Pune: RTI Activist Among 8 Named In Assault & Extortion Case Of Doctor In Saswad

Pune: A shocking incident has occurred in the Saswad city of Purandar Tehsil in the Pune District, where a doctor was assaulted for extortion following an old dispute. A case has been registered against eight individuals at Saswad Police Station (under the Pune Rural Police Force). Preliminary investigations suggest the incident stemmed from conflicts involving social work and Gram Panchayat politics.

According to the available details, Dr Subhash Dattatray Shivtare (36) filed a complaint at the Saswad Police Station against Mahesh Raut, an RTI activist and Taluka President of the Consumer Rights Struggle Committee.

The accused allegedly threatened the doctor, stating, “You do not listen to me regarding Gram Panchayat politics, so I will ruin your life. You are a bogus doctor. I will defame your hospital and end your career. If you want me to withdraw the application I filed against you, give me 5 lakh rupees.”

The accused then proceeded to verbally abuse and physically assault Dr Shivtare.

Police records further state that the chaos continued even after the victim went to the Saswad Rural Hospital for treatment. There, Amol Namdev Pawar, Lokesh Mahesh Raut, Aditya Sunil Raut, Sachin Sudhakar Raut, Jitendra Maruti Raut, and Om Jitendra Raut allegedly verbally abused, threatened, and assaulted individuals named Shubham and Akash Jadhav. The police are currently conducting a further investigation into these crimes.

In his defence, RTI activist Mahesh Raut stated, “Because I requested information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act regarding irregular services at private clinics in Saswad, and because reporting on this matter appeared in the newspapers, I was targeted out of personal grudge. I was also assaulted, and a false case has been registered against me. I have filed my own online complaint, and the police are investigating the matter further.”