The Anti-Extortion Cell of the Mumbai Police apprehended two individuals for purportedly trying to extort Rs 4 lakh from a victim by presenting a letter with a fake signature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The suspects, Tausif Hussain Ismail Patel and Siddhinath Dinanath Pandey, were brought before the Esplanade Court and granted three days of police custody for further inquiries.
Tausif Patel, aged 44, and Siddhinath Pandey, known as Sunil, 43, both affiliated with Target Media, reside in Ganesh Building, Shastri Nagar, Goregaon (West). The duo allegedly approached the victim, who operates an NGO aiding underprivileged children, elderly care homes, and orphanages, claiming to arrange a birthday greeting letter from the Prime Minister’s Office in exchange for money.
The complainant initially dismissed the offer as fraudulent but was persistently pressured by the accused, who later sent a digital copy of a letter bearing the PM’s signature. Subsequently, the suspects escalated their demands, even creating a fake email account in the victim’s name to enhance the credibility of the forged communication. The victim, feeling threatened, sought police intervention, leading to the arrest of the accused during a sting operation at a hotel in Worli Sea Face.
