Self-styled social worker Preeti Das surrenders before Pachpaoli Police
   Date :14-Jun-2020

Preeti Das _1  
 Preeti Das being taken to the court by Police. (Pic by Satish Raut)
 
Staff Reporter :
 
Magisterial court remands accused Preeti to four-day police custody 
 
WITH Sessions Court turning down her anticipatory bail plea, self-styled social worker Preeti Jyotirmaya Das surrendered at Pachpaoli Police Station on Saturday. Cops arrested Preeti after conducting her medical examination at Mayo Hospital. Investigators produced her before a magisterial court and obtained four-day remand for her custodial interrogation.
 
A resident of Plot No 25, Priyadarshini Housing Society, Kamptee Road, Preeti (39) was booked for allegedly blackmailing and extorting over Rs 14.87 lakh from 50-year-old Umesh alias Guddu Devishankar Tiwari, on June 3. She had allegedly targeted Tiwari on social media. Also a resident of Pachpaoli, Tiwari befriended Preeti on Facebook and fell into her trap. By promising to tie the nuptial knot with Tiwari, she started blackmailing him. She allegedly extorted Rs 14, 87,600 from Tiwari by threatening to implicate him in a false criminal case. She and two others were also booked by Lakadganj Police on June 5 for abetting Sunil Kisan Paunikar (42) to commit suicide.
 
A resident of Plot No 682, Chandekar Mohalla, Juni Mangalwari, Paunikar had consumed poison in Babulban Primary School premises on November 27 last year. Sunil was admitted to Mayo Hospital where he breathed his last. Paunikar had borrowed money from Satish Ramchandra Sonkusre. As he was unable to return the money to Sonkusre with in the stipulated time period, the latter sought help of Preeti Das and one Mangesh to teach him a lesson.
 
Preeti had allegedly threatened Paunikar of implicating him in a fake criminal case for want of money. As he was constantly harassed by Preeti and others, he ended his life. She was also booked by Bhandara Police in similar case. Preeti, who often claimed to be a social worker-cum-journalist, had a good rapport with some police officers and local politicos. She was also appointed as a member of Peace Committee by police officers.