Extortionist held for murder bid

VADODARA, July 8: Rajesh Mohanbhai Patel, a miscreant, who used to extort money by claiming to be a Bharatiya Janata Party activist and p...

VADODARA, July 8: Rajesh Mohanbhai Patel, a miscreant, who used to extort money by claiming to be a Bharatiya Janata Party activist and pretending to be close to city BJP bigwigs, was arrested on the charge of attempt to murder a watchman of the Lalbaug Cooperative Bank here on Thursday.

The police also later arrested his brother Dinesh Mohanbhai Patel who allegedly threatened Ramesh Ambalal Patel, a senior functionary of the bank, for lodging a police case against his brother. A case under Prohibition Act was also registered against Dinesh as he was drunk at the time of his arrest.

Deputy Commissioner of Police South Mohan Jha said that Rajesh, who had an altercation with the watchman on Tuesday, tried to snatch the watchman8217;s gun on Thursday along with four of his associates.

When watchman Harshadbhai Prahladbhai Raval tried to resist, trigger was pressed leading to firing. However, no one was injured. The bullet hit the wall of the bank. While one of Rajesh8217;s associates Bharat Ratilal Chauhan was arrested from his residence, remaining three are still absconding.

According to police, Rajesh has been doing extortion for quite some time with Udey Pawar, a Shiva Sainik and a close associate of a former underworld don Raju Risaldar. Rajesh is said to have beaten up a STD/PCO operator of the Manjelpur area recently when the latter demanded money for the call he had made from his booth.

Meanwhile, bank manager Jagdishbhai Bhailal Shah also lodged an FIR with the Makarpura police alleging that he was badly beaten up by Rajesh in his office in Manjelpur on June 29 when he refused to pay a ransom of Rs. 2 lakh. Shah showed the marks of injury on his body to DCP Mohan Jha.

Shah alleged that he was asked to pay the ransom at Lama Hotel near Lalbaug Railway Crossing and threatened that his family would be eliminated if he failed to oblige. He alleged that bank8217;s managing director Purushottam Das was also present in Rajesh8217;s office when he Shah was called there and beaten up.

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8220;I am father of Raju Risaldar and enjoy backing of powerful politicians. Police cannot do anything against me,8221; Shah quoted Rajesh Patel as saying.