Hisar: The police on Friday night arrested an RTI activist for allegedly extorting Rs 1 lakh from a shopkeeper by threatening to get his under-construction building sealed through a complaint to the Hisar municipal corporation.The accused, identified as Manoj Sindhwani of Dev Vatika in Hisar, was caught red-handed during a trap laid by the city police. A case has been registered against him based on a complaint filed by Deepanshu.According to the complaint, Deepanshu was constructing a building near Sector 14 in the city when the accused allegedly began demanding money, threatening to file an RTI and a complaint to have the structure sealed if payment was not made.The shopkeeper later approached the superintendent of police, Hisar, following which the city police were directed to take action. Acting on the complaint, a trap was laid, and the accused was apprehended while allegedly accepting the money.The police said they were probing the accused’s links to ascertain whether others were involved and if the extorted amount was to be shared. The investigation will also examine the role of any other individuals allegedly involved in similar activities within the MC.The officials added that the accused had faced similar allegations in the past. also Around nine months ago, a case was registered against him following a complaint by an electronics dealer from Hansi, who accused him of demanding Rs 7,000 while threatening to report alleged construction violations. Further investigation is underway.
