Police bust dating app extortion racket in Andheri, arrest 11

Mumbai: Police on March 13 busted a dating app extortion racket operating out of a cafe in Sakinaka's Andheri (East), arresting 11 people, including three women. The operation was run from Heaven Terrace 72 Cafe, which had allegedly been rented by the accused two months ago.The action followed a complaint by 38-year-old Khar-based businessman Pankaj Yadav, who learned that a friend had been among the first victims of the gang. Determined to expose the racket, Yadav spent nearly 10 days studying how the scheme worked.According to Yadav, victims were lured through a dating app that required a Rs 399 registration fee. After signing up, users would receive messages—often sent by male gang members. To build trust, a woman would initiate a WhatsApp call and invite the victim to meet at the Sakinaka cafe.Once there, the woman would place multiple orders, leading to heavily inflated bills. "I realised the drinks served were not alcohol but just water, though they were billed as liquor," said Yadav. In his case, the bill amounted to Rs 18,616.After understanding the modus operandi, Yadav approached zonal deputy commissioner of police Datta Nalawade, who formed a team from Powai police station. Acting as a decoy, Yadav visited the cafe with a woman while police teams maintained surveillance nearby.During the visit, staff and bouncers allegedly tried to intimidate him into paying the inflated bill. Yadav then alerted the police, who raided the premises at around 6:35pm and apprehended the accused.At the time of the raid, officers found another victim being forced to pay Rs 25,000 despite consuming only one drink. He had also met a woman through a dating app before being brought to the cafe.Police investigations revealed that the racket was run by the cafe management in collaboration with a group of young men and women. The accused allegedly used dating apps to identify targets and lure them to the location, where they were coerced into paying exorbitant bills.Authorities identified Mayur Didole and Nitesh Amdaskar as operators of the cafe. Others involved included manager Mayank Katuriya, staff member Mohseen Khan, and bouncer Jatin Kumar, among others.During questioning, the women told police that two men based in Delhi helped them identify potential victims on dating platforms and establish contact. Once targets agreed to meet, they were directed to the cafe, where the rest of the group executed the scam.Police also found that many individuals present at the cafe were connected through the dating app prior to arriving. Further investigation revealed that the establishment lacked a licence to serve alcohol and allegedly served water in place of liquor while charging premium rates.Authorities seized bottles, billing machines, receipts, and electronic devices from the premises. The raid was also recorded as part of the investigation.