Repeat offender booked for trying to extort money from AMC official

According to the police, Thakur would file complaints about illegal buildings in his locality, and when the MBMC would urge the two parties to come to a settlement, he would extort money from people

MUMBAI: The police on Thursday booked a 34-year-old man for allegedly sending threatening, abusive, and defamatory messages, and trying to extort money out of an assistant municipal commissioner (AMC) at Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC). The accused, Chandan Thakur, has been booked earlier for defaming over 15 government officials and demanding money from them.

The accused has been booked earlier for defaming over 15 government officials and demanding money from them (Shutterstock)

The complainant, Yogesh Gunijan, works in ward 1 of the municipal corporation where his role is to check for illegal constructions, act against them, recover property and other taxes and give birth and death certificates, said the Bhayandar police.

Gunijan told the police that on April 23 he received messages from Thakur claiming that more than 10 bungalows were being illegally constructed in his jurisdiction with no action being taken against them. Thakur sent the details to Gunijan’s official email too.

According to the police, Thakur would file complaints about illegal buildings in his locality, and when the MBMC would urge the two parties to come to a settlement, he would extort money from people. On June 4, Thakur called Gunijan to say that since the latter was not taking action on his complaints, he was not allowing him to make money from settlements with people who had built illegal constructions in the Uttan area.