MUMBAI, December 12: In a desperate bid to recover their money from the controversial "double-your-money-in-a-month" scheme floated by a BEST employee, Ashok Sheregar, a woman police constable and one of her male colleagues beat up a brother of one of Sheregar's agents on Wednesday morning at Dadar.

Constable Elizabeth Makasare, attached to the Juvenile Aid Police Unit (JAPU), Constable Girish Krishnamurari Saxena, attached to the Azad Maidan police station, and two others have been charged with abduction, unlawful detention, extortion and causing physical injuries to the victim. Dadar police said the four assaulted Devendra Shankar Gadhade on Wednesday morning and threatened him of dire consequences if his brother failed to return their money. The accused had invested large amounts in Sheregar's scheme through Devendra's brother Bhagwan. However, Sheregar was arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of the Mumbai police a few weeks back for fraudulent dealings. None of Sheregar's agents could return depositors their money. Like others, Bhagwan too failed to pay the four, though he repeatedly assured them that their money was safe. Recently Bhagwan too was arrested by the EoW sleuths.

On Wednesday morning Elizabeth and Saxena went to Devendra's house at Marwadi chawl, Senapati Bapat road, Dadar west posing as crime branch officials and said they wanted to interrogate him. They flashed their ID cards and asked him to accompany them to their office. A frightened Devendra boarded a waiting taxi with them, but soon became suspicious when the taxi started moving towards Dadar instead of the Crime Branch office situated at Crawford Market. As he started shouting, the four pounced upon him. Elizabeth and Saxena punched Devendra on the face and all over the body. Inspector Prakash Bhosle, PRO of Dadar police station said: "Though the two are from the police department, we will not spare them. We have registered a case and the accused will be prosecuted."

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.