Gang Posed as Income Tax Officials, Took Businessman to Andheri Office and Demanded Rs 1 Crore; Police Arrest Six After Detailed Tracking Operation:

Andheri police have busted a gang that allegedly posed as Income Tax and Crime Branch officers and carried out a fake raid at a medical equipment company in Andheri East. The gang allegedly threatened the company owner and demanded Rs 1 crore to settle a fake tax case.

The incident took place on July 17 at an office in Sahar Cargo Estate, Chakala. Company owner Rajkumar Kandasami, 49, was reportedly told that Income Tax officials had entered his office. He was allegedly threatened over the phone and asked to reach the office.

When Kandasami and his wife reached near their residence, two men in plain clothes allegedly approached them. The men claimed to be Income Tax officials and showed an identity card. The couple was then allegedly forced into an Uber and taken to the company office.

Once inside, the accused allegedly took away the phones of the couple and the employees. They reportedly stopped people from moving around, questioned the staff and checked company documents. One of the accused allegedly showed a fake search warrant and took Kandasami’s signature on it.

The gang allegedly questioned Kandasami about cash transactions and threatened him with a heavy penalty. They then allegedly offered to settle the matter if he paid Rs 1 crore.

After Kandasami approached the police, Andheri police began tracking the suspects. Investigators checked call records, mobile numbers, cell-ID and location data, along with CCTV footage from the office and nearby areas. Police teams also worked in Andheri, Vile Parle, Pune and Nalasopara to trace the accused.

Police first traced Santosh Uday Khopatkar, 37, and Vinay Ramesh More, 37, in Mumbai. Their mobile phones were seized and sent for examination.

The police then focused on key accused Prem Kisan Sabnani, 50. Sabnani had switched off his mobile phone, making it difficult for police to track him live. However, his earlier call records and cell-ID data showed that most of the calls linked to his number were from the Sinhagad Road area in Pune.

A police team reached Sinhagad Road and began looking for Mumbai-registered vehicles, as Sabnani had previously stayed in Mumbai. The team spotted his scooter and used its registration number to trace his residence. Sabnani was brought to Andheri police station for questioning and was later arrested after police allegedly found his involvement in the fake raid.

The investigation then led police to the women allegedly involved in the operation. Pragya Harish Maine, 27, was arrested from Andheri East, while Reshma Shyamrao Warang, 41, was arrested from her residence in Nalasopara. Shabina Hafiz Shaikh, 48, was also arrested.

Police have also identified Jitendra Namdev More and Ashok Vithoba Shinde. Both are currently in judicial custody in connection with another case registered at Manpada police station.

Police are now investigating the gang’s wider network and the exact role of each accused. Investigators are looking for fake identity cards, government logos, rubber stamps, letterheads and fake search-warrant documents allegedly used during the operation.

The seized mobile phones are also being checked for call records, WhatsApp chats and financial transactions. Police are investigating whether the gang had targeted other businessmen using the same method. They are also verifying the names of people allegedly linked to the Income Tax Department that came up during the investigation.

PSI Rohan Surve said “We had the CDR and cell-ID inputs showing that most of the callers were in the Sinhagad Road area. When we reached there, we started looking for Mumbai-registered vehicles because Sabnani had earlier been staying in Mumbai.”