No relief for former DGP in kidnapping and extortion case

Khilnani and some associates are accused by a city-based businessman

A sessions court has refused to grant reprieve to former DGP Raj Khilnani and few other police officers in a kidnapping and extortion case filed by a city businessman.

The businessman, 55-year-old Narayan Tarwade, had accused them of kidnapping him and his son Atul Tarwade and extorting Rs 2 lakh from him. Khilnani had gone to court challenging the case.

Apart from Khilnani, who is now retired, another prominent officer involved in the incident, which happened in 2011, was then additional superintendent of police (railway) Digambar Pradhan.

According to Narayan, in August 2010, he had taken a task of land development from Jagdish Kochar in Mohammadwadi. Khilnani owned land adjacent to Kochar’s plot. While the work was going on, Khilnani alleged that Narayan damaged his land by extracting raw materials like soil from his land.

On January 28, 2011, Khilani went to Narayan’s house along with the squad of seven policemen including Pradhan, then police inspector Mahendra Rokade, sub inspector (wireless) Kulkarni, and constables Bharat Kondhalkar, Anil Aware and Bajirao Ghadge.

Narayan alleged that the cops abused him and threatened to kill his family. Later, he and Atul were forcefully taken to the railway police station in Khadki where they demanded Rs 2 lakh. When they refused to give money, they were confined in the police station for one-and-half hours. Later, Khilnani took two cheques of Rs 75,000 and Rs 1,25,000 from Narayan and forced him to sign an affidavit.

Speaking to Mirror, Atul said, “When we went to the police station, nobody took cognisance as the accused involved is an IPS officer. They had prepared an affidavit stating that we have no complaint against them. The police officers misused their power and post and threatened us to kill multiple times. We were kidnapped in a government vehicle.”

“Even after the court asked them to remain present, they kept prolonging the matter. We have been running from pillar to post to get justice,” Atul added.

Narayan then filed a private complaint under IPC section 364(A) (kidnapping for ransom), 347 (wrongful confinement to extort property), 448 (trespass), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation) in the court, which, in March 2014, ordered a trial in the case.

The accused then challenged the court order and filed criminal revision application for quashing and setting aside the order.

Khilnani told Mirror, “I am innocent and Tarwade has filed false case against me, which is pending for 10 years. Tarwade illegally excavated my land and for that he was liable to pay me damages. There is a court judgment to this effect.”