MUMBAI, August 25: It is an extortion of a different kind. A neighbour demands that a hotel owner surrender a section of the eatery or pay up Rs 5 lakh.

Prakash Shetty, owner of Hotel Classic opposite Siddhivinayak temple in Prabhadevi, earned the wrath of Kishor Patil who stays a few feet away over a claim for the extension to the hotel. Recently, the manager John Sequeira and a couple of waiters were attacked by a group of people led by Kishor. The injured were treated in KEM Hospital. The Dadar police have refused to intervene, though cross cases have been filed.

The dispute between Shetty and Patil began over an adjoining room that the hotel owner bought from one H P Pandey in December 1996. Patil too was interested in buying the room. A month later, he allegedly threatened Shetty to part with the room. When Shetty refused, Patil and his wife Surekha allegedly started harassing the hotel's customers. The Patil couple and their associates allegedly sat in front of the hotel at 11.30 pm and did not allow the customers to enter, and also abused and shouted at them. When Shetty tried to settle the matter, Patil allegedly demanded money, initially Rs 50,000, which he later increased to Rs five lakh. Shetty received Patil's calls at odd hours for money. He has recorded one such call.

``The entire episode has led to loss in my business. I had obtained a loan to start the hotel and this man is forcing me to shut down,'' Shetty complained. Despite repeated complaints, the Dadar police failed to act against Patil, although two constables have been posted outside the hotel.

Patil allegedly has political links, and the police do not want to intervene. The area is a part of Chief Minister Manohar Joshi's constituency.Patil however denied threatening Shetty and demanding money. ``The hotel customers cause inconvenience to us after they get drunk. We want the hotel to be closed down.''

A senior police officer, claiming anonymity, said the police could do nothing in the matter. ``They themselves have to sort out the matter,'' he said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.