The Cantonment police in Pune have registered a serious case against a former corporator and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate from Hadapsar, along with three other individuals. They face charges of extortion and abetting the suicide of a local real estate agent, which occurred on Saturday evening.
The Tragic Incident and The Note
Sadiq Kapur (57), a realtor from Sayyed Nagar, was discovered hanging in his rented office located in a commercial complex on East Street around 7:30 pm on Saturday. The office space was owned by a lawyer friend. Police recovered a detailed 30-page note from the spot, purportedly written by Kapur before his death.
This lengthy note contained the names of approximately 35 individuals whom Kapur held responsible for driving him to take the extreme step. The name of the former corporator was explicitly mentioned among them.
Complaint and Allegations of Harassment
Based on the note and their own account, Kapur's son, Sajid (27), filed a formal complaint on Saturday. The complaint specifically named the former corporator and three others, all residents of Hadapsar, accusing them of subjecting his father to relentless financial and mental harassment.
Initial police investigations indicate that the four accused, along with other suspects, were locked in a property dispute with Kapur. They were allegedly constantly demanding a sum of Rs 50 lakh from him. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone V) Rajlaxmi Shivankar stated that the note described this demand as a form of extortion that caused Kapur immense mental stress.
Victim's Troubled Past and Police Probe
The case took another complex turn as police revealed Kapur's own controversial background. He was described as an alleged aide of gangster Rizwan alias Tipu Pathan and was wanted in a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) case related to land grabbing and extortion. This case was registered at Kalepadal police station on October 12, 2025.
DCP Shivankar explained that Kapur had been evading arrest since then, continuously changing his location within the city. His anticipatory bail applications in the Kalepadal case had been rejected twice by a city court.
On Saturday, family members who were searching for Kapur found him at his office around 6:30 pm and alerted the police control room. The family, present at the Cantonment police station, has demanded action against all 35 persons named in the note, which also includes two police officers.
"He was made to run from pillar-to-post for his life. Everyone was chasing him for money, which they wanted to extort from him," a grieving family member said.
Land Dispute and Broader Investigation
DCP Shivankar elaborated on the twin pressures faced by Kapur. Apart from the monetary demand, there was an ongoing dispute over a five-guntha land plot at Sayyednagar in Hadapsar. Kapur's family claims the former corporator forcibly took this land from them.
"The note added that due to these two issues, he was under tremendous mental stress and he ended his life," the DCP said. She assured that the police would investigate both the extortion claim and the land dispute thoroughly.
"We will investigate the case, and we will include the names of other people in the FIR if evidence is found against them. Their roles will be verified during investigation," Shivankar affirmed regarding the other names in the note.
The police have officially registered a case under sections 108 (abetment of suicide) and 308 (extortion) along with section 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the four named individuals and others involved.
