In a shocking incident, two individuals were arrested on Friday for allegedly kidnapping a 27-year-old man, coercing him into making a semi-nude video, and extorting lakhs of rupees from him. According to the police, the incident stemmed from a workplace grievance involving the victim and the prime accused, who had been dismissed from his job following the victim's complaint about his misbehavior.
The accused have been identified as Agnel Gomes and Aditya Badekar. Police sources revealed that Gomes and the complainant previously worked together at a call center in Andheri.
A senior police officer explained that Gomes, who held a managerial position, allegedly forced employees to work according to his whims. The victim had lodged a formal complaint against Gomes’ unprofessional conduct, leading to his termination in April. Determined to seek revenge, Gomes began tracking the victim’s movements with the help of his friend Badekar.
On Thursday night, as the 27-year-old victim was returning home from work, Badekar approached him near his drop-off point. Subsequently, both Gomes and Badekar brutally assaulted the victim, said a senior officer from the Malvani Police Station.
The accused then took the victim to the Andheri call center where they both used to work and displayed him in a humiliated state to the staff, allegedly as an act of revenge. Later, they confined him in another location for over 12 hours.
Police reported that the accused forced the victim to record a semi-nude video. In a further attempt to defame him, they handed him a packet of cannabis and filmed him holding it, trying to portray him as a drug dealer.
The accused allegedly threatened to release the video on social media if the victim approached the police. After extorting an undisclosed amount of money, they left him near his residence in Malad.
Once home, the victim immediately contacted the Malvani Police, leading to the registration of a case of extortion and blackmail. Special teams were dispatched to different locations, and the accused were arrested within 24 hours.
Further investigations are underway to determine the exact amount extorted and to gather additional evidence.