Marine Drive police have arrested five people, including two women, in a Mumbai sextortion case involving the alleged assault and filming of a 55-year-old managing director of a financial company, followed by demands for Rs 6 lakh to prevent the video from being made public.
According to the FIR cited in the report, the complainant, who lives in South Mumbai, had known one of the accused women, identified as Kalpana Bovlekar, for about one-and-a-half years and had provided her financial assistance on several occasions. On October 13, she allegedly contacted him on WhatsApp seeking Rs 40,000 and asked him to give the money to another woman.
The complainant then contacted the second woman, who allegedly called him to meet near Kasturba Hospital in Chinchpokli. He reached the area in his car at around 5.15 pm and was taken to a nearby building and then to a flat, the FIR stated. He allegedly handed over Rs 40,000 inside a room before paying the woman Rs 5,000 after she offered to have sexual relations with him, according to the police complaint.
The FIR alleges that three men then entered the room, assaulted the complainant and recorded him in a semi-nude state. One man allegedly struck him near the ear, while another used his belt to hit him. A third man allegedly took two mobile phones valued at Rs 60,000 and Rs 55,000 in cash from his trousers. The group allegedly threatened to implicate him in a police case and make the video public.
The complainant further alleged that the group forcibly took him in a cab to his office to search for his house keys. He was later allowed to leave, but the alleged threats continued. The accused initially demanded Rs 10 lakh and later reduced the amount to Rs 6 lakh, according to the complaint. The woman allegedly cooperated with the men during the incident, while police said no action had been initiated against her at that stage of the investigation.
The arrested accused have been identified as Kalpana Bovlekar, Prashant Ghadigaonkar, Pranali Ghadigoankar, Robin Chorge and Abhijit Kadam. Police said the same group had earlier been arrested in a similar case registered at MRA Marg police station. Their advocate, Navnath Devkate, sought judicial custody for them, according to the report.
The case highlights the use of private images, coercion and demands for money in an alleged organised extortion operation. The charges and allegations remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings. The next steps will depend on the police investigation and the court’s decision on custody.
