SURAT: Valsad police on Thursday arrested BJP councillor of Daman municipality and booked 15 others including his two wives for allegedly extorting Rs 33 crore worth property of a Vapi-based businessman.

Accused Salim Barwatia alias Memon is accused of usurping the properties along with cash and ornaments total worth Rs 55 lakh of businessman Upendra Rai, who had borrowed Rs 2.30 crore from him in 2018.

Memon, who had contested the municipality elections last year on a Congress ticket, joined BJP after the Lok Sabha elections. The accused were also booked under sections of

Money Lenders

According to the details of the case, Rai, who owns Gangotri Construction with his son Yagna has been into this business for nearly 30 years. However, for the past two years, he had suffered losses in the business and needed money for the marriage of his daughter Riya that was fixed for April 27, 2018.

He borrowed Rs 2.3 crore from Memon through an acquaintance Farida Engineer at a monthly interest of 10%. Police said Rai was not given the entire sum, but in six instalments between February 21 and 27, 2018 after deducting Rs 23 lakh interest.

In his complaint lodged on July 2, Rai alleged that Memon’s aides came to his house on March 21 and asked him to pay Rs 6.90 crore. They told him that the 10% interest was not monthly but on daily basis. When Rai refused to pay and told them that the deal was for monthly interest, they threatened him with dire consequences and disrupt the marriage.

From March 21 to June 7, Memon’s men kept coming to Rai;s house and and took away ornaments, cash and even got blank cheques signed. They allegedly got documents of his properties transferred on different names.

In May 2018, Rai was allegedly threatened on telephone that he would be eliminated if he lodged a complaint against any one of them.

Rai also told police Memon and his men not only took his properties forcibly, but also transferred the value of these properties in his accounts. They then made him sign ‘self’ cheques, withdrew the cash and transferred this money to accounts of some firms.

Rai told police that though he had repaid the entire Rs 2.3 crore between April 10 and 21, 2018 by borrowing money from his relatives. He also alleged that the accused had threatened his wife Neelu and daughter Riya at a gun point and made to sign some documents.

The victim said his three shops in Vapi, five acres land in Udwada and two high-end cars were taken away by Memon and others.

The other accused started in complaint include Memon’s two wives Firdaus and Ayesha, Suresh Oad, Allarakkyu Saiyed, Mohammed Dayal, Mohammed Afroz, Dhanesh Javeri, Abu Salem Valimiya, Darshil Soni, Manoj Ravindra, Sanjay Kapdi, notary Niranjan Shah, Imram Tebhla and Kamlesh Mistry.

Valsad SP Sunil Joshi told TOI, “After his arrest, we raided his office and house in Daman where we seized some electronic equipment and documents. Along with the money trail, we are also investigating from where did Memon get Rs 2.3 crore to lend to Rai.”