Mumbai crime: Convicted matka king murderer held for extortion

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The Crime Branch officials have arrested Harish Mandvikar alias Ganiga, the convict sentenced to life imprisonment in Matka King Suresh Bhagat's murder case for making extortion calls to a Kandivali-based hotelier.

He was out on bail following his appeal in the High Court against the Session Court's order and was granted bail on December 18.

According to the police, Mandvikar sought R10 lakh from the hotelier and threatened to kill him if he did not pay the money. The hotelier filed a complaint at Kandivli police station and the case was transferred to Mumbai Crime Branch.

The Crime Branch arrested Mandvikar and his two associates- Gopal Yadav alias Gopal Singh and Prateek Shah. During interrogation, it was revealed that Mandvikar had intervened in a dispute of R22 lakh between two Borivali-based businessmen. One of the businessmen had approached Mandvikar to settle the dispute following which he threatened the other.

Mandvikar and his associates even roughed up the victim for not agreeing to their terms.

DCP Akbar Pathan told mid-day, "We are investigating the matter and if he has threatened anyone else, they should approach the Crime Branch."

On June 13, 2008, Bhagat and six others died in a road accident on Alibag-Pen Road. The investigation revealed that it was an orchestrated accident, which was planned by Bhagat's wife Jaya and son Hitesh.

Later it was revealed that Mandvikar had executed the plan on behalf of Bhagat's wife and son. In the Mumbai Crime Branch investigation, the Sessions Court on September 27, 2017, sentenced all the accused guilty to life imprisonment.

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