A major extortion case has surfaced as Mumbai Police’s Anti-Extortion Squad arrested Marathi actress Hemlata Patkar, along with another woman for allegedly demanding a Rs 10 crore ransom from a builder, a development that has shocked the entertainment and real estate circles.
Hemlata, who is also known as Hemlata Aditya Patkar, 39, who lives in Kandivali, was arrested alongside with Amarina Iqbal Zaveri, also called Alice or Amarina Mathew Fernandes, 33, from Santacruz. According to reports, they were caught red-handed by the Mumbai Crime Branch while accepting Rs 1.5 crore in the first instalment of the alleged Rs 10 crore extortion demand.
The case has gained widespread attention, as Hemlata is the daughter-in-law of senior Marathi actress Archana Patkar, who is known for her iconic role of Kanchan Deshmukh in the popular series Aai Kuthe Kay Karte. Hemlata has been working in the industry for more than a decade, with the release of the Marathi film Lavu Ka Lath, where she played the lead role of Surekha, a Lavani performer.
After the arrest, both were presented before the Esplanade Court, which remanded them to police custody till Monday. Police said that both the accused have not been cooperating, and much of the important evidence, which is crucial for the case, is yet to be collected. Police said they needed to collect writing and voice samples from the accused.
Prior cases registered against the accused
The complaint was filed by Arvind Goyal, who is a 52-year-old builder from Goregaon West. He alleged that the accused had demanded the huge ransom to settle a separate criminal case registered against his son at the Amboli police station. Goyal was troubled by the alleged ransom demand and decided to approach the Crime Branch, and they laid a trap that led to the arrest of both women.
Police have told the court that a prior criminal case under IPC Sections 452, 323, and 504 is already registered against Hemlata Patkar at Meghwadi police station. Police are now investigating if she is involved in other extortion attempts.
Authorities have not ruled out further arrests in the case as they are trying to uncover the full scope of the alleged extortion racket.
