In a shocking incident stemming from a monetary dispute, a 33-year-old man was abducted, handcuffed, and brutally assaulted inside a tempo in Mumbai. The victim’s life was saved due to the alertness of the traffic police, who intervened after noticing a commotion at a traffic signal in the Byculla area.
The victim, identified as Mohammed Shoaib Tanveer Ahmed Shaikh, a resident of Koparkhairane in Navi Mumbai and a fabricator by profession, stated in his police complaint that he had come to the Nagpada area on Wednesday evening for municipal election campaigning. During this time, he received a call from Danish Petiwala, who lured him near Nagpada hospital on the pretext of placing an order for a spice-making machine and paying an advance.
When Shoaib reached the spot, Mobin Petiwala was also present. Mobin allegedly demanded the immediate repayment of ₹1.50 lakh, which he had given Shoaib earlier. When Shoaib expressed his inability to pay the amount on the spot, both accused allegedly assaulted him. They then handcuffed him and forcibly pushed him into an Ashok Leyland tempo, attempting to take him towards Byculla.
Police said the dispute dates back to a business transaction in 2019, when Mobin had paid Shoaib an advance of ₹1.50 lakh for manufacturing a machine. However, Shoaib’s workshop shut down during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, and the machine could not be delivered. In order to recover the money, the accused allegedly conspired to abduct him.
Inside the moving tempo, Mobin continued to assault Shoaib and threatened to kill him if the money was not returned. When the vehicle halted at a red signal near the Byculla fruit market, Shoaib raised an alarm, drawing the attention of passers-by and on-duty traffic police. On checking the vehicle, the police found Shoaib inside with his hands cuffed.
The Byculla police rushed to the spot, rescued the victim safely, and detained both accused. A case has been registered under relevant sections pertaining to abduction, assault, and criminal intimidation, and further investigation is underway.