RTI Activist Nabbed for Alleged Extortion of Andhra Pradesh MP

An RTI activist, Rushant Jaykumar Wadke, was detained in Mumbai for allegedly blackmailing an Andhra Pradesh MP and attempting to extort Rs 5 crore. He is accused of threatening to leak sensitive information acquired through RTI requests and robbing the MP's assistant at knifepoint.

In a significant development, a Right to Information (RTI) activist was taken into custody in Mumbai for allegedly blackmailing an MP from Andhra Pradesh and attempting a Rs 5 crore extortion, authorities reported on Tuesday.

The suspect, identified as Rushant Jaykumar Wadke, was arrested in a coordinated operation by the Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai police forces, according to official statements. Wadke is accused of using his RTI activist status to target a Member of Parliament from West Godavari district by threatening to disclose sensitive information obtained through RTI applications to Central investigation agencies.

The targeted MP reportedly began receiving threatening calls, prompting him to send his personal assistant to negotiate with Wadke. However, this meeting took a violent turn as Wadke allegedly robbed the assistant at knifepoint, seizing Rs 70,000 in cash. Following these events, a case was lodged, and a thorough investigation led to Wadke's capture in Mumbai.

(With inputs from agencies.)