Pune: A grain trader alleged that a man posing as an officer of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) demanded Rs5 lakh from him to unfreeze his bank account after claiming that it was frozen following suspicious online transactions.The trader (42), from Rajkot in Gujarat, lodged a complaint with anti-extortion cell of the Pune city crime branch on July 13. A formal FIR was registered with the Parvati police on Friday evening.According to the complaint, Rs 4,000 was deposited into the bank account of the grain trader in Rajkot via three online transactions of Rs1,000 and Rs2,000 from different accounts on the night of March 9, 2026.The trader’s account was frozen after the deposits. Upon inquiry, the grain trader was informed that the money had been transferred from the accounts of residents of Dhankawadi in Pune.
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When the grain trader contacted the cellphone number linked to the transactions, the receiver allegedly identified himself as an R&AW officer during a call on the messaging application.He claimed that he had frozen the bank accounts of several people similarly and initially demanded Rs 5 lakh to unfreeze the grain trader’s account. Following negotiations, the amount was settled at Rs 4.25 lakh. The complainant alleged that he was also threatened with serious consequences if he failed to pay.The complainant stated that he met the suspect in June at a cafe near Satara Road in Pune. During the meeting, the man allegedly showed him an identity card bearing the words “Police Mitra”. He allegedly repeated his demand for money to facilitate the restoration of the frozen bank account.After consulting his lawyer, the grain trader submitted a written complaint to the Pune city crime branch on July 13, 2026. He alleged that he continued to receive threatening WhatsApp messages and calls from the suspects even after filing the complaint. The crime branch officers then detained him and served him a notice after registering the FIR.
