Ahmedabad: A 63-year-old retired bank employee was allegedly blackmailed by a gang posing as police officers, which extorted Rs 25 lakh from him over nearly a year by threatening to implicate him in a fake drug case. The gang said the punishment would be life imprisonment, according to a complaint filed with Anandnagar police on Monday.The victim, a former senior special assistant with a nationalised bank, came in contact with a woman through Facebook around 15 days before Dhanteras in 2025. The woman, who used the Facebook name Payal, exchanged messages with him and later called him to Dehgam Crossroads on Kali Chaudas.As he and the woman headed to Dehgam in his car, two men on a motorcycle intercepted the car. The duo claimed to be police officers. They allegedly told him that the woman in his car was involved in a drug case and that he too would face life imprisonment.One of the men allegedly took the woman away on his motorcycle. Three more men then arrived, forced the victim into the rear seat of his car, and drove him around while threatening him. They allegedly took his mobile phone and demanded Rs 10 lakh.Unable to arrange the money from friends, the victim called his son. He later obtained Rs 10 lakh from his son and handed the cash to two members of the group near a shopping complex at Shyamal Crossroads.The alleged extortion continued. In Dec 2025, a man came to the victim’s house claiming that his Dehgam case had been reopened. He allegedly took the victim in a car to Chiloda Bridge and demanded another Rs 9 lakh. The victim arranged the money through his daughter-in-law. The cash was later handed over near Seema Hall.In April 2026, the victim allegedly received a WhatsApp call from one of the men, who demanded Rs 5 lakh and threatened to register an FIR against him. Fearing arrest, the victim withdrew his savings and handed over the money at Hanspura.On Oct 5, two men claiming to be members of the local crime branch allegedly took him in a car and demanded another Rs 7 lakh. He told them he had only Rs 1 lakh left. He called his son to Pakwan Crossroads, where one of the men, allegedly identified as Alpesh, collected the Rs 1 lakh.The victim later discussed the matter with his family and approached Anandnagar police, stating that the fear of social embarrassment had earlier prevented him from filing a complaint. Police have registered a case.
