Pune: ‘Mathadi’ Extortionist Arrested by Crime Branch in Yerawada For Harassing Furniture Showroom Staff At Creaticity Mall
Mubarak Ansari
Yerawada, 6th March 2024: The Anti-Extortion Squad of the Crime Branch has arrested an extortionist operating under the alias “Mathadi” at Creaticity Mall in Yerawada. The accused has been identified as Shekhar Maruti Londhe, aged 37, residing at Nagpur Chawl, Yerwada.
The arrest follows a complaint filed by an employee of a furniture company located in Creaticity Mall at the Yerawada Police Station. Senior Police Inspector Pratap Mankar informed that Shekhar Londhe, posing as a Mathadi worker, obstructed the unloading of the furniture company’s workers from a truck arriving from the company’s warehouse.
Allegedly claiming to represent the local Mathadi labor union, Londhe demanded a monthly payment of Rs. 18,000 from the company employee. Furthermore, a complaint was lodged with the Anti-Extortion Squad-2, detailing threats to the company’s staff and warning of dire consequences if workers’ contracts were not awarded. Subsequent to the complaint, a thorough inquiry was conducted.
During the investigation, it was discovered that the accused, Londhe, lacked any valid work order from the company’s management. Moreover, there was no record of the worker with the Mathadi Board, raising suspicions about the legitimacy of the extortion attempt. Shockingly, it was revealed that the accused had previously extorted Rs. 12,000 from the complainant.
Consequently, a case has been registered against Shekhar Maruti Londhe at the Yerawada Police Station. The accused is currently in police custody, pending further legal proceedings.
The action was taken under the guidance of Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Shailesh Balkawade, DCP (Crime) Amol Zende and ACP (Crime 2) Satish Govekar. The team included Police Inspector Pratap Mankar, Sub-Inspector Mohandas Jadhav, and Vijay Gurav, Sangram Shingare, Saidoba Bhojrao, Amol Pilane, Chetan Chavan, and Chetan Shirolkar.
