Couple arrested for blackmailing Mumbai bizman with video of his intimate moments with a woman

Khar police have arrested a couple who was blackmailing a Khar-based businessman by showing him a video of his intimate moments with a woman, and extorting over ₹2 lakh from him.

The accused, Umer Solanki, 38, a businessman from Santacruz and his wife Shabnam Solanki, 35, were arrested lat week. Both have been booked under sections of extortion, confirmed Ramchandra Jadhav, senior inspector of the Khar police station.

According to the police, the complainant in the case is a 60-year-old businessman who lives with his family in Khar. The complainant knows the arrested woman Shabnam for the past few years.

To make quick money, Solanki and Shabnam thought that they can extort money from the complainant. They prepared a plan and as per the plan, Shabnam introduced the complainant with a woman known to her. The complainant befriended the woman and later got close with her.

“The accused couple recorded the complainant when he was sharing an intimate moment with his female friend with the help of a hidden mobile camera that they had planted in a hotel room. Later, the two showed the video to the complainant and demanded money,” said inspector Dinesh Kadam.

Kadam added, “Since 2017, the accused extorted over ₹2 lakh from the complainant. The complainant was fed up with the regular demand of money from the two. Hence, he approached the police and on May 8, registered an FIR against the two. Police verified his claims and after finding that the accused couple had committed a cognizable offence, arrested the two.”

While extorting money once the accused had snatched the complainant’s gold ring, hence, they have been also charged with robbery. Investigators have collected strong evidences, including the CCTV footage of the hotel.

Phones of the accused have also been seized to retrieve the video, which was used to blackmail the complainant.