Kharghar police have arrested an extortionist and his accomplice for using Twitter to lodge complaints against hotels, bars, and unauthorized constructions and later blackmailing business owners by threatening legal action. The accused have been identified as Shadab Shahnawaz Beg (36) and Nadeem Jafar Husain Ansari (30).
Beg, a resident of Taloja, had filed a complaint on Twitter last week regarding an illegally operating hookah parlor at Black Forest Café and Lounge in Kharghar. He tagged the concerned police department in his tweet, drawing attention to the issue. Shortly after, he contacted the hotel owner and began threatening him with police action unless a ransom was paid.
When hotel owner Kamal Shah ignored the threats, Beg escalated matters by repeatedly lodging complaints with the Navi Mumbai Police control room. He then demanded ₹50,000 from the hotel owner to halt any potential police action. Realizing the extortion attempt, the hotel owner approached Kharghar police and agreed to set up a trap by offering ₹10,000 as bait.
“Ansari, acting on behalf of Beg, arrived at the hotel to collect the money when Kharghar police caught him red-handed while accepting the cash. Shortly after, Beg also arrived at the location to assist Ansari, but we caught him as well,” a police officer from Kharghar police station said.
Police investigations revealed that Beg had been actively using his Twitter handle to report hotels, bars, and unauthorized constructions, tagging relevant authorities in an attempt to exert pressure. Further scrutiny of his activities uncovered that he had filed complaints against 60 to 70 individuals with the municipal corporation, police, and other government departments.
“We urge people to come forward if they have been harassed in a similar way by them,” the officer added.
