Pune MLA tries to touch feet of man who filed extortion FIR

A video of a Maharashtra BJP MLA purportedly trying to touch the feet of a man who had filed an FIR against him for extortion was displayed here Tuesday.

The complainant Ravindra Barate had on October 12 lodged an FIR against Yogesh Tilekar, the MLA from Hadapsar in Pune, his brother Chetan and one Ganesh Kamthe under IPC section 385 (extortion) for allegedly demanding Rs 50 lakh from a firm to allow it to lay optical fibre cables for internet in an area in Hadapsar.

While addressing a press conference Tuesday, Barate claimed he had approached Kondhwa police station with a complaint application against Tileker and two others on September 8.

"On September 12, Tilekar was called by Kondhwa police station for enquiry, however, instead of going to the police station, he along with a common friend, met me at a restaurant, where he apologised with folded hands and tried to touch my feet for his 'wrongdoings'," claimed Barate.

Barate said he told the MLA that he would not withdraw the complaint.

Barate alleged that police instead of investigating the case against Tilekar, has started inquiring him.

While reacting about the CCTV footage video, Tilekar said he had approached the complainant along with a common friend before the FIR was registered.

"Whatever he (complainant) is saying that I approached him to apologies is wrong. I went to him along with a common friend and told him that I and and my family toiled for 22 years to come to this (MLA) position. I had told him that if you register a fake case against me, my political career will get affected so we requested him not to register a fake case," claimed Tilekar.

While explaining about bowing down and trying to touch the feet of Barate, he said that the complainant is elderly figure to him and while leaving the place he bowed down and tried to touch his feet.