BJP corporator held for extortion in Bhiwandi

BJP corporator and two associates arrested for allegedly extorting money from a bar owner in Bhiwandi. Accused demanded protection money and monthly ransom.

Bhiwandi: Three people including a Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator from Akola nagar panchayat in Ahmednagar district were arrested on Monday for allegedly extorting money from a Bhiwandi bar owner on Friday night. The arrested accused were identified as Hitesh Kumbhar, 33 – a BJP corporator, and his two associates Devendra Khutekar and Rakesh Khumbhakarn. All three were produced in the Bhiwandi court and remanded in magisterial custody, said police.

BJP corporator held for extortion in Bhiwandi

Santosh Bhoir, the owner of Laila Bar under the jurisdiction of Kongaon police station, filed a complaint based on which an FIR was registered against the accused. Bhoir mentioned in his complaint that Kumbhar had been frequenting his bar for the preceding four to five days claiming he was a BJP corporator from Mumbai, said police sources. Kumbhar asked Bhoir to pay him ₹8 lakh towards protection money including ₹5 lakh for the orchestra and ₹3 lakh for the service bar if he wanted to run his business smoothly. He also demanded a monthly ransom of ₹25,000.

Bhoir told Kumbhar that he would discuss the matter with eight other bar owners in Kongaon. He met the owners, and they decided that each one would contribute ₹3,000, so they could pay ₹27,000 to Kumbhar as good luck amount.

Meanwhile, Bhoir also informed the police and worked with them to ensnare the accused. On December 23, Bhoir set up a meeting between the bar owners including himself, and Kumbhar and his group. He told Kumbhar that they were ready to pay him ₹27,000 and handed over the same amount to him in cash, with marked currency notes. Police caught Kumbhar accepting cash red-handed and the money was recovered from his pocket.

During investigation, police found that Kumbhar was not a corporator from Mumbai, as he claimed, but from Akola nagar panchayat in Ahmednagar district. He was booked under sections 384 (extortion) 386 (extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt), 506 (criminal Intimidation), and 34 (common Intention) of the Indian Penal Code.