Cops watch as corporator’s son, accused of extortion, roams free and gets married

A Corporator's son managed to get married and complete all the rituals, as the Navghar police did not arrest him even after a day of booking him in a case of extortion and kidnapping. T ward corporator Rajani Keni's son Namit Keni and two others allegedly threatened a civil contractor and forced him to take back a work tender by forging his signature.

Though the contractor, Sanket Hirlekar filed a complaint with the police on December 13, cops did not act on the matter till late December 14. Now they claim that the main accused is absconding. Hirlekar, who runs SCH Construction Company, had filed a tender for civil work in T ward, Mulund (East). The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had allotted him the tender through the online process. On December 4, Hirlekar received a call from an unknown number. The caller identified himself as Manoj Jadhav and claimed that he was speaking from the local corporator's office. Jadhav further told him that the work for which he received the tender was already complete and that he should only finish the formalities.

Namit Keni's wedding ceremony was held the day he was booked in the case

Asked to withdraw tender

Jadhav allegedly asked Hirlekar to write a letter to the T ward office and withdraw his tender. After a while, Hirlekar received another call and the caller identified himself as Namit Keni. Namit asked Hirleker to visit the corporator's office. However, when the contractor did not go to the office, Namit again called on December 6 to remind him.

According to the complaint filed by Hirlekar, he went to the corporator's office on December 7 and met Rajani, who told him that Namit looked after all the work in her ward and he must speak to him. After Rajani left the office, Namit allegedly told him, "All the work in this ward is done by us, you should withdraw the work tender and submit a letter mentioning the same."

Namit Keni. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

When Hirlekar hesitated, Jadhav, who is Namit's associate, threatened him with life and said, "I know where you live." Another person threatened Hirlekar while Namit abused him. Thereafter, Namit allegedly asked his associates to write a letter to T ward officials.

Threatened and abused

"They kept threatening me and my friend, who was there. When I refused, they drafted a letter themselves and forged my signature. After that they asked us to sit in a car and drove us to the T ward office. As the lunch break was on, the letter could not be given to the dispatch section," said Hirlekar in his complaint to the police. "After speaking to a junior engineer over phone, they let us go," he added.

Hirlekar then went to the Navghar police station on December 13 and reported the matter. An FIR was registered against Namit, Manoj and Govind Jadhav under IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 365 (kidnapping), 385 (extortion), 420 (cheating), 465 (forgery), 504 (intentional insult with intent to breach of peace, 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention). The cops immediately arrested Manoj.

However, a day passed and the police did not arrest Namit. According to the FIR (a copy of it is with mid-day), though the cops got information on December 13, the case was registered around 1 pm on December 14. The day the matter was reported, Namit had his haldi ceremony and the wedding was held the following day. The newly married couple even attended satyanarayan pooja on December 15 at their home in Mulund. When asked about the late action, Senior Inspector of Navghar police station, Sushil Kamble said, "The investigation is on and we will arrest accused (Namit) soon."

Sena demands arrest

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena party workers rushed to the Navghar police station and sought an answer for not arresting Namit. Shiv Sena leader Nitin Chavre, who has sent a complaint to DCP (Zone 7), ACP and senior inspector, said, "Why are the cops showing leniency towards Namit? Is it because he is the son of a corporator?" mid-day tried to contact Rajani for a comment but calls made to her went unanswered.

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Day this month Namit Keni got married