Pune: The State Crime Investigation Department (CID) arrested Additional Police Superintendent Shrikant Namdevrao Kolhapure on charges of bribery and fraud in a case involving a liquor license for a hotel in Mahabaleshwar.
The case came to light when Hemant Balakrishna Salvi, the owner of Meghdoot Hotel, lodged a complaint alleging that Kolhapure, along with his associates, demanded ₹2.5 crore to facilitate the issuance of a liquor license for his hotel.
The group, which included Kolhapure's associates Hanumant Munde, Abhimanyu Ramdas Dedage, and Balu Babasaheb Puri, initially collected ₹1.05 crore from Salvi.
Realizing that no progress was being made on the promised license, Salvi reported the matter to the Director General of Police of the Crime Investigation Department, suspecting foul play.
Following a thorough investigation by the Economic Offences Wing, a case was registered at Wai Police Station. The CID quickly acted on the complaint, arresting Munde, Dedage, and Puri. Kolhapure, however, evaded arrest and went into hiding, prompting a manhunt by the authorities.
A special CID team, led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Ganesh Mali and comprising Police Inspector Varsha Kawade along with constables Vijay Kumbhar, Nivrutti Padekar, Zamir Mulla, and Swapnil Jadhav, eventually tracked Kolhapure to Thane, where he was apprehended.
Kolhapure was presented before the Wai court, where he was remanded to five days of police custody as the investigation, spearheaded by Police Superintendent Manisha Dubule, continues.
