E-Paper
3 in Pune police custody for aiding RTI activist’s evasion of arrest
According to the police, trio was instrumental in helping Ravindra Barhate escape from Pune after the news broke of a case registered against him.
PUNE: Three men accused of helping RTI activist Ravindra Barhate evade arrest by the Pune police in an extortion case, have been remanded to police custody by a local court on Wednesday.
Vishal Dhole, Aslam Pathan and Siddharth Dange, all in the 25-28-year age group, according to senior police inspector Pratibha Joshi of Kothrud police station, have been remanded to police custody till July 29.
“Dange has been a close aide of Barhate since 2007. These men were instrumental in helping him escape from Pune after the news was flashed in the media of a case registered against him. They helped him with travel, money and accommodation in Solapur. They even travelled with him to Solapur,” said PI Joshi.
The three were arrested on Tuesday. Barhate is also wanted in two other cases in the city.
In the case registered at Kothrud police station, Barhate was booked for allegedly extorting Rs 1.5 lakh from a realtor named Sudhir Karnataki (64); this is while allegedly demanding Rs 2 crore in order to not file a sexual assault case against him.
Barhate was booked along with a dismissed police constable Shailesh Jagtap, journalist Devendra Jain, Amol Chavan - man with a criminal record, and a woman who is a complainant in the sexual assault case against Karnataki.
The police are looking into the claims made in a public interest litigation (PIL) against Barhate that allege his involvement in dealings of various pieces of land that collectively, are valued at Rs 2,670 crore.
