Former Mundka MLA Rambir Shokeen is in fresh trouble after a night club owner alleged that extortionist Neeraj Bawana had threatened him at the Congress leader’s office in west Delhi’s Kamruddin Nagar in January.
Kamaldeep Dabas, the complainant, owns Club BnB Shooters at Rajouri Garden’s West Gate Mall. Kamaldeep claims that Bawana had demanded 50 per cent share in the club without making any investment.
“On being threatened, Kamaldeep had paid Rs 2.5 lakh to Bawana,” said a police officer.
Kamaldeep approached police as Bawana was arrested last month. In his statement, he told police that Bawana’s accomplices had visited the night club in January.
They claimed to be outer Delhi-based extortionists and told Kamaldeep that gang leader Neeraj Bawana wants 50 per cent ownership of the club. Despite being scared, Kamaldeep said that he would like to speak with Bawana.
“The gang members allegedly took Kamaldeep to Shokeen’s office in Kamruddin Nagar. Bawana met Kamaldeep there,” the officer added.
It is alleged that Kamaldeep was threatened with dire consequences in Shokeen’s office. However, after repeated requests, Bawana agreed to leave Kamaldeep on a payment of Rs 2.5 lakh.
Kamaldeep had sought three days to make the payment. Bawana agreed and said that his cousin Sandeep Sehrawat would collect the money from Kamaldeep’s house in outer Delhi's Shahbad Dairy.
“The money was paid after three days. Kamaldeep had not approached police as he knew about Neeraj Bawana’s criminal history and was scared of being harmed,” the police officer said.
On Kamaldeep’s statement, a case under section 384 (extortion) of the Indian Penal Code was filed with Special Cell police station on May 10.
Shokeen is in the process of being declared a proclaimed offender by a city court based on a plea filed against him by police.
Shokeen has also been named in an FIR filed under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) with Special Cell police station on February 2. During probe after Bawana’s arrest, police had examined victims of extortion by Bawana.
On April 24, Kamaldeep had appeared before police and tendered his statement under section 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Kamaldeep has also given his statement under section 164 of the CrPC before a city court.
A city court had also issued a non-bailable warrant against Shokeen on April 20 after the Special Cell submitted that he had not participated in investigations pertaining to the arrests of Neeraj Bawana and Pankaj Sehrawat.
Police have also recovered two prohibited weapons – an AK 47 and Self-Loading Rifle – from Shokeen’s property.
He was also allegedly part of the conspiracy masterminded by Bawana in which gangster Amit Bhura was helped to escape from the custody of Uttarakhand Police in December 2014.