Pune: 8 accused of extorting shop owner

PUNE: The Shivajinagar police are investigating a complaint lodged by a JM Road cellphone shop owner accusing eight men, including three criminals on record, of demanding Rs2 lakh as extortion money from him on May 15.
The suspects made the demand for securing the release of two criminals on bail in a murder bid case lodged with the Shivajinagar police this year. Inspector Vikram Goud on Thursday said, “We have arrested real estate agent Pravin Shelke (32) from Shivajinagar. Two criminals are lodged in the Yerawada Central jail, while five others are on run.”
Goud said, “Shelke and four others had visited the residence of the shop owner at the behest of the criminals and demanded extortion of Rs 2 lakh.”
Police said the complainant has accused some of the suspects of extorting Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000 per month from him since 2012.