Nagpur: In a case inspired by South Indian movies, Beltarodi Police have arrested five persons, including a woman clerk from the land records department, for allegedly demanding a ₹50 lakh ransom from a land records officer.
The accused were identified as Atul Anil Tagde (30), Rahul Meetaram Patle (21), Hindustan Vasudev Ramteke (27), Nikhil Raju Nandekar (28), and Preksha Babu Kamble (30), a clerk working in the land records office. DCP Zone IV Rashmita Rao confirmed the arrests.
Police said the complainant, Prakash Dhage (54), a deputy superintendent in the Bhandara land records office, was targeted after the accused watched South Indian thriller films such as Vikram and Shivaji Boss. Financial stress related to a family wedding allegedly prompted the plot.
On December 17, the accused intercepted Dhage near Velahari, damaged his car window, and fled. Two days later, they allegedly threatened him over the phone, claiming they had a ₹20 lakh contract to kill him and demanded ₹50 lakh to spare his life.
The accused used Chinese mobile phones and SIM cards registered in others’ names to evade detection. Following Dhage’s complaint, Beltarodi Police traced and arrested all five. Further investigation is underway.
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