The Bombay High Court rejected the bail plea of three Crime Branch constables from Daman accused of abducting friends from Surat and extorting ₹7 lakh. The court dismissed bail applications of Ramdevsinh Jadeja, Vishal Mir, and Chintan Arvindbhai Desai on December 16. Justice Neela Gokhale said the allegations were “grave and serious” and the magistrate rightly took cognisance of their non-bailable offences. The case began with an FIR filed this year at Coastal Police Station, Daman under Sections 140(2), 308(7), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. On August 25, Aajessh Patel and friends were intercepted en route to Daman, taken to police HQ, slapped, and threatened with false cases unless they paid ₹25 lakh. The amount was lowered to ₹10 lakh, and ₹7 lakh was paid near a Hyundai showroom before release. Senior advocate Manoj Mohite argued the offences were bailable and said detaining someone does not mean abduction. He claimed complainants offered money and were free to move inside the police HQ. Opposing bail, advocate Shreyas Uday Lalit said the FIR showed illegal abduction and ransom demand. He said the act also attracts the Prevention of Corruption Act. Justice Gokhale noted the magistrate’s order taking cognisance of serious offences is unchallenged. She pointed out contradictions in the investigation and called the claim of “sterling investigation” an “eye-wash.” The judge highlighted how police crimes harm justice and public trust. She said accused tried to disrupt probe by faking illness and destroying evidence including deleting phone data and hiding AirPods and documents. The court said there is risk of tampering evidence and intimidating witnesses if bail is granted. It concluded the case is not fit for bail and rejected all requests.