RTI activist, associates booked for 'extortion' in Gurugram

Gurugram, Nov 3 (IANS) RTI activist Ramesh Yadav and two of his associates were booked by Gurugram police for allegedly "blackmailing and extorting" a Naib Tehsildar, the police said on Wednesday.

Yadav, Luv Kumar and others were booked on Tuesday after Ajay Malik, Naib Tehsildar of Badshahpur Tehsil filed an FIR alleging that Yadav and his associates were allegedly blackmailing and trying to extort money from him after he refused to register a property mutation due to insufficient documents.

Malik alleged in his police complaint that on March 12, 2021 Yadav had visited Badshahpur Tehsil for registration of a property mutation but after seeing the documents he refused to do that as documents did not fulfill the required conditions.

"On this, Yadav threatened Malik to teach him a lesson and also told him he will get him transferred somewhere else", Malik told the police.

Later Malik came to know that Yadav is an RTI activist.

"Thereafter, Yadav's associate Luv Kumar filed a fake complaint against him at the chief minister (CM) window. He also made a WhatsApp call to Malik in which he claimed that Yadav and two others are in their group. Kumar told him that they have made a video against him in which a registry clerk Kapil can be seen counting notes," Malik alleged.

"Kumar also claimed that Yadav will use this video to defame Malik and also extort money from him and if Malik gives him Rs 5 lakh he will withdraw his complaint against him," Malik told the police.

"I have all call recordings of Luv Kumar. A few days later Ramesh Yadav had also sent me the same video on WhatsApp, shot for blackmailing purposes as I had refused him to register a property mutation. Yadav and his associates had also threatened me with dire consequences," Malik told IANS.

Meanwhile, Yadav claimed that he did not visit Badshahpur tehsil on March 12 and never met tehsildar Ajay Malik. "All allegations made by Malik are baseless and he is ready for any inquiry," Yadav told IANS.

Subhash Boken, Gurugram police spokesperson, said a case has been registered against Ramesh and others and they have been booked under Sections 120-B, 384 and 506 of the IPC at Badshahpur police station.