Sanjay Pandey accuses Sanjay Punamiya of political vendetta in extortion case

In Maharashtra, former DGP Sanjay Pandey has approached the Bombay High Court to dismiss an FIR accusing him of extortion, criminal conspiracy, and forgery. The FIR was filed by businessman Sanjay Punamiya, who claims that Pandey misused his authority in 2021 to extort money from him and pressured him into making False statements regarding prominent political figures. Pandey's legal team argues that the FIR is not only delayed by three years but also part of a 'political vendetta' against him since his retirement as the Police Commissioner in June 2022. They emphasize that all actions alleged in the FIR occurred outside Pandey's jurisdiction as DGP. Pandey’s lawyers contend that Mumbai’s police officers operate independently of the DGP, thereby absolving him from any responsibility for the actions that led to the FIR. They highlight the credibility issues related to Punamiya, a habitual litigant with a history of filing similar complaints that were previously dismissed. The defense points out that it is implausible for Punamiya to suddenly claim coercion after three years, especially since he allegedly had no direct interaction with Pandey during that time. The FIR also implicates two retired police officers and others, alleging that they threatened Punamiya to Falsely accuse various political figures, including Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, and Param Bir Singh, of involvement in land scams. Punamiya has stated that during a hospital admission, he was coerced to implicate these individuals, which he refused, attributing the threats directly to Pandey's orchestration. Pandey has previously faced legal challenges, including a money laundering case and a CBI inquiry over phone tapping allegations, from which he was granted bail. As the case progresses, the court will hear his plea to quash the FIR on December 18, amid claims of political motivation behind the charges.