A 36-year-old fish trader from Kolhapur experienced a harrowing ordeal following a significant gambling win at a casino in Goa. He was reportedly abducted on two occasions, assaulted, and robbed of Rs 90,000. During the incidents, his assailants stripped him, filmed the abuse, and subsequently shared the video on social media platforms. This incident raises serious concerns about safety and security for individuals visiting casinos in the region.
The trader lodged a complaint on Sept 19 after the video was circulated in a social media group. One of the accused men allegedly learnt that he had won a large sum and demanded Rs 5 lakh from him. When the trader refused, the accused allegedly abducted him on Sept 1. They took him to a lodge, assaulted him and took Rs 60,000 from him, the complainant said. As per the complaint, nine days later, on Sept 10, the trader was allegedly abducted again. This time, the accused assaulted him and took another Rs 30,000.
Teams have been deployed to track them down,” inspectorKiran Londhe, of Juna Rajwada police station, said. Police said the trader occasionally visited casinos in Goa. Police said the trader was forcibly stripped and filmed. Police came across the clip and traced the trader, who subsequently told the officers about the alleged abductions, assaults and extortion.
Kolhapur police have booked four men in connection with the case. “We are searching for the suspects. They then allegedly took him to an open ground near Gokul Shirgaon. The accused allegedly threatened to circulate the video and shame him if he failed to pay the remaining amount. The video was subsequently circulated on social media. The trader then lodged a complaint.