Pune: The Faraskhana police on Friday night arrested two members of the Bandu Andekar gang on the charge of extorting Rs 48 lakh from a businessman to allow him to continue his illegal fish business at Ganesh Peth since 2016.“The businessman initially did not register a complaint against the Andekar gang members because of fear. He approached the police after the arrested suspects evicted him from his stall and handed it over to another person after a dispute between them over not paying extortion money for four months,” said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Nikhil Pingale on Saturday.Police registered an FIR against Shivam Andekar (30) from Nana Peth and Akash Pardeshi (30) of Lohiyanagar and four to five others for extortion.Pingale said there are numerous fish stalls, legal as well as illegal, operating on a nullah covered with slabs in Ganesh Peth. The Andekar gang extorted Rs 50,000 per month from the victim because his business was illegal.The officer said there was a dispute between the businessman and the gang members after the former refused to meet the extortion demands.“Members of the gang later damaged his stall, dispossessed the businessman, and handed over the premises to another person on the condition that he would pay them a certain amount every month,” he said.“The case was transferred to the city crime branch for taking action,” he added.Pune: The Faraskhana police on Friday night arrested two members of the Bandu Andekar gang on the charge of extorting Rs 48 lakh from a businessman to allow him to continue his illegal fish business at Ganesh Peth since 2016.“The businessman initially did not register a complaint against the Andekar gang members because of fear. He approached the police after the arrested suspects evicted him from his stall and handed it over to another person after a dispute between them over not paying extortion money for four months,” said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Nikhil Pingale on Saturday.Police registered an FIR against Shivam Andekar (30) from Nana Peth and Akash Pardeshi (30) of Lohiyanagar and four to five others for extortion.Pingale said there are numerous fish stalls, legal as well as illegal, operating on a nullah covered with slabs in Ganesh Peth. The Andekar gang extorted Rs 50,000 per month from the victim because his business was illegal.The officer said there was a dispute between the businessman and the gang members after the former refused to meet the extortion demands.“Members of the gang later damaged his stall, dispossessed the businessman, and handed over the premises to another person on the condition that he would pay them a certain amount every month,” he said.“The case was transferred to the city crime branch for taking action,” he added.
