PCR of RTI activist till October 22

Times of India: Nagpur: Friday, 16 October 2015.

Kalamna police, on Thursday, managed to procure custody remand of Right to information (RTI) activist Mukesh Sahu till October 22 in a case of extortion, assault and outraging modesty of a woman registered last week. The magistrate, after being convinced of the grounds to seek custody remands, allowed the entire period of seven days sought by the cops. Sahu was arrested a day before under dramatic circumstances.

On Wednesday, Kalamna police further tightened their screw on Sahu by booking him in a second case of robbery along with outraging modesty of a woman in whose shop he had allegedly barged in to extort some donations for the ongoing festival season. He learnt to have forcibly wrenched Rs 2,000 from the women shopkeepers scuffling with them. Sahu later tried to flee before cops managed to pin him down. A constable was also injured during the chaos.

Sahu was earlier booked following a complaint by a widow whose husband was murdered in 2011. The police claimed that Sahu, who had offences against him in the past, had barged into the residence of the widow demanding share of her property. He started thrashing her in presence of her nine-year-old daughter until the neighbours intervened. Sahu's thrashing also left the woman with some injuries on her leg. An offence was registered against Sahu for the ruckus he had created at the residence of the woman.

Sahu earlier had protection accorded to him by the police after he claimed to be under threat as an activist. The police department later withdrew the protection, citing its misuse by Sahu. The activist later had filed litigations against the police department before the high court claiming injustice against him. Sahu had also filed complaints before the court against assistant commissioner of police, Lakadganj division, for having evoked preventive actions against him.

Senior PI Sunil Bonde of Kalamna police station said Sahu had been arrested for his first offence against the widow. "We will inquire into the first offence and later take his custody for the second," he said. "The police are recording statements in the case before magistrates and a woman officer (sub-inspector Chhaya Gujar) has been assigned to investigate as women are involved," said the PI.