64-year-old arrested for threatening developer, trying to extort ₹1 cr

The Samta Nagar police on Saturday arrested a 64-year-old man for allegedly threatening to kill the head of a redevelopment project in Kandivali East and trying to extort ₹1 crore from the developer

MUMBAI: The Samta Nagar police on Saturday arrested a 64-year-old man for allegedly threatening to kill the head of a redevelopment project in Kandivali East and trying to extort ₹1 crore from the developer.

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According to the police, the accused, Madhukar Masavkar alias Ahu, was arrested by the Anti Extortion Cell of Mumbai Crime Branch in the past.

Police officers said that the complainant Satish Hegde works for the developer Mukesh Waghela who is redeveloping a complex of 80 housing societies in Kandivali East, housing around 2,800 families. Waghela received the contract of redevelopment in 2007 after the Samta Nagar Societies Union was formed which Masavkar was a member.

The SD Corporation Pvt Ltd has so far provided permanent alternate accommodation to 2,000 families and given possession to the residents. However, for years Masavkar has been threatening the project head and trying to extort money from him by threatening to turn the residents against him. The complainant said that Masavkar has also threatened the workers and stopped the work at the site at times.

Hegde told the police that a year ago Masavkar had demanded money from Waghela and had been given some amount as pity. However, over the years his demands have increased and now he has started demanding ₹1 crore or a commercial tenement from the project. When he was refused, Masavkar threatened to kill him with the help of underworld gangsters.

In 2012 the developer registered a police case against Masavkar but after he apologised, they did not act upon it as he had stopped. However, since February Masavkar had started making demands again.

On Saturday the developer approached the police and registered an FIR under sections 386 (Extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code against Masavkar.

“We have arrested Masavkar and are investigating the case. We are analysing some threat messages sent by him and are sent to the forensic laboratory in Kalina,” said a police official from Samta Nagar police station.