Surat, 30 December: The Special Operations Group (SOG) police conducted a major operation on Tuesday, arresting Shravan Joshi, the youth general secretary of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), along with his associate Sampat Chaudhary on charges of bribery. The police are currently investigating to identify other individuals involved in the case.
According to reports, Shravan Joshi had been visiting government relief grain shops in the city over the past few months, recording videos alleging that shopkeepers were giving less grain to the poor. He then uploaded these videos on Facebook, causing distress among the public.
In this scheme, Joshi’s associate Sampat Chaudhary directly demanded a monthly bribe of Rs 25,000 from the shopkeepers. Feeling pressured, the shopkeepers called Sampat near Mangal Pandey Hall in Limbayat and offered to pay the entire amount at once. Subsequently, a deal was finalised at Rs 3.5 lakh.
The shopkeepers handed over Rs 1 lakh on the spot and recorded a video of the transaction as evidence.
Limbayat police registered a case against Shravan Joshi and Sampat Chaudhary during the investigation. Later, the SOG police arrested both individuals.
SOG Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajdeep Singh Nakum stated that Joshi and his associates were filming videos at government shops, falsely claiming that poor people were being shortchanged on grain distribution. These videos were used to intimidate and threaten the shopkeepers.
The DCP added that Shravan Joshi is a clothing businessman affiliated with the AAP. He, along with his associates, would visit shops to record these videos. Under pressure from these videos, shopkeepers were coerced into paying money, with Sampat Chaudhary demanding and finalising the bribe deals.
It appears that around 15 to 20 traders have been affected by this extortion. The investigation is ongoing, and more people may be implicated. The DCP assured that further information would be shared as more names come to light.
The SOG police are conducting a thorough investigation to determine the full extent of involvement and the scale of the operation. Meanwhile, Shravan Joshi and Sampat Chaudhary remain in custody.
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My name is Ganpat Singh Choughan. I am an experienced content writer with 7 years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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