Six members of Pandav Putra gang arrested

The Mumbai Police's Crime Branch unit 2 officials arrested six members of the Pandav Putra Gang for allegedly making extortion calls to a Girgaum-based civil contractor. After the victim refused to give them money, the gang members allegedly assaulted him with sharp weapon on Sunday, said the police. The gang is infamous for issuing threats and extortion demands to several SoBo-based developers, jewellers, hoteliers and investment traders since years, said police. According to the police, the victim had received a contract of loading and unloading of material at a construction site in Girgaum. After learning about the contract, the gang members threatened him for over a year and demanded 30 per cent of his profit, failing which he would have to face dire consequences.

Unwilling to budge to the demands, the complainant ignored threats until August 22, when the gang allegedly sent him a threatening note with blood. On Sunday the victim met them at Kumbharwada where they allegedly assaulted him with a sharp weapon, said the police. The victim then approached the crime branch. Later, an offence under relevant sections for attempt to murder, extortion, assault was registered at the V P Road police station.

Soon after the case was registered the crime branch sleuths arrested six gang members, they are identifed as Siddhart Mayekar, Deepak Walekar, Anil Bhuvad, Ganesh Suryavanshi, Sanjay Bhange and Jitendra Vaishnavikar. Considering the sensitivity of the case, the probe was handed over to the Anti Extortion Cell, said Milind Bharambe, Joint commissioner of police (crime branch).