Thane: Three Arrested for Allegedly Demanding Rs 8 Crore in Extortion from Prominent Builder
Thane, 6th August 2026: The Thane Crime Branch has arrested three persons for allegedly attempting to extort ₹8 crore from a prominent real estate developer in Kalwa by threatening him with action by central investigative agencies and legal proceedings.
According to the police, the accused were caught in a trap while allegedly accepting the first instalment of ₹10 lakh. A court has remanded all three accused to police custody until August 7.
Police said the developer had approached senior officials with a complaint after receiving repeated threats. The accused allegedly claimed they could implicate him in investigations by central agencies and court cases related to a notarised property transaction involving the late original owner of the Keshav Heights building in Kalwa.
Investigators said the trio initially demanded ₹4.5 crore to stop the alleged action against the developer and later sought an additional ₹4 crore, claiming they would settle the entire matter.
Acting on the complaint, a team from Thane Crime Branch Unit-1, under the guidance of Senior Police Inspector Anil Shinde and led by Police Inspector Amol Walzhade, laid a trap on July 30 at the Keshav Heights office in Kalwa.
The accused have been identified as Santosh Manohar Bawdekar (47), Siddhesh Harishchandra Bendkoli (35), and Imtiyaz Ilyas Momin (31). They were apprehended while allegedly accepting the ₹10 lakh payment.
Police are now investigating whether more individuals were involved in the alleged extortion racket and whether the accused had targeted other victims using similar tactics. Further investigation is underway.
