Ahmedabad Contractor Alleges ₹15 Lakh Extortion Bid After Buying Asarwa Office for ₹1.05 Crore
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Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
An Ahmedabad labour contractor has accused a businessman and an unidentified person of demanding ₹15 lakh to prevent the cancellation of an office deal despite his paying ₹1.05 crore through an auction.
The contractor, Vijaypalsingh Rathod of Kubernagar, has lodged a complaint at Shahpur Kotda police station, alleging that he was threatened with losing the property unless he paid the demanded amount. Police have registered a case against Manoj Birla and an unidentified person and launched an investigation.
Contractor Paid ₹1.05 Crore Through RTGS
According to the complaint, Rathod came across a newspaper advertisement around 18 months ago announcing the auction of offices numbered 219 to 230 on the second floor of Atariya Business Zone, near Asarwa Railway Station.
He approached Ugro Capital Limited at its Law Garden office, where the auction deal was finalised for ₹1.05 crore.
On September 1, Rathod transferred the entire amount to the finance company through RTGS. The company assured him that the sale letter and possession of the property would be handed over on October 29.
₹15 Lakh Demand Followed By WhatsApp Call
The dispute surfaced on October 27, when Harshbhai, a supervisor at Atariya Business Zone, allegedly informed Rathod that Manoj Birla had also claimed the property and submitted a demand draft to the company.
Rathod subsequently visited the commercial complex with his son and brother. There, Birla allegedly told him that he would have to pay ₹15 lakh to retain the property, threatening to get the auction deal cancelled otherwise.
Another person accompanying Birla allegedly pressured Rathod to pay the money and settle the matter.
Birla later contacted the contractor through a WhatsApp call and reportedly reduced the demand to ₹10 lakh. Rathod refused to pay.
Finance Company Cancels Auction Citing Technical Reasons
A few hours after the alleged demand, Rathod received an email from Ugro Capital Limited informing him that the auction had been cancelled due to technical reasons.
The contractor suspected a conspiracy to extort money or take control of the property, particularly as he had already paid the full auction amount.
He subsequently approached Shahpur Kotda police station and filed a complaint against Birla and the unidentified person. Police have registered a case and are investigating the alleged extortion attempt and the circumstances surrounding the auction cancellation.
