BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar seeks investigation by Thane CP in RTI activist extortion case; alleges involvement of TMC officials

Thane: The Thane police's Anti Extortion Cell (AEC) on Saturday arrested a 72-year-old self-proclaimed RTI activist who allegedly demanded Rs 3.61 lakh from a builder in Thane city. Soon after the arrest of the RTI activist the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), MLA Sanjay Kelkar demanded that the Thane police commissioner Jai Jeet Singh should investigate the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) urban development department officials' involvement in the extortion case and even they should be questioned.

Maloji Shinde, police inspector of Anti Extortion Cell (AEC) Thane police said, "We have arrested Mahesh Kankia for allegedly extorting Rs 3 lakh 61 thousand from a builder Kantilal Bouva in Thane. Preliminary information is coming to light that Mahesh has cheated many builders in this way. Therefore, some more builders are likely to come forward to lodge a complaint against him".

Sanjay Kelkar, BJP MLA said, "In Thane city, there are constant allegations that some officials are also involved in extorting money from businessmen by filing RTI applications. I have personally received many complaints from the affected traders regarding extortion through threatening RTI against them. I have now demanded that the Commissioner of Police Jai Jeet Singh should directly investigate some of the officers."

Kelkar has urged both the Commissioner of Police and the Joint Commissioner that some concerned officials of the Urban Development Department of the Municipal Corporation who are harassing the builders unnecessarily should be questioned. Kelkar added that the Municipal Corporation should not support illegal builders but those who are being harassed unnecessarily should get justice.