Two held for extortion by impersonating clean-up marshals

Two men have been arrested for allegedly posing as clean up marshals of the Mumbai civic body and extorting Rs 5000 from a pedestrian in Malabar Hill area, police said Tuesday.

The incident took place on February 28 when three men, claiming to be clean-up marshals, caught hold of Anant More, a resident of posh Malabar Hill area for allegedly spitting on road.

The trio asked More to pay fine for littering, which he refused, a police official said.

An argument ensued among them, following which the trio threatened More that they would take him to police station, he said.

In a bid to force More to cough up money, the crooks told him that he would be jailed for six months and made to pay Rs 25,000 towards fine if taken to police, the official said.

Scared by the threat, More pleaded with the trio to settle the matter and paid them Rs 5000, which he was going to deposit in bank, he said.

Later, on advice of a pedestrian, who witnessed the entire incident, More approached Malabar Hill police station and filed a case of extortion.

Subsequently, police arrested Sameer Jadhav (37) and Sujeet Madhav (39), both residents of Sewri in south Mumbai, he said, adding that their accomplice is yet to be traced.

A local court remanded them in custody till March 9.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) appoints clean-up marshals to ensure that people are not indulged in littering. The marshals can fine people for littering.