Mumbai: Builder-restaurateur Y T Shetty of Suratkal Origin Reportedly Kidnapped

Exclusive report from Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai (MB)

Mumbai, Jun 10: After a brief reprieve, the kidnapping spree appears to be returning to this metropolitan city.

Yadushreshtha Thimmayya Shetty, 62 years, better known by his short name Y T Shetty, hailing from Suratkal, Mangalore but running restaurant business for about 45 years and real estate business for about three decades in Mumbai, is the latest one to be abducted. He is the owner of Ashwini Bar and Restaurant in Safed Pool, Andheri-Kurla Road and of Sachin Corporation, a builder firm, with head office in Megha Annexe Apartment near Vishal Hall in Andheri East. His two sons Ashwini and Sachin are also involved in his business.

Two recent pics of Y T Shetty

Shetty has been living with wife, two sons and a daughter in the fourth floor apartment of Raheja Vihar's Blue Heaven in Chandivli, Powai in Andheri (E). His son Ashwini Shetty lives in the next building 'Sun Dave'.

As the news spread, it sent panic in the business circles. Reports said Y T Shetty had visited his lawyer around 8-30 pm on Friday, June 9 and returned from there. But ever since, he did not return to the office nor his home. Neither are known his whereabouts. There has been no contact with him thereafter.

An earlier pic

After waiting through the night up to Saturday morning, Ashwini Shetty filed a complaint with Powai police station, where the personnel in charge refused to record any complaint on the pretext that complaint should be filed at station under whose jurisdiction the person has gone missing.

So they went to the Andheri police station where initially an FIR was recorded. But later the police refused to give details of the case to the media, but told the media that only an acknowledgement about the complaint had been given.

In the evening, when Shetty brothers went to the police station to file a complaint of suspected kidnap, sub inspector Bodke and inspector Indulkar reportedly demanded a bribe of Rs 10 lac. The cops are said to have threatened to kill the Shetty brothers in a fake encounter in case the amount was not paid, according to Ashwini Shetty.

Y T Shetty had purchased a land in Andheri East and developed it by erecting an apartment complex, where under the local laws commercial activity was not allowed. Doshi brothers - Kamlesh and Bharat - who had bought apartments in the complex tried to convert them into a commercial complex, which had been objected to by Shetty as promoter and builder, say the family sources.

This led to disputes and arguments. At one stage, in early June the Doshi brothers reportedly threatened Shetty by flashing a revolver. When Shetty and sons went to the police station to complain, on the contrary, a case was filed against him and the police detained him. Yet, by appealing to the vacation court, he was released on June 2 night itself, say the Shetty brothers. 

From June 3 and 4 they started getting anonymous calls forcing them to abide by Doshi brothers' plans, or otherwise to face the consequences. A complaint about threat calls was recorded in the Powai station. Threatening calls were repeated on June 5 and then there was a break, Shettys allege.

But on Friday, June 9 Y T Shetty went missing and suspected kidnap complaint was filed at Powar police station, naming Doshi brothers and land-owner Anil Sharma as accused.

Senior police officer C N Puri from the Powai police station has visited Ashwini Shetty's residence on Sunday evening and assured them of police protection.