Thane, Jul 22 (PTI) Police have arrested an RTI activist from Kalyan in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly extorting Rs 50,000 from a hotelier by threatening to file a false complaint, an official said on Tuesday.
The Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Thane police's crime branch arrested the accused, Nitin Gole (49), on Monday night, with a local court remanding him in police custody till July 25.
Senior inspector Shailesh Salvi of the AEC said, "Based on a complaint received from a hotelier, we laid a trap in Kalyan and the accused RTI activist was caught taking Rs 50,000."
Gole had been threatening hoteliers in the Kalyan region that he would file false complaints of illegal construction at their establishments, and initiate legal proceedings if they did not pay money to him, he said.
Salvi threatened not just hoteliers but also police and other government officials, he said.
"Our investigation has established that he used his links to extort money by instilling fear of false legal action," Salvi said.
An FIR was registered at MFC police station sections 308 (2) (3) (4) (extortion) and 3 (5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
"Preliminary findings indicate that another individual could be involved in this extortion racket," Salvi said.