Two men posing as RTI activists held for extortion

Two men have been arrested for allegedly extorting money from a sculptor in suburban Santacruz by posing as Right to Information (RTI) activists, police said on Thursday.

The accused, Dinesh Singh and Ramesh Pardeshi, were arrested by Vakola Police late on Wednesday night based on a complaint lodged by Mangesh Bhagat, an official said.

The duo demanded Rs 20,000 from Bhagat alleging that he was carrying out structural changes in his residence without the necessary permissions.

"Singh and Pardeshi told the complainant that they were RTI activists and they would complain to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) if he failed to pay the money. Under pressure, Bhagat paid Rs 4,000 to them," senior inspector of Vakola Police Station, Kailash Awhad, said.

"However, the duo continued to demand money from Bhagat, following which he approached the police," he said.

Singh and Pardeshi regularly file complaints with the BMC and different government departments over various issues.

The accused have been booked under IPC section 384 (extortion), Awhad said.