The Tribune: Hisar: Monday, 6th April 2026.
Hisar police have arrested
a man, Manoj Sindhwani, who claimed to be an RTI activist, for allegedly
attempting to extort Rs 1 lakh from a mobile shop owner in Ganesh Market in
Hisar. The police laid a trap and caught him red-handed when the shop owner handed
over the cash to him.
The owner, Mukesh, stated that a building was under construction in front of Sector 14, and the accused had been demanding money while threatening to file an application under the RTI Act and get the building sealed. He allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh in exchange for not filing the RTI application.
Mukesh filed a complaint with the police, following which a police team laid a trap and caught the accused when the complainant handed over the money. The accused, a resident of Dev Vatika in Hisar, had previously been caught in a similar case of alleged extortion about nine months ago. He had allegedly extorted Rs 7,000 from an electronics trader, Anil Kumar, in Hansi’s Boga Ram Colony in a similar manner.
A police official said that the incident exposed the misuse of the RTI Act as a tool for extortion. As per the modus operandi, the accused would file RTI applications in matters requiring official permissions. Following such applications, departments would issue notices to the individuals concerned, who then faced the threat of their buildings being sealed by the authorities.
The owner, Mukesh, stated that a building was under construction in front of Sector 14, and the accused had been demanding money while threatening to file an application under the RTI Act and get the building sealed. He allegedly demanded Rs 1 lakh in exchange for not filing the RTI application.
Mukesh filed a complaint with the police, following which a police team laid a trap and caught the accused when the complainant handed over the money. The accused, a resident of Dev Vatika in Hisar, had previously been caught in a similar case of alleged extortion about nine months ago. He had allegedly extorted Rs 7,000 from an electronics trader, Anil Kumar, in Hansi’s Boga Ram Colony in a similar manner.
A police official said that the incident exposed the misuse of the RTI Act as a tool for extortion. As per the modus operandi, the accused would file RTI applications in matters requiring official permissions. Following such applications, departments would issue notices to the individuals concerned, who then faced the threat of their buildings being sealed by the authorities.
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