CBI takes over extortion case against Kolkata police officers

MUMBAI: The CBI recently took over the investigation of an extortion case registered against Kolkata police officers last year at Worli police station.


The accused police officers allegedly extorted Rs 20 lakh from Mumbai-based businessman Jitendra Navlani, the complainant in the case.

The state government transferred the investigation from Mumbai police to CBI a few months ago and on October 4, the CBI registered the FIR against two Kolkata CID officers, Rajarshi Banarji and Sumit Banarji, besides incharge of Raniganj police station Sudip Dasgupta and others.

Navlani alleged that Kolkata police was investigating a case against his company, Bonanza Fashion Merchants Pvt Ltd, and he came to know about it when his wife was stopped at the airport in Mumbai after her return from Dubai. Last July, she was detained at the airport based on look-out circular issued by Kolkata police and subsequently CID officer Rajarshi Banarji came from Kolkata and took her to custody. When Navlani, through a relative, contacted Rajarshi, he threatened to arrest her in the case and demanded Rs 10 crore bribe for favour. Rajarshi also made Navlani to speak to another senior officer in Kolkata on conference phone call who too demand the same.

The officer released Navlani’s wife after he agreed to pay. They subsequently collected Rs 20 lakh at different occasions, the complaint said.

The Kolkata police was investigating seizure of Rs 3.02 crore cash during nakabandi at Raniganj in Kolkata in May. The police had alleged that the money belonged to Navlani's company Bonanza Fashion and had accused the company for money laundering. Navlani had claimed that his company had no connection with seized cash.

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