Pimpri Chinchwad police of Pune district on Wednesday arrested a BJP corporator and former Deputy Mayor Keshav Gholve along with 4 others in connection with an extortion case, informed local police.
According to the police, Gholve and others are arrested on a complaint by a local shopkeeper (trader) Mohammad Taiyyab Ali Shaikh. All the accused have been sent to four days of police custody.
"Accused have been taking money from the complainant and other traders with a promise to help them in getting shops for their business which were likely to be displaced due to acquisition for the Metro works in the area," said the police officer.
Shop owners would anyway get the shop in compensation by authorities as part of acquisition rehabilitation.
"They asked the complainant to pay Rs 1,200 per year as a donation to the organisation named BJP Kamgaar Aghadi Maharashtra. Complainant has been giving this money from 2019 till now," the officer added.
"Accused have also extorted a total amount of Rs 55,000 from the complainant and were further demanding Rs 1 lakh while threatening to kill him if the money is not paid to them," the officer said.
Other accused arrested in the case are Guddu Yadav, Ghanshyam Yadav, Malka Yadav and Hasrat Ali Shaikh.
( With inputs from ANI )
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