RTI activist held for 20L extortion bid over construction

Surat: Chowk Bazar police have arrested a 37-year-old RTI activist for allegedly extorting money from a manufacturer by threatening action against his ongoing construction project.The accused, Prashant Kachhadiya, had filed an RTI application with the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) against a four-storey building being constructed by the complainant, Mansukh Pansuriya, and allegedly demanded Rs 20 lakh. He is accused of accepting an initial payment of Rs 50,000. The victim recorded a video of the accused and later lodged a complaint with police.Police inspector SD Ratada said the complainant, who owns plots 11 to 14 in Katargam's Sahajanand Society, had begun refurbishing a run-down structure in March 2025. The accused allegedly threatened to get the construction demolished by filing RTI-related complaints, after which SMC officials inspected the site, triggering fear of demolition among the complainant.Under pressure, the complainant allegedly paid Rs 50,000 as the first instalment but later approached police instead of paying more money. Police have arrested Kachhadiya.Pansuriya bought two plots in the society in 1995 and later acquired two additional plots, where he established a fridge manufacturing unit. In March 2025, he decided to demolish the old structure and began construction of a new four-storey building on the combined plots.During investigation, police alleged that the accused is a habitual offender and had earlier been booked in a similar case by Adajan police.
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