Delhi woman, lawyer held for Rs 4 crore extortion over rape case

Times of India reports that Mumbai police arrested a 31-year-old woman and her lawyer for demanding Rs 4 crore to withdraw a rape complaint. Nivedita Apul Sharma and advocate Sahityaraj Mishra were taken into custody early Saturday on charges of extortion, blackmail, criminal conspiracy and criminal intimidation. The anti-extortion cell caught them accepting Rs 45 lakh near a Juhu hotel.

The complainant, a 32-year-old Gujarat real estate agent, told police that Sharma had got his brother-in-law arrested in a rape case and then threatened him. Police said she demanded Rs 4 crore to drop the case, later settling on Rs 2.5 crore. Several phone calls were recorded by the complainant's brother-in-law. On August 14, Sharma agreed to collect money in Juhu. Police laid a trap and caught her accepting Rs 45 lakh. Mishra was arrested later from a hotel. Police seized Rs 45 lakh, three phones and a car. Another accused, Basit Khan, is wanted. Sharma has a previous extortion case registered against her in Goa.