'RTI activist' arrested for extorting builder

A man claiming to be an RTI activist was arrested on Saturday for allegedly extorting Rs 5 lakh from a prominent builder here and threatening him to pay another Rs 45 lakh, police said.

The accused was identified as Sudhir Bharge, police said adding, two of his associates have been booked in the case.

A complaint against the accused was lodged at Kasarwadavali police station in the city by a security officer of the construction company, they said.

As per the complaint, Bharge came to the company's site office in Thane and alleged that the builder had carried out unauthorised construction. He demanded Rs 50 lakh from the builder to hush up the matter.

He threatened that if the money was not paid, he would complain against the company for carrying out 'illegal' construction. Thereafter, the complainant kept visiting the office to seek money. The company finally paid Rs 5 lakh to him, police said quoting the complaint.

The accused kept demanding the balance amount from the builder, after which the company filed a complaint against him and two of his associates, police said.

"The company said it paid Rs 5 lakh to Bharge and did not report the matter to police earlier fearing that he would file a false complaint against it," police said.

Thane police spokesperson Sukhada Narkar said Bharge and two others were booked under different IPC sections, including 384 (extortion), 385 (putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Further investigation into the case was on, she said.