Mumbai Police’s crime branch has arrested Randeep Singh Gujral, a social media influencer also known by his Instagram handle ‘turbanmirchie’, for allegedly extorting money from a dairy shop owner in Mulund West. Gujral, who boasts a following of nearly four lakh users on Instagram, is accused of threatening the shop owner with negative publicity and defamatory content after a complaint he allegedly made about finding worms in the paneer sold by the establishment.
According to police reports, Gujral uploaded a reel on June 7 through another social media account, ‘Afternoon Times’, alleging that a worm was found in paneer from the dairy shop and falsely claiming that police had shut down the business. This action was allegedly intended to coerce the shop owner into paying a settlement fee.
Information available with The Chenab Times indicates that Gujral demanded money from the shop owner to take down the defamatory video and to provide positive promotion for the business. Following the complaint from the shop owner, the Mulund Police Station registered a First Information Report (FIR), and the case was subsequently transferred to the crime branch for further investigation.
The crime branch devised a plan to trap Gujral. They instructed the victim to inform Gujral that he would pay ₹50,000 through UPI and meet him on a Sunday to hand over ₹2 lakh in cash. Gujral was apprehended by officers while receiving the money from the victim, leading to his arrest.
Sources within the investigation suggest that Gujral claimed to have connections with government officials and attempted to leverage the ongoing crackdown by the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on food adulteration to intimidate the dairy business owner. He allegedly demanded a total of ₹2.85 lakh as a settlement amount. The dairy owner reportedly transferred ₹50,000 online and an additional ₹6,000 via a payment app before the trap was laid.
In a related development, reports indicate that Gujral’s son, Randeep Gujral, and his wife, Arvi, were also involved in the alleged extortion plot. Randeep is reportedly absconding, while Arvi was detained and issued a notice to join the investigation. Another individual, Ajish Pannikar, who was allegedly associated with the ‘Afternoon Times’ media handle, is also reportedly absconding and is said to have demanded ₹2 lakh per month for six months to remove the video and help restore the shop’s reputation.
The police have emphasized that business owners should remain vigilant against individuals who misuse social media influence and fake journalistic credentials to extort money. Gujral was produced before a court and remanded to police custody. This incident highlights the growing concern over the misuse of social media platforms for extortion and defamation.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
