Thane: A 29-year-old RTI activist, who claimed to be weekly newspaper’s editor, was arrested for extorting money from a builder in Ulhasnagar on Friday. Police said the arrested accused has been identified as Nitesh Khatwani (29), who is a RTI activist and also claimed to be the editor of a weekly newspaper.
The anti extortion cell (AEC) of the crime branch of Thane police said the complainant, Rajendra Shreekhande, 36, who is a builder by profession, has a project in Ulhasnagar called Jay Bhole Construction Builders. As per the complaint lodged by the builder, Khatwani filed a RTI query with the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC) about one of his housing projects in Ulhasnagar.
“He initially demanded Rs 1 lakh from him monthly in lieu of withdrawing the RTI application filed in UMC. Later, it was settled at Rs 40,000 monthly,” said senior police inspector Rajkumar Kothmire quoting the complaint. Police said, “We laid a trap at the builder’s office and held him while he was taking Rs 40,000 in cash from the builder.”
Ulhasnagar police station registered a case and the accused was booked under IPC sections 384 (extortion), 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion) and 386.
