The Mumbai crime branch has apprehended a gang of six individuals posing as recovery agents, linked to an online loan application, for allegedly harassing, threatening, and extorting money from a bank employee and his family over the repayment of digital loans. The arrests were made by the Crime Branch Unit 2, which stated that during their investigation, they uncovered multiple other victims who had been targeted by the same group.
Identities of the Accused
The arrested recovery agents have been identified as Pavesh Gorivle (28), Pravin Jadhav (49), Pravin Thorat (28), Sudesh Waghmare (27), Ravi Jaiswal (28), and Valmiki Gupta (21). They have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those related to threatening, extortion, outraging the modesty of a woman, organized crime, and criminal intimidation.
Court Proceedings
All six accused were presented before a court, which remanded them to police custody. Their defense advocates, Hitesh Patel and Arun Gupta, argued that the accused were innocent, claiming they were merely recovery agents who had been falsely implicated at the behest of larger banks. They alleged that the larger banks wanted to shut down the smaller lending firms for which the accused worked.
The Victim's Ordeal
The case came to light after the complainant, Akshay Omprakash (37), a resident of Marol and an employee of a private bank, reported his ordeal. Omprakash stated that he had taken a loan of Rs 29,000 through an online app called 'Ram Fincorp Loan'. However, only Rs 23,150 was credited to his account. He later repaid Rs 34,750, including interest, via a payment link provided by the app operators.
Data Theft via APK File
According to the police, while making the payment, the complainant unknowingly granted access to his phone data by downloading an APK file. This allowed the accused to access his contacts, Aadhaar card, PAN details, photographs, and bank documents stored on his mobile phone.
Threats and Harassment
Subsequently, the complainant began receiving incessant calls from various online loan app operators demanding additional payments. The accused allegedly threatened him and his family, abused his wife using obscene language, and even threatened sexual assault. The police further stated that the callers contacted the complainant's relatives, friends, and office colleagues, defaming him and pressuring others not to employ him.
Despite having already paid nearly Rs 17.6 lakh towards various online loans and interest, the apps continued to show outstanding dues of over Rs 10 lakh. The threatening calls and messages persisted. The police confirmed that the accused repeatedly contacted the complainant over the phone and some even visited his residence to intimidate him.
Modus Operandi of the Gang
The police revealed the gang's modus operandi: they would harass defaulters, compelling them to take another loan to settle the previous one at exorbitant interest rates. Simultaneously, they would harass the victim, access their mobile phone, extract all data including contact numbers of relatives, colleagues, photos, and bank details. They would then defame the victim by sending morphed photographs and even threaten sexual assault. Victims reported that even after paying heavy interest and clearing all loans, the apps continued to show an outstanding balance.
