Surat: One more case of extortion has been registered against history-sheeter Mohammad Islam Pathan alias Parwana. Police said Parwana had allegedly demanded Rs 25 lakh from the owner of his newspaper office. He had also extorted Rs 20,000 by brandishing a knife and threatening the owner. He also refused to pay Rs 6 lakh pending rent for the office from where he was running a newspaper.According to police, victim Mohammad Yunus Shaikh, a scrap dealer, has bought an industrial plot in Shantinagar Industrial Plots society in Anjana Farm area. He had built a three-floor building and the ground floor was rented to Parwana for his newspaper office. It was rented at Rs 10,500 per month to Parwana since March 2017, police said. Parwana had paid for the first three years after which he defaulted, citing excuses, police added.In Jan., Shaikh and his son went to Parwana’s office and told him to pay the Rs 6 lakh rent that was pending or vacate the office. Parwana refused and threatened Shaikh. He pulled a knife from his table drawer and kept it on Shaikh’s neck., stating that he had many cases registered against him and one more case would not make any difference. Parwana also demanded Rs 25 lakh to vacate the office and also told Shaikh to give him whatever money he had at that time.Gripped with fear, Shaikh handed over Rs 20,000 and left his office.After Parwana’s recent arrest, Shaikh gathered courage and lodged a complaint. Salabatpura police have booked Parwana for extortion and criminal intimidation and initiated a probe.Incidentally, Parwana was recently arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) in a bribery case. He had accepted a bribe of Rs 4 lakh on behalf of SMC executive engineer Vipul Ganeshwala in Feb. The senior official had demanded Rs 21 lakh bribe from a businessman and instructed him to give the first instalment of Rs 4 lakh to Parwana.
