Indian Express: Mumbai: Monday, 3 February 2025.
According to the builder, when he offered Rs 25 lakh, former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Swapnil Bandekar became angry and threatened to kill him.
The Mira Bhayandar Vasai
Virar police in Mumbai arrested a former corporator, a purported RTI activist
and two others for allegedly attempting to extort Rs 10 crore from a builder by
filing multiple RTI requests and threatening to get his Slum Rehabilitation
Authority projects in Worli and Mahim halted.
The police said the accused were caught red-handed while accepting Rs 25 lakh at a restaurant in Mira Road as the first instalment of the amount.
According to the FIR, the builder began the process of redeveloping slums at the two locations nearly two years ago. He was informed by his architect that a former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator from Nalasopara, Swapnil Bandekar, and three of his associates had been filing RTI requests about the project. The builder assured the architect that they had all the necessary permissions.
In his police complaint, the builder said that on October 22, 2024, Bandekar, purported RTI activist Himanshu Shah and two others met him at a coffee shop in Matunga, where the former corporator showed the RTI applications and complaints against the builder. Bandekar allegedly threatened that if the builder did not pay Rs 10 crore, he would not be able to undertake any project.
When the builder offered Rs 25 lakh, Bandekar became angry, verbally abused him and asked Himanshu if he was carrying his firearm so that they could kill the builder. The builder said he got scared and agreed to pay Rs 1.5 crore in instalments.
The accused then began calling the builder to demand the money. Not wanting to comply, however, the builder reported the extortion attempt to the police. They advised him to agree to meet the accused on Saturday with Rs 25 lakh so that they could catch the extortionists red-handed.
Accordingly, the police arrested one of the accused, who accepted the money at the Mira Road restaurant, along with the other three.
Prakash Gaikwad, DCP (Zone I), said the four accused would be produced before court.
According to the builder, when he offered Rs 25 lakh, former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Swapnil Bandekar became angry and threatened to kill him.
The police said the accused were caught red-handed while accepting Rs 25 lakh at a restaurant in Mira Road as the first instalment of the amount.
According to the FIR, the builder began the process of redeveloping slums at the two locations nearly two years ago. He was informed by his architect that a former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator from Nalasopara, Swapnil Bandekar, and three of his associates had been filing RTI requests about the project. The builder assured the architect that they had all the necessary permissions.
In his police complaint, the builder said that on October 22, 2024, Bandekar, purported RTI activist Himanshu Shah and two others met him at a coffee shop in Matunga, where the former corporator showed the RTI applications and complaints against the builder. Bandekar allegedly threatened that if the builder did not pay Rs 10 crore, he would not be able to undertake any project.
When the builder offered Rs 25 lakh, Bandekar became angry, verbally abused him and asked Himanshu if he was carrying his firearm so that they could kill the builder. The builder said he got scared and agreed to pay Rs 1.5 crore in instalments.
The accused then began calling the builder to demand the money. Not wanting to comply, however, the builder reported the extortion attempt to the police. They advised him to agree to meet the accused on Saturday with Rs 25 lakh so that they could catch the extortionists red-handed.
Accordingly, the police arrested one of the accused, who accepted the money at the Mira Road restaurant, along with the other three.
Prakash Gaikwad, DCP (Zone I), said the four accused would be produced before court.