Family members use RTI Act to blackmail woman

Times of India‎: Aurangabad: Monday, January 16, 2017.

The city police have booked four persons, including one woman, for allegedly using documents obtained through Right to Information (RTI) Act to blackmail a woman lawyer and tried extorting Rs 15 lakhs.

The 35-year-old woman lawyer, D D Hafiza Zamani, is a resident of Ganesh Colony. City Chowk police have registered a case against the four suspects for putting a person in fear of injury to commit extortion, for causing intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace and for criminal intimidation.

A police official said that the complainant is the wife of a senior officer working with the revenue department and currently posted in Mumbai. The suspects are their family members, but both the parties are involved in a family feud.

The complainant told the police that the suspects had obtained a series of documents, including those related to her marriage and various properties she owns with her husband.

She said that the suspects have been threatening her that they will approach the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) with a complaint against her husband for allegedly possessing disproportionate assets. They have been allegedly blackmailing her and demanding a sum of Rs 15 lakh.

City Chowk police inspector DS Shingare told TOI, "The complainant has stated that the suspects obtained her marriage and property documents under the RTI Act. They are now allegedly threatening to lodge a complaint against her husband.

The officer said that the police are collecting all the related evidence and documents supporting the complaint. Following this, the suspects will soon be arrested.

A policeman privy to the case said that the suspect as well as the complainant are close relatives, but are have been feuding for long. "The suspects were trying to pressurise the woman lawyer and her husband just to bother them. They allegedly obtained a number of documents under the RTI Act. The police have decided to initiate action only after getting substantial evidence in hand."