Two more extortion cases filed against Pramod Bhagchandani in Nagpur, total now 10

Nagpur: Trouble is mounting for Pramod Bhagchandani, who describes himself as a social activist and an RTI activist and is alleged to have extorted money. Two more extortion cases have been registered against him.

This time he is accused of targeting a temple priest and a grocery shop owner. In one case a threat was made to lock a temple, and in the other money was demanded by threatening to have a shop building demolished by bulldozer. With the new cases, the number of cases registered against the accused at various police stations in the city has reached 10.

The first case falls under the Pachpaoli police station limits. Pawan Manglani, 53, a grocery shop owner, was allegedly intimidated by being told that his shop building was illegal. According to the complaint, the accused used to visit the shop and called himself a social activist. He had also complained about the illegal construction of the building to the Assistant Commissioner of the Ashi Nagar zone and to the municipal commissioner.

The accused then threatened to have the building demolished and demanded Rs 1 lakh to save it. When the money was not paid, he allegedly kept making threatening phone calls. Under this pressure, the shop owner agreed to pay Rs 50,000.

It is alleged that on November 4 the accused took Rs 25,000 and threatened that the remaining Rs 25,000 must be paid by Diwali. Troubled by the continuous threats, the shop owner finally went to the police. Pachpaoli police have registered a case against Pramod Bhagchandani and begun an investigation.

The second case falls under the Jaripatka police station limits and concerns the Hanuman temple at Indora Chowk. Ritesh Durgashankar Pande, 26, the priest, was allegedly targeted by Pramod Bhagchandani.

It is alleged that the accused went to the temple, said it was built on illegal land and demanded Rs 1 lakh from the priest. He also allegedly pressed for Rs 10,000 every month. The priest was threatened that if he did not pay, the temple would be demolished and locked.

Fed up with the threats, the priest is alleged to have paid the accused Rs 10,000 on different occasions. Even so, the demands and pressure did not ease. The priest finally lodged a complaint at the Jaripatka police station.

Pramod Bhagchandani is currently in police custody in another extortion case registered at the Tahsil police station. With two more cases emerging, the scope of the police investigation has widened.

Allegations that he pressured people while calling himself a social activist and RTI activist, and allegedly extorted money illegally, are now emerging steadily.