According to police, Adsul had reportedly claimed that as the woman belonged to a Dalit community, Rasane’s son could face stringent charges of rape, molestation and offence under Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. (Representational Image)
Pune police has arrested a trustee of a non-governmental organisation, Vighnaharta Nyas Trust, for allegedly cheating and extorting Rs 5 lakh from a man who was booked last week on charges of blackmail and extortion.
As a member of the Trust — through which Pune Police undertakes various philanthropic activities — the accused, Narayan Peth-resident Jayesh Kasat, had come to know that Manoj Adsul had been extorting a medical practitioner, Dr Deepak Rasane, whose son has been accused in a molestation case.
According to police, Adsul had reportedly claimed that as the woman belonged to a Dalit community, Rasane’s son could face stringent charges of rape, molestation and offence under Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. He had demanded Rs 1.30 crore from Rasane to ‘settle’ the molestation case, and eventually took Rs 75 lakh from him in two instalments.
Adsul was booked on February 9 after Rasane filed a complaint in the matter.
Police said Kasat got to know about the transaction between Adsul and Rasane. On January 2, he reportedly called Adsul’s elder brother and told him to return the money taken from Rasane immediately. Kasat reportedly had identified himself as a trustee of Vighnaharta Nyas Trust and said he was acquainted with several local police officers and mediapersons, police said.
On January 6, the Adsul brothers handed over Rs 5 lakh to Kasat. Instead of returning the money to Rasane, police said, Kasat continued to extort the Adsul brothers for the remaining sum.
The Adsul brothers reportedly recorded their telephonic conversations with Kasat and later approached the police in the matter.
On Saturday, police arrested Kasat and booked him under relevant IPC sections on charges of cheating and extortion by threatening a person with grievous hurt. “Kasat was produced before a judicial magistrate who sent him to two-day police custody,” Sanjay Gaikwad, Police Sub-Inspector, Vishrambaug Police Station, said.