Pune: Criminal, others ransack salon for not paying extortion

PUNE: Over a dispute of not paying extortion of Rs 5,000, a criminal on record and his three friends ransacked a salon and attacked the salon operator and his brothers at Mahadeonagar near Nalawade hospital at Manjri around 8pm on Friday.
The Hadapsar police on Saturday arrested a suspect Mustakeem alias Mushtaque Sikander Khatik (18) and fanned teams for arresting the criminal Akash Bhapkar and his two accomplices.
The salon owner Mohammad Shaikh (35) in his FIR said, “Bhapkar and his friends regularly visited the salon for having hair cut but Bhapkar never paid fees for the services offered. Instead, Bhapkar forcibly stole money from the cash box and threatened me by stating that you people have come from outside and you are asking us to pay money.”
The FIR read on Saturday Bhapkar accosted Shaikh, threatened him with dire consequences and beat him because his brother had refused to pay extortion of Rs 5,000 to him. Shaikh later rushed to the salon and was giving them information of the incident when Bhapkar and other reached there.
The complaint read, “Bhapkar and others hurled abuses on him and his brothers for not paying extortion. Brandishing a sickle, he threatned to kill me and ransacked the salon by pelting stones and damaged the mirror. Shaikh raised an alarm but no one came to his rescue because Bhapkar created a regin of terror.”
Poliec said the neighbouring shop owners downed the shutter fearing law and order problem.
Shaikh lodged an FIR for demanding extortion under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and Criminal Law Amendment.