Mumbai cops arrest three for bid to extort Rs 80 lakh from diamond merchant

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Mumbai Police's crime branch on Wednesday arrested three men from Kashimira area for allegedly trying to extort Rs 80 lakh from a diamond merchant by claiming the man he had entrusted with the responsibility to take diamonds to Dubai was detained by Customs officials, a police official said.

The accused trio, who are natives of Gujarat but currently staying in Mumbai, are identified as Vijya Hirapra (25), Ravi Gogori (33), and Kisan Shiroia (20), he said.

The complainant, Jayarambhai Ankoliya, had given diamonds worth more than Rs 3 crore to accused Gogori to deliver them in his Dubai-based office as they knew each other.

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"However, Gogori joined hands with the two other accused to extort money from Ankoliya. They cooked up a story and rang up Ankoliya claiming that Gogori was travelling with them but was detained by Customs officials. They asked Rs 80 lakh from Ankoliya for the release of Gogoi," the official said.

The diamond merchant, however, grew suspicious and approached Sahar police station on Tuesday.

During the investigation, the crime branch nabbed the trio staying at various lodges in Kashimira area in the Mira-Bhayandar locality.

The official said Hirappa and Ankoliya were introduced to each other by a woman but her role in the crime, if any, is unclear.

The trio has been booked under sections 385 (putting a person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), and 120-B (conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Further investigation is underway, the official added.

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