Four held for extorting Rs25 lakh from Bhosari MIDC firm

Pune: Four men from Thane were arrested for extortion of Rs25 lakh from a fibreglass-moulded products manufacturing company in Bhosari MIDC on Thursday.A Pimpri Chinchwad crime branch team led by senior police inspector Rajendra Patil laid a trap and took the accused into custody. The accused, identified as Rahul Mishra (38), Altaf Janavekar (53), Ramesh Manjarekar (39) and Rajendra Kanu (35), were arrested under Section 308 (extortion) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).An officer from Pimpri Chinchwad crime branch said the accused had been threatening the company for the past six months. They claimed they had obtained information about the company under the Right to Information Act and told the complainant’s representatives that the company was not operating properly. “They demanded Rs5 crore from the company and threatened the complainant and his representatives with dire consequences if the money was not paid.”The company’s MD approached Bhosari MIDC police and lodged a complaint. “On Thursday, when the accused came to Bhosari MIDC to collect an instalment of Rs 25 lakh, the police team arrested them. We have also recovered a car from them,” the officer said. He added, “Mishra and Janavekar claim to be social workers. Manjrekar is a contractor and Kanu runs a car wash business in Thane.”Pimpri Chinchwad police have appealed to industry owners in the MIDC area to come forward about extortion threats. They can contact the anti-extortion cell of the crime branch at 75177517593. “We will immediately take action against those involved and provide security to the complainant,” the officer said.