Pune Crime: Five Held For Extorting Kharadi Spa Owner With Fake Prostitution Charges

The Kharadi Police have arrested five people, including two women, for allegedly attempting to extort money from a spa owner by accusing him of operating an illegal prostitution racket. Police officials said the accused threatened the businessman and demanded a large sum to avoid legal action. During the operation, officers seized cash along with a vehicle collectively valued at nearly Rs 70,000. The incident took place on May 13, 2026, at Feel Touch Spa situated inside City Vista Building in Kharadi. Investigators stated that three men and two women entered the spa premises and allegedly intimidated the owner with false allegations.

According to investigators, the accused initially demanded Rs 2 lakh from the complainant and allegedly assaulted him after he refused to pay. Police said the group later forced him into a settlement and reduced the demand to Rs 1.5 lakh. As part of the alleged extortion, the suspects reportedly collected Rs 30,000 through an online transaction. Following the complaint, police registered a case on May 14, 2026, under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to extortion, intimidation, assault, and criminal conspiracy. Authorities treated the matter as serious and launched an immediate probe to identify and arrest all those involved in the crime.

Acting on instructions from Deputy Commissioner of Police Somay Munde, the investigation was intensified by the Kharadi police team. Under the supervision of Police Inspector Chandrasen Palakar, two special squads led by Assistant Police Inspector Ravindra Godse and Police Sub-Inspector Rahul Kolpe were formed to trace the suspects. Officers carefully examined CCTV recordings and relied on technical surveillance inputs along with confidential information during the investigation. A trap was eventually laid at Kesnand Phata in Wagholi, where police successfully detained the accused persons involved in the alleged extortion attempt.

The arrested accused have been identified as Pratik Jaywant Gaikwad, Vishal Ashok Salve, and Rohit Nagnath Manjre, along with two women who were allegedly part of the operation. During the investigation, police recovered Rs 30,000 in cash and a Honda Activa scooter believed to have been used during the crime. Officials confirmed that the seized property is valued at around Rs 70,000. The operation was conducted under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil and Assistant Commissioner of Police Nutan Pawar, along with a large investigative team from Pune Police.