Police officers at the Vasai police station have been receiving threatening phone calls from unknown numbers. The callers, who are identified as female recovery agents working for a private bank, are targeting the officers in retaliation for a colleague’s alleged loan default.
Assistant Police Inspector Sunil Pawar has registered a case of extortion and obstruction of public duty against the unidentified women. The accusation stems from their phone calls, which they claim were made on behalf of the bank.
The investigation revealed that a cop at the Vasai station had taken out a personal loan of Rs. 6.5 lakhs earlier this year but had defaulted on three installments totaling Rs. 45,000. Neither the cop nor his colleagues were aware of the loan until they started receiving threatening calls from unknown numbers.
The calls, which occurred during work hours and even late at night, were made from eight different phone numbers. The unidentified females abused the officers and threatened them with dire consequences if the loan wasn’t repaid. They even demanded that the officers hand over the defaulter cop to them.
Initially, the officers dismissed the calls as isolated incidents. However, as the frequency and intensity of the threats increased, they were forced to file a complaint.
The police are currently investigating the incident and questioning bank officials to determine if the women were legitimate bank-approved recovery agents. While banks are allowed to employ recovery agents, these agents are strictly prohibited from using threats or force against borrowers or their families.
The threatening calls have ceased for now, but the police remain vigilant and continue their investigation.
