Government officer gets extortion calls from 'Ravi Pujari' demanding Rs 5 crore

Naib Tehsildar had got several calls from foreign country codes; the person kept demanding Rs 5 crore from him

The Thane crime branch and the local police are investigating the case where extortion calls were made to the Thane Naib Tehsildar from a European country. According to the police, the caller claimed he was underworld don Ravi Pujari and was demanding Rs 5 crore from the Naib Tehsildar.

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The Naib Tehsildar has been identified as Pandharinath Bhoir, 57, who is currently posted at the Thane Tehsildar office. According to Bhoir's complaint, on November 23, when he was at his office, he got a call around 1.45 pm from the country code +85. When he picked up the call, the caller addressed him by name and said he was underworld don Ravi Pujari. He also told Bhoir that he knew all about him and demanded Rs 5 crore. He said he would call again in two days.

Bhoir thought it was a prank call and ignored it. Two days later on November 25, around 6.15 pm, he again got a call from a number with +40 country code. He was busy and missed the call, but minutes later, he got a call from a +85 country code number. When he picked the call, the caller again said he was Ravi Pujari.

Bhoir said in his statement to the police, "I told the caller that I did not have the capacity to pay such a huge amount of money. The caller then said you have huge properties and good relationships with people. He then said he would call back in two days."

According to the police, two days later, he again started getting calls from unknown international numbers. On November 27 and 28, he got six calls from various international numbers, but due to fear he did not answer any calls and later visited the Thane police station and lodged a complaint.

Sources from Kolsewadi police station said, "We have registered a case and are investigating."

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