Mumbai: The Mumbai police have arrested an Indore resident, Renu Sharma, for threatening to frame Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde in a false rape case. Munde had filed a complaint with the Malabar Hill police station about international calls from an unknown lady demanding Rs 5 crore as extortion. Senior police officers acting swiftly, tracked the caller to Indore and arrested Renu Sharma for blackmailing and extortion on Tuesday. She was produced before a court in Indore and brought to Mumbai on transit remand and sent to police custody till Saturday.
According to the complaint, the senior NCP leader, who is a cabinet minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, Munde began receiving extortion calls in February and March from an international number. The woman had demanded a shop worth Rs 5 crore and an expensive mobile phone from Munde, the complaint alleged. “The woman had also threatened to file a defamation and rape case against Munde on social media if her demands were not met. Initially, Munde gave Rs 3 lakh in cash and a mobile through an acquaintance out of fear that the woman would ruin his political career,” claimed a senior officer on condition of anonymity.
“If you want to save the post of minister, then what is the big deal about ten crores?” reads the complaint copy against Renu Sharma, who had demanded Rs 5 crore in cash and a shop worth Rs 5 crore from Dhananjay Munde for the settlement and withdrawal of a rape case.
The case was transferred to the Mumbai Police Crime Branch, which tracked down the caller to Indore.
Renu Sharma is the sister of Karuna Sharma, who claims to be the second wife of Dhananjay Munde. Last month, at a press conference, Karuna Sharma accused Dhananjay Munde of cheating and multiple extra-marital affairs and having six children from them. She alleged that Munde had an affair with her for 25 years and had two children out of the wedlock. Munde had made public his second marriage with Karuna Sharma after her accusation. Karuna was arrested in September 2021 in a murder case and also booked under the Atrocities Act.
Renu Sharma had then posted a rape accusation against her brother-in-law, Dhananjay Munde. She had alleged that the NCP leader had raped her several times since 2006 but Mumbai Police refused to take her complaint.
Despite repeated calls and messages, Dhananjay Munde declined to comment on the case.
