Reel rivalry leads to kidnapping, assault; four arrested

Powai police arrested Pune-based content creator Pratik Shinde and three accomplices for kidnapping and assaulting Mumbai-based content creator Chetan Chandrakant Devalkar.

Devalkar had criticized Shinde's posts promoting a Chinese betting app, leading to an eight-month rivalry.

On July 26, 2026, Shinde's accomplice Yash Babre forced Devalkar into a black Scorpio in Powai, where he was threatened with a knife and assaulted.

The driver was identified as Aniket, who had earlier warned Devalkar to stop criticizing Shinde's promotional content.