Ex-Sena (UBT) corporator, three others arrested for extortion of SRA builder

Mumbai: Former Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator from Nalasopara, Swapnil Bandekar, and three of his associates, including a Right to Information (RTI) activist, were arrested by Navghar police on Saturday night for allegedly extorting an SRA builder in Worli.

The arrests followed a sting operation by the police at a restaurant on Mira Road, based on a complaint by 34-year-old builder Akash Pawan Gupta. The police apprehended the accused while they were allegedly accepting the first instalment of ₹25 lakh from the demanded ₹1.5 crore.

The extortion plot

Akash Gupta, the complainant, is a construction contractor managing a slum redevelopment project (SRA) in Worli under his company, Chintaharni Chintpurni LLP Realtors. His project, Darshan Society in Worli’s Adarsh Nagar, involves the rehabilitation of 240 slum dwellers, with rental compensation provided for two years. The project had received approval on October 22, 2024, and was underway.

Bandekar had reportedly filed multiple complaints against the project, citing irregularities. Allegedly, he demanded ₹10 crore to withdraw these complaints. After negotiations, a settlement was reached at ₹1.5 crore. Bandekar’s agent, identified as Himanshu Shah (45), was sent to collect the first instalment of ₹25 lakh.

On Saturday night, Navghar police set a trap at a restaurant in Bhayander and arrested Shah while accepting the money. Subsequently, Bandekar and his two other associates, Kishore Kajrekar and Nikhil Bolar, were arrested from Vasai.

A case has been registered against the accused under the Indian Penal Code’s sections 308(2), 308(3) (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 308(4) (extortion involving threats of grievous harm), 352 (assault or use of criminal force), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 3(5) (criminal act with common intention).

Navghar police station assistant police inspector Amol Talekar confirmed that all the accused were produced in court on Sunday. Bandekar, who served as a corporator in the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation from 2015 to 2020, remained aligned with the Thackeray faction after the Shiv Sena split.

How the case unfolded

The extortion allegations emerged after multiple meetings between Gupta and the accused. The first meeting reportedly took place on October 22, 2024, at a Starbucks outlet in Matunga, where the initial demand of ₹10 crore was made. When Gupta refused, he was allegedly threatened with dire consequences. Eventually, the amount was negotiated down to ₹1.5 crore, with an agreement to pay ₹25 lakh upfront, followed by instalments of ₹25 lakh in November and December 2024 and ₹10 lakh per month from January to October 2025.

However, when Gupta failed to make the payments, he was allegedly subjected to threats, prompting him to file a complaint at Navghar police station, leading to the police operation and arrests.