Three arrested for extorting cylinder delivery person, associate in Pune

The complainant was taking his LPG gas cylinder distribution vehicle when he was accosted by three persons in a car and two others on a two-wheeler

The crime branch unit II officials have nabbed three persons for abducting another person on the pretext that he was selling illegal commercial cylinders in the market and forcibly extorted ₹1 lakh from him on March 15. The complainant was taking his LPG gas cylinder distribution vehicle when he was accosted by three persons in a car and two others on a two-wheeler.

The complainant told the police that the attack could have taken place at the instance of a disgruntled sacked employee of a gas agency where he was working. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

They posed as crime branch officials and alleged that the complainant was carrying out illegal cylinder supply delivery by selling them in the black market. The accused threatened them with filing a police case and said that they would have to pay extortion money if they did not intend to go to jail.

They whisked away the complainant and his associate to an undisclosed location where they were brutally assaulted. They also took away their cash and mobile phones and called up their relatives and asked them to cough up ₹2 lakh as extortion for securing their release.

The complainant told the police that the attack could have taken place at the instance of a disgruntled sacked employee of a gas agency where he was working. The complainant had even escaped to Jodhpur in Rajasthan and later mustered up courage to lodge an FIR at Chatuhshrungi police station under IPC Sections 364 (A), 385, 386, 387, 323, 504 and 34.

A team of unit II officials under the guidance of additional commissioner (crime) Ramnath Pokale arrested the accused who have been identified as Satish Sudheer Wanjale (33), Vikas Tukaram Koditkar (30) and Sudarshan Kishore Gangawane (25), all residents of Ambegaon. Unit II incharge Krantikumar Patil said the total seizure from the accused which included car, mobile and cash has been pegged at ₹17.55 lakh. Custodial investigation has revealed that there is a murder case lodged against Wanjale in 2009 at Khadak police station.