In Ahmedabad, land broker lands in ‘girlfriend’ text trap

AHMEDABAD: Sola police on Thursday arrested six persons including a woman for allegedly extorting a Satellite real estate broker last month after trapping him with an offer of friendship from a woman.
Manan Parikh, 38, resident of Maruti Hills in Prahladnagar, Satellite, stated in his complaint that on June 12, he had received a message from an unknown number in which a woman, calling herself Heli, showed interest in friendship with him.
On June 17, Parikh and the woman met near a private hospital on SG Road. The woman came to the spot on a scooter, while Parikh went in his car. The woman wanted Parikh to give her a tour of the area.
Parikh stated that he gave her a ride in his car and then returned to the spot from where he had picked her up. However, as soon as he arrived, five men who were waiting at the spot dragged Parikh out of his car, took him into a car with tinted glass and no number plate, and travelled to Adalaj.
They beat up Parikh and forced him to record a video confessing that he had been with the woman.
The accused then demanded Rs 10 lakh to settle the matter and asked Parikh to call up his friends and arrange the money. Parikh gave them Rs 75,000 in cash and his gold chain worth Rs 1.25 lakh.
The men then demanded another Rs 5 lakh, and said if they didn’t get the money they will defame Parikh.
When they continued to harass him, Parikh told his wife what had happened. Then the couple came to cops and Parikh filed a complaint.
Sola police inspector J P Jadeja said that multiple cars were used by the accused when abducting Parikh, and from the registration number of one of those cars police were able to trace the accused and arrest them.
The accused were identified as Akash Desai, 25, resident of Ghatlodia, Mehul Desai, 23, resident of Chandkheda, Jayesh Desai, 23, resident of Asarwa, Shubham Desai, 21, resident of Chandkheda, Varun Desai,20, resident of Chandlodia and the woman as Shivani Sadhu, 25, of Shertha village in Gandhinagar.
Sadhu, who earlier worked at a private hospital, was Mehul Desai’s girlfriend, and they along with Jayesh Desai had planned the conspiracy after obtaining Parikh’s number, police said.