A special court designated under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) has sent notorious Pune gangster Suryakant alias Bandu Andekar to police custody until December 26. The 70-year-old is accused of a brazen land-grabbing operation, extorting crores of rupees from the property, and threatening its rightful owner.
The Land-Grabbing and Extortion Case
The case revolves around a property in Pune's Bhavani Peth area. According to police, Andekar and his gang illegally seized the land in 2017. They then constructed permanent structures on the plot and began generating substantial income from it. It is alleged that the gang earned a staggering Rs 5.4 crore in rent from these unauthorized constructions.
When the actual owner of the property sought to reclaim it, Andekar and his associates reportedly demanded a massive Rs 1.8 crore as a price to vacate the premises. The gangster is also accused of threatening the owner with severe consequences if he persisted with his claims, creating an atmosphere of fear.
Police Investigation and MCOCA Invocation
The Pune police officially registered a case of land-grabbing and extortion on September 30. Their initial arrest in the matter was Manesh alias Manoj Wardekar, an aide of Andekar who works as a clerk with the Pune Municipal Corporation.
The police decided to invoke the powerful MCOCA provisions against Andekar and his gang members following his arrest in a separate, more violent case. Andekar was earlier taken into custody in connection with the murder of 18-year-old Ayush Komkar, who was his own grandson. The killing was reportedly a fallout of both a family dispute and gang rivalry.
On Monday, the police secured Andekar's physical custody from the Dhule district jail, where he was lodged under judicial custody in the murder case. He was then produced before the special MCOCA court with a request for a week-long police remand for interrogation.
What Police Hope to Uncover During Custody
In their plea to the court, the investigating officers outlined several critical areas they need to probe with Andekar in custody. Their primary objectives include:
- Tracing the utilization and flow of the Rs 5.4 crore collected as rent from the grabbed land.
- Identifying all beneficiaries and accomplices involved in the extortion racket.
- Examining whether the gang employed similar extortion tactics against other property owners in Pune.
- Investigating the source of income for the accused and any other assets they may have acquired through organized criminal activities.
The court found merit in the police's arguments and granted custodial remand until December 26, allowing investigators to dig deeper into the financial network and operational methods of the organized crime syndicate.
This case highlights the persistent challenge of land mafias and organized crime in urban areas, and the use of stringent laws like MCOCA to dismantle their economic foundations and bring perpetrators to justice.
