been arrested by Mumbai Police for allegedly trying to extort money from a senior police inspector of Bhandup police station. The police said the accused, who was a police informer in the past, has allegedly tried to extort money from other senior police inspectors as well, as a similar offence is registered at Vile Parle police station where the owner of an orchestra bar is the complainant.

According to police officers, the accused has been identified as Jayesh Sawant and he stays with his wife and two children in Kanpur. The accused, who originally hails from Malvan in Maharashtra, has stayed in Mumbai for several years and has also worked as a police informer here.

The police said the complainant, Dattatray Khandagle, a senior police inspector of Bhandup police station, first received a call on July 20. “The caller claimed that he is the Chief Editor of a national news organisation and alleged that he was aware of some illegal activities taking place in my jurisdiction,” said Khandagle, speaking with The Indian Express.

Sawant then sent a video of an orchestra bar that was still operational after permitted hours and was indulging in some illegal activities. He later threatened to run it on his television news channel under the guise of which he demanded money from Khandagle.

The police said the accused initially demanded Rs 1 lakh from Khandagle and as the police officer was aware of such cases, he decided to lodge a formal complaint.

A case of extortion was registered at Bhandup police station while he stayed in touch with Sawant to lay a trap and arrest him. “After the initial demand of Rs 1 lakh, we remained in touch with him and bargained it to Rs 30,000,” said Khandagle.

A team, which was simultaneously working to trace him, managed to get his location in Kanpur. The police said the accused was apprehended from his residence and brought to the police station. During the course of inquiry, he confessed to the crime and was arrested.

Khandagle further added that Sawant had made a similar kind of an extortion bid at Vile Parle.
In the case that was registered on July 23, Sawant extorted Rs 45,000 from two orchestra bar owners that are operating under the jurisdiction of Vile Parle police station.

The complainant had alleged that Sawant initially demanded Rs 45,000 and later as he kept demanding money by threatening to broadcast negative news and videos of the orchestra bar, the owner lodged a complaint at Vile Parle police station.