3 cops, cab-driver held for extorting money from spa owner

Three police personnel and a cab-driver, who allegedly indulged in extortion of Rs 1.35 lakh from the owner of a massage/spa centre at Banjara Hills here were today apprehended, police said.
The accused were identified as Kateeb Ahmad, (57), a head constable attached to Begumpet Police Station, B Venugopal (36), constable attached to Chatrinaka Police Station, P Vijay Babu (31) constable of Langerhouz Police Station and cab-driver B Shashi Kumar (25), Hyderabad Police said in a release.
The victim, owner of the spa lodged a complaint with police stating that on February 8 at about 6 pm, the accused barged into his spa saying that they are police personnel and detained four women (three therapists-cum-beauticians and one telephone caller) and the manager in one room and called the owner of the spa and demanded money from him for not registering a case, police said.

After due negotiations the spa owner paid Rs 1.35 lakh to them, they added.
"They (the accused) also took away the Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) of the CCTV cameras in the spa for escaping from being detected," police said.
Following a complaint, a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code was registered, they said, adding the accused have confessed their crime.
According to police, Rs 95,000 and DVR were also seized from their possession.