Navi Mumbai: Ex-Corporator Among 2 Arrested On Charges Of Alleged Extortion

Thane: A 64-year-old former corporator of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and his driver have been arrested on charges of extorting money from a contractor, police said on Sunday.

The contractor was carrying out digging work for the laying of the internet cable at Waghoba Nagar in the Kalwa area of Thane district.

He complained to the police on Friday that the former corporator, Manohar Krishna Madhavi, allegedly demanded Rs 2.50 lakh from him for allowing him to continue the work, the anti-extortion cell (AEC) said in a release.

The 42-year-old contractor had recorded a conversation between him and the accused and also a video of the latter allegedly accepting a part payment of Rs 1.50 lakh from him. He submitted the recordings to the AEC along with the complaint, the police said.

On Saturday evening, the AEC laid a trap at an office of Madhavi at Airoli in Navi Mumbai and caught his driver, Anil Sitaram More (49), while he was allegedly accepting Rs 1 lakh from the complainant, the release said.

The former corporator and his driver were subsequently arrested, the police said.

Sections Registered Against Ex-Corporator & His Driver

A case was registered against them under Indian Penal Code sections 384 (extortion), 385 (putting a person in fear of injury to commit extortion), 387 (putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt to commit extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation), 506(2) (criminal intimidation if threat be to cause death or grievous hurt) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), the release said.