On Wednesday, August 9th, 2023, the son of a Shiv Sena MLA and several others were charged for purportedly orchestrating an armed kidnapping of a businessman in Mumbai. The Mumbai Police received a formal complaint and lodged an FIR at the Vanarai Police station, naming Raj Surve, the son of Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MLA Prakash Surve, among the accused. The incident involved the alleged abduction of Rajkumar Singh, the CEO of a music company, in the Goregaon East area, reportedly for ransom. A video of the incident has also gone viral on social media.
Mumbai police registered FIR in Vanarai Police station against Shivsena (Shinde faction) MLA Prakash Surve's son Raj Surve and others for allegedly kidnaping a businessman Rajkumar Singh for ransom from the Goregaon East area yesterday. Police named 5 accused including Raj Surve…
— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2023
As detailed in the complaint filed by Rajkumar Singh, the CEO of Global Music Junction, a private limited enterprise, a contingent of approximately 15 individuals forcefully entered his Goregaon office. Armed with guns, they coerced him into a vehicle. Subsequently, Singh was purportedly transported to the premises associated with MLA Prakash Surve, who is aligned with the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena. This location is situated near the Universal School in the Dahisar East region of suburban Mumbai.
शिवसेना विधायक प्रकाश सर्व के बेटे पर अपहरण का केस दर्ज, बंदूक की नोक पर एक म्यूजिक कंपनी के सीईओ का अपहरण । सीसीटीवी फुटेज में 10-15 लोग जबरन एक कार्यालय में घुसते, कर्मचारियों के साथ मारपीट करते और एक व्यक्ति को जबरन अपने साथ ले जाते हुए दिखाई दे रहे हैं। pic.twitter.com/jeOZ4yQiyS
— Namrata Dubey (@namrata_INDIATV) August 10, 2023
In the filed complaint, Rajkumar Singh contended that he had been coerced into signing legal documents at a location adjacent to the MLA’s office. The complaint led to the registration of an FIR against Raj Surve, the lawmaker’s son, and over a dozen other individuals logged at the Vanrai Police Station.
According to the filed FIR, Rajkumar Singh’s company specializes in extending loans to music enterprises in exchange for digital and OTT rights. He asserted that he had entered into a one-year agreement with a music company, Adishakti Pvt. Ltd., operated by Manoj Mishra. Allegedly, Mishra failed to honour the contract and neglected to repay the borrowed sum. Singh further claimed that he was subjected to verbal abuse and physical assault by Mishra, who coerced him into signing a contract termination document. Adding to the narrative, Singh stated that Raj Surve, son of Prakash Surve, urged him to “settle the matter” with Mishra, who is also named as a party in the FIR.
Rajkumar Singh said in his complaint, “On the instruction of Raj Surve, men who brought me in that office, shifted me in some building 500 metre away. Took me to the first floor of that building and kept me there. Meanwhile, I was getting phone calls from the police asking about my whereabouts, men around me asked me to tell the police that I am at MLA Prakash Surve’s office.”
He added, “Later, I was given Rs 100 stamp paper and forcibly asked to sign the contract cancelling papers, which Mishra kept with him after I signed on it. Later I was also threatened that if I speak about this to anyone, a money laundering case will be filed against me and they will ask a lady to file a false complaint against me. Later, I was again taken to Surve’s office where police along with my relatives and office associates had come.”
The complaint letter further said, “Initially, I was under pressure and threat, hence I refused to file a complaint, but later when I got stable and got support from my family and office associates, I filed a complaint in Vanrai police station.”
As per Rajkumar Singh’s legal representative, the sum in dispute for the loan equates to Rs 8.5 crore. The police registered charges against Raj Surve and several others under IPC Sections 364-A, 452, 143, 147, 149, 323, 504, and 506, in addition to Sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act.
