Pune –2 RTI activists arrested for extorting Rs 10 lakhs from developer

Last updated Dec 3, 2018

PUNE NP NEWS NETWORK Two persons claiming to be Right to Information (RTI) activists were arrested by Pune city police for allegedly trying to extort Rs 10 lakhs from a builder after obtaining the information under RTI. Initially they had asked for Rs 20 lakhs.

The arrested persons have been identified as Ashutosh Arun Gholap (45) of Kothrud and Ramchandra Dnyoba Phuge (65) of Yerwada. Prashant Agarwal (31) has lodged an FIR against them with Shivajinagar police station.

According to police, the accused persons had obtained information from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) about a building constructed by Agarwal. Claiming that the construction is illegal, the duo lodged complaint with the PMC and inorder to take back their complaint they demanded Rs 20 lakhs between November 29 and December 1. After negotiations the amount was brought down to Rs 10 lakhs.

Meanwhile, Agarwal had informed police who laid a trap caught the duo accepting the amount at a hotel around 7.40 pm in Shivajinagar on Saturday.

The accused persons have been charged for offences under sections 384 (extortion) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Assistant police inspector VG Shinde is further investigating the case.