Pune: Dismissed cop, RTI activist, journalist among five booked in extortion case filed by builder; three arrested
Pune: Kothrud police arrested dismissed police constable Shailesh Jagtap and two others in an extortion case filed by a builder. Police have also booked a Right-To-Information (RTI) activist and journalist in this case.
The complaint has been filed by builder Sudhir Vasant Karnataki (64), a resident of Shiv-Tirth nagar, Paud Road, Kothrud. Based on this complaint, Kothrud police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against one Deepti Anil Aher, residing at Valle Vista Society in Bavdhan, Shailesh Haribhau Jagtap, residing at Tirupati society in Bhavani Peth, Ravindra Laxman Barhate, residing in Lullanagar in Kondhwa, Amol Satish Chavan, residing at Chavanwada in Kothrud and Devendra Phulchand Jain, residing at Priyadarshani Society, SInhagad Road.
According to police, Barhate is a RTI activist while Jain was working as a journalist with a reputed Marathi daily till a few months back. Jagtap, earlier popularly known as ‘Gun Man’ of Pune police force has been dismissed from service in November 2019. Jagtap’s last posting was at the Cantonment police station.
As per Karnataki’s complaint, Deepti Aher was introduced to him in 2007 during a reception function of a family member. She gained his confidence and made friendship with him. Later in 2013, she demanded that Karnataki should help her family with a flat on rental basis in the Kothrud area. Deepti started demanding Rs 2 crore and transferring ownership of land parcel at survey no 481 in Rasta Peth from Karnataki and threatened him with dire consequences if he did heed to her demands. Aher also gave a threat of implicating Karnataki in a false rape case. When Karnataki refused to give her money and documents, Aher threatened him by invoking names of RTI activist Barhate, policeman Jagtap, journalist Jain and Chavan. Karnataki was also threatened by Chavan on January 11, 2020 at Kothrud.
Karnataki has said in his complaint that he could not gather strength to file a complaint immediately in January as feared for his life and was under mental stress. Later he approached the Kothrud police in March but then lockdown was imposed and most of the police staff was engaged in lockdown implementation duty. Senior Police Inspector Pratibha Joshi is investigating the case.
