Four, including Padminiba Vala who extorted ₹7 lakh from 80-yr-old, arrested in Gondal

A police complaint was filed in Gondal against five individuals—including social activist Padminiba Vala—for honey-trapping an elderly man and extorting ₹7 lakh to ₹8 lakh from him through intimidation. In a significant late-night operation, police arrested four of the accused, including Vala. One accused is absconding.

An 80-year-old man residing on Jetpur Road filed a complaint at Gondal police station against a woman named Tejal Chhaya, Padminiba Vala, her son Satyajitsinh Vala, and two others named Shyam Raychura, and Hiren Devadiya.

As per the complaint, about 15 days ago while sitting outside his house in Gondal, the elderly man was approached by a woman in a rickshaw who identified herself as Chhaya. She initially asked for an address and then returned shortly after, striking up a conversation to build trust and eventually took his mobile number.

The next day, the woman called him claiming her husband had died and she was extremely distressed, pleading for help to repay her debts and threatening to take her own life. Over the next couple of days, the two continued communicating, including engaging in inappropriate behaviour over video calls.

Then, on Wednesday night, Vala allegedly called the elderly man, threatening him and demanding to talk about Chhaya. When the man stopped answering their calls, Chhaya, along with Vala, her son, and the two other men, reportedly barged into his house and harassed him for three hours. They then took him to an office in Mavdi, forced a settlement of ₹7 to ₹8 lakh, and left after issuing threats.

Frightened by the incident, the elderly man filed a police complaint in Gondal on Friday, prompting swift action by the authorities.

On Saturday night, the police arrested Vala, her son Satyajitsinh, Raychura, and Devadiya. The prime accused, Chhaya, is still on the run.