Mumbai Police have registered an extortion case against two Goa residents and their associates, alleging that they collected ₹41 lakh from a representative of The House of Abhinandan Lodha (HoABL) and subsequently demanded another ₹6 crore to allow work on the developer’s One Goa project in North Goa to continue without disruption.
The case was registered by the N.M. Joshi Marg Police Station in Mumbai on August 27, 2026, following a complaint by Bhushan Ramesh Patil, a liaison officer associated with HoABL. According to police, the alleged demands were linked to the developer’s One Goa project at Karapur in Bicholim, North Goa.
₹41 lakh allegedly paid over five months
Police have identified the two accused as Siddhesh Jana Tari and Pritesh Salgaonkar, residents of Karapur village in Bicholim taluka. According to the complaint, the two allegedly visited the project site towards the end of April 2026 and threatened company representatives with disrupting construction activities.
Police said the accused initially demanded ₹3 crore each, or ₹6 crore in total, allegedly warning that work would not be allowed to continue unless the money was paid. Following discussions with company representatives, the alleged demand was reduced, but payments continued.
According to the police, Tari allegedly received ₹34 lakh, while Salgaonkar allegedly received ₹7 lakh, in multiple installments over approximately five months. The total amount allegedly paid was therefore ₹41 lakh.
The complainant reportedly approached the police after the demands continued despite the payments. Police said another ₹10 lakh was allegedly demanded recently. A WhatsApp call on August 12 was also cited in the complaint, with Salgaonkar allegedly seeking additional money to prevent disruption to the project.
Alleged link to local protests
The complaint also contains allegations concerning protests against the One Goa development.
According to police, Salgaonkar allegedly claimed that he and Tari had initiated an agitation near the Shantadurga temple in Karapur and offered to provide details of protesters and the amounts allegedly required to persuade them to withdraw the agitation. These claims are part of the police investigation and have not been independently established.
The allegations come against the backdrop of sustained opposition to the One Goa project from sections of the local community. Villagers and activists have raised concerns about the project's potential impact on ecology, water security and agricultural land. In July, protests in Goa marked roughly 100 days of agitation by residents of Karapur and Sarvan.
What is One Goa?
The House of Abhinandan Lodha launched One Goa in 2024 as a large-scale luxury plotted development in Bicholim. HoABL described the project at launch as a 130+ acre development featuring a luxury hotel, clubhouse and a man-made sea and beach.
Government records from the Goa Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) confirm that One Goa has multiple registered phases. One Goa P1, for example, is registered under PRGO05242232, covers approximately 188,129 sq m of project land and is classified as a plotted development. Its registered project completion date is March 31, 2029.
RERA records also show registrations for One Goa P2 and P3. The P3 registration covers approximately 140,267 sq m and lists the project as an ongoing plotted development, with an expected completion date of March 31, 2029. The RERA records also disclose pending legal matters associated with the project.
Investigation underway
The Mumbai Police have registered the case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to extortion and criminal intimidation, among other provisions, and the investigation is continuing.
The latest reports state that Mumbai Police's Anti-Extortion Cell subsequently arrested Tari and Salgaonkar. They were produced before a holiday court and remanded to police custody as investigators examine the alleged extortion, payments and the wider circumstances surrounding the project.
Importantly, the allegations against the accused remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings. The registration of an FIR or arrest does not establish guilt.
