Pune, October 26 A MAJOR racket involving city-based construction firm, Amrut Runwal Multi-Housing Private Limited, which allegedly executed forged power of attorney in the name of 278 farmers in Manjri, near here, to avail a loan of Rs 300 crore from a multi-national bank, was exposed by the anti-extortion cell of the city police on Friday.
Pradeep Runwal of the Amrut Runwal Ltd was arrested along with two others by the anti-extortion cell late on Friday night following a complaint of cheating filed by a farmer from Manjri with the Kothrud police here.
Cell chief police inspector Bhanupratap Barge said Runwal, Ankush Parakh and Jaideep Limaye were arrested after preliminary investigations revealed their involvement in the forging of power of attorney. “We suspect a bigger racket behind this involving employees from the sub-registrar’s office and other related government offices, besides private agents in Manjri,” Barge said.
The anti-extortion cell will further investigate the case against the construction firm and is expecting a larger racket involving nearly Rs 1000 crore. “The land involved is 108 acres, while 35 of the 278 names of farmers in the power of attorney were found to be that of persons long dead. This needs a thorough investigation,” said Barge.
Meanwhile in a related development, the anti-extortion cell has booked Congress corporators, Anil Jadhav alias Anya Don and Shankar Pawar, besides Shivaji Gadade, husband of Maharashtra Navniram Sena (MNS) corporator Chhaya Gadade, along with two others for attempting to extort Rs 2.5 crore from the firm by threatening to expose their illegal transactions. Gadade was arrested on Friday night.
Runwal Multi-Housing Private Limited vice president, Sanjay Raisoni, had registered a complaint with the Deccan Gymkhana Police a couple of days ago against the corporators, Gadade, Satish Dhotre and Shivaji Chaugule, who were threatening to expose the company.
Barge said Chaugule was a former employee who had worked with Amrut Runwal firm for 11 years. He had assisted Runwal in executing the power of attorney to seek a loan of Rs 450. The bank sanctioned Rs 300 crore. Chaugule was sacked in August and started demanding Rs 50 lakh to “keep his mouth shut.”
When his threats failed, Chaugule reportedly contacted the corporators, who accompanied him to Runwal’s office on Karve Road. There they threatened to tarnish the image of the firm unless they were paid money. In another meeting, Chaugule reportedly told Runwal that he will now have to pay Rs 1.25 crore instead of Rs 50 lakh.
However, Runwal recorded the conversation and approached the anti-extortion cell. Barge said the corporators and their accomplices were summoned for questioning at the Deccan Gymkhana Police Station three days ago. They have reportedly confessed to making the extortion demands.
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