Mumbai, Apr 20 (PTI): A nine-member inter-state criminal gang allegedly duped a Mumbai-based businessman of around Rs 3.25 crore in a cheating-cum-extortion case and also assaulted and threatened him, a police official said on Monday.

According to the Vile Parle police station official, a case has been registered against all the nine accused, two of them women, under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

They are residents of Mumbai, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand, he said.

The complainant, who runs a private enterprise, in July 2025 came in contact with four of the accused who introduced themselves as brokers. The group convinced him to invest in a company named Arkship Group, promising lucrative returns, according to the official.

Falling prey to their claims, the businessman transferred Rs 1 crore online. However, he later discovered the amount had been diverted to the account of an NGO named 'Manav Dharmayog'.

When the victim questioned the accused, he was called for a meeting at a hotel near the Western Express Highway in Vile Parle along with his company's general manager. At the hotel, the gang members allegedly assaulted the duo and threatened them at gunpoint, he said.

The gang then demanded Rs 3 crore as ransom, threatening to kill the businessman if he failed to pay. Fearing for his life, he transferred approximately Rs 2.25 crore online to bank accounts provided by the accused, said the official.

After receiving the money, the accused released him, but warned him of dire consequences if he approached police.

However, on advice of his family members and friends, the victim later approached police and lodged a complaint. After verifying the complaint, police registered an FIR against nine accused for cheating, criminal breach of trust, extortion, causing grievous hurt, and issuing death threats, among other charges.

The case has now been handed over to the Mumbai Crime Branch for further investigation. Preliminary findings suggest the accused are part of a larger interstate network, the official added. PTI ZA RSY

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