Social worker arrested for extorting money from NCP (SP) MLA

According to police, Ghodke, along with workers of the Vithal Co-operative Sugar Factory, Gursale in Pandharpur tehsil

Pandharpur police on Thursday arrested a social worker and labour leader for extorting money from NCP (SP) leader and MLA Abhijit Patil of Madha. The incident was reported on Thursday in Pandharpur, and the accused has been identified as Kiran Raj Ghodke.

As per the complaint filed by Nitin Sarade, the personal secretary of the MLA Patil, the accused called him and demanded ₹1 crore to stop the allegations against MLA Patil. (REPRESENTATIVE PIC)

According to police, Ghodke, along with workers of the Vithal Co-operative Sugar Factory, Gursale in Pandharpur tehsil, had been protesting for the last couple of months in front of the Sugar commissionerate in Pune.

As per the complaint filed by Nitin Sarade, the personal secretary of the MLA Patil, the accused called him and demanded ₹1 crore to stop the allegations against MLA Patil.

After discussing with MLA Patil. Sarade approached the Pandharpur police station. On Thursday, the accused called Sarade at a hotel in Pandharpur. An audio call clip of a conversation between Sarade and the accused went viral on social media. Accordingly Police laid a trap and arrested the accused while accepting ₹10 lakh as the first instalment.

Vishwajeet Ghodke, Inspector at Pandharpur Police Station, said, “Based on the complaint filed by the victim, we set up the trap and arrested the accused while he was accepting ₹10 lakh as the first instalment.”

A case has been registered at the Pandharpur City Police Station under sections 308(2) and 308(3) of the BNS.