Mumbai: The Malvani police have arrested four persons for allegedly kidnapping a 19-year-old youth and threatening to kill him while demanding a ransom of Rs 33,000 from his relatives.

The incident occurred on December 17, and the accused Ajay Pandey, 37, Abhishek Singh, 20, Anwar Khan, 20, and Pradeep Singh, 36, all labourers and residents of Kandivali East, were nabbed the following day. The kidnapping was reportedly linked to a dispute over a mobile phone and kidnappers thought the victim might have been involved.

According to the FIR, Amanulla Mainuddin Ansari, who resides at his aunt’s house in Malvani, went out on the evening of December 17. At around 6.15 pm, his aunt Alimunnisa received a call from an unknown number. The caller stated that they had taken her nephew in a tempo to an unspecified location and threatened to harm him if she did not transfer the money via GPay.

Alimunnisa requested to speak with her nephew, and the kidnappers made her to talk to him. As Amanulla narrated the incident, his aunt tried to convince the kidnappers but refused to listen and disconnected the call. They later contacted her repeatedly from different numbers, continuing to demand money online.

Alimunnisa alleged that the kidnappers had locked him in a tempo and threatened to kill him if the ransom was not paid. Frightened, she approached the police and filed a complaint.

The police registered the case on December 18 under sections 140 (kidnapping or abducting to murder or for ransom), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.