The fake raid was masterminded by a driver sacked by the company three months ago, said police
Mumbai: Two income-tax officials and two others were arrested Thursday for allegedly conducting a fake raid on a Chakala company and demanding Rs 1 crore, taking the total arrests in the case to 10. The raid was carried out at Two M Ophthotronics Pvt Ltd in Sahar Cargo Estate on July 17. Andheri police registered an FIR on September 4 following a complaint by company owner Rajkumar Kandasami, who sought documents for the raid. The ‘raiding’ party could not produce one and left empty-handed after 3 hours, police said. They questioned him about cash transactions, threatened a substantial penalty, and offered to settle the purported case for Rs 1 crore. Senior inspector Umesh Machindar said they learnt that Kandasami’s former driver, Santosh Khopatkar (37), had provided the tip-off. Others arrested earlier were Vinay More (37), Prem Sabnani (50), Pragnya M, Reshma Warang (41) and Shabina Shaikh (48).
It was masterminded by a driver sacked by the company three months ago, said police. Police sub-inspector Rohan Surve said two plainclothes men had approached Kandasami and his wife near their home, displayed an identity card, and forced them into an aggregator cab and took them to his office. An internal inquiry and checks through his chartered accountant found that the I-T department had ordered no raid. The duo questioned employees, examined documents, and obtained Kandasami’s signature on a purported search warrant.
Khopatkar, sacked three months earlier, wanted revenge and had allegedly sought I-T officials’ help to raid his former employer.
DCP (West Zone-3) Datta Nalawade said they also took custody of Jitendra More of Thane and Ashok Shinde of Vile Parle West on Thursday. The duo was in judicial custody in the Manpada case.