(From left) Balwant Sinh Jadeja, Ashok Sinh Jadeja, Shivubha Gadhvi and Imran Rauma, members of sand mafia in Kutch district

What is the case?

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The extortion case was registered against four people— Balwant Sinh Jadeja, Ashok Sinh Jadeja, Shivubha Gadhvi and Imran Rauma—under Sections 386, 506(2), 504, 115 and 120(b) of the Indian Penal Code on April 18 at Santacruz police station. All these accused are said to be members of the sand mafia in the Kutch district of  Gujarat where multiple cases are registered against them.

The complainant Mahesh Gami is a cloth merchant, who lives in Santacruz but is a native of Kutch.

Gami told mid-day that he had approached Santacruz police station with a complaint against the four accused on March 16 but the FIR was registered after a month.

Senior Inspector Rajendra Kane, who is facing a departmental enquiry

Gami had taken the help of Balwant to dismantle an illegal liquor shop near his farmland in his Badargadh village in Rapar taluka. “Gujarat is a dry state but a liquor shop had been causing major inconvenience to my family members who work in the field. Since the local cops were not paying heed to my complaint, I spoke to my cousin who introduced me to Balwant, who promised to help,” Gami told mid-day.

“Initially, Balwant had not demanded any money to eliminate the nuisance created by the illegal liquor shop. After it was removed, I came back to Mumbai where I work as a cloth merchant,” he added.

“After everything was going smoothly in my village, Balwant called me one day and demanded money for removing the shop. I told him that it was a favour but still, I sent him Rs 3 lakh in total,” Gami said.

“Balwant demanded more money but I was not in a position to pay him; still, he did not listen to my request and would send gun-wielding goons to my parents’ house in the village to threaten to kill them if I didn’t give them more money,” he recalled.

When Gami did not cough up more money to the extortionists, Balwant called him on March 20 and added Shivubha and Rauma to the conference call. “On the conference call, Balwant told his men that if I didn’t cough up money, fire the gun. I was asked by his henchmen to share my location with them. I was completely terrified and reached Santacruz police station from where I shared my location with his men, and later switched off my mobile phone in terror,” said Gami. “Almost every day I would visit Santacruz police station for a month but the FIR was registered only after the DCP was apprised of my pending complaint,” said Gami.

What sources say

A source at the police station told mid-day that Kane did not want the FIR to be registered. “Kane wanted to get an NC registered but the complainant had all the clinching pieces of evidence amounting to extortion and criminal conspiracy. “Nevertheless, PSI Landge stood by the complainant and filed the FIR against four people,” said a source at the police station.

After the FIR was registered, two politicians came to Santacruz police station on April 22 and the meeting was fixed at the cabin of senior inspector Kane. “PSI Landge’s complaint letter stated that in the presence of two politicians, Kane told the complainant to submit an affidavit and withdraw the FIR against the accused,” said a source at the ACP office.

“And when the meeting was going on, Balwant was there near the Santacruz police station. Call data records and the CCTV footage of the senior inspector’s cabin from 9.48 pm to 10.16 pm on April 22 will reveal everything…,” said a source. 

Complainant assaulted

As Gami did not succumb to the pressure mounted at him at Kane’s cabin, the four accused allegedly thrashed him black and blue when he went to attend a wedding in Gujarat.

“I was kidnapped and beaten with iron rod and bamboo by a group of men, including Balwant. No police officer was willing to register an FIR against them in Gujarat. But PSI Landge called the senior officers and then an FIR was registered,” Gami told mid-day.

“My life is under constant threat. All the accused are musclemen and have guns. Though I believe in the legal route, if the police officers continue to behave like this, where will the common man go to seek justice?” Gami said.

The police source added that whenever Landge tried to seek Kane’s permission to allow him to go to Gujarat to arrest the accused, it was denied. “But after seeking a senior officer’s order, when Landge went to Gujarat to arrest Balwant and his gang, their mobile phones were switched off. It is suspected that someone from the Santacruz police station had been leaking the crucial information to the accused,” said the source. “Though the sub-inspector had detained relatives of the accused and had also confiscated two cars, a Bolero and Scorpio, used while threatening Gami’s parents, Patil called Landge to set them free,” said a source.

‘Cop’s car was tailed’

“After they were freed, Landge’s vehicles were tailed by more than 20 vehicles without number plates. All these vehicles are used by the local sand mafia of Kutch district where the local politicians support them and the cops can’t take action for fear of transfers or suspension,” said the source.

After Landge came back to Mumbai emptyhanded, he was apparently mocked by Kane in a meeting in the presence of Santacruz personnel. Landge, in his second attempt, however, managed to arrest two accused, Shivubha and Rauma. “This time, Patil had also accompanied the team to arrest the accused,” said the source.

Balwant and Ashok were arrested only after the case was transferred to Bandra police station.

All senior officials are tight-lipped about the matter. Landge also remained unavailable for comment. When contacted, Kane said, “Do you really think I will tell a complainant to file an affidavit in court and withdraw an FIR? Somebody is giving you false information. There is no enquiry against me.”

PI Amar Patil said, “I have no idea if there is any DE against me. The phones [confiscated from Shivubha and Rauma] are kept at the Santacruz police station and if the Bandra police need it for further investigation, they can take it from there.”

April 18
Day extortion case was registered