Nagpur, India: Sadar Police have apprehended a police officer accused of extorting ₹12 lakh from a woman by impersonating Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rahul Madne. The officer allegedly threatened the woman with severe repercussions if she did not pay him cash. He had already collected ₹10 lakh before being caught while accepting the final installment of ₹2 lakh.

Sachin Dilip Meshram, 36, residing at the Police Headquarters in Teka, Nagpur, has been arrested, while his accomplice, Sachin Kalsarpe, 31, remains at large. According to police reports, Nutan, who operates a beauty parlor in Chandramani Nagar and considers Sachin Meshram as a brother, is acquainted with Sojal Ramesh Dumre, 32, from Mankapur. Sojal was arrested on August 17 in connection with a drug smuggling case and is currently incarcerated.

On October 8, Sachin contacted Nutan and asked her to meet him at a hotel in Pardi, claiming that DCP Rahul Madne wanted to question her about individuals linked to a smuggling case, including her brother, whom he said was in police custody. That evening, Sachin visited Nutan’s home and threatened her with legal action, stating that he had spoken with his superior, who was demanding ₹20 lakh to resolve the matter.

After consulting with Sachin Mule, a clerk for a senior police officer, they decided to settle the case for ₹12 lakh. Sachin then took Nutan to meet Sachin Mule, where they scheduled a meeting for 6 AM the following day, during which Mule claimed he had already discussed the matter with his superior.

Nutan ultimately paid Sachin Meshram ₹10 lakh in installments. On October 21, Meshram requested that she meet him at the High Court to collect the remaining ₹2 lakh. However, feeling that something was amiss, Nutan informed DCP Madne about the situation. Acting on his guidance, Sadar Police, under the leadership of Senior Police Inspector Manish Thakre, devised a trap and caught Sachin red-handed while he was accepting the ₹2 lakh in cash.