Mumbai: Kandivali hotelier receives threatening call allegedly from underworld

A Kandivali hotelier has received a threatening phone call demanding an extortion sum of Rs 5 lakh in the name of an underworld figure police said on TuesdayKandivali police has registered a case against the unidentified caller while the crime branch has initiated an investigation into the matterThe victim a hotelier residing in Kandivali was on his way to a hospital in Bandra with his wife on Monday afternoon when he received a call from an unfamiliar numberInitially he disregarded the call prioritizing his wifes urgent medical needs However a subsequent call from the same number escalated the situationThe caller speaking in Hindi claimed underworld affiliation and asserted possessing detailed information about the victim A demand for Rs 5 lakh was made accompanied by a strict deadline the following morning with warnings of dire consequences if the amount was not promptly arrangedFollowing the phone call the victim received two threatening messages on his mobile device later in the afternoon After tending to his wifes medical needs and returning home he promptly reported the incident to the Kandivali police stationA case against the unknown caller was registered and investigation startedA police official from the Kandivali police station assured We take such threats seriously and are leaving no stone unturned in our investigation to identify and apprehend the perpetratorIn another incident the Malad police in Mumbai arrested two individuals involved in ATM thefts The culprits identified as Deepak Kumar Maurya and Deepak Saroj underwent training in Uttar Pradesh to execute quick and efficient ATM heists The court has remanded both in police custodyThe incident came to light when the Quick Response Team QRT of a private bank in Malad received a video showing the duo tampering with an ATM The bank promptly alerted the police leading to the Malad polices swift response During the operation Maurya was apprehended and subsequent interrogation revealed Sarojs involvement Senior Inspector Ravindra Adane directed Deputy Inspector Tushar Sukhadeve and a team of officers including Satwase Juwatkar Gawand Kate and Doifode to investigate the matter furtherActing on intelligence that Saroj was near the Dahisar East railway track the police set a trap and successfully apprehended himInvestigations revealed that both Saroj and Maurya hailing from Pratapgad Uttar Pradesh received training in ATM theft techniques in their hometownAfter practicing their methods locally they arrived in Mumbai around ten days ago and successfully executed thefts at multiple ATM locations by tampering with the machines Their plan involved returning to Uttar Pradesh after dividing the stolen proceeds