Satara cops book Pune ACP in extortion case

PUNE: The Satara police on Tuesday registered an offence of extortion against an assistant commissioner of police from the Pune police’s special branch after a 21-year-old businessman at Bhuinj lodged an FIR, accusing the officer of demanding Rs40,000 for not implicating him in a firing case.
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Deepak Humbre, on forced leave pending inquiry about an incident over two months ago when he headed the city police’s control room, is accused of visiting Bhuinj in uniform and threatening the complainant with arrest in relation to the firing incident a fortnight ago.
On May 17, Humbre had been to the Bhuinj police station for meeting his former colleague when he learnt about the businessman being questioned in connection with the firing incident. The complainant and his friend were then summoned to the police station. The police are questioning a few other youths also in connection with the firing.
Prior to his transfer to Pune about two years ago, Humbre was a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) at Wai in Satara district.
Pune city police commissioner K Venkatesham told TOI, “After receiving the copy of the complaint from the Satara police, we have sent a default report of Humbre to the office of the director-general of police. He was sent on forced leave few months ago after many people complained about him.”
Satara superintendent of police Tejaswi Satpute said, “We have registered an offence of extortion and investigating further.”
Humbre, on the verge of retirement, did not reply to TOI’s repeated calls and text messages sent to him.
A Bhuinj police officer said, “The complainant has stated in his FIR that he received a call from an unknown phone number and the caller identified himself as DSP Deepak Humbre. The FIR further stated that Humbre offered to remove the complainant’s name from the firing case if the latter paid him Rs50,000. Humbre told the complainant that there would be trouble if he did not pay the money and settled for Rs40,000 after negotiation. The complainant later approached senior officers of the Satara police.”