Mumbai: Bandra CHS committee members booked for extortion

The Bandra police have booked five committee members of a housing society at Bandra for allegedly extorting money under the pretext of issuing no objection certificates NOC to purchase flats The committee members also demanded money towards expenses for painting the housing societyAn FIR has been registered against Afzal Kaji chairman Asgar Jaffery treasurer Aslam Mukhtar secretary and management committee members Akhtar Jaffery and Salim Aslam Mukhtar of Sea Heaven society located in Bandra WestThe complainant Muffazal Lehri 71 is a book distributor and publisher He had met the committee members in the society compound in July 2022 along with flat owners as he wanted to buy flat number 201 in the society Lehri had requested the society to issue an NOC and also gave a letter in order to obtain a bank loan to purchase the flat He also asked for a share transfer certificate to be issued to himMuffazal Lehri complainantHowever the society committee members demanded that Lehri pay for the paint expenses of the society to get the share certificate and NOC The committee members also told him that he would not receive the necessary documents until he paid for the paintLehri and Sahil Badri flat owner went to a paint shop on August 1 2022 and bought paint worth R429 lakh which was sent to the society Lehri told the police that the bill for the paint was issued in the name of the societyAccording to Lehrirsquos statement to the police the committee members issued an NOC to him on September 15 2022 In October 2022 he bought flat number 201 However despite several requests no share certificates were transferred to Lehri or his son by the society committee members Finally Lehri informed the Bandra police and filed a complaintldquoWe have registered an FIR under Sections 384 pertaining to extortion and 34 common intent of the Indian Penal Code against the chairman of the society the treasurer and two committee members We will soon call them for their statementsrdquo said a police officerSpeaking with midday Lehri said ldquoThis is extortion by the society committee members They demanded the paint expenses in the presence of the flat seller There were three owners of the flat present during the meeting We decided to give the paint expenses to the society in exchange for the NOC We also received the NOC and we transferred the flatrdquoAccording to Lehri the committee members then demanded R35 lakh towards the cost of painting the premises for the share certificates ldquoI finally decided to approach the police and registered an FIR This is pure corruption and it should be stopped in every society We are paying the transfer fees for the flat and also maintenance costs The committee members donrsquot have any right to demand any money for any work to transfer the flat or NOCrdquo Lehri saidHe added that he has requested the police to take due action and arrest the accused for extorting money from flat buyersRs 429lakhAmount that was paid to procure paint for the society