Mumbai, Jun 22 (PTI) Police have arrested five individuals for allegedly kidnapping a man and robbing him of Rs 50 lakh in cash by impersonating police officers. The accused also threatened to kill the victim in a staged encounter, officials said on Sunday.

The arrests were made from Pune, Satara, and Thane within six hours of the case being registered at Lokmanya Tilak Marg police station in south Mumbai on Sunday, an official said.

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The incident occurred in Bhuleshwar, where the victim was carrying a bag containing Rs 50 lakh. Four unidentified men, posing as police officers, stopped him, forcibly pushed him into a car, and kidnapped him, officials said.

"During the abduction, the accused brandished a knife and threatened to kill the victim if he raised an alarm," an official said.

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The kidnappers drove him to Kharghar in Navi Mumbai, where they snatched his bag containing the cash, removed the SIM card from his mobile phone, and threw him out of the vehicle. Before leaving, they warned him of an encounter if he was seen in the city again.

The victim later returned to south Mumbai and lodged a complaint at the Lokmanya Tilak Marg police station. A case of robbery and kidnapping was registered in the early hours of Sunday.

During the investigation, police gathered vehicle details and other crucial leads with the help of technical surveillance.

Mumbai Police coordinated with Pune Rural Police and intercepted two accused at Khed Shivapur Naka. Two more were apprehended on the Pune-Satara Highway near Satara, while the fifth suspect was arrested from Thane.

Police recovered Rs 39 lakh in cash, the sedan car used in the crime, and a knife from the accused. Further investigation is underway.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)