Mumbai: The special CBI court on Tuesday sentenced Delhi resident Ashwini Kumar to three years imprisonment as he along with another accused, Rajesh Ranjan, extorted Rs 50 lakhs from a businessman named Satish Panchariya posing as CBI officials in 2013.
Kumar who suffers from 83% disabilities, was allowed to appear through video conferencing for pronouncement of the judgment.
The two were also accused of having extorted money from Bollywood filmmaker Rakesh Roshan and several other people by posing as CBI officials. The two are estimated to have earned more than Rs20-Rs30 crore through extortion activities.
The special court had sentenced Ranjan to three years’ imprisonment on February 8, 2022. However, the trial against Kumar was separated on December 1 2021, since he was bedridden and not in a condition to understand anything. Three years on, when Kumar was found to have recovered a bit, the court proceeded against him and recorded his statement last month. Besides, on Monday, the Bombay High Court made an exception and allowed him to appear before the court through video conferencing.
The case against Kumar and Ranjan alleged that at the relevant time, he was director of Alka India Pvt Ltd Co, which is in textile business. The brother of the complainant was also a businessman in abroad. One day the complainant and his driver were summoned by the CBI for a probe relating to one RP Meena. On this, the complainant got scared and informed the same to his family members and the friends.
Rs 50 Lakh Extorted By Duo
A friend of the complainant came in contact with Ranjan, who posed as a CBI officer and assured that he will manage everything, with the help of his colleague in Delhi. Ranjan then got them to meet Kumar.
The two demanded Rs1 crore from them and after negotiation the money was reduced to Rs50 lakh. It was claimed that Ranjan informed the complainant and his brother to pay Rs50 lakh to Kumar. At that time, it was assured by both Ranjan and Kumar that the file would not be moved to Mumbai and would be closed down in Delhi itself.
Thereafter, the complainant was constantly chased and threatened by Kumar that if he did not accept his demand of payment of Rs50 lakh, then the CBI would drag him in a number of criminal cases. Finally, out of fear the family paid them money in July 2011.
