According to the complaint filed with the Surat police, Joshi and his associate Sampat Chaudhary targeted ration and subsidised grain shop owners across parts of the city. Posing as anti-corruption crusaders, Joshi allegedly visited shops wearing an AAP scarf, filmed videos accusing merchants of irregularities, and warned them of action by authorities. Shopkeepers were then directed to Chaudhary to “settle” the matter in exchange for cash.

The alleged extortion racket came to light when several shopkeepers secretly recorded Chaudhary accepting money. In one widely circulated video, he is seen collecting ₹1 lakh in cash, while another clip purportedly shows him admitting to collecting monthly instalments of ₹25,000 from shop owners on Joshi’s instructions. Police said these recordings formed the basis of the arrests.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajdeepsinh Nakum said preliminary investigation suggests that at least 10 fair price shops were targeted. “The accused allegedly fixed a monthly amount of ₹25,000 per shop. The total extortion demand was around ₹3.5 lakh. The shopkeepers, frustrated by repeated threats, approached the police with video proof,” he said.

One of the complainants, Nilesh More (27), who runs a subsidised grocery shop in the Limbayat area, told police that Joshi visited his shop in October, abused him verbally, accused him of black marketing in front of customers, and threatened to have his licence cancelled. “After recording a video, he sent Chaudhary to collect money. I decided to record the transaction to expose them,” More said in his statement.

Police said Chaudhary, during questioning, admitted to collecting money and claimed he acted on Joshi’s directions, adding that the cash was handed over to Joshi. Investigators are now examining call records, financial transactions, and social media activity to determine the full extent of the alleged racket.

Both accused have been booked under relevant sections related to extortion, criminal intimidation, and conspiracy, and further investigation is underway. Police have also indicated that they will look into whether more shopkeepers were coerced and whether the accused misused political identity for intimidation.

The AAP has not yet issued an official statement on the arrests. Authorities said the case highlights growing concerns over the misuse of social media and political influence to pressure small traders.