Temple priest in Nagpur extorted by Pramod Bhagchandani, ninth case registered against him

Nagpur: The number of victims of notorious blackmailer Pramod Bhagchandani in the city keeps growing. Police have so far registered nine cases. Another case has now come up at Jaripatka police station. Bhagchandani did not spare even a temple priest. Threatening to have the temple demolished through the administration, he extorted money from the priest and was continuing to harass him.

Police registered a case of extortion on the complaint of Ritesh Durgashankar Pandey (26), a resident of Indora Chowk. Ritesh is the priest at the Hanuman temple in Indora Chowk. His father earlier performed the worship here. Ritesh made the temple grand by adding some of his own money to the funds collected in the temple donation box. The number of devotees here began to rise. About Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 is collected in the box every month, and Ritesh looked after the temple and made his living from it. Bhagchandani also used to come to this temple for darshan.

On September 12, Bhagchandani came to the temple. He told Ritesh that the temple land was not his and that he was taking all the temple's money. He said he would have the entire temple demolished in a few days. Santosh Singh, who was sitting with Ritesh, then told him that Bhagchandani knew government officials and that he should be careful with him.

On September 19, Bhagchandani came to the temple again and began threatening Ritesh. He threatened to demolish the temple if he was not paid Rs 1 lakh in cash immediately and Rs 10,000 every month. Out of fear, Ritesh gave him Rs 50,000 the next day. Bhagchandani left, saying the remaining amount would also have to be paid. After this, he began coming to the temple every Saturday to demand money. On September 26, he again threatened Ritesh and extorted Rs 20,000.

Fearing that the temple would be demolished, Ritesh did not complain to the police. He did so after learning that Bhagchandani was an extortionist and that several cases had been registered against him.

Police have registered a case of extortion and begun an investigation. Police are themselves stunned by the new revelations emerging every day about Bhagchandani's extortion. They are preparing to take stringent preventive action against him.